{"id":230755,"date":"2016-11-29T12:24:47","date_gmt":"2016-11-29T19:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=230755"},"modified":"2016-11-30T14:04:24","modified_gmt":"2016-11-30T21:04:24","slug":"democrats-must-develop-and-fight-for-a-clear-vision-to-improve-nm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2016\/11\/democrats-must-develop-and-fight-for-a-clear-vision-to-improve-nm\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats must develop and fight for a clear vision to improve NM"},"content":{"rendered":"

COMMENTARY:\u00a0<\/strong>The chairwoman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico deflected blame last year when asked why voters gave Republicans greater control of state government in 2014 than at any other time in history.<\/p>\n

\"Heath

Heath Haussamen<\/p><\/div>\n

Deb Haaland, in a Q&A I published on NMPolitics.net<\/a>, blamed \u201cthe unfettered influx of corporate money into the election process\u201d and voters \u201cwho don\u2019t necessarily take the time to research candidates on their own and rely on sound bites to sway their opinions.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words, Democrats weren\u2019t responsible for losing elections.<\/p>\n

Haaland’s\u00a0response\u00a0was disappointing \u2013 the same lack of self-examination that cost Hillary Clinton and Democrats the presidency this year.<\/p>\n

But it appears New Mexico voters got fed up with their Republican experiment quickly. This month, they gave control of the state House and the Secretary of State\u2019s Office back to Democrats and increased their advantage in the Senate.<\/p>\n

My challenge to Democrats now is this: If you want to maintain power, stop focusing on the next election. Instead, develop and fight for a clear vision to improve New Mexico. Our people are hurting, and this is what we need from you.<\/p>\n

Because the Republicans\u2019 message those years was a winning one: Democrats had set the state\u2019s agenda for most of the last eight decades, and they failed. The state was last or near-last in too many of the rankings that matter. Cronyism and corruption took precedence over the wellbeing of New Mexicans.<\/p>\n

Our situation remains dire. Our state is broke. Our most significant export is our kids, who find better opportunities if they leave \u2013 and that contributes to our state\u2019s downward spiral.<\/p>\n

Across America, Donald Trump\u2019s victory demonstrates that many voters view government as a bipartisan failure that\u2019s not serving people. They\u2019re tired of polished campaigns, cheap slogans, and a lack of substance and vision. They\u2019re desperate for change and will try anything.<\/p>\n

Recent elections here and in Europe make clear that the world is changing. People are increasingly dividing along racial and class lines. We must redesign government to keep up with the speed of the 21st Century and to be a unifying force.<\/p>\n

Democrats need to develop a cohesive vision for how they will finally improve New Mexico. Some examples:<\/p>\n