In order to win as a Democrat in Nebraska, you must act like a Republican, talk like a Republican, and vote like a Republican. This is what the tired old conventional wisdom of Nebraska Democratic politics has told us for years. “Inside the box” political thinking that has resulted in exactly one federal victory in the last six years.

Political cowardice that saw Jim Esch ridiculed by the party establishment last year for, among other things:

• Making sense on immigration.
• Wanting to get the fuck out of Iraq.
• And taking a principled stand on PAC money.

Folks who would have you believe that Kerrey’s position on the war is going to be a strength for us should he choose to run for Senate. Who believed that Ben Nelson’s clueless position on immigration is somehow good for the Democratic Party. Who think a bill like LB 475 is too risky to vote for. Who think casting the deciding vote against repeal of the death penalty will ultimately help their political career down the line. And who, after watching two unconventional candidates shock everyone while a conventional candidate got beat by 18 percentage points, hold up the conventional model as the one to follow in this state.

We, as Democrats, need to stand for something, or we will stand for nothing. 

I’m not suggesting ideological purity, not by any means. I am suggesting the common philosophy that means there’s more to our party than just holding office. Our party believes in the ability of our government to help people. A lot of us have disagreements on just how far that can go, but by and large we’re on the same page that we are in a position to do something about it, and we damn well should. The Republican Party preaches that government is the problem. And then they go out of their way to make sure that government is the problem - by willful neglect.

If there were no clearer instance of that line - the line between responsibility and neglect - it would be the war in Iraq. The Republican Party and George W. Bush have been content to send our young men and women into battle without the resources they need. The Democratic Party recognizes the need for a responsible exit from Iraq. Unfortunately, responsibility is nowhere in this President’s vocabulary. And for another 20 months, we will have to see this President’s reckless disregard for the will of the American people send more and more Americans to their deaths.

My opinion on Jim Esch and Scott Kleeb - why they energized so many in 2006, why they will do so again in 2008 - is that they never shied away from being Democrats. They certainly talked about independence - there’s nothing wrong with that, and independence is something that’s in our nature as Democrats, and Nebraskans. But more than that they were never afraid to talk about the things that mattered. And, you know what? People figured out that they agreed with ‘em. Scott Kleeb got 45% of the vote in a district that went 75% for Bush. Many of those people who voted for Kleeb never voted for a Democrat in their lives.

They stopped making it about the stereotypes, the labels. You can run a campaign that appeals to your base and still appeal to Nebraska’s voters - if you emphasize the right issues, if you listen to the concerns of voters. If you are upfront and honest about what you believe. And though I started this post with a jab against Kerrey, one thing I will say about the man is that he has a great deal of respect among Nebraskans for exactly that reason. He was never one to hide his position on an issue, to make it prettier for the cameras, to use doublespeak to blur the lines. Bob Kerrey is a man of integrity.

I write this as kind of a final cap on a week of posts that weren’t exactly “go team,” and quite scathing. I want to see real progress in the Nebraska Democratic Party, and I saw some of it in 2006. I’d like to see that model repeated - successfully - in 2008.

P.S.: I promise, soon, I’ll get back to obsessing about the U.S. Senate race.