New Democrat Update - December 2006
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE . . .
Seven years ago, a daylong forum was conducted in Colorado Springs on the state of politics in the West. Organizations of all political stripes, including the Colorado DLC, were invited to be part of the discussion.
At that time, Republicans in the region strongly believed that their party would dominate Western politics for generations. In fact, this year’s losing GOP candidate in the 7th Congressional District race - Rick O’ Donnell - was the leading proponent of that view at the forum.
After the discussion, representatives from each organization submitted summaries of their comments, later published by the forum’s sponsor. The following was the Colorado DLC’s take, again in 1999:
The political pollsters and spinmeisters repeatedly assert that Democrats can no longer win in the West. They say an increasing Republican voter registration advantage - largely generated by the growth of the radical right and new, higher-income people - make it electorally impossible for Democrats. Hang on, the pundits emphasize, the West is swinging to the right.
“Experts” misread elections because they see politics through a very biased and outdated prism - liberal vs. conservative, Democrat vs. Republican, etc. Meanwhile, voters make their decisions in a much more pragmatic, nonpartisan and non-ideological manner.
Colorado is a case in point. When actually asked for their opinions (which a Colorado DLC poll did last year - 1998), voters tell a much different story. For example, 74 percent believe the best solutions to Colorado's problems come from the center. Sixty percent refuse to identify themselves as either strong Democrats or strong Republicans.
Far from rejecting activist government, almost two-thirds believe the public sector should help people equip themselves to solve their own problems. Small numbers say the role of government is to stay out of our lives and let us solve our own problems (In the 2006 poll, the responses to the same exact questions were virtually identical).
Nevertheless, the challenges facing my party in the West should not be underestimated. While voters themselves are non-ideological, they - especially the unaffiliated - have specific concerns about Democrats.
Democratic candidates must shakeup the debate by offering New Democrat ideas on the “tough governing” issues - economic opportunity, fiscal discipline, crime, welfare, and streamlined government. Once that threshold of credibility is reached, the party's traditional advantages on the “compassion” issues - education, health care and the environment - can be maximized.
Count on Western voters to continue rejecting the ideological extremes of both traditional liberals and conservatives. Strong majorities are increasingly tired of an old left-right debate that is more focused on rehashing the past, rather than building the future.
Those realities should lift the hopes of my party. But even more important than that, Democrats have a duty and responsibility to redefine progressivism in the Information Age and offer a new, real political choice to all Westerners.
As confirmed by another Colorado DLC poll conducted in 2006, the nature of the electorate - between 1999 and now - has changed very little. As this last election verified, Coloradans want pragmatic, problem-solving leaders who have mainstream cultural values.
What has changed over the last few years is the nature of Republican Party leadership. GOP candidates and elected officials increasingly have moved sharply to the ideological right, disregarding the center, and in the process, lost support from independent voters. These folks look at candidates’ records and visions, not their party affiliation. Last month’s election results speak for themselves.
At the same time, these good times should not be interpreted as a mandate for traditional Democratic politics. Instead, it is an opportunity to build a long-term progressive majority coalition that is committed to providing real solutions, rooted in mainstream values, that meet the challenges Coloradans face on a daily basis.
Which is exactly what the Democratic majority in the legislature delivered the last two years.
FOLLOWING BILL RITTER’S LEAD
Governor-elect Bill Ritter’s message during and after his successful campaign embraces that view. Just look at this excerpt from his prepared remarks on election night (The entire speech and his actual words can be viewed here):
And the best way to thank you is to govern well. That's absolutely what Barbara O'Brien and I intend to do.
We've been given a rare opportunity to govern differently, to govern the way we campaigned, to say that every place in Colorado, every person in Colorado, matters.
We're going to govern a unified and united Colorado. This is one state. This is not urban vs. rural. This is not Western Slope vs. Front Range. This is not even Republican vs. Democrat. We don't fulfill the Colorado Promise as Democrats. We fulfill it together as Coloradans.
I said when I accepted the nomination in Greeley that this election would be about cynics vs. those who hope. I had no idea how right I would be. Fortunately, the hopeful -- those who want to walk with us and work with us to fulfill the Colorado Promise -- prevailed.
But we must not forget the cynics. We must work to convert them and give them hope about the legitimate role that government can play in people's lives.
We are going to close the partisan divide and do what's best for this one state. We'll do that by looking for the common ground, by staying true to the center and always doing what's right and what's responsible.
I will govern this state as a gatekeeper on good public policy. We will do what's best for the entire state so that we can deliver on the Colorado Promise for all Coloradans so that we can solve real problems.
It may seen obvious to some but cannot be overemphasized to others - the quality of governing matters a lot. Ask President Bush. Voters, even his own conservative base, have turned against him, primarily because his policies on everything from Iraq to Katrina have been dramatic failures.
Democrats at all levels of government should follow the lead of Colorado’s new governor. His path, if followed by the rest of our party, will turn what is now a political opportunity for progressives into a sustainable, long-term political mandate.