John Nichols: Democrats Score in the Rockies

[WI_DEM]

While John Kerry failed to win more than 90 White majority counties in the south (compared to 510 won by Bill Clinton in 1996), The Democrats were showing surprising strength in a region which only a decade ago was staunchly Republican--the Rocky Mountain states out west.

John Nichols in the Nation writes:
"On the same day that George W. Bush was winning nationally and Republicans were increasing their majorities in congress, Democrats in the eight states of the Rocky Mountain West were winning state and local contests at a rate not seen in decades and offering valuable lessons for the national democratic party, organized labor and progressive activist groups that are sorely in need of new models for campaigning. "Before the pundits write this off as teh year when nothing seemed to work right for the Democrats," says Montana Democratic Party executive director Brad Martin, "there is a Western story that needs to be told."

Nichols points out that western dems made a concerted effort to win rural voters, by abandoining the national party's "template" and focusing on local issues.

Among the success stories:
Montana elected its first Demoratic governor in 20 years. But not only that The Montana State Senate shifted from 29-21 Republican to 27-23 Democrat. They came within one vote of winning the Montana House. They also won races for State Auditor, Attorney General and Superintendant of Public Instruction. Kerry also gained ground in Montana over four years ago pushing the Democratic percentage to 39%.

Colorado Democrats won both a US Senate race and US House seat which had been held by Republicans. They also reversed GOP majorities in the state house and Senate and took control of both chambers for the first time in 44 years.

Though John Kerry was dismissed as a "Massachusetts liberal" Democrats came close to winning two states that went easily for George Bush in 2000--Colorado and Nevada--and improved the Democratic percentage of the presidential vote in 7 of the regions 8 states.

Why is it the national media doesn't tell this story? The only region the GOP is really doing well in is the south. Democrats are strong in the east, the industrial midwest, the pacific states and gaining strength in the rocky mountain states.

Yes, we need to try and compete in the south, but I believe that our best bet is to expand on these gains in the west. Just think if just a fraction of the money spent on Florida and some of the precious time spent in that state had been spent in Nevada, Colorado and Arizona.

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20041206&s=nichols

[illflem]

1. The state house in Montana is still up for grabs.

A recount in one district had the Constitutional party candidate winning over the Demo by just 2 votes. Only problem is that seven ballots were marked for both candidates but with corrections scribbled in. Montana court is going to decide whether to uphold state law and throw those seven ballots out totally causing a Demo win and a 50/50 house or to break the law and interpret the voters who marked twice's intentions.

[bush_is_wacko]

2. I suspect Kerry actually won

in Colorado! Our results look really fishy, plus I am one of the people who watched my Kerry vote "jump" to *! I did correct it and it did say Kerry before I submitted it, but I really don't think this election was legitimate ANYWHERE. I also had two nasty poll workers standing right next to me saying terrible things about previous voters that had come in and when I came in they whispered to each other that I looked "determined." I am always determined at election time. I come prepared w/ all the answers on a little piece of scrap paper. I didn't think much about it at first , but if the Curtis allegations are true. I guess it is very possible that they could rig the computer because I looked "determined!"

just edited a spelling/typo error!

[wildeyed]

3. Even in some states in the south, dems did well in local elections.

My state, NC, has a dem governor, dem majorities in the state house and senate and in my county, dems swept the county commissioner's at-large races.