lowercase thought.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Take a hint from Nike: Just Do It.
Recently I've been speaking/meeting with a small group of young Maryland Democratic activists and professionals with political backgrounds. The overlying theme of what we're interested in is focusing the Democratic party on those areas where the Republican Party has made inroads in the past 10 years and turning them around by creating a Democratic "farm-team" of leaders on the grassroots and local-elected levels. We're also taking a long look at the unified message that Democrats need to form.
These "purple counties" are the front lines of the political battle and can be won if the Party focuses on those values that Rural America shares with Urban America. I like to identify these with the buzzwords Opportunity, Security, and Responsibility.
Opportunity refects the belief among Democrats that we should strive to provide all Americans with the ability to pursue success through adequate education and eradicating discrimination on gender or race.
Security speaks not only to the post-9.11 need for adequate Homeland Security funding, but also a common-sense foreign policy approach. Security also emcompasses our vision of long-term economic strength versus the current Republican approach of short-term gains while mortgaging the future.
Responsibility is the obligation we have to our citizens in need of adequate healthcare, affordable housing, military/veterans benefits, unemployment assistance, Social Security and other areas.
It'd be hard to find to find a rural voter, Democrat or Republican, who disagrees with these beliefs. It's up to all of us to reshape the Democratic Party in this light.
These "purple counties" are the front lines of the political battle and can be won if the Party focuses on those values that Rural America shares with Urban America. I like to identify these with the buzzwords Opportunity, Security, and Responsibility.Opportunity refects the belief among Democrats that we should strive to provide all Americans with the ability to pursue success through adequate education and eradicating discrimination on gender or race.
Security speaks not only to the post-9.11 need for adequate Homeland Security funding, but also a common-sense foreign policy approach. Security also emcompasses our vision of long-term economic strength versus the current Republican approach of short-term gains while mortgaging the future.
Responsibility is the obligation we have to our citizens in need of adequate healthcare, affordable housing, military/veterans benefits, unemployment assistance, Social Security and other areas.
It'd be hard to find to find a rural voter, Democrat or Republican, who disagrees with these beliefs. It's up to all of us to reshape the Democratic Party in this light.
Docciavelli 1:04 PM