Bill Ritter talks about Western voters
From USA Today via Haley's Comment:
Can Democrats hold their gains? "It depends on how the Republicans choose to respond," Freudenthal says. "If they move toward more moderate candidates, then it becomes competitive."
Ritter, Colorado's new Democratic governor, says the trend will last "if we govern well. If we squander this because we don't appreciate the Western electorate, then it'll be short-lived."
He says the success will continue if Democrats focus on "how government intersects with where people struggle. It's about running a smart government, not a big government."
Freudenthal's assesment is too simplistic. As I wrote after the election, Republican victors overwhemingly emphasized social-conservative views. The GOP middle doesn't really exist anymore.
Can Democrats hold their gains? "It depends on how the Republicans choose to respond," Freudenthal says. "If they move toward more moderate candidates, then it becomes competitive."
Ritter, Colorado's new Democratic governor, says the trend will last "if we govern well. If we squander this because we don't appreciate the Western electorate, then it'll be short-lived."
He says the success will continue if Democrats focus on "how government intersects with where people struggle. It's about running a smart government, not a big government."
Freudenthal's assesment is too simplistic. As I wrote after the election, Republican victors overwhemingly emphasized social-conservative views. The GOP middle doesn't really exist anymore.
1 Comments:
I have spoken to many registered Republicans and unaffiliated voters who voted for our candidates this time, especially for Ritter and,in my HD, Joe Rice. The ones I spoke to did so not just because of the war, although that was important. Mainly they have come to see the people in charge of the Republican agenda as extremists and saw moderate Dems as the best alternative. I even talked to a guy from Midland Texas who voted for Bill Winter!
The GOP middle may be gone, in terms of the party, but there are definitely registered Republicans who are more comfortable in the middle and the GOP can't take the unaffiliated for granted anymore either. If Dems govern like competent,civlized grown ups we'll keep these new Dem voters. These people really want Americans to work together instead of being in nasty attack mode all the time.
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