[Mb-civic] Where's the Party At?

[Michael Butler]

AlterNet
Where's the Party At?
By Ari Melber, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Posted on March 26, 2005, Printed on March 28, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/21601/

Howard Dean has officially taken charge of the Democratic Party but it's not
clear where he plans to take it. Many observers want to see if he will pull
the party left while congressional Democrats keep repeating that the party
chairman has no effect on policy. Sen. Joe Biden announced that Dean would
have absolutely no "policy role." Dean has told reporters "most of the
policy pronouncements" will come from Democratic leaders in Congress.

This approach is a mistake ­ and it misses a unique opportunity for the
party to cultivate new ideas and better define its policy goals.

Instead of stiff-arming Dean away from policy debates, congressional
Democrats should leverage his durable popularity with the base to rally
support for the Democratic agenda. Meanwhile, Dean must acknowledge the
ideological uncertainty within the party. In a letter to supporters, he
claimed "there is no crisis of ideology in the Democratic Party, only a
crisis of confidence." But the "crisis" of self-doubt stems from enduring
questions about where the party stands.

Despite Dean's assertions, the Democratic Party doesn't just need a better
message. It needs a new platform. Instead of waiting until '08 to rewrite
it, party leaders must start now.

Usually, platforms are hurriedly written under election-year pressure and
forgotten. Many are highly forgettable, and the 2004 Democratic Platform is
no exception. It is vague and meek. (It was drafted by appointees selected
by the Kerry campaign and former party chairman Terry McAuliffe.) In fact,
the platform embodies several failures of the Democrats' approach in 2004,
including indecision, mixed messages and weak delivery.

For example, the section on Iraq sounds more like a polling memo than
foreign policy: "People of good will disagree about whether America should
have gone to war in Iraq." The references to gay marriage are confusing. The
platform supports "gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation,"
calls for marriage to be defined by states and then repudiates the Federal
Marriage Amendment ­ all without actually taking a stand on gay marriage
itself. And the 39-page platform devotes only one paragraph to protecting a
woman's right to choose. If the Democrats do not take the time and detail to
defend a core principle in the platform, it's no wonder they're losing
ground in public opinion and elections.

Overall, the current platform is hazy on policy and weak on politics. It
does not help candidates advance a unified message. It does not appeal to
potential voters. It does not even represent Democratic activists.

Yet the Democrats have a lot more to offer. Dean should work with Illinois
Rep. Rahm Emanuel and New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the aggressive and
talented leaders of the Democrats' midterm campaign committees, to draft a
bold, specific and politically-appealing platform this year. This project
could build genuine internal consensus, energize Democrats with a clear
statement of principals and show voters in 2006 exactly what Democrats stand
for ­ just as the 10-point "Contract with America" did for Republicans in
1994. (The "contract" listed specific legislation and governmental reforms,
which Republicans highlighted in the midterm elections that returned them to
power in 1994.)

Both established Democratic leaders and grassroots supporters should have
input on the new platform. Innovative ideas could be considered without the
typical campaign pressures stifling any audacity or creativity. Dean's
credibility and empowering style might even bridge the gap between the
party's base and its Washington leadership.

There is little doubt that when the next elections roll around, Dean will
have raised enough money and Democrats will have fulfilled their role as the
opposition party. But if they don't work together now to outline a specific
and unified Democratic agenda, they may remain the opposition party for a
long time.
© 2005 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/21601/