ABSTRACT
The Democratic nominee must establish himself very early in the campaign as a person who, in addition to being concerned with the needs of ordinary people, is competent and tough. Gary Hart’s charges during the Democratic primary campaign that Mondale was a “changeling” politico at the beck and call of “special interests” handicapped him at the beginning of the fall campaign. One fundamental assumption—that the traditional Democratic commitments to positive government are somehow old hat—has too often gone unchallenged and, accordingly, has gradually become the accepted wisdom. Only if the Democrats can communicate a clear view of the positive role that government can play in our society will they gain the kind of confidence needed to campaign successfully against an incumbent president. The party’s commitment to racial integration has been a divisive issue for Democrats since 1948, causing many working-class Catholics and white Southerners to leave the party.
