Are Democrats now in permanent minority status?

[InvisibleBallots]

It seems we have gerrymandering and demographics working against us. For the last few years, Democratic strategists have been pessimistic about winning back the House, and seem to concentrate on keeping the Senate basically tied.

The Democratic party seems to have evolved in the last 40 years to be the opposition party to the majority culture in the US. Ever since LBJ's civil rights acts, and Nixon's southern strategy, the GOP has become the party of "White, Christian America" - while the Democrats are associated with everyone else - African Americans, non-whites in general, non-Christians.

Of course, the majority of Democrats in the USA are White and Christian, but the public image (or at least what you hear from the corporate media) is that the Democrats are the party of everyone else.

Now demographically non-whites are catching up to whites in population, but that's still a generation or three away. Also, the most active, vocal, and (to me) interesting faction in the Democratic party is the "liberal activists" as the DLC likes to call them - the Dean fans, places like DU, the non-religious, and groups like MoveOn and TrueMajority. These groups are even less associated with "White, Christian America" than the Democratic party in general.

Is is possible to win back Congress with this image? Should we try to change the image of the Democratic party to be more associated with "White, Christian America" - or can we still become the majority party without attempting to change this image?

Of course, the GOP will always paint the Democrats as against the mainstream culture in the US - that's been their strategy since the 1960s, and it doesn't look like they are going to change anytime soon. Can we win Congress back anyway, with a coalition of all the White Christian Democrats, and the rest of these groups?

Are there any Democratic groups that are focusing on winning the House in 2006? Does anyone think we have a reasonable chance?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Right now, where I live...

The number of new people coming into Democratic party politics is incredibly impressive. These are people with real energy and real drive. And, they are unashamed liberals and progressives.

Hard work and good messages win. And money. Not being Repuke Lite.

It's gonna take some time to learn the ropes, but we will be kicking serious gobs o' repuke ass in the not too distant future.

After all, we have the president helping us. ;-)

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. On economic issues and some social issues we win.

It is those few issues such as, Civil Rights, Abortion, Gays, and "The War on Terrorism" that are hurting us.

[Ken Burch]

3. Taking back Congress may be tough, we may want to switch

to using the initiative process to work for electoral reforms.
We should try these initiatives on as many state ballots as possible

1) Tranfer of responsibility for congressional and legislative redistricting to non-partisan redistricting boards.

2) Initiatives forbidding partisan officeholders and/or campaign chairman from controlling vote counting at elections.

3) Instant Runoff Voting to end the spoiler issue and stop progressives from splitting their votes.

4) Initiatives calling for the removal of the statory limit on the size of the U.S. Congress at 435 members, so that the lower house will once again be representative by population.

5) Any possible methods of using the initiative process to mobilize support for eliminating or modifying the Electoral College.

[LiberalFighter]

15. How many states don't have redistricting by the state legislature?

I am sure there is at least one.

[Ken Burch]

27. Well, there's Iowa

Alaska has a modified redistricting setup, in which the governor, the legislature and I think the state Supreme Court each get to appoint members.

[LiberalFighter]

16. I would go for increasing the size of the House in Congress

[LiberalFighter]

18. Using the popular vote would be good for all states including...

those that have generally been left out of campaigns.

Campaigns would be aiming to get every vote no matter what state it was in. A concern I have is whether the votes can be stuffed in the right precincts without arousing suspicion. The repugs would probably refine it enough to go under the radar.

[BamaLefty]

4. Focus On Latinos

One day, they will decide the Prez. This is a very Democratic group, but Bush gained ground on us last month.

We don't need to change any "image." Just do a better job of stating our points.

[InvisibleBallots]

5. I agree with you on this one

If the GOP takes the Latino vote from us, I don't think we'll ever be a majority again.

[w4rma]

20. But don't do it in a "support illegal immigrants who don't vote" way.

I don't think latinos are pro-illegal immigrant, either. The vast majority of Americans are NOT for opening our borders or illegal alien amnesty.

Latinos have LOTS of other reasons to support the Democratic Party and practically NO reasons to support the Repug Party.

[Rockerdem]

25. I think that we should begin to look beyond defining voters by race blocs

Its just not the progressive streak, its also practical. Some day very soon, people of all colors will have roughly the same voting patterns. Especially amont the 3rd, 4th, 5th gens of immigrants. Race is becoming less and less a factor in everyday life (hooray), and it will be that way in the electoral process, too.

Intermarriage is so common now. In fact, its probably most common among service personnel, active and retired. I had a chance visit with an old, old friend to an LA area American Legion hall as his guest for a few minutes (and a bad cocktail), and the mixed couples there were as common as those that were not. And Bush stickers were everywhere on their bumpers in the lot outside. It was an eyeopener.

