Our message in one word.

[mdmc]

I'd like to try something here at DU.
Please post ONE WORD in your subject line. Please use this one word to describe our campaign message this election year.
I am looking for a sound-bite, specifically, a description of the epitome of our campaign. In one word.
Feel free to expand your thoughts with text in the message field.
I hope to expose a trend that might help us win in the fall.

So, who wants to play? I'll go first.
:dem:

[mdmc]

1. caution

:kick:

[mdmc]

21. .

I heard Hillary Clinton answer the, "Why doesn't Kerry go after w. with more aggression?" question with this one word.

I think that this word offers a response to the w.'s "reckless" or "thoughtless" (sometimes described as "powerful", "bold", or "strong") war with Iraq. Actually caution answers many w policies.

I think that Kerry is a cautious person, and that this campaign theme would allow him to "be himself".

What do you think?

[democratreformed]

56. That's the word I was thinking of before I looked

at everyone else's answers. I feel a great deal of caution. I feel that the election is so important, they really don't want to screw anything up.

[mdmc]

63. caution

I think that this works well for Kerry. He is genuine in his cautiousness.

This theme also underlines the need for unity, and that w. has pushed further into danger (in the name of safety).

:kick:

[mdmc]

23. .

dupe. One Word, LOL! :kick:

[lojasmo]

76. Conservative N/T

[mdmc]

124. kick

for the kids!

[phillybri]

2. Restoration

n/t

[Wind Dancer]

3. transparency

[Bucky]

107. boobies

<-- two big boobies

[AlCzervik]

4. Sanity

[ronnykmarshall]

5. Bushless

[Zen]

85. Bushless

me too

[MallRat]

6. Healing

n/t

[goodhue]

7. Hope

[Beetwasher]

8. Competence!

n/t

[displacedtexan]

9. Cleansing

[proud patriot]

10. I second the word "HEALING"

[The_Casual_Observer]

11. Honesty

[westsidexview]

12. everybody

[Cats Against Frist]

82. I second "Everybody."

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. Reclaim

[Norquist Nemesis]

14. Revolution

[BeFree]

15. Enough!

Too, too much excitement, thanks, boo!sh, that'll be all, chimp.

[mstrsplinter326]

16. Sober

[porphyrian]

17. Justice

[Booster]

22. World respect.

[lastliberalintexas]

31. Seconded

Nothing is to be preferred before justice. - Socrates

Justice for the least among us, for those in the Bush administration, for mankind.

[kentuck]

18. UNITED

Because Bush said he was a "uniter" but he has been the most divisive leader of modern times. Most Americans, Democrats and Repubs, are concerned about the division in this nation.

[mdmc]

28. united

This I like. One thing is clear - Bush has only UNITED the Democratic opposition party! America is divided.

This is the most UNITY that I have ever seen within the Democratic Party.

:kick:

[kentuck]

58. This is a very useful exercise, mdmc...

Because the Party that can find the pulse of America will find the key to winning the next election. I think the one issue most Americans, Dems nd Repubs, are most concerned about is the division. They do not see George W Bush as a "uniter"...If Kerry can center his campaign around uniting this nation, I think that would be the key to victory.

[mdmc]

65. thanks

The next exercise will be to construct a mission statement using these words.

In order to unite, you must not offend or isolate. Kerry is rather liberal, but his divisive domestic positions have been overshadowed by w.'s extreme conservative crazier by the day administration.

I think we have a great chance of winning, by the way.

[Rebellious Republican]

127. Damn Kentuk, thats what I first thought of, then scrolled down to see

if it had been used. Got my vote, that one word sums up many things, The Democratic party, the World against terrorism in a way that works, regaining lost global friendships, all people of of all ethnic, political and social backgrounds. The list just goes on and on and on. Great word, can be used in many contexts and interchangeable.

[mdmc]

130. UNited !

:kick:

[soleft]

19. democracy

the anti-fascism

[yardwork]

87. I second Democracy

because BushCo is attacking our Constitution.

[Sparkly]

20. Responsibility

[elehhhhna]

25. Redemption

[AFSCME girl]

40. Seconds...

for Redemption. By the way, welcome to DU :hi:

[democrat_patriot]

24. Accountability

[ibegurpard]

48. I second that one.

that pretty much sums up ALL of my concerns.

[Sabriel]

55. Indictments!

The more, the merrier. I'm going to buy popcorn and sit in the front row, reveling in it.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

26. renewal

[Minstrel Boy]

27. Atonement

Though admittedly, it's not a vote grabber.

Still, if it's not the text, I hope it's the subtext.

