Moderates

This was history in the making. Don't anyone downplay it. As pointed out by Michael Bouldin at Daily Gotham, "for the first time in American history, a political party lost no seats it was defending. Ain't never happened in 230 years, folks." This was historic.

But there is one very key lesson to be learned by us...by Democrats and by the left in general. This was won big because we worked together. When we are united, Democrats win. When we let the Republicans divide and conquor us, we lose. It is up to us to maintain that unity. Unity does not mean conformity. Mostly it means mutual respect even when we disagree.

So who were the big players in our victory? I think there are several key players. In no particular order:

Act Blue: $17,419,765 raised since 2004. Mostly small donors, not that "soft money" Republicans love so much.

MoveOn: targeted ads in some "safe" Republican districts made those districts so unsafe for Republican that Democrats won. CT-5, IN-2, NY-20, and NH-2 shifted after MoveOn.org ads went on the air and we wound up winning them.

But that ain't all. They then set up the most ambitious phone bank in history, making 6 million calls to voters by election day. This was probably the biggest GOTV effort in history.

But that ain't all...they now are offering a $250,000 reward to anyone who can give evidence of election fraud that leads to a conviction.

Howard Dean: we never would have won so big in Indiana or scared them so much in Wyoming and Idaho and Tennessee had it not been for Dean's 50-state strategy. Chuck Schumer's more targeted Senate strategy made sense for the Senate, but Howard Dean gave the states the ability to exploit Republican weaknesses when they appeared. Probably half our pick ups are thanks to this new infrastructure Dean has helped build in states that previously were ignored as being "too red." 2005 was a successful test of the 50-state strategy. 2006 was a RESOUNDING victory for Howard Dean's strategy. I don't think the DSCC needs to change its strategy, but the DCCC might want to take some lessons from Doctor Dean.

Progressive Majority: Targeting smaller, more local races right down to school board, Progressive Majority is training and helping out the next generation of leaders in several key states as well as helping boost minority representation. In 2005 they won about 70% of the races they targeted. They were more ambitious this year and didn't fare so well, but they did well enough and they came really close in many other races. As they expand, they will be a force through out the nation for helping young progressive activists enter politics. We could probably have won this election without Progressive Majority, but their efforts are helping pave the way for future victories.

Make no mistake...this was a progressive grassroots victory. But it was also a victory for ideological diversity within the Democratic party. Some real progressive grassroots activists helped some moderate Democrats win, and now that we have won, the progressives and moderates have to maintain respect for eachother. Both sides have to remember this: we could not have won without this progressive/moderate alliance. United in respect, we can find the common ground we need to to win big. Divided over the few issues where we differ, or divided through lack of mutual respect, and we lose. Let's remember this lesson. Republicans work by conformity and dictating from above. Democrats work by respecting diversity and listening to eachother. So let's DO IT folks. As I keep quoting these days, remember what FDR said:

"Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country."

The 2006 mid-term elections are going down as having one of the most virulent campaign seasons in the last 100 years. Republicans have been the gravely wounded targets but it does not mean that Democratic incumbents and candidates have not come out hurting and smarting from the bloodfest. Because, it has been a horrendously bloody political season that started with the downfall of Jack Abramoff.

We can say that, well, the republicans were asking for it. I am not one to be beneath smacking down conservative hypocrites like Abramoff, Foley or Craig. As you well know though, I am also as eager to smack Democrats and liberal bloggers hypocrites.

Which is why, instead of smacking, I want to put a word of caution ... 19 days before the elections.

Democrats may well end up smarting, and not in a good way, from what I can only describe as their embrace tactics from the school of Karl Rove politics. This political season has been an all out war by Democrats. They are kicking ass indeed, but it may come back to haunt them.

Here's the problem:

In their eagerness to get elected anybody who calls themselves these days a Democrat, they are helping elect the rejects of the Replican party, people who not until they saw a political opportunity to switch, had no reason to call themselves a Democrat.

Party switching is not a new concept. Historically though, the wave has been against Democrats : Since the 1960's, and after the success of the Civil Rights Movement, most of party swtichers were Democrats (candidates and incumbents) bolting to the Republican party.