Democratic panel to explore new campaign tactics for new era

After a demoralizing presidential election defeat and a loss of
congressional seats, some members of the Democratic Party are
scratching their heads and praying for the best in the next
election. But other Democrats are working now to determine the
future of their party.

A panel of speakers from local Democratic groups will meet today
on campus for a discussion hosted by the Bruin Democrats called,
“Democrats, Dean and the DNC: What Now?”

UCLA visiting professor of public policy and 1988 Democratic
presidential candidate Michael Dukakis is scheduled to speak at the
event, which is hosted in conjunction with the Los Angeles County
Young Democrats. Other speakers include George Kieffer, immediate
past chair of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, and John
Pérez, a member of the California delegation of the Democratic
National Committee.

The discussion is being held three days after the election of
former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean as chairman of the Democratic
National Committee.

“I think there will be a lot of changes with Dean as the
chair,” said Kristina Doan, president of the Bruin
Democrats.

One of those changes, she said, will be an increased interest in
politics on the part of students and other young Americans. She
cited Dean’s popularity among younger Democrats as a reason
for that interest, as well as the growing importance of such
grassroots organizations as Moveon.org, an online network of
advocacy groups.

Dukakis said he plans to emphasize the potential of those
grassroots movements as a tool for reining in votes for the
Democrats.

“I think we made one serious mistake in the (2004)
campaign, and that’s (not) to organize at the grassroots
level,” he said. He added that Dean also understands the
importance of the grassroots movement to the party’s
future.

Pérez said he would discuss the need for an invigoration of
the Democratic Party, saying the party “really needs a
different approach.” That approach, he said, will involve
focusing on red and blue “communities” rather than
states.

“There is no such thing as a blue state,” he
said.

California, which is characterized by Democratic coastal regions
and Republican inland areas, provides an example of how the nation
as a whole will be viewed by the Democratic Party.

Under Dean’s leadership, Pérez said, the party will
plan to campaign heavily in those red communities across the nation
while motivating blue communities to vote.

Pérez also highlighted the influence young voters can have
on the future of the nation.

In the 2004 election, he said, “younger voters played a
larger role than they have in 25 years.”

He acknowledged some of the challenges facing young Americans,
including rising tuition costs at U.S. universities. He also
mentioned young Americans’ contributions to the war in
Iraq.

“Young folks are going to pay a disproportionate cost for
the problems we face today,” Pérez said. Like Dukakis,
he expected that Dean’s leadership would help to rally young
voters for the Democratic vote.

“You’re going to see a reinvigoration of young
people,” Pérez said.

“Democrats, Dean and the DNC: What Now?” will be
held today in Haines A2 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.