Democrats search for way back to power

[sled]

Democrats search for way back to power

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/10382296.htm

STEVEN THOMMA

Knight Ridder Newspapers

Fri, Dec. 10, 2004

WASHINGTON - Which should come first for Democrats as they retool for
the future: message or messenger?

In their first meeting since Election Day, Democrats will gather in
Florida this weekend, desperate to find a way back to power. Their
focus will be on a search for a new messenger in the form of a
national party chairman to voice the party's ideals on such issues as
national defense, Social Security and tax restructuring.

But some Democratic insiders say the search for a chairman puts too
much emphasis on the wrong end of the equation. Instead, they say, the
party should settle on a core message, much as Republicans did a
generation ago when they became the party of smaller government, lower
taxes and strong national defense.

"Who is chair won't make much difference," said Rep. Brad Carson, D-
Okla., who last month lost a bid for the Senate. "The problems the
Democratic Party has are so profound they require a strategic change."

(SNIP)

CONTACT INFO: [e-mail]

[leftchick]

1. " message or messenger"!!??! Try VOTING MACHINES!!!

:argh:

[SheilaT]

2. A lot of us are getting involved

at the grass roots level. It's going to take a few years, but we will take the party back.

[xchrom]

3. MESSAGE!

repukes can't chew the message up -- regardless of messanger.

[xchrom]

7. i need to learn how to spell!

[SKKY]

4. If we were serious...

...we'd find a way to convince Clinton into taking that position. What this party needs right now is the Big Dog, pure and simple.

[struggle4progress]

5. No. There was a lot to like about Clinton but ...

... the Clinton/DLC "triangulation" strategy greased the skids for a country-wide slide to the right, and Clinton would be a perpetual lightning rod for "moral issues" fulminations from the wingnuts. We can do better.

[SKKY]

6. There's no one in the DNP with the cache the Big Dog has...

...and we need him. Irregardless of the "moral issues" the right may have with him, they know full and well that if we didn't have term limitations he'd be serving his 4 consecutive term in office.