Posted on 11/08/2006 7:17:10 PM PST by OPS4
The Times November 09, 2006
Meet the Blue Dogs: pro-gun, anti-abortion - and Democrat By Tim Reid
Our correspondent examines how the party masterminded its move to the centre and reined in liberals to seize hostile territories
They wear cowboy boots, chew tobacco, love hunting, hate abortion, want less government spending — and some voted for Ronald Reagan. Now they are headed to Congress as Democrats.
Although the Democrats’ victory was above all an overwhelming repudiation of the conflict in Iraq, it was also built on the back of moderate, often conservative candidates recruited to compete in traditionally Republican territory.
When Congress returns in January, both the House and Senate will see something of an ideological shift, with an influx of freshmen Democrats who, while unified in their opposition to the war, are well to the right of the party’s current caucus on cultural issues.
Their success reflects a resurgence of “Blue Dog” Democrats — socially conservative but generally economic populists — across the Midwest, and a bold new strategy to target the Republican-leaning West and South West — states such as Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico — as a way of winning back the White House in 2008.
If Jon Tester, the Democrat’s Senate candidate in Montana, wins his race against Conrad Burns — he declared victory last night but votes were still being counted — the chamber will have a Democrat who is an anti-abortion, pro-gun, three-generation farmer with a buzz cut, three missing fingers on his left hand and no big fan of Hillary Clinton.
Jim Webb, the Democrat favoured to win a probable recount in the Virginia Senate race, was Reagan’s Navy Secretary. A social conservative, he hates liberals and likes guns so much he gave one to his son at the age of 8. He champions, as he puts it, “Southern redneck culture”. A decorated Vietnam veteran, he converted to the Democrats only over his opposition to the Iraq war.
Bob Casey, who soundly defeated the Republican Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania’s Senate race, is also anti-abortion. Like many of the new Democrats, he ran a profoundly populist protectionist economic message which attracted many blue-collar “Reagan Democrats” back to the party in the Midwest, where job losses and economic pessimism combined with Iraq to make the region one of the bleakest landscapes for Republicans yesterday.
Heath Shuler, a former quarterback for the Washington Redskins, was once courted by the Republicans as a possible congressional candidate. He is anti-abortion, pro-gun, anti-free trade — and is now the Democrat representative for the North Carolina 11th District.
In Indiana, a state overwhelmingly won by President Bush in 2004, three Republicans in the House of Representatives lost seats. All faced conservative Democrats. One, Brad Ellsworth, a county sheriff, is a social conservative who signed a no-tax-rise pledge during the campaign. Joe Donnelly was another cultural conservative winner in Indiana.
In Colorado, Democrats continued their push into the West with victory in the state’s gubernatorial contest, meaning the party now has a sweep of western governors stretching from Canada to Mexico, through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico.
In Kentucky, John Yarmuth, a former Republican candidate running as a Democrat, beat Anne Northup, a five-term veteran. Democrats also picked up an open seat in Republican Arizona and even unseated a Republican incumbent in Kansas — where Mr Bush won 62 per cent of the vote in 2004.
These new Democrats represent what Rahm Emanuel, the congressman who masterminded its takeover of the House, described as the future of the party, and the key to its presidential hopes. The growing belief of many Democrat strategists is that the South — the party’s base until the 1960s, but now solidly Republican — is beyond their reach, and that the future lies in targeting the Midwest and West with moderate candidates. That theory was bolstered by the defeat in Tennessee of Harold Ford. Despite running as a conservative on nearly every issue — even immigration — the black former congressman could not prevail in the one Southern senate seat in play.
The result was rich vindication for Mr Emanuel and other top Democrats who have spent two years recruiting candidates to make the party competitive in western states they had all but ceded in recent years.
Mr Emanuel and other centrists have told the incoming Democrat leadership — which is far more liberal than the new influx of moderates — that the party’s liberal wing must not dominate the agenda. The new crop of moderates will be anxious to keep the party rooted to the middle ground.
Their arrival on Capitol Hill will be one of the first early tests of the leadership skills of Nancy Pelosi who, as House Speaker, will have to forge a coalition in a party that has profound philosophical disparities.
Ironically, the greatest losses for Republicans came in the North East, the last redoubt of the party’s mainstream moderates. They were routed
It's an attempt to woo some of the evangelicals over to the Dem party. Apparently 1/3 evangelicals voted Dem yesterday.
They should get along great with Eye Ball pelosi and Barbara Boxer.
Balderdash. They will be taken into he caucus and told they will vote whatever they are told to.
and beholden to her Heiness Ms. Pelosi...
Like many Freepers, there are any number of things that annoy me about the RATS, but I really can't stand the labels that attach to everything. You have the "Fighting Dems" and the "Blue Dogs." The worst is the "Progressives." What in the world is progressive about defending Medicare which promotes hospitalization and that ponzi scheme known as social security. In the end, they all vote for Nervous Nance, and they are a distinction without a difference.
Forget Rahm Emmanuel. This article makes me think it was Karl Rove, that Magnificent B*stard, who masterminded the Dem's wins last night. The libs are smug now, but these supposedly conservative Democrats may just give Pelosi and Reid fits. I will love it if they become the blue version of our crappy "Gang of 13" or whatever McClain's peeps are called. Dems think they are big rigs now, but it would be so hilarious if these guys turned out to be just pubbies in jackasses' clothing. Stymie the left wing at every turn. Run as Dems and then vote with the right every time. Would anyone be shocked to find out that Karl Rove is behind the whole thing? The libs' heads would absolutely explode! Outroved again! Mwahahahahaha.
Well, they certainly have a new Dipshit caucus headed by Patrick Murphy. #$#$@&@$)*&^%$#
bump
Conservatives Incumbents Who Lost in the House:
Charles Taylor (NC) - ACU rating 92
Chris Chocola (IN) - ACU rating 96
Don Sherwood (PA) - ACU rating 84
John Hostettler (IN) - ACU rating 100
Mike Sodrel (IN) - ACU rating 92
Anne Northup (KY) - ACU rating 96
Gil Gutknecht (MN) - ACU rating 92
J.D. Hayworth (AZ) - ACU rating 100
Richard Pombo (CA) - ACU rating 92
Jim Ryun (KS) - ACU rating 96
Melissa Hart (PA) - ACU rating 88.
Conservatives Incumbents Who Lost in the Senate:
Burns (MT) - ACU rating 91
Allen (VA) - ACU rating 92
Santorum (PA) - ACU rating 88
Talent (MO) - ACU rating 93
In the long run conservatism will win. Yesterday, conservatism got its butt kicked.
They ran pro-gun and anti-abortion. How will they vote in the Congress? I am not betting that ProLife has been enhanced or has even stayed even here.
Well be watching their voting record and if they get any MSM face time.
"Trust but verify."
What the **ll is he talking about?
This guy obviously spends time in NYC.
Indeed. I would love to see the Republican Party try it someday. ;^)
Well, Rush should know about fat-cat, country-club, blue- bloods. I used to love! Rush. Now, he is a major disappointment. I consider him a sell out. He self-admittedly carried their water? He says that and then goes on to trash the President for selling out? Huh? What? V's wife.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.