[Memo from Stephen A. Berrang to Barbara C. Jordan - February 11, 1985] Page: 1 of 8
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If this falls into the
hands of the Russians,
its curtains for the
Western world.
11 February 1985
MEMO
TO: Barbara Jordan, Professor
FROM: Stephen A. Berrang, student
RE: Democracy in America
Of all people in the LBJ School, it seems strange that I should be
requested to comment on the future of the Democratic Party and how it should
get there. The road map below is certainly not full proof, nor objective. It
instead represents the biased observations of a moderate conservative.
The Democratic Party is certainly not in danger of extinction. Not even
close. It still holds a vast majority in gubernatorial seats, in state
legislatures, a comfortable position in the House of Representatives, and a
respectable minority in the Senate. It is, however, a party that does face
extinction in the Presidential race unless some remedial action -is taken. The
party could be cast as a permanent opposition in the presidential political
scene and as comfortable but threatened majority party in Congress and on the
state level.
How should the party avoid this fate? It could begin by living up to its
name and make itself more democratic. It is common knowledge that Walter
Mondale was able to skip, hobble, claw and crawl his way to the nomination
only by the grace of the 300 plus super delegates chosen by DNC, with the help
of activist democrats in the field, and a variety of large special interest
groups such as organized labor. While our current leader may have been
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Berrang, Stephen A. [Memo from Stephen A. Berrang to Barbara C. Jordan - February 11, 1985], text, February 11, 1985; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth611546/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Southern University.