Posted on 12/30/2004 1:19:42 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
WASHINGTON -- Democratic strategists, searching for ways to broaden support, are urging the party to put new emphasis on the West, where they say state and local election results and demographic changes reflect political opportunity in a region long dominated by Republicans.
Party leaders acknowledge that the noncoastal Western states, which voted last month largely for George W. Bush for president, are hardly a Democratic bastion. But population trends are making such states as Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico more fertile territory for a future Democratic presidential contender, and such rock-hard Republican states as Montana and Wyoming are displaying Democratic tendencies, they said.
They note that Bush's aggressive Iraq policies are arousing concern in the traditionally isolationist West, even among longtime Republicans, and that several local environmental initiatives were approved in states where the administration wants to permit drilling for oil and gas and the storage of nuclear waste. An influx of Hispanics has also changed the political composition of several states in the region, making them more hospitable for Democrats.
Southern conservatives in both parties are attracted by social issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and religious values, a mix that made the region tough territory for Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry, analysts and party leaders said. But the West's strong independent streak and Hispanic population will give Democrats a fighting chance there in 2006 and 2008, said Simon Rosenberg, president of the New Democrat Network.
''What I believe is going on right now is that Bush's brand of conservatism, which is playing very well among social conservatives, is not playing well among libertarians," said Rosenberg, who is mulling a run for chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. ''The West has a very different brand of conservatives and liberals than the South."
Environmental issues may also play...
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Calling Naomi Wolfe! Calling Naomi Wolfe!
Maybe she can "dress" 'em up so they are suitable for public display.
Dream on.... the Democrats think California style tax and spend policies will play well in the Rock Mountain West? We're about to find out in the next two years how much Westerners like liberalism.
The only reason Wyoming and Montana were closer than usual is because that Constitutional candidate Perouted made a semi-strong showing there...
New Mexico is a weird state, but it wont be close much longer. Arizona wasnt that close and Nevada will widen out again.
We will have to see about Colorado....I am not so sure the analysis is correct on here either...
For some reason libertarians have become stalking horses for the Democrats. I can't explain why Michael Badnarik gets in bed with people he has nothing in common with. But hey if those types think the Democrats have changed, the folks in the Mountain West are in for a rude awakening.
I dont know...
while the Democrats seem to be trumpeting how many voters they got this past election, those numbers are not sustainable since the President wont be running. Assuming we dont nominate Jeb, the Anybody But Bush crowd will probably not vote (it was worth 30 million this time around)...
The Democrats are hoping people like Perouted and Badbreath-nik can take away a few million votes combined to make it a race....
(IMO) .. unless there is a Big ticket 3rd party running .. they don't have much of a chance taking votes away from the GOP
The Dems are hoping for another Ross Perot
I expect that most here will scoff at this.
But I have been here long enough to see how senator Harry Reid (D-NV) is using his power to reshape Nevada in order to make it more liberal.
Take a look at how much "wilderness area" he keeps making available to his developer friends, who then build more housing to expand the liberal bastion of Las vegas. He is working to raid the other counties water, in order to prevent L.V. from being "built out" before he can use it can to bring his plan to fruition.
Note that L.V. has annexed virtually the entire county, and is now working to make South Lincoln County a L.V. bed-room community.
Once liberal L.V. has enough votes to overwhelm all other counties election preferences Sierra Harry and his liberal allies will move the capitol to L.V., gerrymander the districts, and do their best to make Nevada a new Kalifornia!
Before you scoff, take a look at the recent patterns of growth and development in Nevada, who is behind them, and who is profiting.
Their idea of "trap shooting" is the shooting of pigs out of the sky too.
Take consistent breath's and don't hold even a one because of this professed liberal revelation!
I agree he is someone to keep an eye on
The man talks out of both sides of his mouth and most folks don't notice
And one plus one equals whatever Karl Rove tells me it does.
The only reason I can figure why Badnarik is acting like this is because it's the only way he can get any "exposure," any attention at all--he saw last election how much attention Nader got, and maybe that's what he wants (never mind that it was very negative, at least from the p.o.v. from the left hehehe). And before Nader, Perot. He apparently even stated several times before the election that he wanted to cost Bush the election and would be advertising heavily in crucial states to that effect. And he parroted the democrat lie about the draft during a televised 3rd party debate at Columbia U., I heard him! The guy is nothing but a troublemaker in my book.
Exactly--anybody who thinks that anything in politics is "static" is crazy. All those voters who voted for Kerry won't necessarily be voting democrat next time around, and the same goes for those who went for Bush. There were some who 'switched' from Gore in 2000 to Bush in 2004, just as there were those who voted for Kerry instead of Bush again.
Ramsey Clark (a.k.a. Traitorous POS) is defending Saddam and the Rats wonder why they lose elections??? HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
This is the only real policy they have, what they're really counting on, all the rest is just window dressing.
Democratic strategists, searching for ways to broaden support, are urging the party to put new emphasis on the West.
The dems will be lucky if they can hang onto Washington and Oregon in 2008!
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