主题：【文摘＋评论】如何崛起，克林顿的最新对策 -- 西风陶陶

虽然驴党代表美国经济最发达的东西两岸，但是却在2004年这个关键的总统选举中落败；美元在BUSH当选后狂泻。落败的主要原因是中部地区的选民较注重同性婚姻等道德问题，而80％的这些选民投票给了BUSH。对此，曾经在96年在小城镇大胜的克林顿开出了以下药方：要向农村，小城镇的选民传递一个信息：民主党不是“天外来客”。

如果说管理，领导学的角度，克林顿是个极有领袖魅力的人；难得的是他在手术后两周便为KERRY竞选，全然不计KERRY当选可能会使HILARY2008入主白宫的梦想落空。而他对这次大选的评价是：这次大选是草根阶层作出的选择，民主机制的活力得到了体现。落败后，能作出中肯的理智的分析，克林顿的确是个人物。

Clinton Urges Democrats to Fight GOP's Caricature (Update1)

Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Former President Bill Clinton said the U.S. is more evenly divided on cultural issues than at any time since the protests over the Vietnam war in 1968, and Democrats need to combat Republican caricatures of the party as anti-family and anti-religion.

``We have to be present with a compelling message in small towns and rural areas,'' Clinton, who served two terms in office, said at an Urban Land Institute conference in New York today. ``If we don't make the message, we can't complain when we're demonized, cartoonized as aliens.''

Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry, a 60-year-old U.S. senator from Massachusetts, suffered an ``adverse impact'' from the Massachusetts Supreme Court's decision to sanction gay marriage, the only court in the country to do so, Clinton said. The ``inexplicable'' release of a videotape showing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden four days before the vote also hurt Kerry, Clinton said.

An exit poll of 13,531 voters conducted by Cable News Network found 22 percent of the respondents thought ``moral values'' were their top concern in the election. That was followed by 20 percent who cited the economy, 19 percent who chose terrorism and 15 percent who were most concerned about the war in Iraq.

Clinton, 58, said Democrats need ``a clearer national message'' that doesn't portray Republicans as ``evil.''

New Strategy

The comments were Clinton's first since the election, which left Democrats struggling to craft a new strategy. Clinton's wife Hillary Clinton, a U.S. senator from New York, is often mentioned by political pundits as a possible presidential contender in 2008.

President George W. Bush, 58, won 286 electoral votes, 16 more than needed for a second term, according to an Associated Press tally after the news service declared him the victor in Iowa today, and Bush won the popular vote 51 percent to 48 percent, a margin of about 3.5 million votes.

In 2000, Bush didn't receive the majority of the popular vote, and claimed the presidency in the Electoral College after the Supreme Court determined he won Florida by 537 votes, halting a vote recount called for by Clinton's vice president, Al Gore.

Nevertheless, Clinton said Democrats shouldn't be too disappointed by Tuesday's elections

``It's a mistake for our party to sit around and whine,'' Clinton said. ``We've had four straight elections where we were competitive. From 1968 to 1992, we won one vote and got beaten bad in all the others.''

Democrats bettered their standing among white, educated, higher-income males, a traditional Republican constituency, Clinton said, and held their ground with other segments of the population.

Spending Capital

Even though Bush was reelected by the smallest popular-vote margin for an incumbent since Woodrow Wilson in 1916, the president vowed yesterday to press for his policies.

``The people made it clear what they wanted,'' Bush told a news conference. ``It's like earning capital. I earned capital in the campaign -- political capital -- and now I intend to spend it.''

The Republican Party also expanded its majorities in the Senate, to 55 seats from 51, and House of Representatives, to 230 seats from 227.

Bush said he would focus on allowing voters to use private retirement accounts in conjunction with Social Security, and to make permanent his $1.85 trillion in tax cuts, amid record budget deficits.

Clinton States Lost

In his 1996 victory, Clinton won states including Ohio, Florida, Arkansas, Arizona, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Nevada and Missouri, all of which voted for Bush this year. Clinton won 49 percent of the popular vote, with challenger Bob Dole winning 41 percent. Reform Party candidate Ross Perot took 8 percent.

Clinton derided the idea of ``permanent'' ``red'' states and ``blue'' states, those that vote overwhelmingly for Republicans and Democrats, respectively. While Bush carried Arkansas in 2000 and on Tuesday, Clinton carried his home state in 1992 and 1996.

Bush is the first president to win more than 50 percent of the popular vote since his father, George H.W. Bush, did so in 1988.

``The Republicans had a clear message, and a great messenger,'' Clinton said.

Clinton appeared with Kerry at a Philadelphia rally on Oct. 25, only six weeks after heart surgery. He subsequently campaigned in Florida and Arkansas.

Clinton said he was buoyed by the large turnout of voters Nov. 2 and that participation was won ``the old-fashioned way, through the grassroots.''

``The political system is alive and well,'' he said.

To contact the reporter on this story:

Todd Zeranski in New York at [email protected]

To contact the editor responsible for this story:

Edward DeMarco in Washington at [email protected].

Last Updated: November 5, 2004 17:46 EST