Red State Blues

Red state Democrats held a roundtable to discuss their frustrations and different campaign strategies in Republican-leaning states Tuesday afternoon in downtown Denver.

Held at the Big Tent, the roundtable answered its title question “Is There Anybody Out There?” in the affirmative. And these Democrats are frustrated, with no consensus on how to help blue candidates in hostile territories like Mississippi, Texas and Alabama.

Should Democrats stay positive or go negative? Should they use polling data to craft campaign messages or let their candidates craft their own messages based solely on personal beliefs? When and where do you come out swinging against Republican opponents or even one of your own party in primary races? Have Republicans already won the national security debate? Do Dems capitulate too easily? Are campaign Web sites and political blogs effective in mostly rural areas, are they a waste of time, or are they somewhere in between? Can a pro-conservation stance swing the independent’s vote?

The answers and opinions were as divergent as the participants’ geography, which is fitting. Remember, all politics are local.

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