What the DNC needs to do
Dan Slater, Colorado Democratic Party First Vice Chair, (whose blog we shamefully don't link to here) points out that the histories of the Republican and Democratic parties diverge in their relation to the West. Long story short, Republicans have nominated Westerners, Democrats don't.
This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone following national politics. The Democratic Party, after losing much of its old strongholds in the South, has become, for a lack of a better term, a Rust-belt and upper East Coast Party. It is also worth noting that to the extent that the Democratic Party has been an urban party, the West (despite our wide open spaces and high densities where we do live) isn't classically "urban."
The point in Dan's post, here and in other places, is that should change. The West is becoming not only a place for Democrats to craft a better message and talk about our "values," but also a place to pick up better policy.
a. Support the Concept of a Western Regional Primary.As Colorado Luis rightly points out, as long as the folks in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina are culling the field for us, Western issues will get short shrift. We need to agressively press for a regional primary here in the West, to be held very early in the process. Not only will Western candidates (from both parties) benefit, but issues important to the West, including land use, the environment, and individual rights issues, become a lot more important to Presidential candidates.
b. Bring the National Convention to the Interior West.
We need the national spotlight on the Democratic Party with a Western backdrop. Of course, I would love to see that backdrop be the skyline of Denver and the Rockies, but I'd be happy with the convention in Phoenix or another city in the interior West with the capacity for this event. What is frustrating to me is that there is some sort of inferiority complex when it comes to Denver as a convention site. We have too many pessimists saying "it can't happen." If we work hard enough, of course it can happen. If we can host the Pope, the G-8 summit, and the All-Star games for the NBA, MLB, and the NHL, of course we can host the Democratic National Convention!
c. Demand a Western Vice Presidential nominee.
Even if we end up nominating somebody from out East as our Presidential nominee, we MUST demand that we be given the appropriate consideration as a geographical region. There are plenty of incredibly competent stars within our Party in the west -- including several governors and U.S. Senators -- who would make extraordinary Vice Presidential nominees.
In the end, we in the West have got to demand that our Party take action to include our region -- talk is cheap. It is one thing to talk about how important the West will be in the future years. It is quite another thing to make the investments -- in time, in money, and in political capital -- to guarantee the West's importance to this Party for the next generation and beyond.
Emmett O'Connell | August 22, 2005 | Comment on This Post (5 so far) |
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Comments
Off the top of my head it's hard for me to think of a Western VP other than Bill Richardson. And truth be told, I'd much rather see him at the top of the ticket.
Another thought, although it wouldn't really qualify as a Western VP in my book, is Barbara Boxer. I don't think it's likely, but I could see it happening if Warner or Bayh is the nominee. Assuming that they win by defeating Hillary in the primaries, I think there'd be a lot of pressure on them to pick a woman for VP, and given their conservative leanings they'd need a liberal to balance the ticket.
Posted by: Logan Ferree | Aug 22, 2005 11:45:28 AM
FYI, I have a post coming out in the morning about gun ownership with some comments about Nevada and the future of the Democratic Party out west.
Posted by: Steve | Aug 23, 2005 2:36:24 PM
Hi all,
Hillory Clinton will be in the driver's seat when selecting a presidential candidate in 2008. If she wants the nomination, she will get it.
However, I like the idea of Bill Richardson for President. I would like to see Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton run on the ticket as Vice President. It is time to recognized in the importance of African-Americans.
Since I am a unionist, I would like to see someone with an understanding of the labor movement. Oscar Goodman, Mayor of Las Vegas, would be another good Vice President selection. Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in America. Oscar has had to deal behind closed doors with hotel owners and union officials to keep Las Vegas on track. Since most hotels on the strip are unionized, Oscar has had to understand union issues. He is well liked in Nevada and welcomed by Democrats and Republicans everywhere he goes in the west.
President Bush and the Republicans have done a poor job of running America lately. So, our Democratic Party will have a grand opportunity to take back the White House in 2008. However, we cannot just be against everything that Bush does. We will need to develop good solutions to pressing national and regional problems.
Posted by: Tim | Aug 24, 2005 3:32:47 AM
Logan, you can't think of a Western VP besides Richardson?
Let's try... Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana, Governor Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming, Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado, Senator Max Baucus of Montana, Congressman Mark Udall of Colorado, former Governor John Kitzhaber of Oregon, ... the list goes on.
Posted by: Kari Chisholm | Aug 25, 2005 8:18:17 PM
If a nationwide primary were held today, Hilary would get the nomination. But I am not willing to concede the 2008 nomination to Hilary this far in advance, and I have doubts about her ability to win the general election or do well in the Intermountain Time Zone. Hilary will also have to confront the Iraq war issue sooner or rather than later. That could be a problem for her.
Consider some alternative tickets: Richardson-Obama (good if the GOP runs Rice, but also very good for minorities, and Obama has charisma) or Richardson-Warner (two moderate governors to contest the West and the South) or Richardson-Napolitano (for the women’s vote) or Schweitzer-Obama (short on experience, long on charisma). This does not exhaust the possibilities, but should illustrate what might be possible in 2008.
Posted by: Leo Brown | Aug 28, 2005 11:02:38 AM
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(and yes, we know that sometimes they're very, very wrong. Other times, they're right on.)
