By Fred Jackson and Jody Brown
The Democrats are in trouble, mainly because of a dramatic erosion in support among white men. That’s the bottom line of a new poll commissioned by the Democratic Leadership Council.
Democratic leaders admit they are in trouble. Mark Penn, who conducted the poll for the Leadership Council, says since Bill Clinton left the Oval Office, the party has lost its “centrist” image and is now regarded as the party of big government, higher taxes, liberal policies, and indebtedness to special-interest groups.
Penn also says President Bush’s handling of the war on terrorism has opened up a huge gap with Democrats on who is more trusted on issues of national security. He says swing voters — currently found primarily among suburban and middle-class families — are not very likely to vote for a Democrat unless he offers a vision for national defense and homeland security that competes with that offered by Republicans.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Penn puts it quite bluntly when he says: “If Democrats can’t close the security gap, then they can’t be competitive in the next election.”
He says Democrats must make a concerted effort to appeal to white voters, particularly men and married women. Penn says his poll revealed that just 22% of white men identified with the Democratic Party, and that younger men are even more strongly Republican in their leanings.
(This article courtesy of Agape Press).
