SC decision to be used to GOTV? Why? It's the economy stupid.

[Savannahmann]

I keep on beating the drum, the skin broke, I replaced it, and wore out the second one. To be supported by the voters, you have to address the concerns of the voters with more than rhetoric or worse, propaganda.

Today, we see the usual flood of topics all showing how the SC decision should be used to inspire people to get out the vote. Really? Well, let's see what the people think about Judiciary as a concern shall we?

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1675/Most-Important-Problem.aspx

About 2% of the people think it is the most important issue facing us as a nation. 2% of the people. One out of fifty in other words.

That is about twice as many who think that guns or gun control is the biggest issue. Or Social Security.

So what is the biggest issue? What is the one thing that Democrats could get active on and get people fired up about? The ECONOMY. It was Bill Clinton's campaign that said the brilliant "It's the economy stupid" and that helped him win the Presidency.

Roughly half the people think that the economy is the biggest issue, and they don't care about the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court doesn't put food on the table for hungry children. It doesn't remove the worry lines around the parents eyes as they sit down to look at the bills and wonder where the money will come from. The Supreme Court doesn't do a damn thing for the single mother working two jobs to try and feed and house and clothe her children.

You all shout GOTV like this is all we need to do. They may GOTV, but they'll be voting Republican. Because the Republicans are smart enough to wrap their arguments in the number one issue, economy. That is why they continue their obstruction. They vow to fight the "job killing" Obamacare. They promise to oppose the "job killing" minimum wage. If they could figure it out, they would promise to fight the "job killing" daylight saving time.

But we have an issue, one that nobody outside of the blog and message board world cares about. Even we don't care all that much. But we're talking about needing ads to run to show people how important it is to GOTV. Why elections matter.

We ignore the simple fact that three of the Rethug nominated SC Justices were confirmed by a Majority Democratic Senate. Kennedy, Thomas, and Scalia were confirmed by Democratic Majority Senates. Eleven Democrats put Thomas over the bar and on the Bench.

Scalia was confirmed 98-0. Every damned Democrat voted for him to take the bench, not one voted against. NOT ONE! The same is true of Kennedy. Not one Democrat voted against him. NOT ONE.

So while we rail, and bemoan the Rethugs for nominating them. Why didn't our party fight to prevent them? The Senate has the power to confirm, or deny and appointment. Because the Rethugs were standing in our way, Harry Reid dropped the bomb and used the Nuclear Option of going with a simple majority.

So by using this as a GOTV message, we can either pretend that people are too stupid to realize that a majority of the Rethugs we detest were approved by us. Personally, I think that the people will know. I don't think they are that stupid. You might be of another opinion, but that is the joy of life, to have different opinions.

Or we could look at the polls, and see that people think that economic issues matter the most, and we could start doing something about it. We could start putting forward plans and leaving the Rethugs on the wrong side of the issue. Instead we cede the issue to them, and let them blast our efforts and allow them to promise to fight the "Job Killing" calender layout for the Senate.

They aren't doing anything to protect jobs. They don't want to. But they are getting credit for recognizing that the issue is out there. While people wonder what we are going to propose, and what do we do? Oh we announce that the term Obamacare isn't going to be used anymore. That is after all our elected officials have been using the asinine term for months, or years. The same Representative Pelosi who announced it was called the affordable care act is the same one who has referred to it as Obamacare for years. We come off as petulant children, and the Rethugs come off as caring about the economy.

So go ahead, and run those ads about the Supreme Court and how awful it is that they're wrapping buying elections in the flag of the first amendment. But when you do, I warn you that come November, you'll be ranting and gnashing your teeth about how awful it is that the Rethugs stole the Senate. You'll blame Citizens United, you'll blame this decision. You'll blame everything and everyone but the ones who need to be blamed. When you ignore the voters, they'll ignore you too.

[jwirr]

1. We make a mistake to use only one issue in any campaign. Most people can handle two ideas at the

same time.

[JoePhilly]

2. If you don't think the people are stupid ... why do you think they can't handle ...

... more than one message?

Let's recall that most Americans can't name ONE supreme court justice. So what would cause one to think that they have any idea of how Democratic Senate members voted back in the 1980s?

Perhaps most important, those who are active in GOTV efforts know that if you go knock on doors with ONE MESSAGE, you are screwed. You need to understand every issue that the local people are likely to care about and be ready to talk to them about those issues.

If they care about voter suppression, you need to be ready to talk about it, and how this SC decision relates. If they care about healthcare, you have to be ready to talk about how we build on the progress of the ACA. They care about minimum wage, you need to know the details on that.

This idea that there is one message doesn't really fly.

