Clearly, we've been seeing a rash of
What Is To Be Done?-style posts. That's a lot to sift through, especially when everyone agrees that progressives need to be "on message." What
is the message?
Many people both here and in the national media have said that liberals need to connect with rural red-state type voters. Of course, the gut reflex - and I admit to falling prey to this myself - is to say, "We shouldn't have to turn into Republicans!" Well, we don't. Read below to see my non-yet-fully-formed thoughts on this.
Of course, when conservatives and conservative-leaning people say that the Democrats need to understand red-state America,
they mean that we should all become Republicans. Let's take that kernel of truth (understanding red-state voters) and dispose of the husk of conservatism.
I think the key here is to start thinking regionally. It's too soon to try to shift the mood of politics nationally. We need to, as I see it, strengthen our political "fortresses". This is why I call my proposed step one Operation California Ueber Alles. As this map shows you, Kerry did very well in the highly urbanized counties in California, not so well in the rural ones. Some Kossacks have suggested that a good strategy to follow is to start picking state Democratic parties and work through them. That's a good idea, in my view. Some have also suggested that we should do so in solidly red states. Admirable, but I think that's too much to expect too soon.
Consider the following figures on population growth in the states of Washington, Oregon, and California. Not overwhelming, but they're keeping pace with population growth nationally. Importantly, they are not losing population. Folks, as I see it, this is our new power base. Understandably, some might see this as a liability, but I think we can turn this into an opportunity.
Why? Because we can start experimenting with ways to win rural and exurban voters more safely in states in which we already run strong. Pick off the red areas county-by-county, district-by-district. How will we do this? What policies will we try? I don't know yet; that's a future diary entry. What I would argue, at least right now, is that by seeing what works with red voters in our blue states, we might be able to expand outward in the future.
And then, perhaps, we can dispose of this whole red/blue state dichotomy that actually helps the Republicans because it reifies enemies to whom they can point. "Moral values" may have been a big issue, but they were negative "thou shalt not" values. We can do better than that.
And apologies if someone got to this idea before I did.