GregsOpinion.com

Simon Rosenberg has his prepared comments from Orlando posted online.

I don?t have all the answers for what we need to but I do have some thoughts.

We need a fifty state strategy. If we are to be a national Party, we must fight in every state, every county, every town and every parish.

We need a new partnership between the national and state parties. Together we can craft a new modern strategy that allows the national party to better learn from all of you, respects your knowledge of your states, and makes a solemn commitment to rebuild and modernize your parties from the ground up.

We need a bold 21st century vision that applies our traditional Democrats values to new times and that can play in all parts of the country. At its very core it must focus on opportunity, security and values. And we cannot cede the debate about the values that make our country great and our communities strong to the Republicans.

Our new agenda must include a commitment to win the war on terror, keep us safe here at home, lead the world towards greater prosperity and peace; and offer an economic approach restarts growth, is fiscally responsible, provides universal health care and puts people and working families first.

We need to embrace being a Democrat. If we are to convince the American people of our cause, we must make the word Democrat work in all regions of the country. NDN ran two multi-million campaign this year that promoted Democratic values in tough states like Alaska and Oklahoma. We have to embrace and define our values, not run away from them.

We should re-imagine what our Democratic community looks like. Technology has allowed us to envision a very different type of Party, one built from the ground up, with the labor, money and passion of average Americans fueling our efforts. We need to turn this new wave of activism into something that revitalizes your parties across the country.

We must build a new modern intellectual, political and media infrastructure to match what the Republicans have built over the past generation that will give you more support on the ground.

We need to invest in and better groom our leaders. Elected officials, party leaders, media consultants, investors, entrepreneurs, academics, bloggers ? all need more and better training earlier in their careers. We must take leadership development much more seriously.

We can use modern media and technology to design strategies to speak to every community. Our proper obsession with swing voters cannot allow us to neglect groups like African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, rural voters, and young voters. NDN just completed a $6 million national media campaign targeted at recent immigrants. We can replicate this type of modern campaign in other communities and in every state.

We have to build our new majority in the coming America. Republicans are winning with growing regions and groups. They won in 97 of the fastest growing 100 counties; most of the so called red states are gaining population, the blues ones losing. They are making real gains with Hispanics, the fast-growing part of the population. We have to project forward and build a new majority coalition based on where people are going not where they?ve been.

Without a doubt, Simon's got the right idea ... as do several others in the running. One drawback for Simon, I'll offer, is that running a 527 is in no way shape of form the same thing as running a national political party. Granted, there's a long list of people with less qualifications who have done more in the job ... Ron Brown quickly comes to mind. But Simon's New Democrat Network took on a lot of tough races in 2004, losing more than they won. He singles out Oklahoma and Alaska's Senate races in his speech, for instance. Excellent races with superior candidates in states that were just too damned red in a Presidential year for us. I think there's more needed to get to the prescription for that, but understanding the problem is at least the first step.

UPDATE: Jerome offers some conventional wisdom out of Orlando and notes that the problem confronting Rosenberg and Fowler are similar. They're both too young. I'll say this while I still have a modicum of legitimacy as a youngster ... I see no problem with that. Of course, in the case of Donnie Fowler, it may be more of a problem. He doesn't just look young ... he looks younger than he really is. I mean, sheesh, the guy probably still has to show ID for a beer. Jerome also notes that the 527 association is a drag on Ickes ... I've got to think it's a similar drag on Rosenberg if this is true. Fowler is noted as having an all-out active campaign going on.

I'm doubtful how much of the reading out of Orlando is just a reaction to the speeches or a leaning towards outright support. Ron Kirk is getting good buzz from the event, but I've still got to think he's a lower tier candidate once the votes start coming in. Wellington Webb may well have a shot at this, if the various tea leaf readings amount to anything. But my top two remain unchanged: Fowler or Rosenberg.