(DLC joined by)"Third Way" Plans to Focus On 'Moderate Majority'

[papau]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41113-2004Nov10.html

New Group to Tout Democrats' Centrist Values
Third Way Plans to Focus On 'Moderate Majority'
By John F. Harris
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 11, 2004; Page A35


As Democrats continue to stagger from last week's election losses, a group of veteran political and policy operatives has started an advocacy group aimed at using moderate Senate Democrats as the front line in a campaign to give the party a more centrist profile.

Third Way is the latest in a series of organizations aimed at rescuing Democrats from the perception that they have lost touch with middle-class voters, particularly in the heartland states that voted overwhelmingly for President Bush over Sen. John F. Kerry.

The group, which has enlisted the support of several senators from Bush-backing "red states," hopes to rebut the notion that Democrats represent an outdated brand of liberalism by producing new policy proposals designed to create a "moderate majority," said Matt Bennett, Third Way's communications director.

"It's one thing to publish op-eds -- that's important," Bennett said, "but to really reach voters, we need to have concrete legislative proposals on the table. Post-election, it's clear that progressive centrists must have a response equal in scale and scope to the tectonic changes that Bush is proposing."

The group, which has been in the planning stages for months and will make its public debut early next year with the unveiling of a legislative agenda, is holding a high-powered skull session over dinner at a Georgetown mansion tonight.<snip>

<snip>The group plans polling to help Democrats find more effective political language to advertise their policies, similar to the way Republicans embraced the phrase "death tax" to describe the estate tax.

"You can't create policy around message," said Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), another co-chairman. "But there is something important about finding the right message when you create policy."

[hippiechick]

1. GO**AMIT

I am SO SICK of this 'moving to the center' SHIT !!

When will the Dems learn to be a true 'opposition party' rather than wimping around and continuing to lose elections because they are 'Weenie Light' ???



:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:



:hippie:

[efhmc]

3. You said it so much better than I did. I so, so agree!!!

[CitizenRob]

10. Time for a new party

It's obvious. The wealthy control the Democratic party as much as they control the Republican party. Sure, if the Dems were in power on their "centrist" platform -nothing- would change if we got elected. That's not good enough. Alot of damage has been done during the Bush Administration and the Democratic "roll over and play dead" minority. If we let these weenies continue to "represent" us we're just going to keep losing.

[efhmc]

2. So just hand the rest of our the government over to them even though

millions of Americans hate our present government. WRONG approach.

[MoJoWorkin]

4. I guess these d ems don't even "get it" when they are beaten over the head

and body. I believe it was Will Rogers who said it first (tho attributed to Truman, most of the time) "If you run a democrat( who is trying to act like a republican) against a republican, the people will choose the REAL republican every time." The reason is simple--people want to see their politicians "stand for something." Unfortunately, when you compromise or capitulate--you look like weaklings, DA

For some reason, people like the perception of STRONG--even when WRONG.

[CitizenRob]

11. Seriously

I can't believe this shit. It's not the fault of the public for voting for the side that made their position crystal clear. Yet the Democrats say, "we should be even MORE wishy washy! That'll draw the voters right to us!!!!"

Common people. We have to stop this madness now. Here's a FACT: we have lost every election for 10 years, with the exception of the 96 presidential race. Let's count the number of elections that our much adored Democratic leaders kept saying "we need to move further torwards the center/right." Alright, you ready to count: 94, 96, 98, 2000, 2002, 2004, and, I don't think I'm being to bold here: 2006. That's six elections we've lost in a row, and now it looks like we're going for number 7. Fan-eff-ing-tastic.

It's time to dump these losers. How do we do it though so that we don't give Bush more power in the meantime. That is the question that must be answered before any action is taken.

[OneBlueSky]

5. why would people vote for "Republican lite" when they . . .

can vote for the real thing? . . . this strategy has never made any sense . . . we need to return to our populist roots as the party of working people and the underprivileged . . . there are a hell of a lot more of them than there are millionaires, and they need us . . .

[Larkspur]

6. The Dumbocrats are trying gimmicks again

and they'll fail, just like they have since 1994.

[ixion]

7. the DLC continues to prove that it doesn't get it

seriously, they need to go back to their base or they're going to be out of the running all together.

[Jack Rabbit]

8. The 2002 Congressional elections, the California Recall, and last week

Three strikes. The DLC is out.

[Neshanic]

9. Ahh..the lukewarm dinner wing of the party gets going.