To Demagogue

TNR's Noam Scheiber considers the argument that Democrats should not try to debunk the Bush White House's terribly familiar attempt to characterize Social Security as facing an immediate (rather than simply impending) crisis, for fear of seeming married to the status quo and without a positive agenda. His conclusion is that it is not desirable but it is necessary, considering the undemocratic tactics of the administration.

However, the question of whether to demagogue is moot without a counter-proposal. Without a Democratic alternative, all you're choosing between is whether to let privatization go by unopposed, or attack it without affect, since the lack of a counter-proposal makes privatization seem like it's the only option. Instead, someone in the party needs to take the lead and propose modest changes that would have large affects, such as slight raises in the salary cap and retirement age that would extend Social Security's solvency for a lifetime. They'll involve a small amount of pain, but the political benefit of preserving the character of a popular system could outweigh the political risk of narrowing it if the move is sold well, and particularly if the changes are set to go into effect in the future, they'll essentially go unnoticed.