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Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... Latest Releases
Making news? The press releases posted here have been provided to NewsCenter by the one of the many progressive organizations we have selected to participate . If you would like more information about this press release, you should contact the organization directly.
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NOVEMBER 5,
1998 4:30 PM |
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| Election Results Mark End of Gingrich Revolution; Enlarged Progressive Base Powers Vote | ||||
| WASHINGTON - November 5 - Voters nationwide issued a strong rebuke
to conservative candidates and the "Gingrich Revolution." For the first
time since before the Civil War, the Republicans failed to gain seats from the party of a
president in the sixth year of his term. An energized core of progressive voters
were key to Democratic gains in the House and in statehouses from California to Alabama.
Strong turnout by union members, African American voters, Hispanic voters, and
women, all key constituencies of the Democratic base, powered candidates to unexpected
wins from North Carolina to New York, from California to Wisconsin. "This was an incumbents' election, but not a status-quo election. It marks the end of the conservative resurgence. People just aren't buying what Gingrich is peddling, and money and mud wasn't enough." said Robert L. Borosage of the Campaign for America's Future speaking today at the National Press Club. Mr. Borosage was joined by Celinda Lake, Ellen Miller, Guy Molyneux, and Ruy Teixeira in analyzing the results of the 1998 election from a progressive perspective. Not only is the conservative agenda unattractive, but their political strategy has reached its limit. "The politics of division doesn't add up," said Borosage. "Republicans are paying an ever higher cost for being the party of white, male sanctuary. " For Democrats, the lessons are clear. The politics of inclusion works - and Democrats can coalesce around bread and butter economic issues of concern to working Americans. E2S2 - education, economy, Social Security - was the Democratic mantra that fueled a strong turnout in key states by union voters and African-American voters was central to the success of Democratic candidates. Some early estimates show that union voters this year made up 23 percent of voters, compared to 14 percent in 1994. Similarly, African-American voters increased from 9 percent to 11 percent and Hispanic voters jumped from 3 to 5 percent in this year's election. While enjoying the conservative collapse, Democrats cannot stand pat on the status quo. To regain majority status, said Ruy Teixeira, director of politics and public opinion at the Economic Policy Institute, Democrats have to reach out to low and moderate income voters. To do so, they will have to put forth a bolder agenda that addresses the real problems faced by working families. Second, Democrats must "dance with those who brought them to the party", said Borosage. Across the country, voters supported candidates who promised to save Social Security. House Speaker Newt Gingrich revealed just how tone deaf he is, by concluding "the number one lesson to learn is we ought to come back to Washington in January with a proposal to save Social Security by using the surplus to create private savings accounts." "Voters do not think that turning Social Security over to Wall Street, cutting guaranteed benefits and raising the retirement age to pay for private accounts is "saving Social Security," warned Borosage, "Democrats should stand firm against attempts to privatize Social Security. To compromise on this would be a staggering breach of faith to the very voters that have revived the party's fortunes and hold the key to its future." In 1998, the Campaign for America's Future released Straight Talk:Common Sense for the New Majority a publication designed to help activists and political leaders reach out to a new progressive majority. Straight Talk is available on our web site at http://www.ourfuture.org/tpoint/st.asp or by contacting our office. Celinda Lake of Lake Sosin Snell Perry & Associates and Guy Molyneux of Peter D.Hart Research Associates are two of the co-authors of Straight Talk. Ruy Teixeira is the Director of the Politics and Public Opinion Program at the Economic Policy Institute. Ellen Miller is the Executive Director of Public Campaign. Robert Borosage is co-director of the Campaign for America's Future. The Campaign for America's Future is a center of progressive research and education, founded in 1996 by over 100 prominent Americans to make the economy work for working people. The Campaign is directed by Robert L. Borosage and Roger Hickey. ### |
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