Remember 2008? How did Obama win the election?

[RobertEarl]

He won because millions of new voters turned out to vote.

Millions of new voters.

Why did they bother to vote?

Was it because Obama promised Peace?

Or was it because Obama promised more war?

Peace, real world Peace, is the greatest motivator for those otherwise fed up with politics.

We have elections coming soon. We need people to vote, because when we have massive voter turnouts, Democratic Party candidates nearly always win.

Is there any better GOTV motivator than the chance to vote for Peace?

[quinnox]

1. Ok, but I don't think there is any wars going on that is prominent in the consciousness of most USA

citizens. The Afghan thing is winding down. I can understand if we were in the middle of invading Iraq. I don't think that as it stands, this will be much of a factor. I think turn out will be low, to be honest.

[RobertEarl]

9. It is a republican versus Democrat idea

Has to do with the mindset of the country.

War is always on the horizon, saith the republicans.

Peace is in our future say the Democrats.

It has to do with the future. Our outlook.

When Peace is presented as the Change to come, it gives people a reason to vote.

[quinnox]

11. I just wish Dems did more of the peace thing

in recent times. Seems to me, the Democrats have adopted some of the GOP scumbags rhetoric on some things, like the "war on terror" and so on.

[RobertEarl]

29. That's why this election is importatnt, duh!

We need to control congress if we are to continue to have any Peace.

As it is, we could go either way. Recent history has shown the US makes less war when Democrats totally control the government.

And most people are motivated by Peace. Who doesn't want Peace?

[quinnox]

30. I'm not sure what it will be like in the election results

I will be interested to see, but I am not super optimistic, I must tell you.

You are 100% correct that the Dems need to hang on to what control they have.

[Le Taz Hot]

2. Well, the last time they voted for "peace" they ended up

getting more war. Good luck in getting those young voters back.

[quinnox]

4. +1. Obama has been a huge disappointment to young America

I saw poll after poll in recent years saying young people aren't happy.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

10. more war? Which ones? re: casualties

Total year by year casualties since start of Bush's second term (Iraq and Afghanistan)

2005: 945
2006: 921
2007: 1021
2008: 469
------------------
2009: 466
2010: 559
2011: 472
2012: 311
2013: 127

Iraq war wound down under Obama. Afghanistan headed there in 2014.

source: http://icasualties.org/

[Pretzel_Warrior]

3. I think it's because he was going to be the first African American president and had a great

marketing campaign. Iraq was already winding down.

[bigwillq]

6. This is the correct answer (nt)

[uponit7771]

8. So they voted for him cause he was black and not cause of policy?! sigh...

[Rex]

13. Well that is not why I voted for him, I thought he really would bring about change.

But I guess some did vote on mere surface issues.

[uponit7771]

16. Not the question, I asked if those young people voted for Obama cause he was black and not

... because of any policies?

Also, many wingers say things are the same... I'm really thrown back to see the same type of rhetoric and retort on a progressive site

[Rex]

19. I seriously doubt a lot of people voted for Obama because of his skin color.

I could be mistaken, but the people that I drove to the polls certainly were voting for him out of hopes of massive policy changes in DC.

[uponit7771]

23. wingers think so and that's what the poster intimated imho. Also, MASSIVE policy changes is what we

... got most in the right and some in the wrong direction.

Those who thought the world would be perfect after voting for one person didn't have a properly aligned reality IMHO

[Rex]

27. I think a lot of people were still reeling from 8 years of destruction by the BFEE.

I know what you are saying, I've heard many Rwingers in my neck of the woods say that is why he was elected - because of his skin color. I tend to believe it was the amount of change he promised us and some were NOT going to vote for another Clinton.

Nothing would surprise me coming from that particular poster.

[1awake]

5. I will be voting, though selectively...

I will be checking where each person stands on privacy/net neutrality/and then everything else, but first and formost.. privacy. Depending on that, they will or will not get my vote.

[elleng]

7. How will this translate for 2014 elections?

[RobertEarl]

18. Defense and other budget items.

How much money will your congress critter cut from the defense budget?

Or add to the safety net; the real safety net that makes Peace for billions of people a reality. These people we elect will be making real decisions that have real effects on whether we have Peace, or war.

[Rex]

12. Obama was a shoe in, 8 years of the BFEE made many people

vote for him. Nobody wanted an idiot like McCain or Palin in office after 8 years of Disaster Capitalism.

[quinnox]

14. Agreed, I think just about any Dem would have won that election

At that point, the whole country hated Bush and the republicans. With good reason!

[RobertEarl]

22. Why did they hate bush and repuiblicans?

Because the republicans wanted more war. Obama said enough. It got millions to go vote.

[quinnox]

24. Obama ran a masterful campaign

He shellacked McCain, and that was one of the more important reasons, as you say.

[Arkana]

15. Negro wizard powers.

[uponit7771]

17. +1

[brooklynite]

20. Actually, yes there is...

...since President Obama has been wrapping up our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan (not fast enough however for everyone here), War/Peace is NOT the top issue on voter's minds. They are more focused on jobs (especially theirs), the economy and income inequality.

[RobertEarl]

26. Peace is a winner

Sure, it's not an issue front and center right now. Hardly ever is when Democrats are in control. Because we bring Peace.

Peace is the single greatest motivator for new voters. When new voters turn up at the polls, Democrats win and that means world Peace.

It really is that simple.

