Posted on 11/03/2004 10:07:07 AM PST by neverdem
OP-ED COLUMNIST
In the aftermath of this civil war that our nation has just fought, one result is clear: the Democratic Party's first priority should be to reconnect with the American heartland.
I'm writing this on tenterhooks on Tuesday, without knowing the election results. But whether John Kerry's supporters are now celebrating or seeking asylum abroad, they should be feeling wretched about the millions of farmers, factory workers and waitresses who ended up voting - utterly against their own interests - for Republican candidates.
One of the Republican Party's major successes over the last few decades has been to persuade many of the working poor to vote for tax breaks for billionaires. Democrats are still effective on bread-and-butter issues like health care, but they come across in much of America as arrogant and out of touch the moment the discussion shifts to values.
"On values, they are really noncompetitive in the heartland," noted Mike Johanns, a Republican who is governor of Nebraska. "This kind of elitist, Eastern approach to the party is just devastating in the Midwest and Western states. It's very difficult for senatorial, Congressional and even local candidates to survive."
In the summer, I was home - too briefly - in Yamhill, Ore., a rural, working-class area where most people would benefit from Democratic policies on taxes and health care. But many of those people disdain Democrats as elitists who empathize with spotted owls rather than loggers.
One problem is the yuppification of the Democratic Party. Thomas Frank, author of the best political book of the year, "What's the Matter With Kansas: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America," says that Democratic leaders have been so eager to win over suburban professionals that they have lost touch with blue-collar America.
"There is a very upper-middle-class flavor to liberalism, and that's just bound to rub average people the wrong way," Mr. Frank said. He notes that Republicans have used "culturally powerful but content-free issues" to connect to ordinary voters.
To put it another way, Democrats peddle issues, and Republicans sell values. Consider the four G's: God, guns, gays and grizzlies.
One-third of Americans are evangelical Christians, and many of them perceive Democrats as often contemptuous of their faith. And, frankly, they're often right. Some evangelicals take revenge by smiting Democratic candidates.
Then we have guns, which are such an emotive issue that Idaho's Democratic candidate for the Senate two years ago, Alan Blinken, felt obliged to declare that he owned 24 guns "and I use them all." He still lost.
As for gays, that's a rare wedge issue that Democrats have managed to neutralize in part, along with abortion. Most Americans disapprove of gay marriage but do support some kind of civil unions (just as they oppose "partial birth" abortions but don't want teenage girls to die from coat-hanger abortions).
Finally, grizzlies - a metaphor for the way environmentalism is often perceived in the West as high-handed. When I visited Idaho, people were still enraged over a Clinton proposal to introduce 25 grizzly bears into the wild. It wasn't worth antagonizing most of Idaho over 25 bears.
"The Republicans are smarter," mused Oregon's governor, Ted Kulongoski, a Democrat. "They've created ... these social issues to get the public to stop looking at what's happening to them economically."
"What we once thought - that people would vote in their economic self-interest - is not true, and we Democrats haven't figured out how to deal with that."
Bill Clinton intuitively understood the challenge, and John Edwards seems to as well, perhaps because of their own working-class origins. But the party as a whole is mostly in denial.
To appeal to middle America, Democratic leaders don't need to carry guns to church services and shoot grizzlies on the way. But a starting point would be to shed their inhibitions about talking about faith, and to work more with religious groups.
Otherwise, the Democratic Party's efforts to improve the lives of working-class Americans in the long run will be blocked by the very people the Democrats aim to help.
Republicans appeal to the mind, soul and heart of voters by championing moral values while Democrats appeal only to the stomach and the pocketbook.
That's what he's saying.
He's upset that people vote with their hearts instead of their bellies.
Leftists never "get it". They would build a Berlin Wall here in America if we allowed it.
This line says it all. They don't understand working people who want to work for what they get. They have the opinion that the Government must instead allocate benefits to the masses.
As long as they feel this way, they will lose. They are elitists who think only of their causes instead of self sufficient Americans.
The only legitimate issue for feminists is crime. They currently have nothing to say about that. 95% of violent crime is committed by men... why should working women have to pay for this social cost? They have nothing to say about that. I think if the feminists would take stock of themselves and refocus their thoughts on this issue, it might be one building block for the Democratic party. Sorry to have given them a hint.
OH...so I guess I was hallucinating when I got that $300 tax check back a couple of years ago...
And, "what happens to them economically" when Dems run the show is their never-ending hands in my wallet. Pardon me, but MY self-interests are when I can keep more of the money I EARN!!! Yikes.
I'm also a minority woman and left the Democrat Party permanently when Clinton won the election. Enough was enough. So please liberal elites, don't tell me the Republican Party has nothing to offer for minority women, they've helped me a lot more than you ever have!
I remember a democratic party of "Scoop" Jackson and Hubert Humphery. Where did that party go? The democratic party now is made up of queers and other perverts, welfare pilferers, communists, ALL of the hate America crowd, anti-gunners and anti-christians. I don't know if I could ever align myself with them.
The democratic party: you've done America a great injustice. You are a national party no more (quoted from Zell Miller).
In order for our country to work, we need at least two political parties. Democrats - get your act together and get back in the fight. I remember what you used to be - at one time you actually did represent the "little guy".
