Post Election: Democrats Ask, What Went Wrong? - 2004-11-05 1:59 AM
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By Mike Dorning Washington Bureau
Even before John Kerry conceded defeat Wednesday, Democratic strategists, activists and party leaders already were beginning a difficult self-examination of the party's failure to connect with voters, spurred on by a deeply disappointing performance in the election.
The debate over the future of the Democrats will play out in the weeks and months ahead, probably continuing until the party has settled on a new presidential nominee four years hence. And the parameters of the discourse are still emerging.
"This will be an important choice," said former Bill Clinton aide Paul Begala. "The Democrats will ask hard questions about our party and our future."
Some themes already were clear Wednesday, as party insiders traded condolences and activists took to Web logs to express their frustration.
Some in the liberal wing of the party suggested that John Kerry had failed to present a sufficiently coherent and clear alternative to President Bush and the Republican Party's policies. In particular, they criticized him for sounding an uncertain trumpet against the war in Iraq, which Kerry voted to authorize.
But, in the initial hours after the defeat, much of the discussion among political professionals touched on how the Democratic Party could draw a closer connection to moderate and rural voters on issues of values and culture.
"If we don't step back, take a good hard look and address these issues, we're going to be in the back seat for many years to come," Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) told CNN.
Exit polls showed 22 percent of voters were most concerned about "moral issues," ahead of any other concerns, including Iraq, terrorism or the economy. President Bush, a born-again Christian who embraced religion in a midlife struggle against alcohol, comfortably includes regular references to faith in his political speech.
Spreading the word
On Wednesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was citing the the Bible, particularly the Gospel of St. Matthew, as inspiration for her political beliefs during a CNN interview.
"On some of the social issues, the Democrats did not connect well enough with the country. Certainly, we are faith-filled. We love our country," Pelosi said.
Not only did the Democrats lose the race for the White House but Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) suffered a humiliating defeat and the party lost seats in both chambers of Congress. Democratic candidates lost every contested Senate election in the South.
And, unlike the presidential election four years ago, when the political significance of the Democratic loss was clouded because Al Gore won the popular vote and Florida's pivotal electoral votes were disputed, the election results Tuesday showed a clear victory for President Bush.
1st majority vote since '88
Though Bush's 51 percent majority is not overwhelming, it is the first time a presidential candidate has gained a majority of the vote since 1988. And the results in the congressional contests strengthened the sense that Democrats are becoming uncompetitive in places like the South and rural America.
"One thing's very clear: What Democrats are selling, people aren't buying in large parts of the country," said Jim Kessler, a Democratic strategist who recently joined the staff of a centrist party organization, The Third Way.
The struggle over the future of the party will play out as a new leadership emerges. Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe is almost certainly out of a job, said party strategists and office-holders.
For the time being, Kerry remains the Democrats' most prominent spokesman. But vice presidential nominee Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton (news - web sites), now a senator from New York, may become increasingly prominent as they consider potential presidential bids.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson also may take on a larger public role as the party fights to retain its appeal to Hispanic voters, which defected to Bush in significant numbers Tuesday. And Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) could have a larger role as Democrats wrestle with how to become more competitive in rural America.
Sen.-elect Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is expected to be one of the party's new stars as the Senate's only African-American and a charismatic and articulate speaker who even before his election was tapped to give a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.
Senate Whip Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is widely considered the most likely replacement for Daschle as Democratic leader. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin is considered a potential successor to Reid.