[brooklynite]

32. Then explain it...simply

Peace is the single greatest motivator for new voters -- PROVE IT

When new voters turn up at the polls, Democrats win and that means world Peace. -- THAT'S EFFECT,, NOT CAUSE

Where is the evidence that disaffected voters (those who turned out in 2012 (and are a risk for 2014) will turn out BECAUSE of a campaign built on PEACE? And if so, what is that campaign? What policy will turn enough votes in Gerrymandered districts to flip the House so we'll be able to pass the peace policy?

[RobertEarl]

34. Really?

You don't get it? The reason we have any Peace is because Democrats and not republicans now have greatest power.

And I remember the 2008 election when so many new voters came in and signed up because: Peace.

If you want to give up getting Democrats elected because of gerrymandering, have at it. Makes for a good excuse.

When Democrats run on the Peace platform, they win.

Prove they don't.

[brooklynite]

40. 1972

[RobertEarl]

42. Yep

Nixon won on a peace platform. It was a lie, but that was what he said:
""Secret Plan for Peace""

LBJ was the last Democrat President that was in office at a time of warmogering, and he decided that he's just as well quit. Especially since he was co-opted by the lieing republican bastards that claimed Peace.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious: Peace platform is a winner.

Had the rayguns and bushies told the truth about what they wanted to do they too would have never been elected. But they lied and people died.

It is quite clear the dividing lines between Democrats and republicns when it comes to Peace.

[brooklynite]

43. Try again...

The "secret plan to end the war" was in 1968. Four years later, George McGovern was the overt Peace candidate, which took his campaign on to victory.....in Massachusetts.

[RobertEarl]

44. Nixon promised peace, He co-opted Peace

I don't get you. Are you claiming there is no difference between the Democrats and republicans when it comes to who will make, and who will keep, Peace?

[uponit7771]

21. Obama won the election by appealing to people who understood fixing things would take time and

... that things were so mess up during the Bush years that it wouldn't take 2 years to get out of a 10 year mess.

So glad to see conservative memes on progressive boards though

[Earth_First]

25. Lest we forget the '50 State Strategy' and internet grassroots campaign funding...

...that was laid out ahead of the campaign in '04 by the Howard Dean camp and DNC in '06.

This was markedly improved upon in '08 and combined with an excellent GOTV effort by the Obama/Biden campaign; the end result was a success that was built upon over several campaigns.

[librechik]

28. well, there was a huge landslide for Obama, but we'll never really know

how they let that happen. Or even if it actually happened. What with electronic voting machines and crooked state election officers, I have no faith in the numbers of these outcomes. I imagine Obama made it in because the guys who actually run this place thought they could deal with him, like Clinton.

And then we discovered that Obama didn't have the power to do what he promised. Others run the show, and a president's power is limited (whenever they want to limit it)


http://billmoyers.com/segment/preview-the-deep-state/

[RobertEarl]

31. It was the massive turnout that overcame

It is estimated the close to 7 million votes were 'lost' from the Obama column. Hard to prove, but easily understood, given the election system.

But because so many new voters turned up, the numbers overcame the theft, leaving Rove, et al, scratching their heads.

As for Obama and Peace, he was forced to walk back from bombing Syria. Bombing Syria has always been a republican wet-dream. They damn near got Obama to do it. But Peace won, for now.

[librechik]

36. yes, I still believe in that, of course. I still have hope.

Then when I really think about it I have to wonder why?. yep, big turnout, that's what they told us, and it seems to be a lot of evidence for that. Much bigger than they were willing to say. But I also don't feel I can trust what I am being told. And with election outcomes that's all there is.

I want to believe Obama won in a landslide (i'm not saying he didn't) because it is what I wanted. But can I be really sure that that is what happened? Our system demands that we simply trust since there is no citizen safety check.

But I certainly didn't trust the Bush elections. Do I stop being skeptical simply because I like the 2008 outcome? (again, I'm almost certain Obama won the vote and by an even wider margin than claimed)

Then after awhile, I realized that Obama's victory wasn't politically powerful enough to bring about the change we needed in the face of the forces against him. Thank you blue dogs and Lieberman. Seems like the PTB had it going both ways for them, and too bad for the people. Change is grudging and glacial.

And going in to Syria is just stupid. The neocons couldn't talk anybody into it for once. I'm sure Obama was relieved he was allowed to drop that spear. But he did carry it for awhile...

[RobertEarl]

38. Since 2006 in the local party office working

Many people who had never even ventured to register before, much less vote, came in saying they felt they had to, finally.

It was a massive turnout against war. The people demanded a change from the warmongering mindset which the waRepublicans had foisted on the people.

It really is that simple. Peace is the best reason to vote.

[librechik]

41. bless your heart--I hope you are right!

[RobertEarl]

45. No Hope to it

It is a fact that people turned out to vote for the first time ever due to a lack of Peace. They voted for Peace. Obama promised Peace and the people rejected the McCain bombing plans.

[One_Life_To_Give]

33. G W nearly destroyed the Repug party

It was a year in which no Repug could win. Anti-Repug sentiment was very high, assuring a Dem victory for whomever the Candidate was.

[yeoman6987]

37. I agree with you 100 percent

First of all no Republican could win in 2008 no matter what.....AND then McCain really gave us the election when he chose Palin. That was the final nail. We would have won anyway, but it might not have been quite as good of a win.

[stillcool]

35. fear was a big factor

for me. I recognize the lack of that fear from time to time. Watching New Orleans drown was the most disturbing event, in a long line of disturbing events that occurred during the Bush years. It is amazing how quickly I forget the daily barrage of fearful, false, and mind-bending information that nurtured my free floating anxiety. It's quite stunning how irrelevant those years seem. I wonder how the Iraqi's feel.

[swilton]

39. No Passion=No Turnout

The radical wings of both parties are more likely to generate turnout than centerists and moderates.