New Democrat Update - October 1998
A NEW POLITICS
Five debriefings were conducted last month with Democratic elected officials and leaders on the findings of a Colorado DLC poll completed earlier this summer. State Reps. Dan Grossman and Bob Hagedorn led discussions in Denver while State Rep. Bob Bacon conducted the Fort Collins session. Debriefings are planned for southeast Colorado and the Western Slope.
The message from the presentations was clear - Coloradans are overwhelmingly centrist, independent, pragmatic, educated, middle class and very suburban. To build a progressive majority coalition, Democrats must advocate messages and ideas that appeal across constituencies, rather than targeting programs at special interest groups. In a recent national survey of political consultants, 82 percent of them rated the quality of a candidate's message as the most important ingredient in winning elections.
Coloradans want an activist government that helps people equip themselves to solve their own problems. They seek a message and agenda rooted in traditional progressive values - equal opportunity, cultural tolerance, a sense of community and a special commitment to those less fortunate. Our challenge is to rethink how to apply these progressive values in the Information Age.
Democrats should be about expanding opportunity driven by policies that help the private sector thrive. We must emphasize responsibilities as well as rights - in direct contrast with entitlement-driven politics and the neglectful right-wing mentality of "every man for himself." The focus must be on pulling this state together - not dividing and conquering the electorate by income, race or region. Finally, because the public sector has a role in meeting these challenges, we must take the lead in reinventing it to restore confidence in government.
That is the opportunity and challenge facing Colorado Democrats in 1998 and beyond. If up to the task, a new progressive majority coalition can provide the political support to move our state in the right direction for the 21st century. If we fail, we risk the political dominance of an increasingly intolerant Republican party, driven by the Christian Right, more focused on the past than the future.
State legislator participants at the debriefings included State Sens. Mike Feeley, Stan Matsunaka, Terry Phillips, Peggy Reeves, Frank Weddig and State Reps. Gloria Leyba, Alice Nichol, Suzanne Williams and Paul Zimmerman. Other elected officials in attendance were Longmont City Councilman Ron Gallegos, CU Regent Susan Kirk, Weld County Assessor Warren Lasell, and Glendale Mayor Joe Rice. Finally, other leaders participating included Betty Boyd, Bernie Buescher, Carol Burkhart, Jerry Clayton, Dan Dean, Jack Dorwart, Robert Duncan, Jerri Hill, Linda Hopkins, John Huggins, Larry Karsten, Susan Kirkpatrick, Amy Knous, Brandon LaSalle, Paul Lhevine, John Loewy, Ruth B. Lurie, Hugh McClearn, Deborah Morgan, Don Parker, Tom Plant, Jim Polsfut, Ann Ragsdale, Tom Redder, Rose Spiegleman, Dick Watt, Stan Wilks, Sue Windels, Jack J. Woehr and Angie Wood.
The Colorado DLC appreciates the financial involvement of the Colorado Education Association, the national Democratic Leadership Council, John Huggins and the New Democrat Network. Their generous support made the Colorado DLC statewide poll possible. Thanks also to Doug Friednash for use of his conference room.
BLUEPRINT AND MORE!
The DLC has just published the first issue of a new quarterly policy journal aimed at shaping the debate for the 21st century. Each edition of Blueprint: Ideas for a New Century will focus on one important policy issue.
The inaugural issue - "The Next Politics" - analyzes what the public debate will look like for the next several decades. Learn about the good news behind the growing gap between the rich and poor, the real story about organized labor's diminishing clout and the changing views of rank-and-file Democrats - along with the political implications of a workforce increasingly populated by “wired workers,” and “free agents.” Last but far from least, check out Al From’s and Will Marshall's 10 Commandments for building the next Democratic majority.
If you want to stay ahead of the public policy debate, or if you care about progressive politics and the future health of the Democratic Party, get Blueprint. Future issues will focus on such topics as "expanding the winner's circle" for success in the new global economy, modernizing the Social Security and Medicare entitlement programs, bringing public schools into the Information Age and restoring our civic life.
You can get Blueprint, along with the DLC’s flagship magazine - The New Democrat, by becoming a member of the national and Colorado DLC for just $50 a year (A subscription to Blueprint alone is also available for $20). The September/ October 1998 issue of The New Democrat takes a look at why the Republican Party is failing as a governing majority and proposes a winning strategy for Democrats in the suburbs.
Members can also receive publications from our think tank - the Progressive Policy Institute on a variety of issues. Some recent papers include:
New Economy
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Building New Skills for the New Economy: Regional Skills Alliances
Decoding Encryption
The Case for Technology in the Knowledge Economy
Innovation, Social Capital, and the New Economy
The Africa Trade Bill
The IMF and the Asian Crisis
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Health Care
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President Clinton’s Medicare Buy-in: Right Goal, Wrong Program
Planning for Serendipity: A New Strategy for Funding Health Research
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Environment
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Trading Air Emissions For Environmental and Economic Benefit
Waste Site Clean Ups in Slow Motion
Regulatory Reform Defanged
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Education
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Addressing the Looming Teacher Crunch: The Issue is Quality
Improving Student Achievement: Is Reducing Class Size the Answer?
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Child Care
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The President's Child Care Initiative: Investing in Equity
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As a member, you will receive invitations to special events in Colorado and across the country. These gatherings give you an excellent opportunity to interact with thousands of progressive elected officials, citizen activists, community leaders and academics all over the country.
In fact, the 1998 DLC Annual Conference is scheduled for Wednesday, December 2 in Washington, DC As always, it promises to be a newsworthy event.
Become a member today!