Democratic strategist: Party 'in decline'

[damnedifIknow]

"One of the Democrats’ most veteran strategists warns that the party is “in decline” and “at considerable risk” when President Barack Obama is no longer on the scene.'

“Since Obama was elected President, the Democrats have lost nine governorships, 56 members of the House and two Senate seats,” Doug Sosnik, the political director in Bill Clinton’s White House, writes in a new memo.

“Obama not only got elected by running against the party establishment, but he has governed as a President who does not emphasize his party label,” writes Sosnik. “It’s hard to be a change agent if you are lugging around a party label in an era where voters are so strongly disaffected from our institutions.”

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/dem-strategist-warns-party-in-decline-91172.html

[Skittles]

1. the realization of who our government really works for

has begun to really sink in

[Nite Owl]

2. The only way to stop

a decline is for the Democrats to actually govern as Democrats and take a solid stand for what people want not corporations.

[msongs]

3. run as a democrat govern like a republican how's that working so far nt

[MjolnirTime]

14. He was reelected. Despite your best efforts. Years of bashing and he still won.

What have you accomplished??

[graham4anything]

4. Pity the extremists don't define change correct. Change is a former 50-50 going to 80-20

President Obama roped the dopes again, and Team Obama and Team Clinton together will keep the agenda going forever. and. a. day. plus. one.

[movonne]

5. That last that I read it is the repugs in decline...are

we both in decline??? with many of the hispanics voting for dems I can't see how this is true...unless they are registering independent...any ideas...

[bemildred]

8. Citizen's United is a threat to both parties, IMHO. nt

[pinto]

6. Politico right wing framing overlooks this nugget from the memo -

The only united principle for the Republican Party so far has been its ongoing opposition to President Obama. However, their focus on stopping the President rather than on solving our nation's problems has come at a price for the Party, as evidenced by their historically low ratings. A May 8th Pew poll found that 42% of respondents blamed Republican leaders for gridlock in Washington , while only 22% blamed Obama.

And the overall thrust of the memo is in re: Congress, not Pres. Obama.

[Harmony Blue]

7. The DLC is in decline yes

but it means progressives will fill the vacuum as a result. Not many DLC types left that will run for political positions in the coming years as the pool is shrinking.

[Jamaal510]

17. Didn't the DLC dissolve in 2011?

[DFW]

9. The radical right (dba GOP) has hardly displayed uniformity, either

They were sort of monolithic in the Cheneybush years, but that only came together again in 2010, and then only when given a two year infusion of a billion dollars from the Kochs, Adelson, the Texas billionaires and Murdoch's free propaganda media. They're trying again in 2014, but they'll have to spend even more if they want to buy the White House again in 2016. At some point, paying their taxes will turn out to be the cheaper option.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. We had a bad election in 2010 no doubt about it

but we had a bad election in 1994 too and we eventually recovered from it. I would think that, politically and demographically, the Republicans are at much more significant risk of decline, if not near-extinction, in the not so distant future, hence their attempts to gerrymander themselves into safe seats and lock as much of the opposition out of the voting booth as possible so as to be able to maintain their electoral viability. Of course, it goes without saying that when you have to resort to cheating to "win", you're already losing.

[dsc]

12. a couple of things

One, 2010 was a much worse loss if only because of it being a redistricting year and redistricting has become so scientific. Two, we will see if we recover in 2014. If we can win back governorships in VA (this year) and in PA, WI, OH, FL and hold on in IL and MD then I can see us having recovered.

[former9thward]

15. 2010 was not a redistricting year.

The census was completed in late 2010 and the states used that information starting in 2011 to redraw districts for the 2012 elections. 2010 was the last year for districts that were redrawn after the 2000 census.

[dsc]

16. I meant that the winners got to redistrict

not that the election was run after redistricting. By winning 2010, they won many state legislatures and probably Congress for 10 years. In my state where redistricting is a solely legislative affair they have likely won the legislature for literally decades.

[MjolnirTime]

13. thanks for the latest Troll News Flash

[BluegrassDem]

18. Sosnik is a Clinton guy....'nuff said

He should be equally as critical of his former boss. After all, his tenure led us to Bush for 8 year which brought the country to its knees pretty much.