"The Democratic Party needs to do now what we did during the period between 1989 and 1992," said Al From, the founder of the Democratic Leadership Council. "It needs to redefine itself by challenging a lot of the old orthodoxies. Mark Warner's biggest contribution to our party can be redefining our brand and what it stands for."
One challenge for Warner is finding something to do after he leaves office. Virginia's constitution prohibits governors from succeeding themselves.
"The Democratic Party can't write off two-thirds of the country," Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner says.
(Bob Brown, Richmond Times-Dispatch - AP)
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From said he has begun talking with Warner about playing a leading role at the Democratic Leadership Council. Others have speculated that Warner still might challenge Allen. Or the governor, a millionaire, could simply travel the country campaigning for candidates and gathering support.
The director of Warner's political action committee said the recent attention has prompted calls from across the country as she plans a major fundraiser at the Tysons Corner Ritz-Carlton for his 50th birthday next month. Steve Jarding, Warner's former campaign manager, said name recognition will not be a problem.
"When Bill Clinton was governor, the only thing we knew as Democrats was that he gave a long, boring speech at the Democratic convention," Jarding said.
And there's evidence that people already know Warner's name.
At one site, www.democraticunderground.com, Warner was listed as a possible candidate along with former vice president Al Gore, Hillary Clinton and three others. Out of 127 votes cast, Warner got the most: 53. Not all of the site's visitors were convinced, however. One person wrote, "He seems really boring."
Another Web site, warner2008.blogspot.com, went up days after the election. The site's author, who identifies himself only as "Steve," writes enthusiastically about Warner, saying that he "sponsored a NASCAR vehicle, used a bluegrass song as his campaign theme, and managed to retain core Democratic values without alienating rural voters."
That's just the kind of candidate Republicans worry about, said Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), one of Warner's closest political friends. Huckabee said Democrats have a tough time in southern and rural states.
"They don't understand us," Huckabee said. "We live real lives. We shop and use coupons to buy things, and we manage our budgets carefully. We know what the price of gas is, and it matters when it goes up. We have to think about vacations and if possible find the discount airfares."
Huckabee said Warner could connect with those people.
"I'm glad they didn't turn to him this time," he said. "Frankly, it might mean all my friends in Washington would be looking for jobs."
