Democrats Urged to Abandon Election Myths
WASHINGTON (AP) - To regain political power Democrats must abandon favorite election myths, adopt a strong position on national defense and pick candidates who connect with average voters, two political analysts from the party said Thursday.
Political scientists Elaine Kamarck and William Galston, both Democrats, warned that the most important first step is to abandon beliefs they describe as "election myths."
The said the current "myths" are:
_The belief Democrats can win if they just do a great job of mobilizing their base. Republicans have improved at mobilizing their own base, so Democrats need to do more than that.
_The theory demographic changes over time will make Democrats a majority, a questionable concept with the Hispanic vote increasingly up for grabs.
_The belief Democrats can succeed politically if they simply learn to talk more effectively about their positions.
_The strategy of avoiding cultural issues, playing down national security and changing the subject to domestic issues. National security is too dominant a concern now.
The report noted Republican gains among married people, Catholics, Hispanics and women during the last presidential election.
The Democrats also must develop a coherent foreign policy because "we just don't have one," said Kamarck, a political scientist at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
The problem here is the demographics are working against them (hispanics, hi Spanky!), the dim leadership has no values, or cultural and moral clarituy to offer the electorate, which essentially what the article is saying that they need to do and who they need to appeal to (families, people with religious values). Instead the dims want God out of the public square, mock the babyjesi and want a society of moral relativism (Wonk, you may not want me and my superior morals governing, but moral clarity plays to the electorate and its why the Rs win national elections).
Plus, national defence!!! They don't have a policy is right. Clinton spent 8 years in office governing by opinion poll, that is the policy. Which amounts to cut and run. The lemmings of America want to be led. To victory and a position of strength and security (ala the W Doctrine), not led on a mission of surrender and skulk away in a fart cloud of shame and self-blame.
Based on this internal study of demos by demos, I see Republican control of the Fed government for at least the next three election cycles. thoughts?
eta: that talking about effectively about their positions myth actually for Kerry, no?
