Democrats Battle for Party's Soul : Politics: Five workshops on key national problems are part of process to create a statewide party platform.

Democrats Battle for Party’s Soul : Politics: Five workshops on key national problems are part of process to create a statewide party platform.

By DAVE LESHER

Oct. 3, 1991 12 AM PT

TIMES POLITICAL WRITER

Setting their sights on an uphill election next year, Democrats in Orange County began planning their strategy Wednesday with a public airing of their differences, which they dubbed “the looming battle for the soul of the Democratic Party.”

The battle is scheduled to take place Saturday when Democrats will gather at 10 separate workshops throughout Orange County to discuss solutions to the nation’s biggest problems. The workshops are part of a five-month hearing process to create a statewide party platform.

But before even discussing solutions, local Democrats have launched into a spirited debate about whether the platform process is an effective means of devising a stance or an internal exercise that is meaningless to voters.

That question was debated Wednesday by six local party officials at a press conference in Santa Ana. It was first raised last week when Howard Adler, Orange County Democratic Party chairman, wrote his party’s state leader to complain about the proposed categories for discussion at Saturday’s hearing.

With workshop titles such as “Arts and Culture” and “Labor and Economic Justice,” Adler charged: “They are so general, they will no doubt produce the usual bloated platitudes that appeal to political junkies and then are destined to be ignored.”

Adler listed several issues he considered more important, such as gangs, jobs, drugs and taxes, then concluded: “It’s damn frustrating being a Democratic county chairman these days. . . . I just hope that the Democratic leadership and message emerge before we go the way of the Whigs.”

If the platform process is not changed, it will be “a waste of time,” Adler said at the press conference. However, others said they were looking forward to Saturday’s hearings as a forum for healthy debate of the issues.

“The idea of a platform is that it gives the party a few minutes of introspection. There is no limit, to my knowledge, of any of the topics to be discussed,” said Rajen S. Anand, chairman of the Asian Pacific Caucus in Orange County.

Dale Smith, a representative from the United Auto Workers, added: “If we get a platform people believe in, we will elect a president next year.”

Phil Angelides, state chairman of the Democratic Party and the recipient of Adler’s letter, said he believes that the Orange County chairman is “trying to breath life into the party.”

Angelides added that the platform is an important document, but he said Adler was right in trying to make it more relevant to voters.

“What Howard is really saying is not so much ideological as much as it’s saying that we need to be a better party that addresses the issues--to be relevant,” Angelides said. “I agree with Howard. . . . I guess what I’d say is that America is searching for its soul and we’re a microcosm of that.”

The platform hearings, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, are open to the public. For information on locations and topics, call (714) 835-5158.

Less-Than-Friendly Confines

Orange County is not known to be very accommodating toward the Democratic Party. The number of Democrats here has steadily declined since the late 1970s, now making up a little more than one-third of the total number of registered voters.

Where Are the Democrats?

Orange County cities with the highest and lowest percentage of Democrats, as of February, 1991.

HIGHEST PERCENTAGE

Stanton: 48.6%

Santa Ana: 48.5%

Buena Park: 44.9%

Garden Grove: 43.0%

Los Alamitos: 41.1%

LOWEST PERCENTAGE

Villa Park: 18.3%

Newport Beach: 20.3%

Laguna Niguel: 24.8%