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BEN THERE · FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2017

Wake Up And Smell The Coffee, NotThe Latté

Published November 21. 2004 The Day Newspaper, New London

Ben Davol

The father of the Democratic party, Thomas Jefferson said, “Peace, prosperity, liberty and morals have an intimate connection.” For the Democratic Party to once again achieve majority status it needs to appreciate the interconnection of morals and this country.

Only a few days after the 2004 election the Democratic Party continues to whine and run from itself instead of taking responsibility. The crazy talk now is of succession, voter fraud in Ohio and, of course, moving to Canada. Democrats need to stop and realize their mistakes and move forward with a comprehensive agenda that appeals to citizens across the country. They need to embrace the tenets of Jefferson and proudly re-claim the mantle of representing the vast middle class.

As soon as the word morals or values come up at a meeting of Democrats you can see the sighs and indignation all over their faces. The quickest way to get thrown out of a Democratic fundraiser is to proclaim in a loud voice, “America, Love it or leave it!” At its core, that is the problem with the Democratic Party. Many Americans, particularly in the red states, think the

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Democratic Party does not honor America.

Democrats and progressives need to stop thinking there is a conservative takeover. There is not. There is a rejection of those who don't embrace America, warts and all. In every “red state” there are women who face abortions, gays and lesbians who want to be married and many who reject the intolerance seen in much of the Bush agenda. But a majority of these people, at their core, want to believe that their leaders believe in America and Americans.

The Democratic Party needs to get out of the K street offices and liberal salons and start burning the shoe leather in the middle class neighborhoods around America.

Stop meeting at Starbucks and start meeting at Joe's Java. Democrats don't drink lattes, they drink their coffee, black.

Leave the trendy bistros and resorts to what President Bush calls, “his base” the rich and privileged. Jefferson's party needs to reach out directly to the single mother; working two jobs with two children and dare I say it, “feel her pain.” It also needs to praise the great strides America has made in integration, women's rights and in creating the most pro-worker economy in the world. These achievements were not reached through the boardrooms of America. These achievements were achieved through the hard work, dedication and commitment of the middle class.

Is there more to do? Yes. But it is not the Republican Party that will fight to prevent corporations from reneging on pension agreements and negotiated health care benefits. It will be the Democratic Party.

Moving forward, the Democratic Party needs to show the moral connection Jefferson spoke of with more than banners, buttons and slogans. It needs to realize that the Democratic presidential nominee shouldn't have Bruce Springsteen on stage with him. He needs to have the driver of Bruce's bus on stage with him.

The party needs to get rid of the pollsters who told them to support the Iraq War and vote their beliefs.

Democrats need to make bold moves and promote new leaders. Unions, critical to the establishment of the world's greatest economy, have lost their effectiveness in campaigns. The Democratic Party needs to think of small business owners, who struggle against corporate giants (who keep their costs low through outsourcing), and generate the most jobs, as new allies.

Howard Dean should be chairman. His passion, direct appeal and appreciation for the grassroots is what the party needs operationally in a bad way. On race, Democrats need to have the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton step off. They are divisive, have no record of accomplishment and certainly to do not connote moral leadership.

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Sen.-elect Barak Obama, from Illinois, should be given a leadership role in the Senate. His clear message of accountability and responsibility will be well received in the red states, as it was by 70 percent of the voters in Illinois. (It is important to note Sen.-elect Obama won an open seat held by a Republican.)

The Democratic Party is at a crossroads. It needs to decide what it stands for, not what it is opposed to. In the coming months we will see if the Democratic Party represents a collection of Washington DC interest groups or the patrons at Joe's Java.

Ben Davol, an unaffiliated voter and freelance writer, he has served as a political consultant to a variety of political campaigns for both parties.

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