Kos' and theoria's stories on defining and positioning the Democratic party contain and generated plenty of good ideas. In 2004, however, is the Democratic party is going to be defined by our candidate for President, not by anything we have to say.
Given that reality, it's important to understand how the candidates are positioning themselves and their campaigns. Their message may vary day to day Based on their audience, news developments and the activities of other candidates. Nonetheless, there should be an underlying positioning that is used to provide some overall direction to their messaging.
The announcement speeches of the candidates are good starting points for understanding their respective positionings. These speeches are ideal forums for defining a candidacy, and most were made fairly recently. For the 6 major candidates, the following statements seem to best describe their intended positionings:
Wesley Clark: "And together, we're going to march forward. Forward with a new vision. Forward to bring our children and grandchildren into a future, brightened by hope, courage, and our determination that we can do better. We will do better. And we will do it together."
Howard Dean:"We seek the great restoration of American values and the restoration of our nation's traditional purpose in the world. This is a campaign to unite and empower people everywhere."
John Edwards: "America deserves a president who understands the people of this country, works for the people of this country, and will stop at nothing to create opportunity for all the people of this country. That's the great promise of America -- a fair shake for all, a free ride for none."
Dick Gephardt : "We can build an America where we grow together, instead of being pulled apart -- where our economy's strong, because all our families are secure -- where nobody's left out or left behind."
Joe Lieberman: "I am confident that we as nation have what it takes to meet these challenges and renew the American Dream... But that will only happen if our leaders are ready to lead, willing to fight for what's right for the American people, and able to rise above partisan politics to put our country first."
John Kerry: "I am running so we can keep America's promise - to reward the hard work of middle class Americans and pull down the barriers that stand in their way and in the way of those struggling to join them; to restore our true strength in the world which comes from ideals, not arrogance; renew the commitment of our generation to pass this planet on to our children better than it was given to us."
I personally think that Dean and Gephardt have the best-stated positionings. Both articulate a positive vision for the country that can serve as an umbrella for their positions, and differences from Bush, on a variety of issues. It's probably not a coincidence that these, in the opinion of many, are the best-run campaigns.
The Edwards and Lieberman statements have some good elements, but they need to say less about themselves and more about the direction they want for our country.
Clark's statement is generic -- he mentions a new vision but does not define what that is. Hopefully he has done better in more recent speeches.
Kerry does not seem to understand the difference between policy positions and an overall positioning for himself.