Where we go from here

[IrishBloodEngHeart]

As I sit back and think about the campaign, and what happened, A few thoughts come to mind:

1) Democrats with a clear agenda won their races- The close elections that we lost were all in areas where the democrats tried to be in the middle against a republican on the right: Kerry, ND, SC, OK, AK, KY senate races (I'm not sure about FL). We had a muddled foreign policy message- We authorized the war but don't agree with it. And a muddled domestic message- we support gay unions but not gay marriage, but not laws against gay marriage. we support tax cuts, but only about 80% of them. etc etc. Could liberals have won those states- no, except maybe FL, but the play it safe politics doesn't bring out your base and creates confusion. I would rather run a slate of candidates with a clear consistant message than a bunch of people who can't clearly explain why they are democrats. That's how you build a party, not through this cow towing and hand wringing.

2) Kerry never really emotionally connected to the electorate. Some of this is because of the Conservative Mainstream Media, but part of it is because he didn't take advantage of all his chances to be real. I think he would have been better served to be more open and informal in his TV appearance. Howard Stern said he offered Kerry a one hour prime time interview on ABC, and Kerry turned it down. You've got to take advantage of every opportunity if you are someone like Kerry, to appear normal.

3) The republicans were proud to be conservatives, the democrats were ashamed to be liberals. That signals weakness and lack of conviction, and people don't vote for weakness of lack of conviction.

4) Our talking head pundits were horrible. If I see Donna Brazille, or any of those soft spined people "representing" us again I'm going to shoot myself.

5) McCaulliff (sp) was horrible and not tough enough


What do we learn:

Like the Republicans in 1964, we need to have the liberal wing of the party come up with an economic and foreign policy message and stick to it. Furthermore, we have to become more liberterian in our social policy. We don't need to defend gay marriage, for example. We have to defend the government leaving people alone and allowing them to do what they want. These value issues will kill us unless we respin them into an individual vs government control issue with a consistant philosophy. And we have to build the party around that message. We cannot continue to be a party that apologizes for its beliefs.

[Hamlette]

1. we can be all those things, we just need to frame the issue right

American is liberal. They just don't think they are. Read "Reason" by robert reich.

[IrishBloodEngHeart]

2. why are all our politicians afraid to be liberal

Kerry ran as a moderate, for example, and it clearly wasn't him.

[Swede Atlanta]

3. I wish I could agree......

I agree that the Dems took some mis-steps but this is deeper than that. I believe there is a sinister undertone in American life. I see it on the highway, in the grocery store, even in reports from Toys-R-Us from last holiday with women scuffling over a toy. We are a nation at a crossroads. Actually I think we are beond the cross-roads and probaly on the road to self-destruction but I hope.

But until we restore common civility, all will be lost. I live in Atlanta and trust me many of the women who crawl into church on Sunday as "saved" women for Christ would just as soon tear you a new one or cut you off in traffic. Those people I call "faux (similar to Fox News) christians. I am a christian but I realize that I am a believer unlike these people. They hear God's message on Sunday and do the opposite Mon-Sat but don't see the hypocricy.

The nation is nearly lost. I am searching for work outside the U.S. and hope to be free of Shrub and his minions within a year. But for those of you who remain....God Bless and Good Luck

[IrishBloodEngHeart]

4. I don't doubt that

the problem is we don't win the bigger war if we are not engaged in the battle of ideas in each race. When we have 5 or 6 senate candidates who are philosophically identical to moderate republicans, and a presidential candidate who says he is conservative on many issues, we aren't engaging the debate.

That's what we need to do to turn the country around. We have to engage in ideological battle.