PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Valley Dems analyze defeat

The party leans too far left, observers said.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Democratic Party needs to move toward the political center if it hopes to elect a president in the near future, said two Democratic congressmen from the Mahoning Valley.
U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, said U.S. Sen. John Kerry, the party's presidential nominee, ran a strong campaign. But it was an uphill battle from the get-go for Kerry in Ohio because of his liberal leanings on social issues, the congressmen said.
The other problem, they say, is Kerry allowed President Bush and Republican leaders and political strategists to define him in a way that severely damaged his viability as a presidential candidate.
"Republicans will take their opponents' strengths and set out to destroy them," Strickland said. "The Democrats had a genuine military hero, and Bush's camp effectively planted doubts about his military service."
The rural areas of Ohio care more about a presidential candidate's position on guns, abortion, same-sex marriage and other social issues than the economy and foreign affairs, Strickland said.
Strickland should know. He represents 12 counties, most of them rural. Bush won a majority vote in seven of Strickland's counties.
Issues that matter
"Education and the economy have troubled those areas for years so they've seen no difference regardless of who is president," Strickland said. "Pro-gun and pro-life is more important to them than education and the economy. That's not a criticism. They have a right to believe those issues are more important."
Ryan, who opposes abortion, said the Democratic Party has to be open to people who have differing opinions on social issues.
"It's like we don't want to have those discussions," he said. "Religion is one example. We need to have a discussion on religion. Ignoring it may be OK elsewhere, but not in Ohio. We can't pretend it's not an issue."
In 2008, Democrats should find candidates from the South and the Midwest, Ryan said. East Coast candidates should be discouraged from running, he said.
The next presidential candidate should not have a long legislative record because the record could be exploited and/or twisted, Strickland and Ryan said. Kerry has served in the U.S. Senate for 20 years.
Social issues
State Rep. Charles Blasdel of East Liverpool, R-1st, said if Democrats are to compete on a national level, they need to be more moderate on social issues.
"The Democratic Party is way far out left," he said. "That's completely out of touch when it comes to Ohio and the rest of the Midwest. Their party in general has gone in that direction. The issues at the forefront of this election were morality and the war."
Kerry's stance on abortion is why he lost the race, said Christ Michelakis, chairman of Trumbull County Democratic Party.
"Also, he had too many political skeletons in his closet," he said. "I don't want to say anything to hurt the party, but they are too left nationally."
The Kerry campaign did an excellent job, said Lisa Antonini, who heads Mahoning County's Democratic Party. The problem in Ohio, she said, was the same-sex marriage amendment on the ballot brought many conservatives to the polls, and while they were there, they voted for Bush.
No clear message
Mark Munroe, coordinator for Mahoning County's Bush-Cheney campaign and vice chairman of the county GOP, said Kerry never found a clear message.
"He was all over the map, while the president had a clear message," he said. "The president and those around him stayed on message. For Democrats to win, they have to be more like Republicans. They're too left-wing. You hear criticism of the Republican Party being too conservative, but the country is moving that way."
Moral issues are what the presidential race was all about, said Craig Bonar, Trumbull GOP chairman.
Mahoning County Treasurer John Reardon, a Democrat, is hard pressed to disagree with that assessment.
"Republicans did a better job of persuading people to vote on moral issues," he said. "The Democratic Party needs to nominate a middle-of-the-road, moderate candidate."
skolnick@vindy.com