[Mb-civic] Howard Dean | The Future of the Democratic Party

[Michael Butler]

    Howard Dean | The Future of the Democratic Party
    By Howard Dean 
    t r u t h o u t | Perspective

     Monday 06 December 2004

     Since Election Day, there has been a lot of predictable moaning and
groaning about the future of the Democratic Party. Particularly predictable
are the suggestions that we need to be more like Republicans in order to
win. Democrats need to learn by our previous mistakes - we have tried being
"Republican-lite" and it does not work. It is a mistake to run away from the
things we believe and I think we can win in the so-called Republican states
by being real Democrats.

     We have to realize that there are no red states and no blue states,
just American states. I believe the country is still more in sync with
Democratic values than Republican values. Our task is to remind ourselves
and the American people of the hallmark issues that distinguish Democrats
from Republicans.

     For example, Democrats historically tackle economic issues with bold,
common-sense policies. Our last Democratic president created 22 million new
jobs in this country. In the last four years, George W. Bush oversaw the
loss of over 1.5 million. Democrats balance budgets, Republicans do not.
Democrats consistently try to pass legislation that would provide some kind
of affordable health care, Republicans do not. Democrats believe we ought to
raise the minimum wage to help the average worker keep up with the cost of
living, Republicans do not. Democrats believe corporations have too much
power over our daily lives; Republicans do not - and to prove it, they have
given away billions of dollars of our tax money to the biggest corporations
in the world over the last four years.

     On each of these issues, the majority of the American people are with
Democrats not Republicans. Democrats have the right beliefs to win; we just
execute a poor public relations plan. And, despite the enormous improvement
in our ground game, the Republicans executed a more effective strategy.
Republicans are far more successful because they work in a more unified,
disciplined way with local supporters, especially with their base. They also
avoid the Democrats chronic pitfall of listening to pundits from inside the
Beltway.

     I truly believe that Democrats can return to national dominance. But,
we must not be afraid to compete in every race, in every district and in
every state. We can start rebuilding the Democratic Party from the bottom
up. Through my organization, Democracy for America, we have already started
that process. This past election cycle, we endorsed over 100 candidates, at
all levels of government ­ from school board to U.S. Senate and we
contributed to almost 750 candidates around the country.

     These candidates helped return Democrats to the majority in the
Vermont, North Carolina, Oregon and Colorado State Houses; as well as the
Senate in Oregon, Washington and Colorado. These candidates included more
women than men, 25 percent were African American and there were members of
nearly every other minority group, including American Indians. Nearly ten
percent of the victors were from the gay and lesbian community, which
included wins in places like Idaho and Missouri. And, 15 of the candidates
we endorsed that won never ran for office before.

     Democrats can win by simply being Democrats. Reinventing ourselves as
Republicans is the death knell of our party. We need to get back to basics
and start listening to people from outside Washington. Only then can we save
the greatest nation on the face of the earth from the twin Republican perils
of enormous deficits and constant misadventures abroad.

     Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont, is the founder of Democracy
for America, a grassroots organization that supports socially progressive
and fiscally responsible political candidates.

 

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