[Savannahmann]

7. I'm saying to stop ignoring the economy.

Everything we toss out is viewed by the voters as a smoke screen. They figure either we don't know the economy is bad, or that we don't care. All of this nonsense we keep tossing out. The asinine little images where we tell people how awful the Rethugs are is useless. We are ignoring the proverbial elephant in the room, and the party of that elephant isn't.

Do you want to know why we are even in danger of losing the Senate in November? It's not because some people called the ACA Obamacare. It's not because Snowden leaked the material. It's not because the Rethugs have a good image control. It's because we are ignoring the issues that matter to the voters, and thereby ignoring the voters.

Let's say you have a significant other. A man or woman who you are interested in. You ask them to meet you for some time dancing. You don't show up. You don't return their calls, and you don't care that their birthday comes and goes without so much as a word. Can you be surprised when they go out with someone else? Even if that guy/girl they go out with after you is a complete loser by comparison, they are paying attention to the former significant other.

Voters are the same. You have to pay attention to them. You can't ignore their issues, and expect them to fawn all over you. It's a partnership. A relationship that you have to work to maintain. By shouting GOTV or else this kind of SC decision will be handed down, and ignoring their issues, which the Democrats are doing above and beyond the wildest dreams of Rethugs, you are insulting them.

They can and do care about other issues. I care about the SC, slightly. I care about the NSA more. I care about the militarization of the police and brutality/abuses by the police more than the NSA. But like the majority, the economy is my biggest issue. So if you asked me in a poll what the biggest issue was facing this nation, my answer would be the economy. Because even my big pet peeve of police abuses pales in comparison to people living in storm drains. Because I've felt the despair of knowing I can't pay all the bills at the end of the month. I've watered down the milk, and I've looked at the instructions on the box of macaroni and cheese wishing I could afford to put milk and butter in it. I'm no longer that desperate, but I have not forgotten the feelings. I've looked at a bowl of ramen and a handful of saltine crackers and known this was the best hot meal I could manage for the day, and felt lucky then that I could have that.

All of it. The NSA, the Police. All of it is not a bad second line, but it must be coupled with the first line, and that first line must be the economy. We see the President Pivot to the economy, but even then he just takes credit for the great shape it is in. It isn't in great shape for far too many of our fellow citizens. They are desperate for some relief, a little help, and all we can offer them is silence becaue recognizing how desperate they are means we can't take credit for the economic recovery. Silence on this issue won't get them to the voting booth, and if it does, they'll vote for the Republicans. At least the Republicans recognize that things are not wonderful in the world, because the Republicans are fighting to stop the "Job killing" postage stamp selection procedure while we're telling the world that the CBO's assessment that the Minimum wage hike losing half a million jobs is either erronious, or a good thing for those stuck in such jobs. We actually said that the people would be better off unemployed. We couldn't appear more callous unless we were literally walking on the backs of the poor ala Count de Money in History of the World Part 1.

[Laelth]

10. +1. n/t

-Laelth

[Cali_Democrat]

3. The NSA also isn't considered a top issue by voters

So don't focus on the NSA, focus on the economy?

[Anansi1171]

4. You go to purchase a car and you spend a good amount of time completing the transaction.

You deal with several issues, not just one or two, what's the down payment, the APR, the model, color, extras.

GOTV needs to continue to up its game. We need to talk to our voters every month; with a verified contact over phone, email or in-person. We need to talk about ACA. the Economy, Guns, Prisons, Pot, sex.

We need to get around the 1-2 issue repetitive model.

Go around the MSM.

Do not count on the Internet working on Election day.

We need a new playbook writ large and not depend on a rigged-game.

[el_bryanto]

5. IT's a key issue for a couple of reasons

#1 you are right that the votes aren't there, but the base is. And an energized worked up angry base is worth quite a bit in an election. An apathetic base makes it a lot harder to win.

#2 the special breaks and perks that our corporations get because they can afford to buy politicians are part of the reason the economy is in such a state. Let's be blunt, not everybody is suffering through a recession - CEOS and Wall Street Brokers might have bad days but in general they are doing just fine. And our electoral system is part of why the working poor are so damn poor while the wealthy are doing pretty well. I agree that we need to make that connection, but that's not an argument for dialing down our talk on the supreme court - its an argument for dialing it up and connecting it to the problems we are facing.

Bryant

[leftstreet]

6. 2014! We're Still Kinda Less Crappy Than the Other Guys!

Woohoo!

DURec
Outstanding op

[polichick]

8. "Scalia was confirmed 98-0" - yes, this is a big problem...

There are so many issues Dems can run on if they're interested in a populist campaign.

[Laelth]

9. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth