"You can change America by changing New Hampshire," was the challenge issued last night by the populist, Democratic, New Hampshire politician, Deborah "Arnie" Arnesen.
Arnesen delivered her speech, titled "Fighting the Religious Right: Democratic Strategies After 1994," in the Rockefeller Center for Social Sciences last night to about 40, primarily liberal, audience members who often cheered at her remarks.
Arnesen, a former New Hampshire State Representative and the 1992 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, prodded audience members to fight the new Republican domination of American politics by focusing on practical issues with strong local participation.
She discussed a wide range of national issues, ranging from religion to health care and welfare.
She cited a loss of faith in government by U.S. citizens and the inability of Democrats to unite as reasons for the political changeover in the 1994 midterm elections, where Republicans seized control of Congress for the first time in 40 years.
Arnesen said the Republicans were successful last year because they rallied around specific and fundamentalist causes like the manipulation of "angry white men" to shift blame for the lack of jobs and security to Democratic government and programs.
But Arnesen also admonished President Bill Clinton and other Democratic leaders for focusing too much on health care and urged them to focus instead on issues that immediately affect all citizens, like the economy.
"Government needs to be responsible for and responsive to the needs of the people. Not a no vote, a repair vote," she said.
She still said she is afraid that democracy will die out unless government answers the needs of citizens soon.
"The problem is to figure out what the message is, and stick to the sucker!" she emphasized, asking all present to join together, recognize common Democratic goals and implement them in upcoming elections.
The speech was sponsored by the Young Democrats at Dartmouth.