We can probably hang onto our ethnic constituencies for another 10 years, 20 tops. But theyre leaking away fast. Best to focus on issues that impact EVERYONE, rather than gerrymander ourselves in the process. We have winning ideas that should appeal across the board. its good for America, and its about time.

[iconoclastic cat]

6. Start joining school boards/local school councils ASAP.

Run for alderman in your ward. Start rebuilding.

[InvisibleBallots]

7. I think you are right, that's the only way

"All politics is local" - the Christian Coalition took over the GOP from the ground up - running for dogcatcher - and winning - and over the course of 20 years now seems to run the party.

Progressive have to do the same thing, or we'll never win.

[jandrok]

12. Absolutely 100% correct

Well said. This is not an overnight process. It will take decades to turn the tide, but it can be done. We can't run from it, we have to get in the trenches and win the day there. The pendulum WILL swing back, but it helps if we push.......

Get angry, get involved.

[newyawker99]

22. Hi jandrok!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[jandrok]

26. It DOES mean a lot...thanks for the welcome!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Yes. And, they will be until they start standing for something.

They have "compromised" their base away by becoming the DLC(R) party. They continue to move right in a vain attempt to capture the "middle". The Republicans have a clear and uncompromising message, as loathsome as it is. Instead of standing up against it, the Democratic "leadership" waters it down and attempts to be the "not as bad" party.

They're doing a swell job of being "not liberals" that they offer nothing except the status quo.

[txaslftist]

9. Look to Colorado's State races

Amazing democratic takeover, both state houses. That should be a model for democrats.

[Hippo_Tron]

32. So how is it that Colorado sweeped both houses + elected Salazar...

But Bush won by a comfortable margin. This is what we need to ask ourselves.

[mediaman007]

10. I think that Democrats outnumber Republicans, but

neither is a majority party. We compete for the middle...maybe 10%.

We lost because we don't have a core message. Somehow the Republicans have brought together Neocons, fiscal conservatives and religious fundamentalists. These groups somehow support each others issues, even if its to their detriment. (that would be the fundies supporting drug companies and the war, and fighting against universal health insurance.)

We need to make our elements cohesive, so that it seems natural to support unions, education, women's choice and human rights. I propose that we become the Bill of Rights party. But that would mean having to support the Second Amendment and State's Rights. It may not be possible, but it would be consistant.

[Boosterman]

11. I think that one issue we need to focus on

is Homeland (man I hate that term) Security. This is an issue that we could push and would have broad appeal.

[LiberalFighter]

19. I hear Homeland Security... I think Heil Hitler

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

13. No!!! nt

[Walt Starr]

14. I have a better question

IS the Democcratic Party on its way to becoming the 21st century Whig Party?

[InvisibleBallots]

17. heh, now that is an interesting question

But I don't think so - the Whigs were killed by competing parties, right? I don't see any third parties doing anything significant anytime soon - the Greens, theoretically at least, should be able too, considering their international ties, but it doesn't seem like they are going anywhere.

[Walt Starr]

21. Not really

The Whigs really defeated themselves.

[Yupster]

23. The Whigs died because they wouldn't

take a stand on the slavery issue.

The Democratic Party supported slavery. The Whigs tried to support and not support it.

When the Republican Party came out against slavery's expansion, a good chunk of Whig support disappeared and the Republican Party replaced it as the second party.

I can see some similarities. If the Democratic Party won't take a stand, a chunk of their support could go elsewhere (Greens?) and within an election or two, the Greens could be the second party.

THe transformation from Democratic-Whig races to Democratic-Republican races was very quick. It was all done in about eight years.

[heidler1]

24. By the time * next four years are up the country will go the other way

for survival.

[Lexingtonian]

28. not really

It seems we have gerrymandering and demographics working against us. For the last few years, Democratic strategists have been pessimistic about winning back the House, and seem to concentrate on keeping the Senate basically tied.

If you look closely at House gerrymandering, Texas was really the final place for the GOP to get one- after about 40 years of Democratic ones. As for demographics, the key is about getting the under-30s properly educated about the issues. As long as their families are the major source of political "knowledge" they'll vote a lot more Republican than they should by personal viewpoint.

The Democratic party seems to have evolved in the last 40 years to be the opposition party to the majority culture in the US. Ever since LBJ's civil rights acts, and Nixon's southern strategy, the GOP has become the party of "White, Christian America" - while the Democrats are associated with everyone else - African Americans, non-whites in general, non-Christians.

