Shifting the Debate: The Democratic Party, Service, and a Future Majority

I have always been interested in politics. I could recite the presidents in order when I was in the first grade. I was fascinated by the red/blue maps they would show on TV on election night. The first time I really remember being captivated by politics -- knowing what was going on and what the ramifications were -- was when I watched the results of the 2002 congressional elections in my residence hall room with my Republican hallmate and friend (he's now a Democrat). As 2004 came, I remember being obsessed with the election and closely monitoring it on both the internet and television. I was frustrated during both cycles -- Democrats were showing a remarkable ability to fight the battle exclusively on Republican ground. Issues like gay marriage, abortion, and immigration were complemented by weak Democratic positions on the war in Iraq. Voters were offered no compelling narrative to balance the Republican platform -- so given the choice between Republicans and impostor Republicans, they chose the real thing.

Things are different in 2008, though. The gloss to these superficial issues began to wash away in the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina. No longer could we pretend that immigration, right to life issues, or same sex marriage were real priorities for this country. Poverty was devastatingly linked with actual people; America got a glimpse of why it is ineffective and heartless to talk about wedge issues rather than solve the actual problems our country faces. There were Americans who were suffering and were gagged; career politicians didn't care to hear their cries for help. In 2006, after Republican scandals further decimated the notion that the GOP's way of doing things would be good for the country, Democrats ran a populist campaign largely based on the issues the country cared about, and they were wildly successful, reclaiming both the Senate and the House.

Young people were enthused by the campaign in 2006. In 2004, Kerry won 18-29 year olds by 54-45 margin over Bush. In 2006, 18-29 year olds voted Democratic by a 60 to 38 margin. Candidates like Jim Webb in Virginia and Claire McCaskill in Missouri ran campaigns that appealed to the gut. Webb's State of the Union response only twenty days after he was sworn in demonstrated why he had so much success while beating former Republican senator George Allen. It was short and to the point, focused on the issues that were relevant. In 2005, after he lost his bid for the Democratic Party's nomination in the previous year, Howard Dean was elected as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and he immediately announced plans to broaden participation among rank-and-file party members, creating a fifty state strategy aimed at mobilizing the people. This call to action combined with a focus on shifting the debate back to the problems affecting people's lives led to a Democratic landslide in 2006 and set the stage for something bigger in 2008.

This year, we've been blessed and/or cursed with a protracted primary battle between two candidates. One candidate in particular demonstrated his understanding of the culture of America's youth. Embracing technology, creating opportunities to serve, and emphasizing the solving of problems led to a surge in support of Senator Obama among the youth community. Democrats, following Howard Dean's and Barack Obama's lead, have made participatory politics chic. Whether they both had read Millennials Rising or not, the change in political approach was exactly what was needed to capitalize on this new civic-minded generation.

We've been reading over the last several months now about how Barack Obama can not close the deal. We've been reading about how American voters may still entertain racist feelings because they're unsure of Obama. We've been reading about how people are worried that Obama might be elected and destroy the government. We've been reading about how Obama isn't patriotic because he doesn't wear a small piece of metal on his jacket. We've read a lot. But while we've been distracted on these issues -- defending Obama's patriotism and his capacity to lead us -- the strategy over the last couple years has actually put us in an enviable position.

This Democratic Party, one tending to focus on youth, on service, on technology, on being connected to one another, on solving problems, on getting involved, on taking responsibility for your community, is a winner. When we ask people to sacrifice and articulate why it's important they do so, that is an appeal to the best Americans have to offer. When we all participate, we're all better off. That is, in my mind, the message that differentiates this Democratic Party from those of years past.

Peter Levine, the director of CIRCLE, wrote on Thursday about the momentum behind the service movement, given that Barack Obama and John McCain have both agreed to appear and participate in a September 11th summit on national community service in New York City. Levine notes that this signals how far service as an American priority has come over the years. Both candidates will make statements -- they will not debate -- on a variety of philosophical and financial questions about the service movement.

This is once more evidence of the Democratic Party, the Left, whatever you'd like to call it, being successful at reframing the debate to talk about issues that are more tangible to the American people. This is also an example of the current foresight of our Democratic leaders -- forcing a discussion on a topic that is hugely important for our future leaders. Our up and coming generation has had a long love affair with volunteering and helping others. Many cite service's immediate impacts as the appeal (although youth seem to be becoming more patient with the process and getting politically involved as well). Of course, it will only help that Sen. Obama was a community organizer when he speaks next month.

As this campaign heats up over the next couple months, please notice the difference between this Democratic Party and the one that we had to suffer through five or six years ago. And then, please think about the difference between this Democratic Party and the one we will build five or six years from now. There are problems with funding the youth arm of the left's infrastructure as Mike as done a great job of noting here, so in order for this to happen, we still need to make sure we're backing it with all the resources we have. But if we do, and if we make a commitment to talking about these issues, the goal of creating a future majority among youth couldn't help but be met.