The Democratic Party is better off than many think. It has a has a left-of-center ideology that is acceptable to many Americans, despite what most Republicans, Fox News, and some timid centrist Democrats say. The Democrats' general political positioning is fine. The reasons why Democrats have found themselves locked out of the White House, the Senate, and the House has everything to do with message and strategy, and absolutely nothing to do with being "too liberal," which is what pundits claim.
In order to take back power, the Democrats are going to have to start hunting for votes in a region that many liberals despise: Dixie. Although many northern liberals may want nothing to do with courting the South, and want the Democratic Party to simply ignore it, political realities necessitate a different course of action. Currently, Democrats do not have the electoral votes needed to win the White House simply by carrying the Northeast and west coast. This means that any winning electoral strategy has to expand the number of states considered competitive. Bill Clinton, in both his runs for the presidency, was able to win states such as Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri and West Virginia. Yet in 2000 and 2004, Democrats made no appreciable effort to win any of those states (with the obvious exception of Florida).
Although many Democrats assume that the solid South is irreversibly red, history suggests something quite different. Until the late 1960s, the South had a blue soul. However, in the 1968 presidential election, Richard Nixon was able to tap into a nationwide backlash against civil rights, and glean the South's electoral prizes. Ever since, the Republicans have demolished the Democrats on two issues in southern states: "moral values", and defense. Now, many people, including a great number of Democrats, believe that southern values and Democratic values are irreconcilable. This is untrue.
Aside from the obvious incompatibility between respect for civil rights and southern values in the 1960s, the Democratic demise in southern states has a great deal to do with Democratic failures. In 1968 and 1972, respectively, boneheaded approaches to the questions of war and defense cost the Democrats dearly. In 1968, Lyndon Johnson's sunny assertions about progress in Vietnam did not square with reality, and the United States was experiencing a period of relative lawlessness domestically. In 1972, George McGovern, who was clearly anti-war, was the Democratic nominee. And although his insistence on peace was admirable, Nixon was able to tar him as a wimp who was out of touch with basic American values, and wanted to let foreign enemies overrun the United States.
The Democrats' basic inability to crack the south is due in large part to Republicans setting the tone of the debate. By attacking first, and painting Democrats as both weak on defense issues and lacking in moral clarity, Republicans almost win the south by default. It is up to Democrats to start reinvesting in the South, and pre-empting the Republican message. Democratic values are rooted in the values of people of faith. To Democrats, helping the poor and pursuing peace are issues of basic morality. However, not enough Democrats are making these arguments, and if the arguments are to be accepted as valid, then the Party must also stop talking about the separation of church and state. Although many liberals contend that a separation between church and state exists, this is false. Nowhere is the "separation of church and state" to be found in the Constitution. If Democrats began to say that they were in favor of freedom of religious expression in the public square, then they would be able to reassure voters that are concerned about morality. Democrats, in the view of many southern voters, are seemingly indifferent about these issues. It's up to the Party to alter this perception, and begin to make the connections between morality and Democratic politics clearer.
Voters will not care about domestic issues unless they first feel safe from foreign attack. Democrats are strong on defense, and have smarter policies on issues of defense, but this is not necessarily clear to southern voters. Democrats must work harder to make the case that in order for a defense policy to be strong, it has to be smart. Many Democrats believe in seeking alliances, carefully planning for war, and in not rushing to war. Most voters agree with these sentiments. However, Republicans have succeeded in making caution synonymous with cowardice. It is up to the Democratic Party to start speaking more forcefully about this issue, and forestall an automatic Republican victory regarding national defense.
If the Democrats can reassure southern voters on issues of defense and morality, then they have a chance to permanently place the Republicans in the minority. In the 2004 election, voters in states such as Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Missouri ranked the economy as the second most-important issue. "Moral values" or terrorism topped the list. The Democrats must make it clear that they understand voters are concerned about those issues, but they need not mirror the Republicans. If they simply become more forceful in articulating their message, the votes will follow.
The south is the key to Democratic power. The Party must begin paying more attention to it, and meet voters where they are. This means becoming more comfortable talking about religion and defense, and doing so from a liberal perspective, not a centrist one. The Democrats do not need to sell their souls to win the south, as some suggest. A liberal message will win in Dixie, but only if Democrats are brave enough and smart enough to try. Let's hope they are.
