( - promoted by Teddy Goodson)
Dawn does arrive, maybe a few clouds obscure the sun at first, but it is there and it shines on both the just and the unjust, whether they deserve it or not. The test then becomes: are we ready to carpe diem? We've glanced at the forest rather than the trees in being frank about the UN-INCLUSIVE BIG LIBERAL TENT, political PHILOSOPHY UBER ALLES, then OBAMA AND THE BASE, and the curious CANDIDATE-CENTRIC, SHORT-TERM LIFE CYCLE of the Party. Now, a quick finish:
THE PERMANENT CAMPAIGN
If Democrats really feel they have something to offer, and if they want to win future elections, they cannot fall into a coma between elections. The Republican Party, always more organized and disciplined and usually better funded, has mutated from a similar election-timed, candidate-centric operation into an ideological machine that looks and acts more like a "movement."
Increasingly rabid, ideologically-based elements keep pulling the Republican Party further toward what is often referred to as "far right." These elements may struggle with the still powerful neo-conservative block (which, ironically, originally sprang from a group of parlor-pink intellectual Marxists in mid-20th century), or with Big Money global corporate sponsors, but all manage to agree with the apocalyptic, Revelations-based, Bible-thumping evangelical Christian wing on a super-patriotic, militaristic Wild West capitalistic Free Market world view that hates taxes and "big government," loves "personal responsibility," and seeks to establish a mythical Constitution-based society as envisioned (they say) by Our Founding Fathers---- oh yes, and by Jesus. |
| This mishmash has created a potent frame of reference for almost any occasion, and a compelling world view which is always on stage, politicizing everything. The result over the past 25-plus years has been that Republicans are now in permanent campaign mode, leaving them precious little time to govern if they happen to win an election. They are always on the attack, perhaps partly to keep their various bases stirred up, angry, fearful, and involved. To Democrats the spectacle passes bizarre---- yet how does one respond to so much irrationality? to inexplicable eruptions of fury fixated on what are minor irrelevancies blown out of proportion? to stubborn obstructionism for the sake of obstructionism? to outright lies and fiction repeated so often the public accepts them as fact? If you are in office how do you govern when there is no cooperation from the counter-party?
It's hard to drain the swamp when you are up to your navel in alligators, especially if your own group is in hiatus because it's between elections. Most Democratic voters are not political junkies; you could describe them as generally indifferent to the administration of government, absent a breakdown in services or some major scandal. True, some Democrats have a public concern (climate change, starvation in Darfur) but seldom like Republicans who have Causes (and who mock or denigrate the concerns of Democrats----- "tree huggers," "liberals") There is, in other words, a gap in enthusiasm and commitment not to mention the constant talk-talk.
Therefore, Democratic activists and leaders will have to step it up to the next level to have any hope of containing Republican excesses, governing effectively if they happen to win an election, and protecting their own base. Democrats must respond with their own form of permanent campaign, a 24/7 political alert response system based within the Party. To avoid always being reactive and therefore behind the power curve, Democrats must have a mechanism for presenting their own alternate story, recommending alternative actions, or showcasing Republican mistakes and lies when appropriate.
Democrats can no longer rely on the shrunken or corrupted media to do these things for them. This means, no more between-election comas. Only a fully awake Party system will do, and additional support must be developed. I refer to think tanks, research outfits, interest groups disguised as "fronts," and so on, ready to backstop the Democrats---- similar to the Republican-oriented American Free Enterprise Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce, Focus on the Family, and so on. It would be even better if eventually a strong media outlet fell under liberal control. But developing a broad base in the "new media" online would be even better, thus making an end run around talk radio and pulling in the naturally Democratic demographic of young, Obama voters. Indeed, there should be an entire division of the Party set up to develop and maintain a permanent Democratic presence in the new media because control of information is the key to controlling out-of control Republicans.
GETTING ORGANIZED: NOT A FOUR-LETTER WORD
I hesitate to use the word organize in connection with Democrats, but Democrats really can do it: look at Barack Obama's stunningly efficient campaign organization. Sloppiness and minor incompetence can often be overcome or made irrelevant in a properly designed administrative setup.
