Next time we need to energize our base. Stop trying to be like them.

[madfloridian]

Just speak plainly, clearly, and stop fighting over swing voters who probably are not swing voters anyway.

I see it happening already. I am a Christian, so I can say this. Our guys are already falling all over each to be more religious next time.

I see here right now at DU the beginnings of the rant that we did not appeal to *their* Christian fundamentalist base enough, so we need to try to do more of that next time.

I see it from our leaders talking today, from the pundits....that if we become more like them we will win.

No, wrong. We will not win trying to be like them, nor should we. I got blasted in a PM because I appealed in ATA to have a thread blasting Christians locked. I think it is wrong to make fun of us, but I think it equally wrong to pander to us.

[rabid_nerd]

1. I think you have to do what you have to to win

We did it in PA.

You have to get 50% + 1.

You have to strategize.

People in NY and LA will over simplify rural strategy and rural people will screw up NY and LA strategy.

Quit thinking right and left and start thinking LOCAL.

We can't have a national campaign.

You want to see what went wrong? Worry about your part of the country.

As far as PA, we got it right, with a lot of carryover help from safe state helpers. unfortunately OH didn't get as much safe state helpers as we did. But the Bushies did.

Think about it this way. PA is a swing state, yes. But it's surrounded by Blue states. OH and FL are swing states surrounded by Red.

In any case. ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL.

Telling the DNC to move one way or another for a future election will do NOTHING.

Run for council or supervisor. YOU be what you want and when you rise up to power, YOU set the tone.

[madfloridian]

3. Ok. Then strategize it to death. National controls it anyway.

We have strategized so much in Florida that there is almost no party left....it just looks Republican.

So what do you do?

[ibegurpard]

4. EXACTLY

I see all this talk about who we need to run in 2008 and it just makes me want to drop out. We have to recognize that the "red states" are lost to us and many of the "blue states" are slipping out of our grasp because we don't invest in the local infrastructure, party, and relationship-building to buttress a national campaign. To counteract that is going to take lots of time and effort and it's not going to pay immediate dividends.

[Nordic]

2. What we need is a whole new party

one that embraces logic, truth, and, well, reality.

Basically what we need is a party that starts by rejecting the old Democratic party and starts from scratch

We need to completely sidestep the Dem vs GOP thing and go right for practicality.

I'm thinking of, say, Howard Dean teaming up with Chuck Hegel. Even if you don't like Hegel, basically the kind of thing that he represents when he opens his mouth.

It's anti-Neo-con, anti-Lie, anti-Fascist.

It's based on truth rather than propaganda.

Basically take the old politics out of it.

This will involve pointing the figure where it needs to be pointed:

The media.

Change can only happen by holding up a mirror to the media.

And forcing the media to report the truth.

I seriously think if the american people were told the truth about Bush, that Bush would be in jail by now.

[AndyTiedye]

5. You Are Correct. We Can NEVER Get The Fundie Vote

Even if we rolled over on Roe v. Wade. They'd go for a Federal ban next,
and after we rolled over on that they'd go after birth control.

Caving in on gay marriage wouldn't help.
If we let them throw gays to the lions it wouldn't satisfy them.

They are in it for the Crusade. They want to impose a fundiefascist
theocracy here and everywhere.

We may not be able to beat them, but joining them is NOT an option.

[madfloridian]

6. Right. The only thing left.....to stand up to them.

We will never be able to out-Christian them. Never.