New Democrat Update - September 2008
THE “OTHER” CONVENTION

Most political observers have concluded that Democrats accomplished what they needed at last week’s Democratic National Convention.  Senator Barack Obama’s acceptance address, along with stirring speeches by Michelle Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Ted Kennedy, former President Bill Clinton and others made a particularly strong case for our party this electoral cycle.  Former DNC Chair and longtime party leader Don Fowler said, "This was the best Convention in the history of the Democratic Party!"

While all the high-visibility events were going on, another kind of political convention - and arguably even just as important - was buzzing behind the scenes.  With considerable intellectual heft, Democrats were having serious policy and political discussions about some of the most challenging issues facing the country.  The following are but a very small sample of the deliberations in Denver last week.

THE ECONOMY

Encouraged by Colorado DLC member John Huggins, Obama top advisor Austan Goolsbee debriefed business community leaders on the campaign’s agenda for the economy.  Some of the highlights include:

Implementing an Emergency Economic Plan to jump start the economy with $1,000 energy rebates and an additional $50 billion for state and local government services

Providing tax relief for the middle class and seven days of annual paid sick leave for workers

Spurring advanced energy technologies, creating five million new green jobs and decreasing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil

Reforming and modernizing the country’s dysfunctional health care and financial regulatory systems

Doubling federal funding for basic research, expanding broadband access, and making the research and development tax credit permanent

Investing $60 billion over 10 years in a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank

Cutting the federal deficit by reinstating pay-as-you-go budgeting rules

At a DLC event, Chairman Harold E. Ford Jr. reinforced Obama’s message on the infrastructure, leading an impressive panel of business leaders, economists and elected officials. The bottom line - America’s crumbling infrastructure poses a serious threat to public safety and a heavy drag on economic growth.  Rebuilding ports, roads, rail, airports and the electricity grid will require new investment and innovative ways of financing.  View the event here.

Another event strongly echoing Obama’s agenda involved a panel of biopharmaceutical/technology business leaders and members of the congressional New Democrat Coalition.  Dr. Robert Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, moderated the discussion focusing on “the nature of the new innovation economy and the types of public policies needed to drive innovation, productivity and broad-based prosperity for all Americans.”

EDUCATION

The most provocative event during the Convention may have been conducted by Democrats for Education Reform, a New York City-based political action committee.  Local participants were former Secretary of Energy Federico Pena, former Governor and Strong American Schools Chairman Roy Romer, Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien, State Senate President Peter Groff and Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet.  Other panelists from across the country included Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Rev. Al Sharpton of the Education Equality Project,  National Council of La Raza’s Delia Pompa and Education Sector head Andrew Rotherham.

At the event, a report entitled the Ed Challenge for Change, was released.  The document included these ideas for closing the achievement gap:

Universal access to quality early childhood programs, calling for bold new investments in early education programs, proven to make a critical difference in leveling the playing field for students in high-poverty areas

Expanded charter school access, providing parents with meaningful public school choice for all students, making clear that choice comes with responsibility - parents must be partners in helping young people become disciplined students and concerned citizens

Improved accountability measures , including high standards along with accountability not just from teachers, but also students and parents, principals, education schools, researchers and policymakers

Extended school days and school years. More classroom time, especially for children who are falling behind to catch up and become proficient

New teacher recruitment strategies. Transforming teaching into a profession that is competitive in compensation, continuously providing growth opportunities, and focusing on accountability and producing results

New funding allocation. Overcoming education deficits in the poorest districts, providing new pay incentives to attract the best teachers and principals to the lowest-performing schools, and expanding access to high-quality pre-school, after school and summer programs.

FAITH AND POLITICS

A panel of clergy, including author Rev. Jim Wallis, took an in-depth look at the influential and rapidly changing impact of faith on the presidential election.  The shift from just 2004 is dramatic.

Wallis remarked that the Democratic Party has become markedly much more comfortable with people of faith, compared to four years ago.  The changing focus of voters of faith on climate change and global poverty is causing many of them to leave the Republican Party and join the ranks of political independents.

Democratic pollster Celinda Lake reinforced the point with data demonstrating a growing cynicism about the religious right's often abusive use of religion in politics.  She also emphasized that voters care much less about the traditional wedge issues of abortion and gay marriage than in recent elections and are evenly split between Obama and McCain on the "which shares my values" question. She concluded that the political right may have dominated this dialogue but have certainly not won “the hearts and minds of voters."

Democrats last week demonstrated that they believe in the power of ideas - the key to our party’s future political fortunes and, more importantly, solving the country’s pressing problems.