Democrats got rolled -- again. They had their clocks cleaned again by a third-generation scion of an ivy-covered Connecticut political family posing as a son of the Texas soil. They were out-communicated again by a man whose public speaking style is a cross between John Wayne and Beavis. In fact, the Democrats were so unpersuasive about how they'd clean up the mess in Iraq that most Americans actually felt safer with the people who got us into it and turned the country into a terrorist hornets' nest. Democrats allowed an authentically heroic war record to be trashed by a campaign that starred two “warriors” who don't hesitate to flex the nation's military muscle but chose not to serve when it was their turn.
These same Democrats -- who have fought relentlessly to truly educate children, expand health care, provide benefits to veterans and drought relief to farmers, and make sure our troops in combat have the body armor and other protective equipment the administration forgot to send with them to Iraq -- allowed themselves to be tagged as wussy, out-of-touch, East Coast liberal elites.
So what happened?
Part of it is that Republicans are simply better at marketing than Democrats are. They have been kicking the Democrats' butts on message since 1994. “Pro-life.” “Death tax.” “Partial-birth abortion.” “Liberal activist judges.” “Lawsuit reform.” “Tax relief.” “PATRIOT Act.” These simple words and phrases define issues in the public's mind and back Dems into a corner the very first time they're mentioned.
The Republican message usually includes a moral imperative: Their agenda is right, morally as well as politically. “Give working families a tax break. It isn't the government's money. It's your money.” “We believe in a culture of life.” “Saddam Hussein is evil.”
Make no mistake, Republicans haven't changed their agenda a bit, and they haven't changed how they operate. They're still the party of big business, and they still run on a weird mixture of slander, deception, and morality. They still don't take prisoners. They'll attack your mother and try to kill your houseplants. They've just learned to use words like “compassionate” and “values” and “family” and “small business” while they're doing it. Their message disguises Attila the Hun as St. Francis of Assisi.
Democrats, on the other hand, have no message. From the top down, they have not articulated a coherent agenda. Other than saying, “George W. Bush is an idiot,” “Congressional Republicans lie, cheat, and steal,” and, “We need to spend more money on everything,” the Dems have offered no logical alternative to the Republicans.
When asked what they stand for, they just kick the dirt. While Republicans are rhetorically fighting universal evil and slaying dragons, Democrats are trying to stir public passion with discussions about pupil-teacher ratios, funding formulae for housing grants, and income maximums for “Category 8” veterans. Such discussions, by themselves, do not exactly provide a stirring message. They sound more like the fine print on a tube of anti-fungal ointment.
Democrats used to burn with strong ideals, and these ideals were expressed in bold and powerful arguments, even when appealing to our gentler angels. Recall John F. Kennedy's inaugural address, in which he asserted that the best use of unrivaled military might is to advance the peaceful resolution of conflict.
“So let us begin anew,” he said, “remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.”
Powerful ideals. Powerful words. The ideals still burn, but they're rarely stated with such passion and richness.
Democrats oppose many parts of the Republican agenda because they're nothing more than attacks on long-standing principles, principles that embody the best in traditional, family, and American values. This is an extremely important point, yet it has not been effectively expressed. In the recent election, values in one form or another were high on voters' list of considerations -- before or right after Iraq and terrorism.
Democrats have strong values. They always have. But they've been so uncomfortable talking about values for so long that they've given away the issue. As a result, the Republicans have defined values their way: as intolerance and exclusion.
So, how do Democrats start fighting back more effectively and reclaim some of the moral ground?
First, they need to develop a comprehensive agenda that tells the public what they believe in, specific issues couched in terms that reflect their traditional principles and values. Spell out the Democratic plan to expand health-care insurance coverage. Explain how to lower prescription-drug prices. Talk about what they're going to do about an apparent evolution in U.S. jobs. It's one thing to oppose the Bush plan to dismantle Social Security, but Democrats have not explained what they'd do to address the real problem of a declining revenue stream for benefits. They need to detail how they intend to pay for increased funding for education, housing, veterans benefits, homeland security, etc. Are they going to raise taxes? Cut other government spending? Which spending? Be specific. Be honest.
And how about some bold new ideas? Remember Kennedy's statement about sending a man to the moon? Remember Lyndon Johnson and civil rights? Without the White House or a majority in Congress, Democrats may not be able to turn bold ideas into reality, but it sure wouldn't hurt to let people know they're thinking. Bush's bold ideas to turn the Middle East into the Nebraska countryside and to use the Social Security payroll tax to create a new generation of stock-market investors may be a tad whacko, but at least he's ginning.
Then, put this agenda into sharp, memorable messages, adaptable to every constituent and every interest group in every congressional district and state in America. Democrats need an overall theme and specific statements to describe each part of their agenda, always couched in terms of their core principles.
Use the messages. Every Democratic spokesman or woman. Every time. Over and over. Democrats will never be able to match the kind of message discipline Republicans have; they're just not mean enough. But they can do a lot better. In fact, they have to.
But why go to all this trouble? After all, Republicans won in the last election despite their record on issues. In a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, a majority of people prefer Bush even though they disagree with or are concerned about his handling of the war in Iraq, his economic policies, and his plans to revamp Social Security -- pretty much everything he wants to do. If more voters made their decisions based on issues, John Kerry would be getting ready to move into the White House and George W. Bush would be packing a U-Haul for the trip back to Crawford.
Here's why it's important: If Democrats are going to be competitive in national elections, they need to reclaim the power of ideals. Ideals can be conveyed in vacuous “values” statements about gay marriage and women's reproductive rights. Or, they can be carried in detailed expressions of how Democrats would govern, expressions that would speak more clearly and more eloquently about values than all the bumper stickers the Republicans can print.
Democrats need to get busy. They need to start talking about these issues. They need to argue and fuss and fight about them. That's what they do. But soon, they need to come together and reach agreement.
David Low is a former journalist and a veteran campaign media consultant. He teaches political communication in Washington, D.C.
