Gary Hart on the West
Gary Hart, former Senator from Colorado and Presidential candidate, served up this
little nugget of wisdom about a month ago:
Well, I have also been unorthodox in the sense of challenging the conventional wisdom about the North and the South. In the east coast corridor, all the analysts and the commentators and pundits talk about what the Democrats have to do to recapture the South and "NASCAR Dads" and all this kind of nonsense.I've argued for an East-West strategy for the Democratic party in which the Democratic states east of the Mississippi combine with potential Democratic states in the west, and I think Colorado is a prime example of what can be done out here. Now we win California and often win Washington and Oregon, but you can combine with that New Mexico, Colorado, possibly Arizona--which is a winnable state for Democrats--and then recapture Montana, which we used to win, and make gains in other parts of the Midwest and the West.
I think in the contest of '84 in the Democratic party, I carried every Western state, and it was because I was from this region. The issues here are different from those of the North and the South, particularly the South, which often have a hidden racial agenda behind them. Race is not the issue it is in the South. We're more concerned about energy, about environment, about issues of growth, about how you accommodate growth and opportunity with protection of the environment and the outdoors and conservation of resources. It's a whole different set of issues which Democrats can address in a progressive way.
Republican attitudes towards the West have always been pro-military and development resources--plundering of the nation's heritage. I think the Democrats can offer different security ideas--ideas for securing America in the 21st century--and a balance between growth and protection of the environment and resources. I think that's what is happening again in Colorado as it did in the 70s and 80s, and Colorado can offer a kind of prototype for the Democratic party, if people in the East will pay attention.
So, true.
I take two things from that, which are important to remember. One, the West is not the South. This is a different region with different issues. These are issues that can welll be addressed by the Democratic Party, such as libertarian leanings on social issues and a focus on water, development and natural resources in general.
Also, the Republican party has taken the West for granted too long. The West needs smarter and better leadership that the Republican Party can offer. The GOP assumes that they can run any far right schmoe, and they can win. Because Democrats have to be smarter, in a way to separate themselves from their national party, they can offer better and smarter leadership for the West.
Emmett O'Connell | January 4, 2005 | Comment on This Post (6 so far) |
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Comments
I just read a recent article written by former Colorado Senator Gary Hart on another web site, and in searching to find out what he is up to I came to the “Western Democrat” and read his “little nugget of wisdom.”
I was behind Hart in his 1984 presidential bid, even did some work for his campaign. I have long since moved from Colorado, and I do not think that I have voted since Hart ran for office.
If Gary Hart ran for President in 2008 I would vote again, or even former Colorado Governor Dick Lamm.
Actually, now that I think about it, either/or as President and Vice President, on the same ticket, I would vote again.
Posted by: Mike McLaren | Aug 24, 2005 10:42:09 AM
Can you send Senator Gary Hart's e-mail address to me. I would like to ask him to run again for president as an alternative to the poll-directed Hillary Clinton and her spineless Democratic associates including John Kerry. Thanks.
Posted by: William McNairn | Nov 6, 2005 11:42:27 AM
Hi William, you might want to take a hard look at Bill Richardson. A Western Dem who is probably running for President, with not so much baggage as Gary Hart.
Posted by: Emmett O'Connell | Nov 6, 2005 12:17:20 PM
I couldn't agree more with former Senator Hart. The West has been taken for granted by a GOP with a heart of dixie and it is time that this ends. If you want to break the deadlock of the South on electoral politics you start actually acting like it really does not matter all that much. There is so much room for growth in the western states and the last election cycle showed it at the state level.
I don't know why people care so darn much about the South. The west is prettier and the climate is better anyway.
Posted by: J-Man | Nov 6, 2005 10:33:01 PM
I would like to contact Gary Hart, I recently heard him on CBC in Canada and he spoke with great clarity and reason. As you are aware we didn't support the initiative in Iraq and I personally saw it as being a tar-baby that had the potential to ensnare the participants in a situation which would be ugly to be in and ugly to get out of, with very little upside. Guess what...
Regardless, his comment was that what the democrats needed was a theme you could fit on a bumper sticker that would capture the americans hearts. I would like to suggest to him a theme that would strongly differentiate the Democrats. Here goes:
Security Begins at Home
Bring them home...
The global perspective of non-US citizens is not appreciative of the efforts the US is making to redirect other countries, their policies and their governments in the US image, imposed democracy doesn't work. I suggest that the US is less safe post Iraq than it was pre Iraq. If all the Iraq war budget went into domestic security, how safe would your ports be? How much safer are they now thanks to Iraq?
If the rest of the world doesn't appreciate the American efforts, (it is costing american lives, you don't get any thanks, spend a ton of money and doesn't really improve security) why would you do it? I certainly don't think Iraq is worth the cost of American lives for the benefit of not even a thank you. There was a Canadian review of Iraq where the Canadian reporter talked to the person on the street and talked to the soldier on the street. At a human level there was not much connection, no appreciation from the general concensus of Iraq's, which I think is a shame as I believe the average soldier was going in there to help the people.
I believe the American people have noble goals, they are always there for other people's emergencies. But I don't know if the Republicans implement the noble goals very well. The global view is that Iraq was a war for the benefit of exxon and halliburton. Like it or don't that is what much of the world believes. As we say in marketing, perception is reality. I am not sure how aware Americans are of the outside perception, and if they were, would they really want to be sacrificing lives on that basis?
Thanks, just some thoughts on the subject. Wishing you all the best.
Posted by: Brad Gaulin | Mar 7, 2006 10:14:19 AM
To those of you who would vote for Hart,please take some time to listen to his comments on You-Tube concerning the New World Order,also read his letter to the leadership of Iran.Just Google' 'Hart warning letter to Iran'.Exactly what is he saying in this letter ? Why is he not outraged that we have-had a certain vice president who was-is looking for a excuse to start bombing a self governing nation ?
I am of the opinion that Hart is just another Globalist-elitest who cares more for the global corperations than the average American.But then again who am I to have an opinion? After all, we now have a world dominated by the 'wisdom' of the NWO.Surly an average American such as myself could not have any significant nor intelligent insight into world affairs !Only the elites,like Hart,and the Neocons he supports have the 'wisdom' to determine the future of the planet.
Only the very 'wise'would be opportunistic enough to take advantage of a great human tragedy,'9-11'and begin to structure a new world power scheme,aimed at making those already in power more powerfull,and those with no voice even more powerless.Indeed only the foolish would suggest that 9-11 was an event that demanded a period of mourning,to be followed by a search for justice,and unbridled truth.
Nineteen 'Soudi Arabian' terrorists ,some of whom took flight training in this country,highjack planes,crash them into occupied buildings killing thousands of Americans,innocent, average working Americans,and the wisdom of a certain president calls for a new world order and the invasion of Iraq.Now that is a nugget of wisdom!
Posted by: James | May 6, 2008 1:59:23 AM
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(and yes, we know that sometimes they're very, very wrong. Other times, they're right on.)
