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# Democrats in need of a road map to DC
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/democrats-in-need-of-a-road-map-to-dc/
- Published: 2007-03-23T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T23:44:18.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By BENNET KELLEY*

THE 2008 ELECTION CLEARLY PRESENTS a great opportunity for the Democrats to retake the White House. To win, they need to be mindful of the wreckage of past campaigns and be prepared to navigate the “Seven C’s.” This is not about any body of water, but seven points that should be their compass along a triumphant return journey toward the Oval Office.

Cool Down! This race is heating up too soon and needs to simmer down. While the front-runners in 1980, 1992 and 2004 declared their candidacy between 52 and 61 weeks prior to the election, Senators John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama each announced their candidacy more than 90 weeks before Election Day. The elongation of the race not only raises concerns about increased voter fatigue but, when combined with the frenzy over the historic candidacies of Senators Clinton and Obama, it creates a risk that the two campaigns essentially will drain the oxygen from other candidates and reduce this to a two or three person race by as early as January.

While there is good reason for the early excitement surrounding this race, Democrats should not be in a rush to push aside the “second-tier” candidates such as Governor Bill Richardson and Senators Joe Biden and Chris Dodd who combined have over a century of political experience. Voters may even take notice that in addition to being a top-notch political player, Richardson, a Latino, should rightfully have his campaign considered every bit as historic as Clinton’s and Obama’s.

Not only will they add considerably to the debate, but the less experienced candidates will gain far more from demonstrating that they can address issues at the same level as these men.

CONSULTANTS Joseph Hazelwood may be the most famous ship captain in America for navigating the Exxon Valdez into the nation’s largest state. While Hazelwood has not worked as a captain since that day, Democrats keep hiring campaign consultants with the equivalent of multiple Valdez-esque failures. Consider Bob Shrum, who may be a brilliant speech writer but is O-for-eight in presidential races and in 2004 ignored something much bigger than Alaska — the Swift Boat Veterans. That is not how to navigate the road to the White House.

CAJONES Democrats are perceived as weak by some because too often they fail to hold their ground. For example, it is a widely held perception that many Democrats listened to their consultants and not their gut in voting for the Iraq War. The road to Washington requires that the party finally have the courage of its convictions — as James Carville noted, “Americans will not trust a party to defend America that isn't willing to defend itself.”

Stated differently, instead of Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop Thinking about Tomorrow,” the party should embrace the steel determination of the Dixie Chicks and have the courage to do what is right today.

COMMUNICATION In any race, the winning candidate is usually the one who is better at articulating his or her message and/or reducing it to its core elements. In 2004, that candidate clearly was not John Kerry given his infamously-convoluted statement that “I voted for it, before I voted against it.” Fortunately, the current pool of candidates is especially articulate, but Democrats must remember that their candidate needs to be just as comfortable and effective speaking at the local barber shop as they are in policy speeches at Georgetown University.

CARTER-IZE For a dozen years after his defeat, Republicans continued to run against Jimmy Carter, trying to tattoo candidates with Carter’s troubled record. George W. Bush is the Republican’s Jimmy Carter and Democrats must respond in kind by making Republican candidates wear the Bush record like an anvil around their necks. Between now and Election Day, Democrats must continue to force Republicans to choose between standing behind their President and their electoral viability.

CATALOG In order to effectively “Carterize” the Republicans, Democrats need to catalog the impact of the Bush agenda and translate it in a way that average Americans can understand the economic, health and fiscal costs of Bush’s failed time in office.

CHALLENGE President Bush has misled or alienated military families, veterans, evangelicals, hunters and the coal country to name a few. While these constituencies have rarely been in play for Democrats in recent years, Democrats should challenge every component of the eroding Republican base and ask them “what have Republicans done for you lately?”

The chance to penetrate the Republican base is a perfect illustration of the great opportunity available to Democrats next year and a summation of the “Seven C’s” considering that these groups’ views of Democrats have been shaped by many of the mistakes discussed above. All this is possible in 2008 if Democrats can learn from their past mistakes. As Paul Tsongas once said, “Let’s try winning and see what it feels like. If we don’t like it, we can go back to our old ways.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 23, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/032307.pdf?ref=smdp.com)