By Al From
August 1, 2004
Like the surprising Padres who harbor hopes of going from last to first in the National League West, Democrats leave Boston in a position that they could not have even imagined a year ago. Facing an incumbent president who started this year with a 22-point lead over the Democratic front-runner in the Gallup Poll, the Kerry-Edwards ticket has jumped ahead in most public opinion polls.
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But presidential campaigns are marathons, not sprints – and a fast start doesn't assure victory. Like the Padres, Kerry and Edwards still have a long way to go. Here are five rules they need to follow to turn their post convention momentum into electoral victory in November:
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3) Ideas and results matter – Bush is in trouble today because he forgot the most basic rule of American politics: results matter. He has squandered the 1990s' Clinton prosperity, lost jobs, and put us back into deep debt. Bush's failure gives Democrats an opportunity to define the agenda for the campaign and offer what Kerry calls a "Contract with America's Middle Class."
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4) Reform is the key to results. Without a reform component, the best Democratic ideas too often sound like big government. Democrats need to reassure the little guy that we want to fix government, not just expand it. It's not enough to keep markets and privilege in line with the values and interests of ordinary people. We need to keep government in line with those values and interests, too.
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http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040801/news_mz1e1from.htmlFrom is the founder and chief executive officer of the Democratic Leadership Council.