"Another failure to recognize a clear fact - most people care more about their values than their value."
How do we get blacks and hispanics to vote their values? I was a poll watcher yesterday in a predominant hispanic and somewhat black area and they voted 90% for John Kerry - many had a cross around their neck. The hypocracy did not escape me - they can vote for a man who supports homo marriage and killing babies - all while professing to be a Christian?? Needless to say I think we need work harder to get these people to quit thinking about what goodies they can get from this govt. and start working for the common good.
In the aftermath of this civil war that our nation has just fought, one result is clear: the Republican Party's first priority should be to reconnect with the American heartland.
I'm writing this on tenterhooks on Tuesday, without knowing the election results. But whether Alf Landon's supporters are now celebrating or seeking asylum abroad, they should be feeling wretched about the millions of farmers, factory workers and waitresses who ended up voting - utterly against their own interests - for Democrat candidates.
One of the Democrat Party's major successes over the last few decades has been to persuade many of the working poor to vote for more regulation on business. Republicans are still effective on bread-and-butter issues like lower taxes, but they come across in much of America as arrogant and out of touch the moment the discussion shifts to improving working conditions for factory workers and farmers.
"On economic issues, they are really noncompetitive in the heartland," noted Burton Wheeler, a Democrat who is senator from Montana. "This kind of elitist, Eastern approach to the party is just devastating in the Midwest and Western states. It's very difficult for senatorial, Congressional and even local candidates to survive."
In the summer, I was home - too briefly - in Yamhill, Ore., a rural, working-class area where most people would benefit from Republican policies on foreign affairs and national defense. But many of those people disdain Democrats as elitists who empathize with big business rather than the little man.
One problem is the gentrification of the Republican Party. Bruce Barton, best-selling author says that Democratic leaders have been so eager to win over urban professionals that they have lost touch with blue-collar and agricultural America.
"There is a very upper-middle-class flavor to conservatism, and that's just bound to rub average people the wrong way," Mr. Barton said. He notes that Democrats have used "culturally powerful but content-free issues" to connect to ordinary voters.
To put it another way, Republicans peddle issues, and Democrats sell economic security. Consider the "chicken in every pot, car in every garage" cliche.
One-third of Americans are industrial workers, and many of them perceive Republicans as often contemptuous of their class. And, frankly, they're often right. Some working men and women take revenge by smiting Republican candidates.
Then we have public works, which are such an emotive issue that Herbert Hoover had to remind voters that he strongly supported internal improvements. He still lost.
"The Democrats are smarter," mused Vermont's governor, Charles M. Smith, a Democrat. "They've created ... these economic issues to get the public to stop looking at what's happening to them With regard to taxes and regulation."
"What we once thought - that people would vote according to Constitutional principles - is not true, and we Republicans haven't figured out how to deal with that."
Herbert Hoover intuitively understood the challenge, and Alf Landon seems to as well, perhaps because of their own middle class origins. But the party as a whole is mostly in denial.
To appeal to middle America, Republicans leaders don't need to wear overalls and carry lunch pails. But a starting point would be to shed their inhibitions about talking about economic protection for workers and farmers, and to work more with unions. Otherwise, the Republican Party's efforts to improve the lives of working-class Americans in the long run will be blocked by the very people the Republicans aim to help.
LOL!
A very funny quote
But a starting point would be to shed their inhibitions about talking about faith, and to work more with religious groups.
This will of course drive their anti-christian socialist base right into the arms of the Greens. The bottom line is you cannot be anything other than what you are. We have succeeded by convincing others that we are right. Not by becoming something we are not.
Au contraire, mon frere, this guy does indeed "get it". After all, in the Democrat Party it's all about "how can we fool 'em today". What makes this guy dangerous is that he's urging a return to the kind of phony shirtsleeve populism that too much of this country bought into when Bill J. Clinton was running the show. As conservatives (especially those of the Republican variety) we need to understand that although the blue collar "have lesses" (there are few true "have nots" in this country) may be supporting us today over values issues, that may not always be true if something isn't done to promote job growth, and to reduce the burdens of rising energy and health care costs on the American consumer. To paraphrase the Great Prevaricator, values never fed a hungry child, or provided affordable health care, or etc., etc.
Sorry but I think your wrong - your position requires us to continue to give these groups freebies in order for their vote. That is what the dems have been doing forever. Time to take the nipple away. Free home grants specifically for minority home buyers is the wrong message. We must get them to be a part of America - we have to stop pushing the liberal/communist message of promoting diversity in our schools and companies and start promoting unity and commonality. Diversity/multicultural programs were instituted by the left to keep their power base by having America divided and pointing fingers for reasons why one segment is underperforming another. Either we are all Americans or we're not. We need to unite around the principles which this country was founded on and that we all share not the principles of division/diversity and race specific handouts/programs.
This is becoming the standard Democratic rejoinder to Republican victories. It's a back-handed compliment and completely incorrect. How could raising taxes, the minimum wage, and re-distributing income possibly be in a taxpayer's best interest?
For some reason they think giving your money to the gov't and letting it decide what's best for you is preferred to independence and self-reliance. They just don't get it.
CRACK PIPE ALERT!
Jeez... To a Democrat, any Christian must also be "evangelical." The same way that all "conservatives" register to them as "ultra consertvatives."
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