Meet the Blue Dogs: pro-gun, anti-abortion - and Democrat

The Times ^ | November 9, 2006 | Tim Reid

[MadIvan]

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.

[TLI]

http://www.blueheeler.com/

[George W. Bush]

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.

They were right about everything except this. Ford's defeat was about being too young and not being a convincing liar.

No way the Dims are giving up on the South at this point, not after they won those southern seats yesterday. They're no doubt already working on strategies of how they can peel off a couple of Southern states in the '08 presidential election which would virtually guarantee them victory in '08.

[adingdangdoo]

There was one other, I believe... James Traficant from Ohio


(of course, he's in jail now)

[PhiKapMom]

I forgot about him. Wasn't he a Dem?

[Zionist Conspirator]

James Webb....a social conservative...

What a bald, fscking lie. In his victory speech, he was droning on about an "inclusive society"...code for the legitimization of homosexuality. Considering his books, maybe we shouldn't have been surprised about him.

Again, many here at FR adopted him as a hero after his book Born Fighting was released. He was the "great redneck hope" and champion of the "unhyphenated Americans." Blech. What a disappointment.

I'm not familiar with his other books, but from what you and Ann Coulter have said about them I take it that his being a Democrat aren't that surprising. Could you elaborate?

[Eurotwit]

Or if they kiss each other :-)

[syriacus]

I like to call this the "Wolves in Sheeps' Clothing" election

The Democrats, true to their word, took the idea of "values voters" seriously and did some window dressing. They trumpeted the GOP scandals (MSM hid their own) and, in some states, hand-picked candidates who said they were anti-abortion.

The Democratic platform had been so pro-abortion that Bob Casey wasn't even allowed to talk at their convention.

I doubt anti-abortion people will be put in any Congressional positions where they will have any control of abortion legislation.

I'll be interested to see what happens to the Democrats' pro-abortion platform in 2006.

Nancy Pelosi's nagging about a Republican "Culture of corruption" and Chuck Schumer's willingness to hold his nose and chose anti-abortion senatorial candidates did the trick.

[darkangel82]

Traficant was from Youngstown, of course he was corrupt.

[Lancey Howard]

One problem: Democrats are typically brazen, unashamed liars. Bob Kerrey always campaigned like he was Reagan, but unfailingly voted lock-step liberal with the rest of the scumbags after he was re-elected. It will not surprise me a bit when these alleged "conservative" rats expose themselves for the mice they are. I like to be as optimistic as the next guy, but frankly, all I'm praying for out of this Congress is gridlock.

As far as the Senate goes, we need to concentrate on keeping that 41 vote firewall.

[Mr. Silverback]

Meet the Blue Dogs: pro-gun, anti-abortion - and Democrat Lying out their bungholes.

There--fixed it. Even the Times can benefit from a little professional editing.

[Mr. Silverback]

Pelosi will OWN these people. In fact, she donated to many of their campaigns. She will bring them in and say, "Vote my way on the big issues or you're here for one term only" and they will fall into line.

That said, Ivan's strategy for sepearating them from the herd will work very well if it's tried. Hopefully either the Prez or Mike Pence or both have the sense to try it.

[swampmonster]

Absolutely! Everyone needs to witness what happened to Lieberman this time around. He was attacked worse than Bush. I'm afraid Nancy and the compliant Big Media attack machine will be out to destroy all those democrats who don't tow the line.

With Lieberman it was just one issue. He sided with America in Iraq. Just one issue! Never forget it.

[Mr. Silverback]

Betcha it doesn't take months. Can't wait to see the looks on their faces when the McCAin Amnesty Plus bill passes and we sell the country to the illegals.

[Texas4ever]

I predict there will be bickering within the Dem party not to soon after the honeymoon. Lots of Dem/conservative thinkers in the party now. A lot of expectations from their constituents.

[Mr. Silverback]

If Bush underwent the same transformation in Texas that I underwent going from Maine to the Midwest, he is 100% cowboy these days.

[ThomasThomas]

Larger version @http://eccentric.cx/pictures/tn/misc/blue_dog/blue_dog_csg019.jpg

[Mr. Silverback]

And here comes Hildy to put the pro-death spin on the election. We lost this one because people were sick and tired of twelve years of RINOs. Though Iraq was not the core issue (if it was, Lieberman would have lost and Chaffee would have won) it was the last straw for many people.

[Rte66]

Perfect!

[Rte66]

Oh, I wouldn't have guessed at that name. Those are very smart dogs! Thanks for the info.

Is it the sheep-herding (rather than cattle-herding) ones that look like border collies? Guess that would make them "shepherds," duh. May have answered my own question.

[Mr. Silverback]

Most Americans back restrictions that the pro-abort crowd fights tooth and nail. they keep climing they have the majority, but when the opinion of the majority is not to their liking they run to the courts. Public wants parental notification? Get the courts to say a 13 year old can't get an aspirin at school but can get served at PP.

Hey, if the country is really pro-choice, let's put it up to a national referendum. You game?