1. The Clinton/New Democrat Path
Creating a Third Way
The Clinton/New Democrat Path
to Victory in 1992
Presentation by Al From
The Democratic Leadership Council
Little Rock, Arkansas
January 30, 2003

2. Redefining Democrats
In 1992, Bill Clinton was faced with a dying Democratic Party.
By redefining it, he not only won the White House, but rescued his party.
Along the way, Clinton and the DLC shaped a political philosophy and governing agenda – the Third Way – that redefined and re-invigorated progressive parties all over the world.

3. The DLC/Clinton Strategy
Reality Therapy
The Philosophy – The New Orleans Declaration
The Governing Agenda – the New Choice Resolutions
The Market Test – The 1992 Primaries

4. Reality Therapy
“The Democratic Party’s 1988 defeat demonstrated that the
party’s problems would not disappear, as many had hoped,
once Ronald Reagan left the White House. Without a
charismatic President to blame for their ills, Democrats
must come face to face with reality: too many Americans
have come to see the party as inattentive to their economic
interests, indifferent if not hostile to their moral sentiments
and ineffective in defense of their national security.”
-- Bill Galston and Elaine Kamarck
The Politics of Evasion: Democrats and
the Presidency

5. The Politics of Evasion
The Myth of Liberal Fundamentalism
The Myth of Mobilization
The Myth of the Congressional
Bastion

6. From 1968-1988 Republicans Dominated the White House
The GOP Lock
From Republicans Dominated the White House

7. Presidential Elections
The GOP Lock:

8. Losing the Middle Class
Percentage of Electorate Won by Democrat

9. A Changing America

10. How Our Country Changed in the Past Two Decades
A Different America
How Our Country Changed in the Past Two Decades
More Affluent
More Educated
More Suburban
More Diverse
More Wired
More Two Parent Working Families
More Non-Factory Jobs
More Job Churning
More Aged
More Boomers
More Moderates and Independents

11. The New Electorate PERIOD DOMINANT VOTERS
Industrial Era Working Class
Information Age Rising Learning Class

12. Campaign Premises Message Matters.
In the Information Age, winning coalitions
are built around ideas, not interests.
The key to winning Presidential elections is
not just maximizing your strengths; it’s
removing obstacles that prevent people from
voting for you.

13. A Message Campaign Because President Clinton believed that
Presidential campaigns should be about
what a candidate would do as President,
we spent his time as DLC chairman
developing our agenda, not traditional
organizing or fundraising.
During that period we shaped the
New Democrat Philosophy.

14. The New Democrat Approach
The Philosophy and Governing Agenda

15. The New Democrat Approach
New Democrats are the modernizers of the Democratic Party
We further our party’s enduring values with new and innovative ideas

16. The Traditions We Honor
Jefferson’s belief in individual liberty
and the capacity for self government
Jackson’s credo of equal opportunity
for all, special privileges for none
Roosevelt’s thirst for innovation
Kennedy’s summons to civic duty
Clinton’s insistence upon new means
to achieve progressive ideals

17. New Democrat Philosophy
Core Principles
Opportunity & Growth
Global Outlook
The
New Democrat Philosophy
Traditional Values
Mutual Responsibility
Empowering Government

18. New Democrat Ideas National Service Earned Income Tax Credit
Welfare Reform
Fiscal Discipline
Investment in People and Technology
Expanded Trade
Community Policing
Charter Schools
Reinventing Government

19. The Clinton Reversal
Picking the GOP Lock