There's been a lot of hand-wringing and shouting going on within the Democratic Party lately about just what Democrats must do to take advantage of the President's recent job approval tumble and to create our own agenda. Everyone has something to say, and I'm no different. With this diary, I hope to spark a dialogue in a new direction, one which embraces the core of our Democratic ideals without us turning once again on each other.
I think there is a very core distinction to be made from the recent leadership within our party, like Clinton, Kerry, and Gore. Some say that Clinton was a genius because he could "triangulate," taking Republican issues and turning them into Democratic issues. Conversely, I've heard criticism of Kerry for not being able to articulate a Democratic agenda well enough, much less ward off the Republican one. I believe it's simpler than triangulation or co-option. I believe it's message, and I believe the simplest message the Democrats can give... is "hope." Yes, hope.
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A once impressive, though little-known, elected official said "You gotta give them hope." His message, intended ostensibly for gay folks in San Francisco in the mid-1970's, encapsulated what has been missing so much from the Democratic Party of the 2000's. It's hope.
Have we already forgotten Bill Clinton's much-used, and perhaps now much-derided, comment that he still believed "in a place called Hope"? At one time, that perfectly embodied what the Democrats felt was so desperately missing after 12 years of Republicans in the White House. Hope was missing. And Bill Clinton was the man who saw that and brought it back to a party in despair.
Folks, we need some hope.
Especially these days.
In the midst of a Vietnam-esque struggle halfway across the globe, staggering national debt, drastically-reduced capability to respond to national crisis (i.e. Katrina), and GOP legislative agenda dominance, what we truly need right now is some hope.
And I think that is one of the reasons so many have been drawn to Senator Obama. It's not that he'll be the first black President. It's not that he speaks well extemporaneously. It's not that he embodies the next generation of Americans. It's that he speaks from a place of hope. He cares so much that you cannot doubt his commitment, even if you do not agree with his policies or ideology.
Now, before anyone goes calling me out as a hopeless neophyte, let me give some examples of just what it means to lead by hope, as well as to speak in real terms of what it means to enact Bush's policies.
#1: Katrina.
It took President Bush five days to even show up in the Gulf Coast following the storm, including two days he was out on vacation. What did the Democrats do in that time? I couldn't tell you, because I saw them nowhere.
What could they have done?
-Call for the creation of a volunteer Katrina Relief Fund to be on your tax form (like the voluntary political donation), where you could give whatever you wanted and get automatic tax exemption
-Call for an immediate reconvening of Congress (a week early from vacation) to pass immediate relief measure(s)
-Specifically target funding amounts for housing, education, supplies, with targets for each (i.e. providing permanent housing opportunities for 100,000 in one year, 250,000 in two years, 500,000 in three years)
Message: "We're paying attention, and we want those whose livelihoods have been destroyed by this tragedy to have hope for their future; for their children, their children's children, and for the most basic needs they will all have now and in the future."
#2: Taxes.
The GOP is on their unrelenting march to cut taxes. If anyone doubts their intentions to cut and cut and cut beyond any rational basis, just go to their website and you can no doubt find the latest tax that needs cutting. As for the Democrats, they just roll over and try to eke out a little something for their pals with each cut, which the GOP will go along with since it usually means getting each progressively-worse tax cut proposal easily through Congress.
What could the Democrats do?
-Talk about the real impact of each tax cut (refer to the thousands who now can't afford college, or the inability of the gov't to respond to crisis)
-Speak in terms of the things that we all rely on government to do for us that mean so much, like supporting millions of seniors in retirement (Social Security), providing a means to get a college education (Pell Grants), protecting our country from attack, and having the means to help our most in need in times of crisis
Message: "We have a vision of America that recognizes our differences and provides opportunities for each of us, wherever we may be, to realize the American dream. That does mean sacrifice, and it also means opportunity and hope to improve ourselves and for our children's future."
#3: Corruption.
We're seeing a large-scale implosion of the GOP right before our very eyes. The leaders of the GOP, just about all of them, are either under indictment, active investigation, or legitimate suspicion. The Democrats once saw themselves in this position in the 1990's, and what did the GOP do then? They brought forth their "Contract with America," in which they swore off corruption and backroom politics. It was a message of hope.
What can the Democrats do?
-Seize the moment. Don't be calling for investigations - they're already under way. Don't be calling for independent counsel - that just looks petty. Call for a new era in government. It's time for those who cast their votes to be counted. Our message should be that the people who vote on election day are the ones whose opinions matter most, not just those who vote with their campaign warchests.
Message: "We are tired of the backroom deals that dominate so much policy-making in DC. We are committed to doing the work we were elected to do with dignity and candor."
Simplistic? Perhaps. But all I see from Democrats right now is either (a) complaining that they're out of power and therefore powerless or (b) silence or (c) acquiescence to the GOP and its agenda. Make no mistake, acquiescence is not to be equated with Bill Clinton's triangulation. The party not in the Presidency and out of power in the Congress is in no position to triangulate. Clinton could successfully triangulate, as the President staving off the Congress. He inherently had power. As the minority party in the Congress that has no voice in the White House, however, Democrats now only look like they're giving in to the GOP when they try to co-opt. They're giving away what little power they have (their voice), rather than accumulating it.
And what about Kerry and Gore? One at a time.
Kerry did not speak from a place of hope. He was superb at criticizing a sitting President. He could speak with passion and power. But he didn't resonate because he didn't represent an alternative. And the alternative could only resonate if it appeared that, by voting for Kerry, Americans would be better off in four years. And guess what you need to believe you'll be better off? You guessed it. Hope.
And Gore? I believe, and this is somewhat tangential to this diary, that Mr. Gore got lost in translation. He couldn't articulate a strong enough message of hope because he was overshadowed by eight years of his hopeful predecessor. And he was busy staving off a challenge from his left that was, in my humble opinion, unjustified and counterproductive. Confronted with criticism from both sides and overshadowed by his larger-than-life boss, Gore never got out of the box and set himself apart. Few people could have done that, and they're probably rare and, as impressive as he is, Gore was not one of them at that moment.
So, Democrats, you gotta give them hope. Speak about the real impacts of our decision-making process. Give Americans an alternative vision with meaning, substance, and hope. Something we can look forward to. Things like, an end to war in Iraq, a right to health care, college for all, scientific achievement, a safe and clean environment, and a diversified energy portfolio. It's what we oughta stand for, before we no longer have a foot to stand on.
As for that man who once said "you gotta give them hope"? His name was Harvey Milk. He was elected to be a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in November 1978, one of the first openly gay elected officials in America. And he was, tragically, assassinated a year later. Yet, somehow, in 2005 his message lives on. Why? Because it's true.
You gotta give them hope.