[banana republican]

133. good choice

[Guaranteed]

29. Justice.

:)

[mopinko]

47. fairness

we are only as strong as our weakest link

[kimchi]

30. PEACE!

[antigone382]

32. Integrity

I was trying to think of a word to describe everything this administration lacks: honesty, dignity, character, humility, respect for others, etc. Integrity, in my mind, combines all of those qualities and more.

[mdmc]

39. Integrity

Kerry seems to have plenty of that. Unfortunately, it seems easy to muddle Kerry's integrity with all the votes (being in the Senate for so long offers alot of fodder to taint a campaign) that he has made during his career.

The right often "concedes" that Kerry is "a true leftie", and that he has always held on to the integrity of his convictions (especially non mainstream convictions).

:kick:

[Octafish]

100. Integrity

That's the word my great-grandfather and his generation used to describe what it was all about.

[Guaranteed]

114. That hits right on the money nt

[Bunny]

33. Hope

[lapislzi]

34. honesty

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

35. Hope

Light at the end of the dark tunnel that was bush's administration.

A new day. The end of the danger to the US and the world that is bush.

[tom_paine]

36. LIBERTY!

[porphyrian]

71. ...my other choice. - n/t

[jokerman93]

37. American Renaissance

(two words - I cheated)

[jokerman93]

50. I think it's possible

I think it's possible to launch a new epoch in the American ethos that rivals the 17th century flowering of culture and science that occurred in Europe. We can't afford to wait for the forces of history to converge by accident. We can choose to launch an American cultural initiative that elevates this country to new heights of integrity, innovation, creativity, and world leadership.

Let's go back into history and restore all that is great about Western civilization, and give it an honored home as the essence of American culture. Let's bring our education back to the values of the timeless classics of human knowledge and inquiry. Literature, science and art as the source of new celebrity and public entertainment. Teachers honored and revered and compensated for their trust. The power of skill and knowledge, and nobility of spirit taught in the early grades, and nurtured into a flowering of human potential for each child -- who will grow up into a leader and ambassador for the liberty and excellence this country can truly represent to entire world.

We have so much. We could could do so much better than we are. American innovation, generosity and fortitude of spirit could lead the way to a sustainable world civilization based on cooperation and enlightened self-interest.

Frankly, I don't think this is just a pretty dream. I think humanity's survival may depend on reaching far beyond what we have reached for -- at any time in history.

American Renaissance.

OK. I'm done.

[mdmc]

52. Renaissance

America is due for a renaissance! :kick:

[grasswire]

38. genuine/authentic

[vetwife]

41. Replace

[cybildisobedience]

42. HELP!!!!!

[vetwife]

43. Unseat !

[info being]

44. Results

[info being]

45. Effectiveness

[UrbScotty]

46. JUSTICE (nt)

[Irishladdie]

49. Optimism

[terrya]

51. Hope.

[bobbyboucher]

53. Thermonucularwar

Are we there yet?

[mdmc]

91. lol

:kick:

[neuvocat]

54. Iraq

[Myrina]

57. Responsible/Responsility

Owning up to one's decisions - good or bad - rather than blaming, goading, or marginalizing everyone else on the planet.

[donkeyotay]

59. Representation

We want what the Constitution promised and every elected official swears to uphold: a government that represents the people, all of them.

[mdmc]

61. representation

the people -- all of them.

Welcome to DU!

:kick:

[Forkboy]

60. Eh

Sorry,I'm a major cynic :shrug:

[dand]

62. Defoliate

[mdmc]

78. ?

:kick:

[dand]

79. defoliate the bush

[Deja Q]

64. ENERGY

CRITICAL

[TrogL]

66. Unafraid

[StandUpGuy]

67. Legitimate

Lawful
Honor
Justice

[Generator]

68. Resolve

It's not very sexy but it's what first came to mind.

I'm resolved. I'm not surrendering. My little word for windows has it as "made up your mind". That's it. I'm not surrendering my Democracy and my country to fear and lies.

I saw a TV crawl that had John Kerry saying "this is the most important election in our lifetimes." Be resolved to that fact.

[Dying Eagle]

69. WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lindsey]

70. Inclusion!

We are Americans....do we remember us? Were we ever who we thought we were? If not, can we ever BE who we thought we were?

[tabasco]

88. Evolution

I want to become a higher form of life.

[dietdpfan]

72. Dignity

As in, at least our party has some.

:dem:

edit: grammar correction

[TexasSissy]

73. TRUST

[radfringe]

74. Credibility

[ThomWV]

75. Progressive

That's what we are, or certainly what we will have to become to survive.

