The Choices of Democrats ?

[kentuck]

What "type" of Democrat should the Party nominate in 2008? Should they go for a grassroots "populist"? Is there still one in existence? Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash, right? Or should they go for an unabashed liberal? Is there still one of those in existence? Or should they go for a "conservative" Democrat, in the mold of Bill Clinton? There are plenty of those out there.

If the Party did go for a "conservative" Democrat, would that divide the Republican Party and make some of them comfortable with voting for the Democrat? Or would that divide the liberal left in our own Party? And would that be terribly bad?

Or should the far left form its own coalition and let the "conservatives" fight over the two major parties?? Would the left have more power and a better chance at getting a "Democrat" elected by throwing their support behind that candidate on election day? Because it is doubtful that any coalition of the left would be strong enough to win on its own - but that is debatable.

[orwell]

1. Bottoms Up

Rather than worrying about the top of the ticket, Dems need to rebuild the party institutions and grass roots organizations. We need to build the funding structures, think tanks, media infrastructure, and local candidate development/recruitment, to be able to compete without one hand tied behind our backs.

Right now, we are getting our ass kicked by a well oiled machine that was 40 years and 3 billion dollars in the making. Nevermind the presidency, look at the makeup of the congress. This tells the real story. As long as we keep looking to change from the top, we forget about change at the grassroots, where all revolutions are started.

[Royal Observer]

2. Clinton was hardly a rousing success.

The Party lost 1000 federal and state elected offices by the time he left.

[buckettgirl]

3. personally....

i think the only way any change will come about is if we can get a black/latino non-christian, lesbian, single mother elected president. i think that should sufficiently cover all the bases for gays, women, minorities, children... basically the other half of America
:D