July 14, 2006
The Weekender: Two Theories Of The Democratic '08 Field
Welcome to the Weekender. Each Friday, we'll end the day with a post that probes an idea or a contested race or a political development that fascinates us. Last week, we looked at two models for left-wing internet donations, and why you should watch out for their fundraising prowess and potential. This week: we sketch out two different theories of the '08 Democratic field. As noticed by an '08 camp.... Mark Warner's Forward Together PAC has featured this quote of the ex-VA governor's for months:“The real issues we face are no longer right vs. left or conservative vs. liberal. They're about past vs. future. Our challenge, as Democrats, is to reclaim our role as the party of the future."
Here's what Sen. Evan Bayh said just this past weekend in Iowa -- a paragraph he has used elsewhere.
"I really think this needs to be about something other than ideology. You know, not left vs. right, but moving forward rather than being stuck the way we are today. And I've got a record of moving my state forward -- tangible accomplishments that matter in people's lives."
Sound similar?
It's easy to see this as Warner and Bayh competing for a position in the frame wars or, if you're less charitable, to interpret the code as "screw the angry liberals"; or, if you're mean, hear it as platitudinous and mundane.
Here's another way:
Half of the Democratic field has a shot at being Hillary Clinton's vice president.
So – unless she either doesn’t run or appears very vulnerable early on , one theory of the case holds that they will spend their time cozying up to her and tearing into each other. (Grover Norquist endorses that theory, too.) At least in part, they’ll try to use the primaries to audition for the general election.
To be clear: Bayh, Warner, Bill Richardson, Tom Vilsack -- they all want to be president, not vice president. But they will almost certainly hedge their bets. They will not run a true-blue, rouse-the-base primary campaign. Their candidacies will be at least partially constructed to harness the foresight of primary voters who are looking to see who can take on John McCain or Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney in the general -- with or without Hillary.
A counterarrgument holds that these similar statements, both reflecting a pragmatic, put-yourself-above-partisanship orientation, are signals to Democratic primary voters that Clinton is too polarizing to win the general election.
There's probably some truth in both. [MARC AMBINDER]
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Posted at 04:00 PM
Comments
"Not left, not right, but forward."
Of course, that's not a new idea. Not even new to the Democrats. In 2004, the winning 60-second spot in the grassroots TV-commercial contest ended with exactly those words.
It's actually pretty good. Watch it here.
Since that link doesn't credit it, credit goes to Jefferson Smith and Adam Klugman - who are both affiliated with the Bus Project (though this wasn't a Bus Project project.)
Kari Chisholm | 07.15.06 07:36 PM
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