New Democrat Update - August 2001
THE NEW GERRYMANDERING
State House Majority Leader Lola Spradley (R-Beulah) is joining hands with some ethnocentric activists on a legislative district gerrymandering scheme that will only further divide Coloradans. Fortunately, her latest attempt to lump Hispanics into one suburban House District was defeated but, unless such cynical and crass politics is decisively confronted, we can expect more of the same divisive tactics this summer and fall.
Spradley and racial activists contend that minorities can only be empowered by being lumped together in the same district. Consequently, she is advocating linking far-flung minority areas solely by race, regardless of geography, economic interest and even ethnicity within the racial group itself. Following a national GOP strategy already implemented in the South, Spradley's "empowerment" agenda will only lead Hispanic and other minority voters into isolation and impotence.
In the ultimate political one-night stand, Republicans are more than happy to jump in bed with ethnocentric activists because concentrating people of color into one legislative seat significantly increases GOP prospects for victories in the other newly drawn surrounding districts. There is little doubt which group will feed abandoned come morning. As DLC Policy Director Ed Kilgore writes in the latest edition of Blueprint, "Exhibit A in the claim that ‘racial gerrymandering' was designed to disrupt the South's Democratic biracial coalition was Georgia, whose U.S. House delegation changed from 9-1 Democratic (eight whites, one black) in 1991 to 8-3 Republican (all three Democrats black) four years later."
If you still have doubts about the GOP's motivations, state Republicans had been working to actually eliminate a current state legislative seat in Denver that genuinely represents Hispanic voters. In this case, the GOP tried to breakup a true community of color - large enough on its own to fill a district - and parcel it out among several other districts. That would have kept minorities from electing someone responsive to their concerns.
Put aside whether Democrats or Republicans are helped. At a time when the state's racial and cultural diversity is exploding and the need for social unity is more important than ever, such gerrymandering only promotes ethnic polarization and divisiveness. Increasingly, white candidates will only need the support of white voters while minority candidates will be able to win elections exclusively with votes from people of color.
The state's increased diversity means Coloradans of different and increasingly mixed backgrounds must intensify the effort to find and affirm common principles. Whether from the GOP or ethnocentric activists, Colorado must be defended against "identity politics" that make race and ethnicity the primary lenses through which people view themselves and society.
Harry Pachon, in the latest edition of Blueprint, proposes a strategy to do just that. "When Latinos are asked in national surveys what group they most identify with, the answer they give is not an ethnic identification but ‘working families.' Traditional Democratic issues like health insurance, gun control, and education and worker retraining resonate well among Hispanics, who are, on average, ten years younger than the average white non-Hispanic and who typically live in a traditional two-parent household with children present in the home."
Like the large majority of non-Hispanic Americans, Latinos want leaders who help them get the tools they need to be upwardly mobile. That means pushing policies that strengthen families, value the contributions of immigrants, deliver effective education and job training, fight crime, provide access to quality health care and promote affordable housing.
Maybe best of all, more evidence is surfacing that political candidates of color, with this message and agenda, can attract the support of white Democrats, moderate Republicans and independents as part of a winning majority coalition. Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar's successful statewide election in 1998 is one of a number of recent examples from across the country.
In the end, constructing one Hispanic legislative district smacks of pandering and meaningless symbolic politics. To woo Latino voters, both parties should instead focus on the everyday realities of families with ideas that embody the values of equal opportunity, personal responsibility, family, faith and hard work.
NEW IDEAS, ENDURING VALUES
Last month, 14 Coloradans joined over 700 attendees from 39 other states at the DLC's fifth annual National Conversation. Participating state elected officials included Senate President Stan Matsunaka, Senate President Pro Tem Ed Perlmutter, and State Senator Bob Hagedorn, along with State Representatives Fran Coleman, Mary Hodge, Bryan Jameson, Andrew Romanoff, and Suzanne Williams. Local elected officials in attendance were Glendale Mayor Joe Rice, Lafayette Mayor Pro Tem Todd Grant and Brighton City Councilman Dick Hodge.
Matsunaka, Perlmutter and Hagedorn also led breakout sessions on successful New Democrat strategies in conservative states, smart growth, and health care, respectively. Grant, Hagedorn, both of the Hodges, Jameson, Perlmutter, and Romanoff came a day early to participate in the DLC's rigorous day-long leadership training program focused on helping elected officials develop and articulate new ideas in terms of clear values and broad, understandable policy goals.
The two-day conference clearly demonstrated that the New Democratic movement is focused on using government not as an end in itself, but as an instrument to push mainstream values, address the challenges facing our communities and empower people with the tools they need to solve their own problems. It also showed that New Democrats understand our diverse population, the New Economy, the power of innovation and technology, the need to ensure equal opportunity through quality education and lifelong learning, why bureaucracies must be replaced with private-public partnerships and the growing challenges facing parents in balancing work and family responsibilities.
At the Conversation, the DLC also released its newly-redesigned magazine, Blueprint, which presented a comprehensive agenda that tackles the cultural divide in American politics. To that end, the magazine promotes economic opportunity, not redistribution; highlights the importance of standing for big ideas, not big government; and promotes support for family-friendly polices that help parents raise kids.
"During this year's National Conversation, we show that values matter and a cultural divide does exists within the electorate," DLC CEO and Founder Al From stated. "To become the majority party, Democrats must recognize this political fact and create an inclusive message, a progressive agenda, and a renewed commitment to reform government. In our new Blueprint magazine, we take the subject of values and cultural issues a step further by offering insights on how Democrats can avoid polarizing positions and provide an agenda that can close the cultural gap.
Be sure to check out Blueprint (Email Jim Gibson or call him at 303-936-4681 for a hard copy). National Conversation transcripts, slide presentations, video clips and photos are also available.