The Texas Democratic Strategy: Winnability vs. Values

[The Philosopher]

from Burnt Orange Report

In the last couple of days there has been a boomlet of U.S. Senate discussion about Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez due to trial balloons being floated by former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes & the DSCC.

...

I'm not surprised by the quick response in the political press and blogosphere; after all, it's less than a year away from the (expected) Texas primary and the only announced candidate Sean Hubbard, excluding the Draft Tommy Lee Jones movement. Other obvious potential candidates aren't available or interested, ranging from former Gubernatorial nominees Tony Sanchez, Chris Bell, & Bill White to former US Senate nominees Rick Noriega, Victor Morales, or Gene Kelly (if he's still alive). I half suspect that Barbara Radnofsky's name might get floated at some point but I haven't heard from her since her unsuccessful second statewide bid last fall. No big city mayors are in the pipeline other than Mayor Julian Castro in San Antonio who's running for re-election. Heck, it's been so bad that even the perennially rumored John Sharp no longer makes the media's obligatory candidate short list.

Texas Democrats recognize that our bench took a beating last November and are desperate for any hint of a candidate to run in a rare open US Senate seat. That desperation isn't new, it's just more obvious now that 2010 exposed the underlying structural failings of the Democratic Party as it exists in Texas. There is a much bigger discussion that needs to take place about the nuts and bolts re-building of the Democratic Party in Texas, one that I hope will be part of the now open race and debate for the next TDP Chair since Boyd Richie is not running for re-election. But this post isn't about that, at least not directly.

I believe the initial debate over the potential of Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez's candidacy has to go deeper than arguments over his involvement and handling of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. In fact, I'd argue that we are having the wrong debate entirely. Every cycle since at least 2000 Democrats have focused around "Winnability" in the major nominees we have put forward as our top of the ticket standard-bearers, and look where that has gotten us.

...

Maybe it's time to for Texas Democrats to stop searching for nominees based upon this model of "winnability" and instead, search for a nominee based upon our Party's "values".

http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/11148/the-texas-democratic-strategy-winnability-vs-values">Click Here To Read More

[sonias]

1. I'm with KT on this one too

I choose values and not perceived "winnability" because the latter is nothing more than a false god.

If we're not true to our values I just don't see voters going that extra bit of effort to vote for us. If we choose "winning" over values we're nothing more than republican lite. And when voters are given a choice between republican and republican lite - they choose republican every time.


Good link - thanks for the tip!

:kick:

[The Philosopher]

2. lol

"And when voters are given a choice between republican and republican lite - they choose republican every time" needs to be a bumper sticker on all the cars in Texas.

And I agree, but we shouldn't just choose our values but also promote them. All I ever see is "Republicans suck!" but never why Democrats are better (and a superficial reason--or political speak--isn't a reason, in my book). Statewide candidates, even local candidates have to go Obama on Texas' ass. The high use of advertisements and campaign material, from social media to meme-art & great public speeches that gets on the news. That's the only way I can see Dems making a dent here.

[sonias]

3. Promoting our values

I totally agree. A while back when g.w. was driving the country into the ditch and starting unnecessary wars, there was an effort to brand the Democratic party in the blogosphere. Oliver Willis did the most work on it. I thought it was going in the right direction. I feel like we're just in as bad situation as we were then.

This is an opportunity too - with labor taking quite a few hits. We are all "labor" and we need to support each other.

Brand Democrat is the "guerilla" marketing campaign launched by blogger Oliver Willis to promote the Democratic Party's core principles using clear, forthright language.

Here is one sample of the Brand Democrat effort. There were many, many more but I can't find them on Willis' web site anymore
http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Brand_Democrat

:kick:

[AgainsttheCrown]

4. We need a Buckley Rule...

Even though the Republicans have abandoned it and now seem to be adhering to the http://www.redstate.com/barrypopik/2010/09/14/origin-of-the-buckley-rule-and-the-brand-new-limbaugh-rule/">Limbaugh Rule.

As David Frum likes to say: Republicans fear their base and Democrats loathe theirs.
Democrats run to the most centrist candidate, while Republicans go to the most right wing candidate that's electable. The end result is a spectrum that shifts further and further to the right. And when they have to compromise that places us further away from the http://www.zcommunications.org/the-left-edge-of-the-possible-by-robert-kuttner">left edge of possible.

[sonias]

5. "on the left wing of the possible"

I like it. It's time to pull back from the extreme right wing direction this country is going in and give voters a real difference in candidates.

It's not that my own views and values have become more radical in two decades. What has changed is that the American political center has shifted further to the right, while the twin assault on the good society by the private financial system and the organized right has become more intense.

There are only two possibilities: either we act to expand the boundaries of the possible, or we suffer the consequences.

:thumbsup:

[jdm9955]

6. +1