Will Democratic gains in the November midterm elections be squandered by an inopportune bout of party infighting? …
Political commentators often suggest that national parties maximize their electoral effectiveness when they push a single policy program or message. But the Democratic Party is organized as a coalition of social groups and best served when candidates are free to shape individual campaign appeals tailored to the interests of their own constituencies. Rather than acting as a single party “base” with a common set of policy goals or ideological commitments, Democratic supporters are made up of a diverse array of social groups strewn across state and district boundaries, each with its own agenda of political concerns and quest for representation among the party leadership. Mobilizing the collective Democratic faithful from coast to coast therefore requires a variety of distinct campaign messages — and messengers. CONT.
Matt Grossmann (Michigan State) & David A. Hopkins (Boston College), New York Times