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DLW
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 2457
| Posted 7/29/2003 9:50 AM (GMT -6) |   | Poll Finds Democrats Lack Crucial Support to Beat Bush
Party Must Strongly Reposition Itself to Regain White Male Voters' Support, DLC Advised
By Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 29, 2003; Page A03
PHILADELPHIA, July 28 -- Dramatic erosion in support among white men has left the Democrats in a highly vulnerable position and unless the party strongly repositions itself, President Bush will be virtually impossible to beat in 2004, according to a new poll commissioned for the centrist Democratic Leadership Council (DLC).
The gloomy prognosis came despite evidence in the poll and in the assessments of Democratic elected officials attending the DLC's "national conversation" here that the economy alone makes Bush vulnerable for reelection. But Mark J. Penn, who conducted the poll, said that the party's image has regressed since former president Bill Clinton left office and that those weaknesses put Democrats in a weakened position.
Penn said his polling indicates that since Clinton left office in 2001, more Americans believe Democrats are the party of big government and higher taxes and he said Bush's handling of the war on terrorism has opened up a huge gap with Democrats on who is more trusted on issues of national security.
"If Democrats can't close the security gap, then they can't be competitive in the next election," said Penn, who polled for Clinton in his second term and who is the pollster for the presidential campaign of Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.).
The poll showed Bush's vulnerabilities. Fewer than half of those surveyed (48 percent) think he deserves to be reelected and 53 percent said the economy is heading in the wrong direction.
But Penn said Democrats must make a concerted effort to appeal to white voters, particularly men and married women, to make the 2004 race competitive. He said just 22 percent of white men identified with the Democratic Party in his poll, and he said younger men are even more strongly Republican in their leanings.
Penn's poll was used by DLC leaders to press their argument that Democrats must embrace the kind of centrist policies espoused by Clinton to avoid a humiliating defeat in 2004, and they used the two-day conference to continue a debate over the direction of the party that has intensified in recent months.
DLC leaders have criticized former Vermont governor Howard Dean, whose antiwar rhetoric fueled his rise to prominence in the Democratic presidential race, and today, Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), the DLC chairman, warned that the party is "at risk of being taken over by the far left." The choice for Democrats, Bayh said, is, "Do we want to vent or do we want to govern?"
But not all of those in attendance agreed with the Dean bashing. Washington state Rep. Laura Ruderman decried the battles between party centrists and liberals, and told the audience, "I don't think we can be successful if we go down that rat hole."
Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell went out of his way to praise Dean's record as governor and said he had "great respect" for Dean. Rendell also challenged the findings of Penn, who claimed Democrats were at a 50-year low ebb. Citing the election of Democratic governors in 2002 in states such as Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas and Pennsylvania, Rendell said, "I think the talent bank is beginning to be replenished."
Rendell appeared with six other Democratic governors: Arizona's Janet Napolitano, Kansas's Kathleen Sebelius, Michigan's Jennifer Granholm, New Jersey's James McGreevey, New Mexico's Bill Richardson and Virginia's Mark Warner. They said that Bush has broken his promises to fund homeland security and his education accountability bill in their states but expressed frustration that Democrats have been unsuccessful in making a case against the president on these issues or the economy.
© 2003 The Washington Post Company
I-uh-scream-uh,
You-uh-scream-uh,
We-all-uh-sceam-uh for
Ice-uh-cream-uh!!!
Roberto Bernigni in
Down by Law.
I wish we didn't live in a world where buying and selling things (especially selling) seems to have become almost more important than either producing or using them.
C.S. Lewis | | Back to Top | | |
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Blood Washed Heretic
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2003
Total Posts : 167
| Posted 7/30/2003 3:39 AM (GMT -6) | | Howard Dean is the only Dem I'd vote for...
In essentials, unity; In matters of opinion, liberty; In all things, love. | | Back to Top | | |
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DLW
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 2457
| Posted 7/30/2003 4:21 AM (GMT -6) | | quote:
Originally posted by Blood Washed Heretic
Howard Dean is the only Dem I'd vote for...
