How Democrats could strengthen their base

Have you heard the old saying "dance with the one that brung ya?" Well, the Democrats seem to have forgotten it. They seem to be dancing further away from their base with each passing day.

Women, people of color, labor, and environmentalists are major components of the Democratic base, yet the leadership seems increasingly willing to back away from issues key to each of these constituencies.

An example of this is Bob Casey, Jr.'s senate campaign in Pennsylvania. There are a number of individuals who polling data indicate could defeat Sen. Rick Santorum, so why did the party choose to support Casey -- who opposes abortion rights for women?

I think it's because they listen to the wrong polling companies and strategists.

The New York Times, in Senate Campaign Tests Democrats' Abortion Tack, reports:

"... Democratic strategists have argued that the party must find a way to signal tolerance to opposing views on this issue, and sensitivity to conflicting values."

The report goes on to say:

"This tension between principle and pragmatism is apparent across the landscape of the Democratic Party this year, weighing on issues that include the war in Iraq and same-sex marriage. Party strategists are trying to piece together enough winning races to take control of the House and Senate, which means paying close attention to swing voters in the middle. But that strategy angers some on the party's left, most vocally in the blogosphere, who argue that the times demand more than a careful centrism."

To strengthen their base Democrats must remain true to core issues. Abortion rights is a core issue, as indicated by turnout for the 2004 March for Women's lives. Pictured above are the 1.25 million who attended the march.

It is very likely that Santorum will lose in November. It's also likely that a Democrat who supports abortion could have defeated him. What will be tragic is if Democrats think it's a good strategy to back anti-abortion candidates in future races.