November
2006
How Democrats Won – a Lesson in Democracy
Being in the opposition is difficult. For over 12 years, Democrats failed time and time again in a weak quest to win back seats. This time things changed for one reason — they realized that if you're going to be the opposition you have to oppose the policies of those in power.
Wisconsin Democrats learned what Republicans have known for years — oppose the policies of the opposition.
Embryonic stem cells, TABOR and conceal carry were strong issues that helped Democrats carry the day. These weren't just lucky issues that dropped in the laps of Democrats — these were issues where the Democrats cultivated the issue and spoke with a single voice. These were issues that the Democrats opposed every step of the way.
If there's one organization in Wisconsin that I credit for the win in the state Senate, it's Progressive Majority. The leaders at Progressive Majority worked to find candidates who had a soul and were not afraid to fight.
Caving in has almost become second nature to Democrats. The flight to the center has allowed Republicans to gleefully run to the right and Democrats have followed them like lemmings off a cliff. By comparison, many elected Dems were supporting policies that Repubicans used to consider conservative, but the Dems found themselves plastered with the name "liberal" and shunnedthe label as though it put bugs crawling on their skin. The only way to lose the badge "liberal" they thought, was to be more like a Republican. This gave voters no notable reason to vote for Democrats. They had a choice — either vote for the Republican, or vote like the guy who says he's a Republican.
Democrats now need to realize that they have to continue to fight. They can't rest on their laurels and they have to continue to criticize the harsh Republican ideas which have crippled our states, our country and killed so many of our young men and women in the military. If there is one thing that Democrats do poorly, it is speaking in sound bites as one voice. For instance, Republicans tarred Democrats as "cut and run," referring to the fact that Democrats want to get out of Iraq. In Wisconsin, Democrats attacked TABOR and its eventual spin offs with monikers like "the bride of TABOR." It's sad and pitiful but sloganeering has become part of politics and it's time that Democrats realized that fact and embraced it.
Becoming more conservative won't help Democrats.
Becoming more common sense will.
Democrats can embrace economic development and must fight to control taxes. They must point out that when Republicans had control of everything that taxes grew faster than at any other time. Democrats must point out that they are "pay as you go" versus the "borrow and spend" Republicans. Democrats must make it clear that they are the clear choice for family values and that the Republicans embraced a nearly cult like adherence to religion within government. Democrats must make the connections between the theocracy in Iran and the theocracy in the White House.
Democrats must do something about campaign finance laws and must work to abolish the legalization of unchecked loopholes that Republicans used (such as unjustified recalls). If Democrats fail to do these things, they deserve to lose.
If Democrats turn their back on traditional democratic values they should be removed from office and they deserve to be removed from office.
Democratic checkbooks should close to Republican-lite candidates and Democrats will find that even friends who have written them checks will no longer contribute to candidates who support policies that hurt families and middle class Americans.
Share
Jim McGuigan
Jim McGuigan
Jim – I think that being more conservative WILL help Democrats do even better. I am not talking about being okay with the war, or cutting much-needed programs, but (as far as this state is concerned) the agenda of “liberal” Democrats is not necessarily what the voters want to see. The marriage amendment situation is a prime example of that.
I agree that Progressive Majority was critical in helping Democrats win on Tuesday.
However, I don’t think Anti-TABOR was an issue Dems. were running on. In three of the 4 Senate pick ups all the winners agreed that health care was the issue that got them elected.
In Eau Claire and Racine, Health care referendums were on the ballot and had significant field campaigns (phone, canvass, and mail) that supported them. In each area all the GOP candidates refused to support the referendums. The referendums passed with 83% support.
I hope progressives don’t minimize this amazing show of support by all voters for comprehensive universal health care reform.
The common thread in many of the Legislative races, Assembly included, was health care. One notable exception was the Sullivan-Reynolds Senate race which came down to basic grassroots cultural identification issues as much as anything, and was still too close for comfort. Negative TV advertising and other media that exposed Reynolds radical fundamentalism and fundamental weirdness closed the deal for Sullivan.
In Milwaukee, we heard very little about health care reform in these elections. Jim Doyle had an array of issues in his arsenel – sexual predators, stem cell research, abortion rights – and his record on health care was simply one in the mix. Comprehensive reform was not on the table.
It was a different story in the western part of the state, where the Republican Do Nothing Legislature was a factor in many races and inaction on the hyper-inflationary cost of health insurance was a natural tie-in. Racine woke up in this election and sent John Lehman to the state Senate, and there is no denying that the health care referendum was a key part of that.
In some races, the health care candidate lost. In others, Dems cherry-picked seats from Do Nothing Republicans or ran better candidates for open seats. But of the four major issues in the state – health care reform, taxation, jobs & the economy, and education – Dems clearly made the most progress building concensus on the issue voters identified as the most important: health care reform.
Bill Stocks: “…the agenda of “liberal†Democrats is not necessarily what the voters want to see. The marriage amendment situation is a prime example of that.”
Conservative REPUBLICANS put the marraige amendment on the ballot. And conservative Republicans lost a couple Assembly seats because of it.
What do you think is the more likely piece of legislation this cycle?
1.) Health Care for Everyone
2.) An Abortion Ban
Which one would you bet on passing?
Welcome to progressive government. Ain’t it nice?
Bill,
The marriage amendment was not a liberal machination. It was an effort by the Republican statists (big government types) who mistakenly call themselves conservative.
Those that voted for it were pawns in a game to drive up the Republican vote.
How does this amendment affect my relationship with my wife — answer: it does not.
Discrimination is now a Republican value and big government intervention has been a Republican value for my entire adult life.
Bill, you can hardly accuse progressives who tried to stop a harmful amendment of having an agenda. There is, however, a health care reform agenda from which progressives can ill afford to stray.
Raj, no Republican lost a seat over the amendment. \’No\’ on the Amendment won only two counties – Dane and LaCrosse. The city of LaCrosse rep is Democrat Jennifer Schilling, who ran unopposed, and the Republican in the area is Mike Huebsch, the GOP Assembly leader. Huebsch won easily. Of course, there are no Republican held seats in Dane County.
\’No on the Amendment\’ nearly got to 50 percent in Iowa County in the southwest corner of the state, where 51st District incumbent Republican Stephen Freese (Dodgeville) lost to Dem Steve Hilgenberg. Voters in Iowa County did reject the death penalty 54% to 46%.
While the referendums were no help to Freese, it is also difficult to see how the marriage amendment hurt him. There were other issues. Freese was the last standing member of the Assembly Republican leadership tainted by the caucus scandal. He was indicted in that mess, and Hilgenberg made integrity a campaign issue.
Dems flipped a seat west of Freese – Grant County Assembly District 49 – but yes votes on the amendment overwhelmed the no\’s 62.5% to 37.5% and voters said yes to the death penalty. Still, Dem Phil Garthwaite ousted Gabe Loeffelholz (R – Platteville).
The effort to stop the amendment failed badly almost everywhere in the state, even in Milwaukee, yet it didn\’t seem to have much effect on how people voted for candidates.
You guys are missing the boat here. Regardless of who put it on the ballot, the liberal agenda is to push the general public to accept homosexuality as being normal and okay. The majority of voters have shown that they are not willing to accept that.
I have no doubt that the sort of conversation that was held in some churches. The amendment was designed to prompt that conversation. You’re acknowledging that the goal with “Defense of Marriage” was to turn a Wisconsin election into a referendum on homosexuality.
Wisconsin voters are just too smart to let that affect how they cast their votes for candidates. They want a Legislature that cares about working families.
John-David Morgan –
You are easily fooled.