Dems Looking West

Interesting piece in the LA Times today on the view of some within the Democratic Party that the path to electoral fortune lies in the West. I continue to believe that the Chicken Little Democrats are wrong - the sky isn't falling and the party doesn't need a major overhaul to be competitive. (Thus, the obsessive focus on values is overwrought. Today's Roll Call reports {subscription only} that the Senate Democrats are developing a media strategy that focuses on Christian broadcasting. That is a serious waste of time and money.) Nevertheless, as the LA Times piece notes, Democrats made some inroads in the West in 2004 and so a bit more effort there couldn't hurt.

One footnote to this is that as Democrats place more emphasis on the West, the stock of politicans from that region will rise. When coupled with what is likely to be a desire to give the 2008 presidential nomination to a governor, I'd say keep an eye on Gov. Bill Richardson (NM).