THE EMERGING DEMOCRATIC MINORITY:

Group of Democrats decides to go its own way (Steven Harmon, November 21, 2004, The Grand Rapids Press)

Mark DeHaan remembers a letter from a voter saying she could never support him because his party was pro-choice. That frustrated DeHaan, who was running for Kent County treasurer as a anti-abortion Democrat.

Now, he supports a group being formed within the Kent County Democratic Party with a goal of expanding the party's reach to non-traditional Democratic voters.

"This type of organization could get more of a message out that there are more pro-life Democrats, get different ideas out there, project a different image," said DeHaan, who is on the party's executive committee. "This club could be a good chance to draw in additional members who may feel left out."

Reaching out to anti-abortion Democrats would be just one of numerous strategies this nascent group, named the Grand Rapids Democratic Club, could pursue. But the chief outcome would be to loosen the UAW's grip on political power within the county party.

The club would develop its own approaches to fund-raising, candidate recruitment and party-building activities as the party heads into the 2006 election cycle, supporters say. It's all being done with the grudging approval of the party's labor leaders.

Underlying the move is a growing tension between labor activists and non-labor Democrats, who want more say in how elections are run.

A party of cobbled together interest groups with no common values or shared ideas can not cohere indefinitely.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 21, 2004 11:14 PM