My friends and I are lifelong Democrats.  To put that in perspective, many of us voted for the first time back in 1972 or 1976.  

Knowing that Republicans coast to coast scored big wins last fall thanks to the publication of Project 2025, their blueprint for victory, the following two questions need to be asked:  Are Democrats writing something similar, and when will it be published?

In order to win back the White House in 2028, Democrats need to put on their marketing hats now and produce a well-defined set of goals and objectives.  Call it whatever you want.  Me/Us?  We are calling it Project 2029.

Clarity helped the GOP win last fall.  My friends and I believe Democrats need the same sense of clarity to win in 2028.  If you agree, then please sign this petition ASAP.  Here are three short-term goals to consider:

First, we need people to sign this petition in the next 10 days; second; write three specific Project 2029 action items in the next 2 weeks; and third, circulate information about Project 2029 to national media. 

So you know, you are among friends.  Here are letters to the editor the New York Times just published on the topic of Project 2029.

An Agenda for the Democratic Party

To the Editor:

Re “The Democrats Need a Project 2029,” by Joseph Heath (Opinion guest essay, March 4):

This essay should be required reading for all Democrats at every level. Professor Heath’s insightful ideas should be fundamental to the Democrats’ planning for the next election cycle. Much debate has surrounded how they should respond to the crisis we find ourselves in.

It is clear that there needs to be a two-pronged effort:

1. Push back and resist every damaging idea that President Trump and Elon Musk put forward.

2. Set out a clear future agenda that does not support an unpopular status quo, but demonstrates an understanding of problems within government and identifies ways to address them sensibly and thoughtfully.

Our country has been severely damaged in the last few weeks. The chaos that Mr. Trump has caused domestically pales next to the foreign policy he has undertaken. We have lost the trust of our allies and our position as leader of the free world. It will take generations to recover from the damage that has already been done.

Jim McManus
Glastonbury, Conn.

To the Editor:

Dear Democrats: Read “The Democrats Need a Project 2029.” As Joseph Heath writes, “The system is a mess, desperately in need of reform.”

Take a tip from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Write five things to improve government efficiency, put the data in a think tank, publish the results and allow the public to read the common-sense changes to public administration that you have in mind.

Perhaps hire Professor Heath as your “DOGE” leader. He has a good handle on how and where to start.

Regina Smoler
Las Vegas

To the Editor:

While ideas for government reform are welcome, they are not the primary cause of antigovernment sentiment nor a top priority for a 2029 agenda. For decades, the Republican Party, allied with the far right and the ultrawealthy, has wantonly and deceptively attacked government for political gain.
Indeed, even as Republicans cause government dysfunction — and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency makes government less efficient — they then campaign on this dysfunction.

In addition to strengthening Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, top priorities for a 2029 agenda would include enacting voter protections, Supreme Court reform, union rights and one fair living wage, taxes on billionaires, and reproductive and other fundamental freedoms.

By communicating and organizing around this agenda supported by most Americans, we the people can win future elections and make government work for all.

Larry Ottinger
Chevy Chase, Md.
The writer, a constitutional and civil rights lawyer, is a former president of the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest.

To the Editor:

Joseph Heath’s call for a Project 2029 to counter Project 2025 highlights a troubling trend in our politics: the rush for competing. I respectfully disagree. Politics does not need to be a contest of extremism; it could easily be one of moderation that reflects the views of the many Americans who occupy the neglected center.

Most voters today feel stranded. Many distrust President Trump but aren’t convinced he symbolizes the end of democracy. They view some corporations with skepticism but reject blanket vilification, demanding accountability rather than demonization. They believe that we should give others a hand up, not just a hand out. Neither party represents what they want, leaving them politically isolated.

Moderates of both parties could unite around a pragmatic Project 2029, acknowledging society’s flaws while celebrating its successes. In an era of partisan tantrums, a bipartisan coalition of grown-ups, skilled in compromise but firm in purpose, would stand out. The political center might not be flashy, but it’s where most Americans live and that is where real progress begins.

David Hebert
Grand Rapids, Mich.

SO, JOIN WITH US TODAY.  TOGETHER, WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.