The Democratic party needs to re-invent itself in order to be effective in today’s political arena, Terry Michael, a long-time journalist and political spokesman, said.

Michael visited the SIUC campus promoting his Washington Center for Politics & Journalism, speaking over a five-day period to students and faculty on current topics addressing the political and journalism fields of today.

I can’t find a leader to re-invent my party, Michael, the Executive Director for Politics & Journalism, said. I thought Bill Clinton would be a leader beginning with the 92 campaign, redefining the party to make it attractive to middle class voters. But he either lost his will or never had it.

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Every concept of Bill Clinton’s is wrapped in deniabilitythat’s just who Bill Clinton is, Michael said. The Democratic party has got to make an impact if we are going to come to people in nine-second sound bites.

The Democratic party is scaring people to keep them on board, Michael said, citing Medicare as a topic of leverage for the Democrats.

Democrats are saying Republicans will steal your Medicare, he said. There is no possibility for solutions in that type of climate.

They are stuck in time, only seeing its (Democratic party) role as protecting the interest group programs it created 30 or 60 years ago.

Michael said his biggest fear is that Colin Powell will win the Republican nomination and will re-invent the Republican party in a way that he wants to see the Democrats reform.

Leadership is about making choices, and right now, Washington is avoiding decisions, he said.

Michael said a lot of people want an independent candidate to be an arbiter that will come to reasonable solutions. Colin Powell is one person in Washington who does not have the option of becoming a third-party candidate, Michael said.

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It isn’t do-able having Powell as a third-party candidate, he said. As long as Colin Powell is not a candidate, each of us can pour ourselves into him, and he can be what we want him to be.

I don’t know how Clinton could do anything in a free forum against Colin Powell and do anything but lose, Michael said.