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Jan. 2, 2005 With the passing of 2004, one of the most formative and astounding years in my life – and in the lives of so many others I have met and only read about – has come to an end. It did not end how I would have liked, but that happens in life. From 2004 came my blog, The New Democrat, and with it, The New Democratic Plan, which has weaseled its way into political circles around the country. I will turn 18 this year, continue my political writing, and go to college at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia. I will be in our nation’s Capitol, or at least a Metro stop away. The goals I set for myself as a freshman in High School feel nearly complete. 2005, in a way, will be a year of political relaxation, what with no watershed Presidential Election to campaign for, no Governor under fire, no conventions to attend. But that does not mean, in any sense that we Democrats must not work hard this year. We come to 2005, a year from midterm elections that may very well decide the direction of this nation for the next four years. We must begin to hoard resources now, to rally around our incumbent candidates and begin looking for strong challengers to firmly entrenched Republicans in the House and Senate. It should be the duty of every Democrat to have contributed - by monetary donation or the donation of time in volunteering - to at least one political campaign in the area. 2005 will be a long year for Democrats as we watch the Republican Party dominate the political scene once again. However, we cannot reduce ourselves to partisan attacks on the Republicans. It has always been the goal of this website to balance calling the Republicans on mistakes and half-truths while coming up with a coherent and positive plan that Democrats can present to the people as a second option. The people must know that they do not have to choose the Republican plan; that the Democrats are prepared to step up and be a national party again, to provide their input on an idea, not just to tear down the President and attack Republicans. That was our problem in 2004 - we can't allow it to be our downfall again We have learned much from 2004, amidst all of the heartbreak and let downs nationwide. Let us not be too proud to borrow some of the strategies that worked for Republicans and morph them into strategies that work for us. In order to put up a good fight - a fight in which we are badly outnumbered - we must begin now. We must start getting active and not stop until 2008; we owe it to so many working men and women who have lost their jobs, to those fighting men and women who have died in Iraq, and most importantly, to the very ideals this nation was founded upon. The Republicans have fought well these past four years, connecting with the people on key social issues, guiding them through tragedy and even turning their opinion for a short time on a misguided war. With half of America disapproving of the President and nearly 62% disapproving of his War in Iraq, they still moved to re-elect him. It was the weakness of the Democratic Party, not the strength of the Republican candidate that ultimately allowed George W. Bush a second term. We must recognize this now and fix our problems before they crush us. The time has come to return to the moderate message the Democratic Party once sent. We must champion issues that the very liberal element is simply on the wrong side on. We must refine our speech and connect with the people once more, as we did under Truman, Kennedy and Clinton. The resolution of every Democrat this year should be to contribute to that fight to make us a national party again. Now is the time to fight, Democrats. Let's go get 'em! ------------ About the author: Max Burns is a 17-year-old Democrat with moderate, centrist ideals. He blames John Kerry's 2004 loss on John Kerry, and is authoring a pamphlet on how to refine the Democratic Party for Victory in 2008 and beyond. For more information, check out The New Democrat. Read the fantasy-fiction novel "Alcardia". Email: DeMBurns@gmail.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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