DeclinetoState
06-20-2006, 04:29 PM
Last weekend, I was visiting my old Washington State stomping grounds - I lived and taught in Bellingham back in the day - to witness the graduation of my nephew from The Evergreen State College in Olympia.
Therein lies a tale, and not a hopeful one for Democrats in November and in 2008.
For the Democrats to win the upcoming midterm election, and the presidential election two years later, they must be, and must openly and consistently demonstrate that they are, street smart and aggressively on point with their base and able to draw as well from the middle (Red Dawg Democrats, disaffected traditional and moderate Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, et al.).
But if Democratic Governor Chris Gregoire's commencement address to Evergreen's 2006 graduating class is any example of oppositional smarts, the GOP has little reason to worry about the upcoming elections. (Note: They sure do have plenty of other reasons to worry.)
...
The Republicans may be badly riven by issues such as adventuring wars abroad, humongous deficits and a languid economy at home, aligning America with torture and the suppression of civil and human rights, massive government spying on U.S. citizens, etc. etc. But, under the tutelage of Herr Rove, they know how to run a campaign, illegal and unethical though some of their campaign tactics might be.
I'm not advocating that the Democrats ape the Republicans in how to steal elections through dirty tricks, kicking hundreds of thousands of legitimate voters off the rolls, manipulating the tallies, etc. Not at all.
:sheeple: Crisis Papers (http://journals.democraticunderground.com/CrisisPapers/26)
If the Democrats were to "ape" anyone in campaign dirty tricks, they would be other Democrats. Look at how Gregoire herself got "elected."
Therein lies a tale, and not a hopeful one for Democrats in November and in 2008.
For the Democrats to win the upcoming midterm election, and the presidential election two years later, they must be, and must openly and consistently demonstrate that they are, street smart and aggressively on point with their base and able to draw as well from the middle (Red Dawg Democrats, disaffected traditional and moderate Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, et al.).
But if Democratic Governor Chris Gregoire's commencement address to Evergreen's 2006 graduating class is any example of oppositional smarts, the GOP has little reason to worry about the upcoming elections. (Note: They sure do have plenty of other reasons to worry.)
...
The Republicans may be badly riven by issues such as adventuring wars abroad, humongous deficits and a languid economy at home, aligning America with torture and the suppression of civil and human rights, massive government spying on U.S. citizens, etc. etc. But, under the tutelage of Herr Rove, they know how to run a campaign, illegal and unethical though some of their campaign tactics might be.
I'm not advocating that the Democrats ape the Republicans in how to steal elections through dirty tricks, kicking hundreds of thousands of legitimate voters off the rolls, manipulating the tallies, etc. Not at all.
:sheeple: Crisis Papers (http://journals.democraticunderground.com/CrisisPapers/26)
If the Democrats were to "ape" anyone in campaign dirty tricks, they would be other Democrats. Look at how Gregoire herself got "elected."