Progressive Democrats are feeling defensive in this election year of insurgent Tea Party activists and the electorate’s apparent move to the right.
That was clear on the opening day of the Washington State Democratic Convention, as about 75 delegates crowded into a meeting of the party’s Washington State Progressive Caucus to protest what some regard as their marginalization by the party known for its big tent.
Illustrating the party’s historical diversity, 11 caucuses met at the Hilton Vancouver Washington Friday afternoon. They represented ethnic and racial minorities, the disabled, organized labor, veterans, rural and agricultural interests, and gays and lesbians.
But the action was in the progressive caucus, which endorsed several candidates for state and local office who wear the label “progressive” proudly. Most were from the Puget Sound area; none were from Clark County.
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Caucus members voted to base their endorsements on candidates’ views on three issues: health care reform, publicly funded elections and civil rights. In general, the caucus supports a single-payer system, or at a minimum a public option, in place of the health reform plan Congress passed. It supports publicly funded elections and strong advocacy for civil rights.
Candidates can use the endorsements in their campaigns but they will not affect the state party’s endorsements, which will be made Saturday at the convention’s official business meeting.
Brian Gunn, a Democratic state committeeman, denounced a group of Democrat legislators who call themselves the “Road Kill Caucus,” saying they don’t represent the principles of the Democratic Party.
“They say they are moderates, and that they are getting ‘run over’ by extremists in both parties,” Gunn said, ”but they are just masquerading as moderates.” In fact, he said, those Democrats supported a state budget this year that reduced benefits for state employees and cut 1,000 state jobs, and also voted against suspending an initiative that requires a two-thirds vote in each chamber to raise taxes.
“They have referred to Seattle-area Democrats as ‘socialists,’” Gunn said. “They are using the same tactics as the Tea Partiers. . . . Pay attention to what these folks are doing. When road killers are running in your district, challenge them.”
Judith Shattuck, chairwoman of the progressive caucus, went further.
“There is a concerted effort to kill the progressive movement, and it’s coming from the far right,” she said. Taking note of the crowded room, she said, ”I am grateful to see the number of people here, and I urge you to join the caucus. Our goal is to grow the caucus so we can recruit, train and elect progressive candidates.”
At a convention workshop on how to target likely voters, some phone bank volunteers said they’ve encountered tough questions this year. “Voters seem to want someone with a magic wand to make their problems go away,” one audience member said. Some demand answers to questions like why it took Washington Democratic legislative leaders so long to pass a budget this year.
Campaign consultant Michael King had this advice: “We need to turn out our base this year. There is a segment of voters that is really, really, really, really mad.”
Campaign volunteers can talk about Democrats’ success in passing national health care legislation, King suggested. They can remind votes that at the end of the George W. Bush administration, “We were on the edge of economic collapse.”
But he acknowledged that selling the Democrats’ message in the midterm elections is going to be a challenge.
“In 2008, there were more younger voters than ever before,” he said. These “surge voters” supported Obama, but not necessarily the Democratic Party. “We need to turn those young voters into Democrats.”
“The mission of the Democratic Party this year is simple: to elect Democrats,” King said. “If we don’t do it, we lose a bunch of seats.”
