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Delaware County Democratic Party
www.delcodems.com
ENotes
November 8, 2004
 

In this issue:

 

 

 

Thank you

Election Analysis - Cliff Wilson, Chair, Delaware County Democratic Party

 

 

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Thank You!
 
Now that the 2004 campaign has drawn to a close, and resulted in an ending none of us had worked for or hoped for, its come time to say thank you to the thousands of volunteers from Delaware County who helped out in this campaign. But in addition to saying thanks for all your hard work, its important to reflect on the tremendous vote counts that we piled up right here in Delaware County. Finally, it is important for all of you to stay involved with the Democratic Party so that the progress we made this year continues onward, into 2005 and to the next election when the new imperative is the defeat of Rick Santorum and the election of a new, progressive Senator from Pennsylvania.
 
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Election Analysis
 

This Analysis of the  2004 Election was prepared by County Chair Cliff Wilson and formed the basis of his presentation at the Democratic Meetup on Nov. 8th.

 

What Happened in Delaware County - and What You Were Part Of:

 

-                      Kerry/Edwards carried the county with 57.4% of the vote: 157,500 to 116,700

-                      Compare with other counties in PA: Philadelphia Co. 80.6%; Allegheny 57.4%; Montco 55.5%; Bucks 51.4% and Chester Co. 47.7 %

-                      Kerry/Edwards carried 37 of 49 municipalities picking up Radnor and Upper Providence and losing only Aston (from 2000)

-            Eisenhower (Atty Gen.), Wagner (Aud. Gen.) and Casey (Treas.) won our county

-           Hoeffel won 46.4%; Scoles 41.4%; Josh Richard (164th district) 44.6% and Tom Bosak (9th Sen.) 42.5%  All Record Votes for those races.

-           Cong. Bob Brady, St. Rep Greg Vitali, St. Rep Thaddeus Kirkland, St. Rep Bob Donatucci, St. Rep Ron Waters and St.Sen. Connie Williams were all re-elected and carried Delaware County

-           Mike McGann (160th); Cathy Celley (162nd); Rose Izzo (163rd) and Dustin Gettel (165th) received increased percentages of the vote over four years ago in their state rep districts.

-           We had ballot distribution at over 400 of the 411 precincts; over 100 Delaware County lawyers participated in three coordinated voter protection efforts.

-           There were over 1500 poll workers greeting voters and pushing our ticket at the polls while some 1500+ Kerry/Edwards volunteers manned phone banks and knocked on doors

  

Where Do We Go From Here?

 

First, we must recognize that the Democratic Party and its candidates are a serious force in Delaware County politics; that our candidates can and do carry this county and that we are second to none in Pennsylvania in our Democratic performance. We no longer need to prove anything to ourselves or to others by simply putting names on the ballot – we must run serious candidates determined to win and we must help them do just that.      

 

Second, we must continue to put major emphasis on voter registration (having had this year the most successful drive ever) and getting out our Democratic vote in EVERY ELECTION.  With 120,000 registered Democrats, a 2/3 turnout would exceed the normal Republican vote in next years county election.

 

Third, we must continue to build up county-wide grass roots Democratic organizations that unite people along common interests and provide an ongoing means for the thousands of 2004 volunteers to stay involved. We must offer these activist Democrats more than meetings to discuss minutes and fund-raisers and we must craft ways for them to remain involved in political activity at every level that interests them.

 

How About The National Democratic Party

 

The national Democratic Party should ignore the biased, conservative Fox-type media who want us to wring our hands and make some imaginary choice between going to the left or the center. As a party we know where we stand: we are pro-choice; we are for affordable health care for all citizens; we are for equal educational opportunity and affordable higher education for all; we are for a livable minimum wage; we are against preventive wars and support the international institutions that this country helped create; we are against the government interfering in the private lives of its citizens, that is, in their choice of lifestyle, the books they read, the religion they practice; we support the right of working men and women to organize and bargain collectively and strike when necessary; we demand fair trade agreements with equal standards for workers in return for free trade; we are for restricting assault weapons and guns that people don't hunt with or collect; we oppose excessive spending on unneeded defense boon-doggle type programs and believe in a better payscale for our volunteer army.

 

The national Democratic Party need not apologize for its positions now nor in the recent past. But, it must more aggressively proclaim those positions. We must stop letting political big business run campaigns and get back to encouraging the grass roots Democrats to take the lead in campaign organization and delivery. Let the Democrats of each state and county do what they do best and give them the resources and help to do what they can't do for themselves.  Stop allowing the media and the profit driven consultants to divide America into RED and BLUE states and go back to when Democrats campaigned aggressively in all states. And learn a lesson from the conservative Republicans of 1964 who were beaten so badly that they were written off the political map - go out and get your supporters to come to the polls and convert others, particularly those not previously involved, into supporters. Stand by your principles and positions; Don't temporize or equivocate.

 

Three times William Jennings Bryan was defeated and less then ten years after his death almost his entire platform of progressive ideas had been enacted into national law. In 1964 we Democrats demolished the Republicans in their worst defeat ever and four years later the nation elected a Republican President.  In 1972 Republicans decimated Democrats in our worst defeat ever and four years later a Democrat was elected President. 

 

Woodrow Wilson once opined that the American people were only ready for real reform once every twenty years. I guess some would say that means we are in the political wilderness until 2012. I don't know about that but our national political history tells us that we must take back the House and Senate and the Governorships before we can take the White House and truly change the course this nation is now on.

 

For my generation it all began on a snow-swept day in January of 1960 when John F. Kennedy proclaimed the passing of the torch. His brother Senator Edward Kennedy, in his greatest speech, delivered some twenty years later, to a convention that wanted in its heart to nominate him but in its mind and rules had to renominate a decent but wounded sitting President, reinspired my generation with these words that are as fitting today:

 

"And someday, long after this convention, long after the signs come down, and the crowds stop cheering, and the bands stop playing, may it be said of our campaign that we kept the faith. May it be said of our Party in 1980 that we found our faith again. And may it be said of us, both in dark passages and in bright days, in the words of Tennyson that my brothers quoted and loved, and that have special meaning for me now:

 

"I am a part of all that I have met

Tho much is taken, much abides

That which we are, we are--

One equal temper of heroic hearts

strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield

 

For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
 
This analysis reflects the views of the Democratic Chairman of Delaware County, Cliff Wilson.