Some things going on within the national DNC, etc.
A 01-20-05 wsj article entitled "Democrats Weigh Two Strategies For a Comeback in Four Years," reviewes the merits and best way of preventing another Republican victory in four years.
In doing so, they face a fundamental choice: Is the party best served by waging what one party strategist terms "total war" against the president and his party? Or, fearing such an approach would turn off more voters than it would energize, should Democrats pick their fights more selectively?
In discussing the latter choice, the article notes:
While a moderated approach would rankle some of the party's impatient base, it is less likely to put off the public and could help Democrats to accomplish one of the key fixes party officials deem vital: reconnecting with voters on values and moral issues.
According to the Democrats' postelection analysis, Mr. Bush's emphasis on social issues, such as opposing gay marriage, eroded the Democrats' support among rural voters and Catholics. Now, party elders and activists are retooling their messages to strike at the Republicans and win back those voters.
About 30 progressive religious leaders are considering creating a resource center that would develop the faith-based arguments for government activism. Departing DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe has set aside funding for developing a religious outreach program inside the party apparatus.
[This is the first time I have heard or seen anything about this.]
Then the article discusses the DNC chair:
The first signal of the party's decision could come next month when delegates select a new national chairman.
Former Gov. Howard Dean, whose presidential primary campaign tapped into the party base's frustration with tentative Washington leadership, has emerged as a front-runner for the job. For some Democrats, though, the lure of capturing his vibrant grass-roots base is tempered by worries that his public image is too liberal and edgy. "The good news is he's very well-known. The bad news is he's very well-known," says T.J. Rooney, chairman of the Pennsylvania party.
Former Texas Rep. Martin Frost, a strong fund-raiser who was defeated last year, is viewed for now as the most formidable alternative candidate to Mr. Dean. His Southern roots are attracting support from centrist Democrats most worried about recapturing a voice on moral and religious issues, but his insider-style and wanting television presence worry others.
Democrats were stunned on Election Day by a Republican turnout operation that bested their own once-formidable operation. Taking a page from the Republicans' 2002 playbook, the party is planning to test new voter-turnout tactics -- including sharply targeted messages on specific issues -- in the Virginia and New Jersey governors' races.
Some influential party delegates say they are looking for a chairman who will continue those kinds of special programs but also will create a more sustained support system for state parties. "If you ignore the swing states in nonpresidential years, the political hole out here gets deeper and deeper. You can't find enough money to fill that political hole in the few months before a campaign," says Ohio Chairman Dennis White.
In doing so, they face a fundamental choice: Is the party best served by waging what one party strategist terms "total war" against the president and his party? Or, fearing such an approach would turn off more voters than it would energize, should Democrats pick their fights more selectively?
In discussing the latter choice, the article notes:
While a moderated approach would rankle some of the party's impatient base, it is less likely to put off the public and could help Democrats to accomplish one of the key fixes party officials deem vital: reconnecting with voters on values and moral issues.
According to the Democrats' postelection analysis, Mr. Bush's emphasis on social issues, such as opposing gay marriage, eroded the Democrats' support among rural voters and Catholics. Now, party elders and activists are retooling their messages to strike at the Republicans and win back those voters.
About 30 progressive religious leaders are considering creating a resource center that would develop the faith-based arguments for government activism. Departing DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe has set aside funding for developing a religious outreach program inside the party apparatus.
[This is the first time I have heard or seen anything about this.]
Then the article discusses the DNC chair:
The first signal of the party's decision could come next month when delegates select a new national chairman.
Former Gov. Howard Dean, whose presidential primary campaign tapped into the party base's frustration with tentative Washington leadership, has emerged as a front-runner for the job. For some Democrats, though, the lure of capturing his vibrant grass-roots base is tempered by worries that his public image is too liberal and edgy. "The good news is he's very well-known. The bad news is he's very well-known," says T.J. Rooney, chairman of the Pennsylvania party.
Former Texas Rep. Martin Frost, a strong fund-raiser who was defeated last year, is viewed for now as the most formidable alternative candidate to Mr. Dean. His Southern roots are attracting support from centrist Democrats most worried about recapturing a voice on moral and religious issues, but his insider-style and wanting television presence worry others.
Democrats were stunned on Election Day by a Republican turnout operation that bested their own once-formidable operation. Taking a page from the Republicans' 2002 playbook, the party is planning to test new voter-turnout tactics -- including sharply targeted messages on specific issues -- in the Virginia and New Jersey governors' races.
Some influential party delegates say they are looking for a chairman who will continue those kinds of special programs but also will create a more sustained support system for state parties. "If you ignore the swing states in nonpresidential years, the political hole out here gets deeper and deeper. You can't find enough money to fill that political hole in the few months before a campaign," says Ohio Chairman Dennis White.
posted by Sid Cottingham | 6:05 AM
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