New Democrat Update - January 1997
A Celebration - and Challenge
On December 11, about a thousand participants attended the DLC's Annual Policy Forum and Gala in Washington. With President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and Governor Roy Romer on hand, this series of policy and social events represented a celebration of success - and a challenge to New Democrats to convert a political victory into an agenda for governing.
President Clinton's presentation, widely billed as a preview of his upcoming Inaugural Address, offered a vision of the 1996 election and what it means for governing: "A new landscape is taking shape; [it] is clear that the center can hold, the center has held, and the American people are demanding that it continue to do so."
The afternoon audience heard Governor Romer discuss improving public education through standards and early childhood development. He also emphasized Colorado's innovative leadership in charter schools, public choice and other initiatives.
Earlier in the day, the President's pollster, Mark Penn, reviewed the findings of the post-election survey he conducted for the DLC. He provocatively indicated that Congressional Democrats can defy all precedents and reclaim control of the House and Senate in 1998 if they strongly support the President's centrist agenda. If you would like a copy of the report, please send an e-mail.
A great day closed with a gala celebration. The evening's guest of honor, Vice President Al Gore, told the audience of several hundred that the DLC and its supporters had "helped to change America."
Debating the Future
Closer to home, party activists gathered at the Downtown Democratic Forum last month to review what's right and wrong with the Colorado Democratic Party. While accurately recognizing the need for new blood, many participants indicated that the party's base did not show up at the polls. In reality, that voter segment is rapidly shrinking.
Former US Senate candidate Gene Nichol rejected President Clinton's advocacy of the vital center, indicating too much consensus now exists between the two parties. Nichol promotes polarizing the debate through a traditional liberal agenda - programs that the middle-class in Colorado has repeatedly rejected.