Washington – Pollster Stan Greenberg spent much of his summer listening to voters from Colorado and other states who supported President Bush last year but are now disenchanted with his leadership.
What he heard is a bunch of bad news for Democrats.
Until Democrats have the guts to stand up for something, these voters will stick – against their own economic interests – with the Republican Party.
Greenberg is a Democratic professional, one of the architects of Bill Clinton’s victorious 1992 campaign.
In Denver, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Arkansas he found “broad dissatisfaction” among former Bush supporters with White House handling of Iraq, health care and the economy.
And the voters knew whom to blame.
“Republicans are overwhelmingly seen as a party that is unrepentant in its fealty to corporate interests and unconcerned with the growing economic uncertainty felt by most Americans facing employment concerns, stagnant wages, rising prices and the crushing cost of health care,” the pollster concluded.
Yet “Democrats are not making any gains, even as Republicans continue to lose ground,” Greenberg said.
“There is absolutely no sense that Democrats have a viable alternative vision that would promote broad economic growth or increased prosperity for working Americans,” he said.
Think about it. If the Democratic Party won’t offer an economic program that boosts your take-home pay, helps you care for sick kids and old folks, or brings down the cost of gas at the pump, what good is it?
And, like many Americans, Democrats are conflicted, and offering no bold alternatives, to Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq.
The death toll there has raised doubts among conservative voters, and Americans may ultimately turn against Bush’s war.
But in the meantime, “Republicans are seen as a party devoted to national defense, a party of strength,” Greenberg said. “Democrats, on the other hand, are seen as weak and vacillating on defense, paying lip service … but too hesitant to make difficult decisions.”
Which leaves the Dems, by default, defined by their stand on social issues.
Not a good thing.
“Regardless of voters’ attitudes on the role of marriage in public life or their position on touchstone issues such as abortion or gay marriage or even their personal religious faith, they all see Republicans as a party with a clear and consistent position on cultural issues,” Greenberg found.
It wasn’t all bad news for our oldest political party, which championed the little guy for almost two centuries before its recent seduction by Washington lobbyists, wealthy donors, campaign consultants and corporate contributors.
The Democrats do get respect for standing together to block Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security.
They are stealing chunks of suburban and college-educated voters from the Republicans.
And the success of Democratic governors in “red” states such as Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Arizona, Kansas and Virginia shows there is nothing inherently dooming about the Democratic brand.
Democratic leaders in those states are seen as “rising above partisan stereotypes and advancing visions for their states that put the interests of their residents ahead of special interests,” Greenberg said.
There is no great political trick to assembling and promoting a back-to-basics platform that stresses job and retirement security, veterans’ benefits, health care for all, higher wages and education.
To those issues the Democrats might add increased funds for stem-cell research, lower prescription drug prices, a hike in the minimum wage, and intelligence, Pentagon and lobbying reform.
But for now, far from being the party of reform, “we are not seen as the change,” said Greenberg. “Democrats are seen as part of Washington.”
As one Denver woman told him: “I would like to believe that they represent the issues of working people and the middle class, but they don’t. Not anymore. They’re just out for their own personal gain.”
John Aloysius Farrell’s column appears each Sunday. Comment at the Washington and the West blog (denverpostbloghouse.com/ washington) or contact him at jfarrell@denverpost.com.
