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DNC 2015 Winter Meeting  ...next >
Feb. 21, 2015 - The second general session.
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Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.
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DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
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James Zogby (>), co-chair of the DNC Resolutions Committee since 2006, presents the committee's report.
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Debbie Wasserman Schultz provided the "opening act" before Gov. Steve Beshear (KY) presented the preliminary findings of the Democratic Victory Task Force.  "This morning we're going to hear some tough love, and frankly we need to hear it," Wasserman Schultz stated.  "We cannot just say we're Democrats," Wasserman Schultz said.  "We need to do a better job of telling people our stories; telling them why we're Democrats"  Wasserman Schultz also had critical words on the field of potential GOP presidential candidates.  "This crew is going to make the 2012 GOP field look downright presidential.  I can’t wait to watch their debates – it’s going to be an incredible circus; it will put Ringling to shame,” she declared.  [excerpts from prepared remarks | CSPAN video]
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Gov. Beshear said that, "The Democratic Party has lost its way."  Beshear stated,

"We now live in an era in which the privileged few are grabbing a larger and larger share of wealth, of power and of hope, and those vulnerable by birth or health or other circumstances have found themselves powerless and voiceless.  Now this should be the time, this should be the time for Democratic leaders to rise up to the forefront as defenders of the people.  And we think we have.  We think we have.  But the American people by their votes don't agree with us.  They don't think we have, because in this increasingly volatile and hostile climate, when the American people need us the most the Democratic Party has too often allowed its message to become muddled, its passion, its strength to be diluted, its strategies and execution to grow flabby, and our core supporters to grow distracted." 

"The problem lies not, the problem lies not with the party's core beliefs.  They are as relevant and as necessary today as ever in this country's history...  Rather the fault lies in our inability, our inability to convey our principles to the American people in a concise, precise and passionate way."  [CSPAN video]
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"In order to consistently win on every level, we have to reconnect with the reason we want to win—and that reason is the people. The national party must work with and help grow state and local parties, to empower the people to participate in politics, while recruiting and training the next generation of office holders. Democrats must stand for the right of all eligible Americans to be able to register, to vote, and to have their vote counted fairly and accurately.

"The Democratic Party must field candidates everywhere to ensure our message is heard everywhere. The national party needs to strengthen our state and local affiliates, revitalize our grassroots allies and broaden our appeal to stakeholders and others who assist us in elections. Our focus is not just on the presidential election cycles, but also elections for the US House and Senate as well as state and local offices, including midterm and special elections.

"We need to speak directly, in ways that make sense and move people to action, addressing the broad, diverse group of Americans that are receptive to the Democratic Party’s message of shared opportunity and prosperity for all Americans.

"We know that our message is powerful because our opponents are trying to steal it. Income inequality and the resulting middleclass economic stagnation have become so extreme that even the Republicans are giving lip service to economic fairness—even as they advocate policies that would undermine it." 		Cover of Demcratic Victory Task Force Preliminary Recommendations [PDF]

Preliminary Recommendations:
  • - Create a values based narrative.
  • - Strengthen partnerships with state parties.
  • - Protect and expand the right to vote.
  • - Three-cycle redistricting plan. 
  • - Build the Democratic bench.
press release 
preliminary recommendations [PDF]
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Maria Cardona, a member of the Democratic Victory Task Force, and Amy Dacey.
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Ed. note: 
Recall that following the 2012 campaign, when Mitt Romney lost the presidential race and Republicans failed to gain control of the U.S. Senate, the Republican National Committee formed a Growth & Opportunity Project.  On March 13, 2013 the RNC released an impressive 98-page report containing 219 recommendations covering seven areas.  Democrats, meanwhile, have endured major losses since 2008 including an across the board drubbing in 2014.  The party clearly needs to make some changes, but it is difficult to gauge how far these preliminary recommendations, just nine pages of total text, go towards addressing the party's weaknesses.  The release of the full report in May will give a better indicator.

Cover of DNC Victory Task Force Preliminary Recommendations