The Democrats need a governor not in the tank with the public-sector unions

As we go down the path to the conventions, I can predict this about the next Democrat nominee: he or she will be around 70 years old or older, a very liberal candidate, and totally in the tank with the public-sector unions.

Such is the state of today's Democratic Party.  Sadly, the self-described party of diversity isn't really that diverse after all.

On the other hand, the GOP has younger and more dynamic candidates.

One of them is Governor Walker of Wisconsin, as Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. wrote today:

Unions may not matter much in American workplaces anymore but unions represent the main political obstacle to just about every kind of reform: School choice. Entitlements. Pensions. Health care.

And that's the point.  Unions, and we repeat that we mean public-sector unions, are not that popular.  They inject a toxic element in our political discourse with their unconditional support.

They are the ones holding back school reforms that would allow black and Hispanic parents to send their kids to a school of their choice.

It's unions that have tied up communities with labor contracts that benefit the members but not the taxpayers.

Here is my advice to the Democrats: nurture a few centrist candidates who understand that taxpayers are fed up with overpaid and arrogant public-sector unions.  

In other words, the Democrats could really use a "Nixon to China" moment when it comes to public-sector unions.

By the way, I am still undecided about the GOP nomination.  This is not an endorsement of Governor Walker, but rather a realization that public-sector unions are bad for governing, as private-sector labor leader George Meany once said: 

It is impossible to bargain collectively with the government.

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