[Laughing Mirror]

77. TRUTH !!

[AVID]

80. truth

again

[guitar man]

81. Determined

[mdmc]

83. well met

:kick:

[Cerridwen]

84. Freedom

The first word that came to my mind.

So many of our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms are and have been eroded these past 2 or 3 decades.

[Connie_Corleone]

90. I second that...

Freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:hippie:

[kodi]

93. christ, it took 84 posts? first and foremost, freedom

.

[Mz Pip]

86. VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.

[hippiegranny]

89. honesty

something that has been sorely lacking since the "adults" took (literally took) charge.

[leyton]

92. Strategery.

Is our tactics working?

[mdmc]

95. lol

thats rich.

[mandyky]

94. Credibility

unfortunately we'd have to say it with our fingers crossed, I am severely doubtful about Kerry, but he's still better than shrubbie!

[Dogmudgeon]

96. Honor

It had to be said.

--bkl

[Kukesa]

105. Hey! That's what I was going to say. HONOR, I like it. n/t

[IronLionZion]

97. AWESOME!!!

Cause it's true that WE KICK ASS!!!

[lakeguy]

98. (mis)underestimated

[Bucky]

109. (mis)overestimated

[manic expression]

99. Understanding

understanding

[Momma Mia]

101. One word:

Change

As in, for the better!

[welshTerrier2]

102. JOBS

i can't believe no one has posted this yet ...

i also considered: Peace and deficit

[TNMOM]

103. Competence.

Hands-down. No one thinks Bush is competent, not even his apologists. Wingnuts like him BECAUSE he's dumb. The flipside of dumb is incompetence and failure. In contrast, Kerry is ultra-competent. His demeanor reminds of me Abe Lincoln. Kerry looks, sounds and projects confidence and competence.

[tkmorris]

104. Humanity

[Bucky]

106. Compsibility

Competence + Responsibility = Compsibility

[gatorboy]

108. Question

I feel a few too many of these have gone far too long being asked, hell, demanded, in the media.

[69KV]

110. Stability

Stability, with all that it implies:

Tolerance
Moderation
A safety net
Livable wages
Freedom, human rights, civil rights, and privacy
A secure middle class lifestyle for all
Unionized workplaces ensuring workers rights, job stability, and good wages
Armed neutrality, non-interventionist foreign policy, U.S. minds its own business in the world.

The Repugs, on the other hand, stand for disruptiveness and dislocation:
The disruptive, radical, theocratic social agenda of the religious right. That agenda is spelled "H-A-T-E."
The disruptive, radical PNAC foreign policy that makes the world hate us and brings things like 9-11 upon us.
The disruptive, radical economic libertarian agenda that would destroy unions, abolish livable wages, force people onto the street, and send us back to the robber baron era.
The disruptive pandora's boxes known as deregulation and globalization, because of which the economies of the world are going to take decades to return to some semblance of stasis.

I submit that this should be our selling point. We're the party of stability.

[LittleApple81]

111. Liberate.

As in admitting we ARE LIBERALS AND PROUD OF IT. Just re-define Liberal to return to its original meaning. THEY SMEARED IT. Threw enough feces on it until it stuck.

[carpetbagger]

112. Better.

We can do better.

[Samantha]

113. Authentic

Bush -- warming up in the bull pit trying to pitch a presidential profile to the voting public.

Kerry -- standing at home plate -- profile of a genuine leader hitting political homeruns in real time.

[Th1onein]

115. Honesty.

[jeffrey_X]

116. RESPECT

.

[WHAT]

123. RESPECT II...

I second that. It seems to encorporate many of the other ideas, two.

[jbm]

117. clarity

I think you can't find any answers until you can clearly identify the problems. Clear thinking is definitely liberal territory!

[ScreamingMeemie]

118. Accountability.

:hi:

[fob]

119. LANDSLIDE!!!

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy!

[Endangered Specie]

120. Restore

[meisje]

121. Deshrubification

[Change has come]

122. Presidential

[Carolinian]

125. Honesty

[RedEarth]

126. Respect

Regain the respect of the world community...

[DemBones DemBones]

128. FAIRNESS

[nankerphelge]

129. Unity

[Speed8098]

131. Compassion

:kick:

[banana republican]

132. bramblebush

aka briarpatch;
thorns;
thistles;
pain-in-the-ass

[against all enemies]

134. Democracy

People should know that the fabric of this country is being undermined by Bush's secret government and that in a democracy the voters must be trusted to make decisions with ALL the facts.