Indiana Democrats at Critical Turning Point

An edited/shortened version of this was published in this weeks edition of the Indianapolis Business Journal.  Below is the full-length version.  Equal parts accolades and tough love, I hope some of the points and questions form a good starting point on how to bring Democrats back to relevance in state-level governance and on how to change our structure to reflect the realities of 2012 and beyond.

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Like many Democrats, I ended Election night with wildly polarized emotions.  I started off ecstatic.  How couldn’t I?  President Barack Obama was overwhelmingly re-elected nationwide.  As the President of the Indiana Young Democrats, I was especially excited to see around 80 electoral votes for President Obama nationwide directly attributable to millennial turnout and, for a second time, signaling a generational shift in American political power.  I was excited to see Rep. Joe Donnelly elected to the United States Senate.  While Rep. Donnelly is significantly more conservative than me, I got to know him as an honest, hard-working, genuine public servant when we campaigned together during the 2010 election cycle. He will make Indiana proud as our Senator. Glinda Ritz figured out the equation for winning statewide and proved organized labor and social media are still forces to be reckoned with. 

I was excited to see several young Democrats make valiant efforts for office, outperforming the Democratic baseline in reliably Republican areas – Ryan Guillory, Katie Morgan, Chris Grider and others.  Two young Democrats were elected to the General Assembly – Justin Moed and Dan Forestal.  Indeed, a fair amount of good news.

Then, reality set in.

First, with all kudos to Senator-Elect Donnelly and Superintendent-Elect Ritz, our Party must realize “voting against the other guy” is not a long-term strategy for success.  The Indiana Republican Party is smart, the Tea Party fad will go away and we will eventually be forced to campaign on bold new ideas – something our Party has ceded locally in the same way Republicans have nationally.

In a cycle where Indiana Democrats won two statewide races, it is simply inexcusable we weren’t able to cross the finish line in the gubernatorial race.  John Gregg and Vi Simpson did everything correctly in the closing weeks of the campaign.  Had their efforts been supported by an Indiana Democratic Party more critical of Mike Pence, had there been a stronger State party-based GOTV operation, had senior Party leaders simply lifted up the races priority, we may have won.  As late as the Friday before the election, the Democratic State Chairman called the gubernatorial race a lower-priority down-ballot race on Jim Shella’s Week in Review TV program – an unfortunate, though enlightening, word choice.

Locally, in Indianapolis, Democrats deserves a fair amount of credit – they’ve figured out how to drive voter turnout in large numbers for candidates aligned with the organization.  Sadly, personal and policy issues drove a wedge between the organization and at least two Democrats most likely to capture a seat in the Indiana State Senate.  We cannot be a Party claiming to be a “Big Tent” and then proceed to marginalize highly qualified candidates with different ideological views, particularly when it could be argued, in this case, that the views in question are probably more aligned with national Democratic policy than any other Democratic legislative candidate(s).

In total, these dynamics currently in play within the Party have led to a self-created super-minority status in the Indiana General Assembly and the results may prove destructive both for our Party but, more importantly, the causes we embody.

With this stark reality in mind, we have two ways to move forward as a Party.  One way would be to organize our efforts to protect the major win of the night – the Senate seat.  We have a long tradition of running this strategy successfully; simply look to the Evan Bayh years.  While safe, it is a sad vision.

Or, we can be bold. 

First, we can build a bench of quality candidates – particularly young Democrats – ready to move the Party forward by competing at every level and in all 92 counties.  This has long been viewed as a threat to fiefdoms of internal power and must change quickly.  Second, we must propose bold and sweeping initiatives to transform and modernize Indiana government for the world we live in.  It has been far too long since Democrats were viewed as the “idea Party” in Indiana.  Third, we must reorganize our Party leadership structure in a way that is relevant in 2013.  Gone are the days of powerful and largely unaccountable political bosses, though we have failed to realize the change has come.  Here is a world focused on viral interactions and instant grassroots organization.  Finally, we must be unafraid to be Democrats – let’s be proud of our stances on the critical issues facing us today beyond jobs and the economy; demographics are headed our way and it is no time to hide behind the values making our Party the most storied organization in the history of our nation’s governance.

I know which path I choose.  I know which path young Democrats in our state and nationwide will advocate for.  I hope the Indiana Democratic Party leadership has the courage to make the right choice.