In essentials, unity; In matters of opinion, liberty; In all things, love.
Howard Dean would be the worse Dem candidate. He is an economic conservative and a social libertarian who opposed a popular war.
The guy doesn't stand a chance against Bush and that may be why he's doing so well in his fundraising.
dlw
I-uh-scream-uh,
You-uh-scream-uh,
We-all-uh-sceam-uh for
Ice-uh-cream-uh!!!
Roberto Bernigni in
Down by Law.
I wish we didn't live in a world where buying and selling things (especially selling) seems to have become almost more important than either producing or using them.
C.S. Lewis | | Back to Top | | |
|
honorman
Registered Member
Date Joined Oct 2002
Total Posts : 1137
| Posted 7/30/2003 6:59 AM (GMT -6) | | | Anything gloomy for the Democrats is good for the country! Go Bush! | | Back to Top | | |
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DLW
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 2457
| Posted 7/30/2003 7:10 AM (GMT -6) | | quote:
Originally posted by honorman
Anything gloomy for the Democrats is good for the country! Go Bush!
why? , because tax-cuts inherently make people happier?
dlw
I-uh-scream-uh,
You-uh-scream-uh,
We-all-uh-sceam-uh for
Ice-uh-cream-uh!!!
Roberto Bernigni in
Down by Law.
I wish we didn't live in a world where buying and selling things (especially selling) seems to have become almost more important than either producing or using them.
C.S. Lewis | | Back to Top | | |
|
Blood Washed Heretic
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2003
Total Posts : 167
| Posted 7/30/2003 9:05 AM (GMT -6) | | I probably won't vote for him, but I applaud him for opposing an immoral "popular" war.
Well, now the cat's out of the bag. Come and get some, boys!!! 
In essentials, unity; In matters of opinion, liberty; In all things, love. | | Back to Top | | |
|
DLW
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 2457
| Posted 7/30/2003 9:21 AM (GMT -6) | | quote:
Originally posted by Blood Washed Heretic
I probably won't vote for him, but I applaud him for opposing an immoral "popular" war.
Well, now the cat's out of the bag. Come and get some, boys!!!
In essentials, unity; In matters of opinion, liberty; In all things, love.
Dude, the war link is just below us, so if you're a sucker for punishment, go there.
On the other hand, here's some more punishment. Abe Lincoln supported Zachary Taylor over Henry Clay for the whig candidate for president. Why? Because he was a war-heroe and would be more electable. Lincoln himself was opposed to the war at hand, but was willing to compromise his principles to do what was best for his party, get someone elected president.
So we needst thing such things a little more, needn't we?
dlw
I-uh-scream-uh,
You-uh-scream-uh,
We-all-uh-sceam-uh for
Ice-uh-cream-uh!!!
Roberto Bernigni in
Down by Law.
I wish we didn't live in a world where buying and selling things (especially selling) seems to have become almost more important than either producing or using them.
C.S. Lewis | | Back to Top | | |
|
honorman
Registered Member
Date Joined Oct 2002
Total Posts : 1137
| Posted 7/30/2003 7:29 PM (GMT -6) | | | The only thing truly immoral is people who live in this country which was made free by the blood of others, are protected by its huge military and call themselves pacifists. Now theres a truly immoral act. Its called hypocrisy. | | Back to Top | | |
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honorman
Registered Member
Date Joined Oct 2002
Total Posts : 1137
| Posted 7/31/2003 11:05 AM (GMT -6) | | I live to be reactionary, not unlike the "immoral" (hey, look I'm not like those who support the war, I'm truly enlightened) tag on the war.
When people stand by and allow evil dictators to prosper in the name of a foolish ideal, they are immoral, no matter their reasons...
But the truly sad thing is people don't appreciate blunt honesty.
DLW, I have no enemies here  Just a lot of people who aren't as smart or loving as I am... | | Back to Top | | |
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honorman
Registered Member
Date Joined Oct 2002
Total Posts : 1137
| Posted 7/31/2003 2:00 PM (GMT -6) | | | | |
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