New Democrat Update - August 1998
TAKING COLORADO'S PULSE
The Colorado DLC has commissioned a statewide poll on the public policy views of rank-and-file Democrats and the general public. The poll, conducted by the Norwest Public Policy Research Institute at the University of Colorado at Denver, will determine if the views and interests of the so-called “base” Democratic vote are significantly similar or dissimilar with independent voters. The survey has questioned a random sample of 800 registered Colorado voters, including an “over sample” of approximately 160 additional Democrats, resulting in a total Democratic sample of 400.
State Representatives Bob Bacon, Dan Grossman, Bob Hagedorn, Jennifer Veiga, and Suzanne Williams, along with State Senators Mike Feeley and Stan Matsunaka, have been overseeing the project. They will present the findings (which will be available the first week of August) to other Democrats across the state.
This special project was made possible by the generous financial support of the Colorado Education Association, the national Democratic Leadership Council, John Huggins and the New Democrat Network. The Colorado DLC sincerely thanks each of them for their invaluable help.
THE NEXT GENERATION
The DLC is conducting a two day leadership session on Friday and Saturday, August 14 and 15, in Denver. The session is one in a series being conducted around the country and represents a crucial component of the DLC’s commitment to work more closely with the next generation of elected leaders, particularly at the state and local level. The meeting, which will be small and interactive, is designed to help New Democrats:
Identify and articulate the key values that underlie our political philosophyApply that philosophy to state and local public policy problemsEffectively develop and deliver messages about those policies On Friday, after being welcomed by DLC President Al From, participants will examine New Democrat values, beliefs and principles and how they differ from the views of traditional liberals and conservatives. The remainder of the day will focus on using these values to develop a public policy agenda at the state and local levels. Saturday morning will be dedicated to the very important task of translating that agenda into a message.
Thus far, participants include State Senators Terry Phillips, Peggy Reeves, Frank Weddig and State Representatives Bob Bacon, Ken Gordon, Dan Grossman, Bob Hagedorn and Suzanne Williams. Local elected officials include Eagle County Commissioner James Johnson, Weld County Assessor Warren Lasell and Glendale Mayor Joe Rice. The Colorado DLC appreciates these elected officials taking time out of their busy schedules to join us for this important meeting!
IN THE NEW DEMOCRAT MAGAZINE...
An analysis by State Rep. Jennifer Veiga is in the July/August edition of The New Democrat. She makes a strong political case - population growth and changing demographics make it imperative that Democrats have a message that sells well in the suburbs.
A New Democrat public policy agenda is key to our party's fortunes. But more importantly, making it a reality is critical to preparing Colorado for the 21st century.