Gore, Dean Form 'Anti-Clinton' Party, Well Left of Center

Real Clear Politics ^ | 12/12/03 | Mort Kondracke

[George W. Bush]

Following Gore on the Harlem program, Dean made it clear that he's mainly about solidifying the base, not reaching out to Independents. "In 2002, we lost a lot of races in the Democratic party because we decided that we were going to go to the swing votes and we were going to try to get them and our base was going to come along later on," Dean said.

This will be the first election in a long time that the parties go after base turnout instead of the swing vote.

Top GOP strategists are also talking about exactly the same thing, e.g. turnout of the 20%-25% of evangelicals who didn't vote for Bush in 2000.

A new demographic is Southern middle-class men, the so-called Nascar Dads. The GOP is hoping to solidify support among these men to a monolithic voting bloc much like Dims have with blacks. The Dims are hoping to peel off 10%-20% of this vote, just like Bush hoped to peel off 10%-20% of the minority vote in 2000 (and failed).

Base turnout will likely be the key in '04.

For conservatives, this represents our best opportunity in generations to stand our ground on abortion/sodomy and other social conservative issues. It may be true that we have nowhere else to go. But they have to give us something to vote for because the GOP has nowhere else to go either in key states.

[ladyinred]

Clinton' s one and two are not moderates, have never been moderates, and will never be moderates. They frankly lied to get elected. Gore, who may have actually once been a moderate, is now just doing whatever he thinks will win for himself later.

God deliver us from any of these leftist extremists who will drive this nation into the depths of hell.

[bdeaner]

Base turnout will likely be the key in '04.

It sure looks that way. There is an ever-shrinking middle ground. It is a toe-to-toe balls to the wall culture war from here on out. Let's have at 'em.

[George W. Bush]

Then I hear Chris Wallace on Hannity today musing how 'nothing seems to stick to Howard Dean' in terms of the media reaction to his recent gaffes.

It's no mystery. Dean is the choice of the establishment libmedia. They help deflect criticism of him and slant the reporting. They are his 'Teflon'. At present, the charges and accusations made against him are actually being used to 'immunize' him from the same charges being brought up later. They do it early so if it comes up later, it's harder to make it stick because it's 'old news'.

It's just like it was with Clinton in '91/'92. They always go for the most liberal and most dynamic candidate. And they protect and immunize their candidate and then act so surprised that he got the nomination and is now the fighting underdog and the voice of the people, yada-yada-yada, belch, barf...

Well, you know the routine.

[Right_in_Virginia]

I may be a little tin foilish, but we should all be very careful what we wish for with a Dean/Gore marriage. It only sets Hillary and Bill up as the saviors of the party.

Nothing "tin foilish" about it, IMHO.

The media is tripping over itself portraying the Clintonistas as "moderates"...like in "mainstream" America---and the Gore/Dean marriage as destructive to the "real" DemonRat party.

Not good---especially if (when) Dean loses.

[Sonny M]

I don't really understand how you can consider clinton a "moderate," unless you are standing way over the to left. He pretended to be moderate, but I don't consider it moderate to veto a partial birth abortion bill or start out your first day in office by pushing gays in the military and forced abortions in third-world country at taxpayer expense.

Good point. Basically, being a moderate or a centerist in the democratic party, means you support the death penalty and talk like a conservative and call yourself a moderate alot. The media really really wants Dean to get the hint and start talking like or sounding like a moderate somehow. Dean however isn't following the script.

Hillary Clinton is as lefty as you can get, but she calls herself a moderate and says she is a moderate and sometimes she even talks like one. Basically, between dean and hillary, one is a lefty who shows it, and the other one lies about it.

[Sonny M]

A new demographic is Southern middle-class men, the so-called Nascar Dads. The GOP is hoping to solidify support among these men to a monolithic voting bloc much like Dims have with blacks. The Dims are hoping to peel off 10%-20% of this vote, just like Bush hoped to peel off 10%-20% of the minority vote in 2000 (and failed).

Its funny, but the term NASCAR dad was actually created by a dem strategist. There was some article on it in "the hill". If (as in when) Dean gets the nomination, they can kiss the nascar dad vote goodbye, hell, I don't even think Dean knows what NASCAR even stands for.

[sport]

Who will be the nominee? Who will be his running mate?

(If Dean, then how long before he self destructs)


7 posted on 12/12/2003 7:27:22 PM PST by Steel Wolf

I do not know who the democrtat nominee will be. I expect it to be howard dean.

I do believe that the ballot will have hillary clinton's name on the democrat side.

I believe that a better question would be, how long before dean has a fatal accident or comits suicide?

[metalboy]

"We need to remake the Democratic party"

I could live with losing it altogether, way of the Whigs.

[185JHP]

After Newt and the boys took control of the House in '95, ol' X42(I) was limited in his rapine and plunder. To avoid being embarassed, he didn't tout a lot of what was in his heart. After "welfare reform" passed the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities, he signed it, to avoid an "in your face" veto override. X42(I) wasn't and isn't any kind of "centrist."

[randog]

She's already started by hitting the Sunday talk shows and taking a more centrist tone...

True, The Beast is good at donning sheep's clothing, but she has a knack of letting her leftism leak out at the most inopportune times like a fart in church. Her demoralizing comments to the troops in Iraq last month, for instance. And who can stand that nail-on-the-chalkboard voice and phony passion? She makes Bush look like The Great Orator by comparison.

[Bush2004]

It's not just donning sheep's clothing, da Beast has positioned herself to run. Whether it is 2004 or 2008 is the issue. Gore's endorsement was revealing, not only because of the obvious clash with the Clinton "establishment", but also for its timing.

Nobody really believes Gore would've stuck his neck out like that if there wasn't something more spectacular than Dean/Kerry/Edwards debates in store for us, do they?