Yeah, there's evolution in that direction. About 15% of white folks- essentially, the intellectualish ones who have no problem with a post-Eurocentric society- will ally with nonwhites consistently on principles. About 85% are/will be wedgeable. The present situation is additionally at the extreme of aberrance in the age skew involved (Hispanics are highly disproportionately under voting age) giving white Americans a disproportionate amount of voting power- around 15% more than their proportion of the population. But that skew is present just beginning to close.

Of course, the majority of Democrats in the USA are White and Christian, but the public image (or at least what you hear from the corporate media) is that the Democrats are the party of everyone else.

Arguably we're becoming post-White and post-Christian...real Americans, not like those poseurs on the other side who largely belong in 16th century northern Europe.

Now demographically non-whites are catching up to whites in population, but that's still a generation or three away. Also, the most active, vocal, and (to me) interesting faction in the Democratic party is the "liberal activists" as the DLC likes to call them - the Dean fans, places like DU, the non-religious, and groups like MoveOn and TrueMajority. These groups are even less associated with "White, Christian America" than the Democratic party in general.

The anti-colonialist-past white Americans.

Is is possible to win back Congress with this image? Should we try to change the image of the Democratic party to be more associated with "White, Christian America" - or can we still become the majority party without attempting to change this image?

We should be the party that represents real coping- complete solutions- to the problems and opportunities of the Modern Age. Republicans live in Medieval Europe.

Of course, the GOP will always paint the Democrats as against the mainstream culture in the US - that's been their strategy since the 1960s, and it doesn't look like they are going to change anytime soon. Can we win Congress back anyway, with a coalition of all the White Christian Democrats, and the rest of these groups?

That 'mainstream culture' of '50s Mayberry America is becoming the dysfunctional and selfdestructing 'Christian' (sic) subculture.

Are there any Democratic groups that are focusing on winning the House in 2006? Does anyone think we have a reasonable chance?

That depends on what you mean. Can Democrats get a majority? Yes. Will that majority be dependent on the ~25 problem Democratic House reps, aka Blue Dogs? Probably.

I guess your question is really: what is it going to take. Well, the truth of the Republican electorate is that it has nothing left worth believing- that 'Christianity' and faux aristocracy that it is assembled around is a garish occultism that has no future- and there's nothing left it feels called to do by (Medieval European) Tradition after the Last Crusade- wait, Iraq occupation- is done for.

Basically, it's a very easy electorate to 'wedge' the GOP electorate (go after the atheist/social liberal/pro-choice aka 'moderate' ones) once two things happen. The corruption and dissolution and disunity and disappointment is all there, the voters will leave the GOP once the completeness of Democratic competence becomes evident. Kerry did a good amount of work in that department. Now we only need to break away 5 million more of them. (Falwell has seen the vulnerability and is already trying to find new votes to compensate for Democrats succeeding at that.) Essentially, Republicans are doing a good job at running their Party further to the Right. Democrats have to peg their center and go further Right and further Left from there.

First, the Democratic leadership decides to call Iraq what it is: the same thing in the already 60-year Middle East conflict as Vietnam was in the 75 year (1917-1992) conflict with the Russians and East Asia. (It's another war that has its roots in the pre-1941 U.S. behaving as if it were a European society, and as the major 'European' power taking up the mantle of resolving Europe's traditional/cultural fights with the Asian Hordes (Russia/Asia) and the Islamic Menace (via Israel etc).) Iraq is, like Vietnam, a stupidity-laden stalemated fight in which each side could blow all its propaganda and tendency to violence and stupid ideations, on the pretense of bringing salvation to a society whose real desires had/have nothing to do with either side, and after which a 15 year process of negotiated settlement between exhausted opponents for resolving the whole 'regional' problem is possible.

Second, the Democratic Party has to get off of marketing concepts and piecemeal arguments about its seemingly shift-prone part/identity in American domestic politics. Ideologies and ideals aren't the real terms of American politics- its the concretes as nailed down in or lacking from the Constitution that are what all major conflicts in American politics boil down to. I think Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause, is where the Party-identified argument of the age (1940something to ~2020) is- whether there are government-privileged classes of Americans (straight white male Christian businessowners, the colonial plutocrat class) or whether the EPC levels them and their interests to parity with all others.

[Walt Starr]

29. The Democrats have become the Washington Generals of politics

I believe it's called "collusion".

[Silverhair]

30. No. It is only temporary.

I once had a college prof, in class, point to a statistical trend and claim that the Republican Party was going to be extinct and never win an election again. That was a few decades ago.

Obviously he was wrong. After some time in the wilderness, the Democratic Party will get things figured out and will come back strong.

[Ken Burch]

31. We shouldn't be too complacent about "time in the wilderness" though

...considering current GOP policies ON wilderness.