As you can see from the “Noteworthy” box at the top of our web page, TDS is cosponsoring a major post-election analysis event at the National Press Club this Friday, in conjunction with the Progressive Policy Institute. It will feature TDS Co-Editors Bill Galston and Ruy Teixeira, PPI president Will Marshall, and to provide a Republican perspective, Ross Douthat of The Atlantic. I’ll be there, too, but will let the above worthies do the talking.
The title, “Rove or Roosevelt? Prospects for a Political Realignment” suggests a look back at the election results and a look forward at how the Obama administration and Democrats generally might decide to create or solidify a realignment. The reference to Karl Rove hints at an approach that some, particularly those convinced that the November 4 victory was fragile or even ephermeral, may urge on Obama: using the levers of power to reward elements of the Democratic base while appealing very selectively to swing voter categories that might push up Democratic percentages in the future to a more comfortable margin, even without the anti-Republican atmosphere of this election year. The reference to FDR, of course, suggests a more systemic approach of governing in order to create a broad attachment to the Democratic Party among Americans grateful for genuine leadership in a time of crisis.
It should be quite a discussion. Please drop by if you are in the DC area on Friday, and we’ll try to quickly get transcripts and make some of the analysis available here next week.