The Politics of the New

As reality sets in, disappointment fills our hearts, and recrimination becomes a consequence of defeat, let us remember some fundamental truths about the direction of the Democratic Party. First of all, it is futile to continue to blame our electoral woes on dirty campaign tricks and mean-spirited politicians. These have always occurred, this year being no different. Second, as important as the “ground-game” is, and it is, organization is simply not enough. There are more conservatives than liberals in this country and we cannot win elections solely by energizing our base. Third, effectively becoming Republicans will not work either. The GOP has become adept at dividing our party, providing litmus-test votes that will “expose” us as progressives no matter what. Without the power of any branch of government, we have ceased to have the power to control the political agenda through Congress or the Presidency. Simply put, the answer is not to move right or left, but forward.

Being in the minority, while incredibly frustrating, can also be extremely liberating. Democrats no longer hold the heavy burden of Congressional legislation or electoral math. We can take a step back, look at our Party, our country, and our world as it stands halfway through a new decade. Our old electoral coalitions simply are not enough, and this gives us the freedom to think seriously about new ways to win. This conversation began after the 2002 loss, but has been put on hold because of the necessary unity required for the 2004 presidential campaign.

The hard work can now begin. The tough truth is that we need new ideas for our country. While this is easier said than done, it is certainly possible. The Center for American Progress, among others, has begun to set up the institutional framework to make such an effort possible. All good Democrats need to put aside their own pet issue and candidate for just a little while to contemplate their own core values and the direction they believe the country ought to be headed. We have spent far too long reacting to the radical changes proposed by the right; we have historically been the party of change and there is no reason why we cannot embrace this mantle. Bringing new ideas into the fold is not only possible, but necessary. The voters have rejected the party as it stands right now. Only by forcing them to take a good, hard look at a new Democratic Party can we once again become America’s trusted leaders.

Encouraging and communicating new ideas is not only good policy in a changing world, but also good politics. Voters, extremely cynical and impatient with blowhard political rhetoric, cannot be persuaded simply through better communication or repackaged Democratic policies from the 1990’s (or before). When people hear a new idea that relies upon an acknowledgement of a changing world, however, they are more receptive to the message being thrown their way. In part, this phenomenon is responsible for much of the radicalism of the Bush Administration; by claiming that 9/11 changed everything, they were able to do things that would have been politically impossible before that tragic day, making the argument that “now things were different, so we can do A, B, and C.” While it is becoming increasingly obvious that Bush and the Republicans have fundamentally misunderstood how things are changing, the simple fact is that the “Politics of the New” can and does work.

So now it is time to make the “Politics of the New” work for the Democratic Party. As John Podesta, the head of the Center for American Progress stated in a recent New York Times article, “There has to be a rearticulation in the party of a sense of core principles that I think people are confused about.” Finding these core principles and applying them to a changing world requires reflection, patience and hard work. We have become a party of coalitions and issue-groups. This was never more obvious than during this election, as John Kerry worked furiously to shore up various segments of the population with targeted pitches, leaving President Bush to focus primarily on the meta-messages of faith and security. While the electoral math requires all candidates to do a certain bit of pandering, this cannot comprise the core of a Presidential campaign.

Who will lead us into the “Politics of the New?” While much of the leg work may be done by political veterans in think tanks, universities, and Congressional researchers, I believe that the creativity and enthusiasm required by such a monumental task can only be undertaken by the youth of this country. We are not burdened by a generation of experiences or beholden to any set of ideas because of employment or family status. Young people are best positioned to see a changing world, because we are living this changing world. While we may not have all the answers, we know how to ask the right questions.

Young people can no longer simply be the followers of our elders, but instead must take on the burdens of leadership. The future is in our hands because the future is us. No more blame games, bitterness or faith in a political messiah. Change must start in our own hearts and move out from there. I welcome everyone to join in these discussions with the Harvard Democrats. We have a blog set up at www.demapples.com that will be devoted to issues of the future and reflections of the past year. You can also sign up for our discussion list, “dems-talk” through the link on our website, www.harvarddems.com. The one demographic that moved in John Kerry’s favor this year was young people. Smart political professionals know that we are their last, best hope, not only for votes, but also ideas. Don’t let them down; join us in starting the hard work that the “Politics of the New” requires. Your future depends on it.

Andy J. Frank ’05, an Environmental Science and Public Policy Concentrator living in Lowell House, is President of the Harvard College Democrats.