What makes a Western Democrat The Big Strategy

In previous posts and comments I hinted at the idea of jotting out a few things, not an inclusive list by any stretch, that make a Western Democrat.

Here's my first crack:

1. Values Judo. This is the "thing" that is making Brian Schweitzer the darling that he is among Eastern and So Cal Dems. For some reason, Schweitzer was able to disarm his opponents cultural values attacks and fight back with a strong economic message.

Was it the gun ads? Was it his earthy persona?

2. Coyote Factor, or that Democrats simply have to be smarter to win in the West, at least the interior West.

Here again is Cecil Andrus to explain it a bit:

"(Idaho) has elected Republicans so dumb they need to be watered, but any Democrat who hopes to stick around must have the adaptive skills of a coyote."

3. All political solutions are local, or we know that the federal government can do good things, but a bureaucracy thousands of physical and mental miles away can do me little good. Western Democrats know that government can do good things, but it should be local government, because it is closer to the people that need the help in the first place.

4. Pragmatism and independence in relation to partisan politics. Western Democrats are Dems, but they are still there own man or woman. This is one of the reasons I think Schweitzer chose a Republican for a running mate and Dave Fruedenthal can have record approval ratings in Dick Cheney's home state. You may not agree with their stand, but at least you know they stand by their decision.

Now remember, I think I'm going to update this list in the future. Comments are appreciated.

Emmett O'Connell | December 19, 2004 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: What makes a Western Democrat The Big Strategy

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