Where the Democrats lost: and where they can come back. (Gazette).

WHERE DID THE DEMOCRATS lose in 2002? A lot rides on this question; wrong answers will produce poor targeting and ineffective politics, and the Democrats can afford precious little of either. But right answers can set the stage for future gains in the 2004 election and beyond.

BASE MOBILIZATION

Perhaps the most common answer--certainly among Democrats--has been base mobilization. In this view, the Democrats' 2002 campaign failed to excite their political base, which consequently turned out at low levels and didn't offer the consistently high support the party has enjoyed ...