State Democratic Chairman Surveys Elected Officials
Posted on: Wednesday, 6 July 2005, 18:00 CDT
As he pulls together what he's calling a "Louisiana Agenda," state Democratic Party Chairman Jim Bernhard has asked the 3,800 Democrats holding elected posts around the state - from local councilmen to state legislators - to detail their personal beliefs and political positions in a questionnaire.
The responses were due May 6, and the state Democratic Party headquarters has received more than 830 fully completed or at least partially completed questionnaires, according to Andrew Koneschusky, spokesman for the Louisiana Democratic Party.
Koneschusky said Tuesday that party officials were excited about the 22 percent response rate, noting the length of the survey: 10 pages on everything from basic facts about the official to positions on education, taxes, agriculture, affirmative action, same-sex marriage and abortion.
"Not only did 800 people take the survey, there were a lot of handwritten comments and free-flowing comments that really did indicate that people put a lot of thought into it," Koneschusky said.
He said those responses still are being compiled into a database, and the findings will be presented at one of the Democratic Party's State Central Committee meetings, likely in the fall.
Bernhard has offered few specifics of what he sees as the Louisiana Agenda, saying he wanted a consensus from state Democrats on what the stance should be. In a cover letter sent to officials with the survey, Bernhard said the questionnaires will "serve as an important first step in concretely defining our Democratic message."
Democrats, including Bernhard, are trying to separate themselves from the national party rhetoric that hasn't always played well in Louisiana - particularly since the state strongly voted for President Bush and recently elected its first Republican U.S. senator since Reconstruction.
Source: Advocate; Baton Rouge, La.
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