Democratic irrelevance: Vodka Pundit links to Daniel Drezner, getting depressed over Dick Gephardt. And for good, reason. The anti-trade isolationism of the Democratic party is near the top of the list of reasons I remain in the R camp. Does all this anwer the VP's question in another post?

NOTE FOR DISCUSSION: Is the Democratic Party becoming increasingly likely to pull a Whig Maneuver and disappear into history? If so, what replaces it?

Although I think the tide is with free-traders (Republican or Democrat), there's still a captive market for rhetoric on the other side. Will "Democrat" give way to "Progressive" or some other term? Maybe, but let's hope we can always tell an idiot when we spot one.