It's the Pollsters, Stupid!
THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY RUN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Perhaps some of the finest reporting The New Republic has done in a long time. There's tons of wisdom in this one, so all I can start with is a recommendation to just read the whole thing in its entirety. Taking an inside look at the midterm meltdown by the Democratic party and what may be a leading cause, but no doubt a contributing cause if nothing else, Noam Schreiber takes a look at the influence (and occassional conflict of interest) that pollsters and consultants occassionally play in the campaign process.
I'm not sure how much validity to assign to the fact that Dem consultants tend to be based in DC while GOP consultants tend to be based in northern Virginia. That's about the only quibbling point I can find. The examples given where the DCCC dictates a few calls to local campaigns should be ingrained in people's memory for a long time to come, as should the predictability and ease of co-opting a message that has grown increasingly stale. 2000 showed this right up front with Bush looking over at Gore and claiming that he too was in favor of a Patient's Bill of Rights ... not the same one, mind you, but A Patient's Bill of Rights. The 2002 debates over Social Security reform, prescription drug benefits, and several more fall under the same umbrella. Democrat's can no longer assume that Republicans are just going to leave certain issues untouched in the Dem column ... so why are so many Dems leaving certain issues untouched in the GOP column?
I'm not sure the Bart Gordon example provided is the best model for how to succeed in the face of increasing pressure ... at least not as laid out. I'm not as familiar with Gordon as I am with several others, but while there is in fact, something to be said for being a savior to area projects deemed beneficial, there also has to be something said for being a candidate that starts off with a modicum of trust in that he represents and reflects the values of that district. Setting forth a scenario that leaves open the possibility that a David Bonior or Nancy Pelosi could very well represent the same region had they merely fought tooth and nail for a TVA project is, to be certain, a bit of a stretch. Likewise, ignoring that the Democratic party, if it is truly to be the party that represents the diversity seen across the nation, has to open itself up to some ideological diversity in order to appeal to a broader spectrum of voters, is to do a disservice to the party's chances of gaining electable majorities in the future.