The lessons New York could teach conservatives
E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post examines how George Pataki and Michael Bloomberg, both Republicans, came to power in heavily-Liberal New York. It could be a blueprint for both parties in future elections, if they are smart enough to learn the lessons contained within.
In New York, even formerly Republican strongholds upstate began throwing votes the Democrats' way, allowing Charles E. Schumer and then Hillary Rodham Clinton to win election -- and by large margins -- to the U.S. Senate.
Politics being in part a business of adjustment and accommodation, Pataki adjusted and accommodated. Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell Jr., who served as Democratic state chair during this year's campaign, said before the election that Pataki knew Republicans were in trouble upstate and therefore made heroic efforts to break into the Democratic base in New York City. He succeeded by courting not only obvious leaders like Rivera, but also local leaders all over the city.
Smart accommodative politics (and flawed campaigns by their opponents) enabled Republican victories elsewhere in the Northeast, notably by Mitt Romney as governor of Massachusetts. But Democrats gained back governorhsips in the northern tier of the nation that had largely voted for Al Gore in 2000. Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin were among the top prizes.
It's worth remembering that Lott was finally forced out not by Democrats (or by non-Christians) but by the leaders of his own party, including the president of the United States. They acted because they are sensitive to Republican weakness in states that had voted solidly for Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. There were costs to whistling Dixie for so long, and so loudly.
The national Republican Party, of course, will never accommodate the Democrats as much as have Michael Bloomberg and George Pataki. In relative terms, New York is still a pretty liberal place. But Republicans in Washington and elsewhere may learn far more from Bloomberg and Pataki than either conservatives or Democrats would like.
The lesson here is that successful politics is not about platforms and following the party line. It's about meeting people where they live and addressing the concerns of those who votes you are trying to win. Politicians, whether Liberal or Conservative, must adapt and accommodate to the realities of the region they hope to represent. THAT is how a Conservative Republican can be elected Mayor of one of the most Liberal cities in the country.
It's not about demonizing and marginalizing your opponent and those who do not share your views. It's about trying to figure out how everyone can fit under the tent. Do that, and you stand a very good chance of being elected. Fail, and you're likely going to have a long career ahead of you co-hosting "Crossfire".
