The Democratic Party’s tricky new message

The message out of Washington DC the last few weeks has been loud and clear:

The Democratic Party is bigger than Barack Obama.

Unlike the Republicans, who have doggedly pursued a stripped-down, ideologically pure platform — one that offers scant welcome for moderate Republicans — Dems have made it clear that their party is a coalition.

That means compromise, it means some factions will lose occasionally, and it means Mr. Obama won’t get everything he wants.

The lesson that Democrats are taking to heart is the experience of parties under the last two administrations.

Bill Clinton and George W. Bush both left their respective parties in shambles.

Republicans and Democrats saw their majorities evaporate, thanks in large measure to the behavior and leadership of the Commander in Chief.

The question will be whether Dems can keep their disparate coalition together, finding ways that true liberals can co-exist with Blue Dog conservatives.

If they manage that trick, the formula could be a tough one for Republicans to crack:

A truly centrist political movement, one that’s competent and eager to make government work efficiently while also reflecting the broad, sometimes clumsy and contradictory aspirations of the American people.

Or Dems could disintegrate into warring and dwindling factions as the Republicans have done. Stay tuned…