A Midterm convention?

Props to former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite. He has seconded for Labor Secretary Robert Reich's idea for a midterm convention for Democrats. This idea seems interesting. The party has a convention every four years. Umbrella groups meet annually at the state and national levels. Most state parties hold conventions every two to four years. Kentucky holds one every four years but I kinda wish we had one during midterms because it's nice to meet all these people from across the state. The following were Walter Cronkite's remarks:

The key to a Democratic success in next year's Congressional election is clearly in the party leadership's coming up with a campaign that does not concentrate on the Bush administration's failures but offers alternative programs to fix what it believes is wrong with the Republican agenda.

A suggestion by which the Democratic Party could command the greatest public attention for its positive agenda: It could within weeks call an extraordinary midterm convention to draw up its platform.

The convention would not need to be expensive. The delegates could be those who attended the 2004 convention. Their meeting would be open to the public and of course the press.

In sharp contrast to the secrecy of the Bush administration, it would let the public, if only remotely, share in the construction of the Democratic platform.

Although local issues might cause some candidates in next year's Congressional election to veer from the platform on comparatively minor issues, the basic principles of the party would be clearly apparent.

The voting population would for the first time in many years have an unobstructed view of those principles that differentiate the Democratic Party from those of the Republican Party.

Now, what does Labor Secretary Robert Reich think? I've had the opportunity to correspond with him in prior years especially after the 2002 election when he lost the Massachusetts primary for Governor. I still think he was a great candidate and would have been a--just as awesome--governor. His comments came from July 30, 2001. I'll link to this as soon as I get permission.