The permanent campaign requires that Democrats have a top-to-bottom makeover. Example: it makes no sense to develop local voter lists intermittently, when "needed" by a candidate. Establishing a strong base of committed Democrats and turning that base out reliably for every election including niggling special elections or mid-terms will be the name of the game for the foreseeable future.
A committee member (precinct captain?) should know their turf, their precinct, intimately, especially its strong Dems---- who moves in or out, who dies, who goes away to college or overseas, even who needs help---- and keep records like the old ward bosses of Tammany Hall insofar as possible. Credit card companies and grocery stores know all about their clients and customers; so should a political party, at least on things that matter politically. At election time the precinct captain or committee member should walk the precinct with the candidate, hold functions for the candidate, provide internet coverage---- whatever is helpful.
This is asking a lot of volunteers, so there has to be professional help available. It also requires money to support such an organization, and it means there has to be special outreach. By "outreach" I mean: 1) recruitment of new Committee members and friends or allies, 2) proselyting, 3) promoting Democratic policies and points of view to the otherwise uninvolved public (a public which may well be brainwashed by pro-Republican media outlets like Fox) through various means including regular letters to the editor, op-ed pieces, local television interviews and so on, and 4) parties or other functions for fun and/or profit (white elephant sales, awards dinners, J-J Dinners, 4th of July parades....)
Therefore, establish a permanent professional staff; if some Democratic Committees are too small, too rural for such a phenomenon, then the State Party must set up circuit-riding executive secretaries for some areas. As for money, unless there is some law against it I believe every State Party should have a permanent endowment fund, organized however works best. This fund can be based on personal contributions, donations from wills and estates, sale of bonds, money from functions (even bake sales), whatever works, the more the merrier. What an endowment can do is free the Party from excessive reliance on donations from special interests when it comes to funding Party administration and some aspects of campaigns. Not only do we need a strong permanent Party organization at every level, we need a professional paid staff and an endowment fund separate from campaign funds which will maintain the staff and equipment.
All of this keeps the Party on its toes and ready to win elections so as to implement explicit Democratic policies which have been well-thought out and matured---- rather than waiting for a candidate to come up with some half-baked ideas in the midst of running a campaign because he or she needs to say something on their web site. (This does not eliminate candidate's own ideas).
Yes, American political parties will henceforth be more ideological as a result. The truth is, Republicans are already far down this road. Democrats must respond on this level without giving up their broad, people-based style. WE are behind the power curve and need to hustle.
SUMMARY
Whatever you think of the problems presented, they are just a partial list, intended to spark discussion, see list below:
1) Democrats squandered a great opportunity when the Party failed to integrate all those new Obama voters into the Party, turning them into lifelong Democrats, who could have made all the difference in the recent election;
2) Democrats must immediately cease pretending to be Republican Lite, stop making obeisance to disastrous Freidman Free Market economic theories, and fight openly for a coherent alternative economic philosophy with better political implications. That is, quit sucking up to the Conventional Wisdom;
3) The Democrats' progressive grassroots base often felt marginalized and betrayed by the choices of the Obama administration, which was doing nothing to strengthen the Party; and Obama showed a glaring lack of political leadership, especially in developing health care legislation. These missteps surrendered the initiative to bitter Republicans at a crucial time, and disheartened Democrats in local and state elections.
4) The Democratic Party is hamstrung by a candidate-centric short-term life cycle based on elections. We have no explicit, distinctive political philosophy or program because these are determined ad hoc by candidates for each election; the candidate selection and campaign process is often incoherent. No wonder voters cannot figure out what Democrats "stand for," and Democrats often let Republicans define them instead of defining themselves.
5) Thanks to the Republicans' relentless permanent campaign, and the bizarre sudden eruption of Republicans' irrational attacks, unexpected swift-boating or meddling, Democrats must develop a 24/7 response system within the Party, a mechanism for continually presenting Democratic values and alternate view, and a permanent, broad-based presence in the new media on-line.
6) Local Democratic Committees need to be beefed up and provided with professional staff support so as to develop a continuous strong local party presence with control of their own turf; State Committees should have an endowment fund to support the stronger administration and development of the Democratic response to the permanent campaign.
Good fortune is not just luck, and winning elections (or any fight) usually favors the prepared and the clever. Welcome to the 21st Century. |
