Terry McAuliffe: Democratic Party Strong?
By Art Green
Writer of Conservative Eyes

In 1964 when Lyndon Johnson crushed Barry Goldwater in the Presidential Race, the Republicans were at a crossroads. They knew they were in trouble and had to reassess their goals. They regrouped, and Nixon defeated Humphrey comfortably in 1968.

Terry McAuliffe, faced with a similar crossroad, will not admit that the party is in trouble.

"This party is stronger than its ever been. Were in the best financial shape," he says. "We now have, unlike four years ago, millions and millions of new supporters of this party. Were debt-free for the first time ever and were beginning to build towards 2008."

Terry. You can have all the money in the world but you have not gotten the results. Six years straight of Congress defeats, and two straight Presidential elections. Now, Democrats might contend that getting out the vote will solve their problems. Do not count on it. The Democratic Party has always had a good get-out the vote effort, but their problem now is that the GOP has caught up. They need to realize the problem is not voter turnout, it is the Democratic Party's message.

The majority of Americans have deeply held religious convictions. These convictions played a huge role in this election. President Bush's stance of life on abortion, same-sex marriage and stem cell research was really representative of the country. In some states, like Ohio, 23% of the voters named "Moral Issues" the deciding factor of their vote. According to an poll, 80% of people who named "Moral Values" their top issue, 80% voted for President Bush.

Michael Crane, writer of "The Political Junkie Handbook", finds the following changes in demographics from 2000 to 2004:

• African-Americans: 2000:8% 2004:11%

• Whites:
  2000:54%
  2004:58%

• Hispanic:
  2000:41%
  2004:44%

• Married:
  2000:53%
  2004:56%

• Not Married:
  2000:38%
  2004:40%

• Union Members:
  2000:37%
  2004:40%

• Homosexuals:
  2000:25%
  2004:23%

• Gun Owners:
  2000:61%
  2004:67%

• Protestants:
  2000:63%
  2004:59%

• Jewish:
  2000:19%
  2004:25%

• Catholics:
  2000:45%
  2004:52%

• Republicans:
  2000:91%
  2004:93%

• Democrats:
  2000:10%
  2004:11%

• Men:
  2000:51%
  2004:55%

• Women:
  2000:43%
  2004:48%

• 18-29's
  2000:46%
  2004:45%

• 30-44's
  2000:49%
  2004:53%

• 45-59's
  2000:49%
  2004:51%

• 60+
  2000:47%
  2004:54%
  

Terry, you cannot spin this any other way. Bush gained in every demographic here, with the exception of homosexuals, protestants, and 18-29 year old voters. That is not good for your party when the Republicans are taking the majority of Catholics, every other age group above 30, and only two points away at a split with women. These are Democratic strongholds, and it all of it is slipping away.

The Democrats need to soul search. They need to decide if they want to stick with the become more centrist and gain some "political capital" and then pursue their more liberal agendas, or will they continue to be unhinged with their vitrolic disdain for this President.

I'm guessing they will take the second choice. If my community is any indication, I think the anger and depression has set in and they will get even more mean-spirited in the next Presidential Election. A man in Clare committed suicide over the result of the election. A teacher in my town reportedly burned an American Flag in class. All the liberals in my government class were livid, saying that now the Republicans have "no one to blame when the country is a dictatorship!"

Terry McAuliffe or whoever might replace him really needs to reassess the direction of their party is going. You have the Michael Moore's of the party, then you have the Joe Lieberman's, Evan Bayh's, and the Zell Miller's. Which way are they going to head towards? For the sake of their party, they must choose the latter or their party will continue their freefall.