Wilderness wanderers

Politics | Shifting political ideology for Democrats will be more challenging than winning the White House | Russ Pulliam

Can Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh lead his fellow Democrats out of their left-wing political wilderness and into the center of the political spectrum?

Some political observers think that Mr. Bayh, or some presidential candidate of his centrist views, needs to do so. Otherwise the Democrats won't be able to break a losing streak that has shut them out of the White House and is keeping them in the minority in Congress.

But shifting a political party across the political spectrum is more challenging than merely winning a presidential nomination. If Republican Party history is any guide, it takes perhaps a generation, or about 25 years, to accomplish.

The Democrats, of course, don't want to wait that long to win back the White House. That's why some prominent party figures are beginning to call for a move to the center—at least in word, if not in deed.