Democratic losers have lessons to offer
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As the Bush vs. Kerry matchup begins in earnest, however, lessons remain to be learned from the likes of John Edwards, Howard Dean and Wesley Clark.
Dean, for one, showed both parties how to harness the power of the Internet. Edwards, Kerry’s last major rival to fall, demonstrated that nice guys don’t have to finish last, that “likeability matters,” in the words of Democratic consultant Paul Begala. Clark, the retired general showed Democrats how to challenge President Bush on national security.
“There are great lessons for both sides out of the primary process,” said Rich Bond, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Democratic strategist Donna Brazile said Kerry and Bush can “take a little bit of this and a pinch of that,” from the different campaigns. “I’m sure that over the coming weeks, they’ll find some good lines and some great tactics and strategies,” she said.
Bond credited Dean, whose only primary victory came in his home state of Vermont, with helping to turn the notion of “Internet citizens” into a reality. The former governor raised $1 million via the Internet early on and tapped into the Web’s networking potential to mobilize supporters and volunteers nationwide.
“It’s not an accident that John Kerry now gives out his Web site every single time he’s on TV and in every single address,” said Harvard University professor Elaine Kamarck, who advised 2000 Democratic nominee Al Gore. “They didn’t get it about the Internet until there was Dean.”
The flip side of that lesson, of course, is that for all of the money that Dean raised, his campaign still famously went from boom to bust when people started voting.
“Money does not equal victory,” Begala said, summing up the cautionary message for Bush, whose campaign coffers are bulging with more than $160 million. “I think that money has lulled the Bush team into a false sense of security. Big mistake.”
Additionally, the Democratic also-rans served to road-test issues and themes that could play well with voters in the fall. Edwards, for example, got good mileage out of his argument against “two Americas,” one for the rich and one for the poor.
Edwards “showed it’s OK to care about poor people again,” Kamarck said. “He spoke about two Americas in a way that really resonated with people. That is a lesson he brought that is not likely to be forgotten.”
Clark, meanwhile, showed “you can take on Bush on national security, and the sky doesn’t fall and lightning doesn’t strike,” Begala said. “Wes went at him fearlessly, and I think it emboldened the rest of the field.”
Even the campaigns of some of the earliest casualties can offer food for thought for Kerry and Bush.
Campaign rallies for Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt, who dropped out after placing fourth in Iowa, were populated with what Begala describes as “straight, middle-aged white men,” many of whom probably were Republicans willing to give a Democrat a chance.
“Kerry and my party ought to really study how Dick Gephardt reached out to those guys and got them into the fold,” Begala said.
Joe Lieberman, the Connecticut senator who was another early casualty, consistently sounded the need for Democrats to take strong positions on values and cultural issues, said Chris Lehane, who worked first for Kerry and then for Clark.
“I certainly think that is a valuable lesson for Democrats,” Lehane said. “That is not ground that Democrats have to cede to Bush and the Republicans.”
Kerry’s former rivals now are offering to help him beat Bush in November by making appearances for him, lining up campaign contributors and urging their followers to stay motivated. But the also-rans have made other contributions sure to be embraced not by Kerry but by Bush: all the harsh words they hurled against Kerry during the primaries. While the campaign was considered fairly gentlemanly by historical standards, Republicans still have plenty of negative material to exploit.
There is Clark telling voters that “Americans don’t want another Washington insider who never plays it straight.” There is Dean spitting out the title, “President Kerry. Please, spare us.” And there is Edwards arguing: “If we want real change in Washington, we need someone who hasn’t been there for 20 years.”