OK - so you're in the most powerless minority in America - you're a Congressional Democrat. Given your position, what can you and your colleagues do about it?
I like the ideas that have been going around the blogosphere of both reforming the Democratic Party itself and also turning the Democratic Party into the national party of reform. I also believe that these goals are two sides of the same coin. In pursuing a reform agenda in Congress they can hopefully redeem the party as well.
Changing our language and communications strategy, Lakoff-esque framing, and coming up with a new "meta-narrative" for the party are all great, but we need some ideas to put meat on the bones of these new themes for the party.
Here are a few suggestions I humbly offer for how Democrats in Congress can turn their position of political weakness into one of moral strength vs. the GOP. None of these proposals will pass congress and probably won't even make it out of committee. But that's not the point. The point is to:
- Provide a set of goals Democrats both in and out of Congress can rally behind.
- Provide a contrast with Republican policies that reaffirms what it means to be a Democrat.
- Through reform and good government proposals appeal to persuadable Republican and independent voters. I know lots of Republicans who vote that way because they see the Demmocrats as the party of pork and waste for example. We need to turn that perceoption around.
- Put the Republicans on the defensive. When the GOP shoots down these proposals the Democrats can then use their votes against them, as the GOP has been doing to Dems for years.
- Force the Republicans to spend time and energy stopping these proposals instead of pushing their own agenda. Maybe this can help slow them down.
These suggestions are broadly divided into two categories: an agenda for and a few tactics for turning these proposals into moral and political capital.
Agenda for Reform:
- Push electoral reform. Think: uniform national standards, requiring secure voting technology, paper trails and audit logs, nonpartisan oversight.
- Push nonpartisan redistricting reform to return competition to house races. (Use the Iowa system as a model). Sell it as a way to get rid of corrupt insiders (the way the GOP sold term limits in 1994). If it ever passed it might not be a bad thing either - some Dems would lose safe seats but so would Republicans so I believe it would balance out. And besides: it's the right thing to do.
- Propose the abolition of the Electoral College.
- Attack congressional Pork: most of its going to GOP districts these days anyway. Bring back Proxmire's "Golden Fleece Awards". On the talk shows, make sure to always mention the most ridiculous earmarks you can think of.
- Continue to push campaign finance reforms (even if it means going after the 527s, since they're basically a huge hole in McCain-Feingold anyway)
- Attack corporate welfare. As with attacking pork, use lots of examples on TV and on the stump. The more outrageous the better.
- Push for a minimum wage hike - I say $9 or $10 an hour. It will never pass so it doesn't hurt to think big.
- Propose restoring old overtime and ergonomics rules to protect America's workers.
- As promised, loudly and publicly fight to protect social security and Medicare from the various GOP privatization schemes that will come down the pike.
- Push to fix flaws in the Medicare prescription drug plan and NCLB. Make it clear why they are so awful in their current form and give ideas for how to fix them.
- In the Senate, pick fights on appointments. Publicize the most outrageous statements and writings of right-wing appointees. You don't have to win the fight, but be on record as to why these people should not be appointed.
Tactics
- Media strategy: Hold regular press conferences when a big bill or appointment is up. I suggest using lots of attention grabbing gimmicks and guerilla theater style antics to get attention. Use humor and mockery as much as possible. Have fun with it if possible.
- Propose bills, amendments, etc. on the house and senate floor regarding the above proposals. Make the GOP fight to have to kill them. Be able to go on record and put them on record as well. It will also make them waste time instead of pushing their own agenda. (How about Kerry's child health care plan for a start?)
- Create a shadow government. When reform proposals fail in Congress, have the Dem caucus meet outside of congress in their own body and have them pass mock laws (i.e. "this is what we'd do if we were running things".) Hold your own hearings and investigations. Pick a shadow cabinet of surrogates from outside Congress who can appear opposite Administration officials on the talk shows and who can barnstorm the country talking about why administration's policies are disastrous. When they do something stupid, have the shadow cabinet official for the relevant area there to pounce. Run a parallel government. Kerry, Durbin, and Pelosi can provide the rhetorical leadership. Reid can work the inside procedural track. Edwards, Dean, and Gore can barnstorm the country giving speeches and holding rallies to push our ideas.
- Keep up the organizations built in last 2 years and expand. Use Moveon's tactics of emailing supporters to get them to call email congressmen over pivotal votes - target GOP and swing districts.
- Recruit candidates everywhere and contest as many districts as possible even if money is short (example: Delay vs. Morrison). Tap into the net roots (blogs, meetups, etc.) in a more organized way than the Kerry campaign was able to do in order to recruit candidates for every district and try to raise money, volunteers, etc. In 2006 have Clinton, Kerry, et al make appearances in Republican districts as a way of showing the flag. It may not win many seats but we surely will continue to lose seats if we continue to cede whole states to the GOP. Make them fight for it.
Remember, the point isn't to get these ideas passed since that is unlikely. The point is to start acting like a real opposition, feed the party's new reform narrative, and lay the groundwork for 2006 and 2008. And in the process you might just help the Democratic Party find its soul.
I welcome feedback from my fellow Kossacks.
Thank you and Best wishes,
NJ Brian