one problem with our GOTV efforts

[pstokely]

we didn't start it early enough, it should have started 4 years ago, we need to continue our GOTV for 2006 and 2008 and expose BBV

[mazzarro]

1. We can't do that when our leadership is in turmoil and we are

basically rudderless and adrift.

[mdguss]

2. Which is why we should stick with Kerry:

Think about it, he got more votes than anyone who has run for president previously. He's proven himself to be a capable, sometimes eloquent and tireless campaigner. He raised more money than any Democrat in history. He came within 110,000 votes of winning in Ohio--and if it weren't for gay marriage he would've won.

Kerry is a good leader for our party. We were wise to nominate him. And I think we should probably stick with him over the next four years. He should be the spokesperson for our party. No offense to Harry Reid, but he doesn't have the profile to match president Bush. When Bush tries to privatize social security--and he's already trying--Kerry should use his Senate perch to speak out.

Look back at the election returns from 1972 to 2004. A Democrat has not gotten over 50 percent of the popular vote since 1976 (and then we got 50.8 percent). There were total blowouts in 1972, 1980, 1984 and 1988. It's clear that 1972 was a realigning election at the nation level. Since then Democrats have struggled to win nationally. Clinton only won because of a strong third party challenger.

Gore did well in 2000 to win the popular vote in a two way race. (The first Democrat to do that since 1976). And Kerry did well this year--facing a president who had the advantage of his response to 9-11, who had the advanatage of his plainness, to come withing 3 percent of winning. If you look at the county maps of this election, you'll find that the Democratic Party is gaining some strength in the soutwest, border southern states like Virginia and in the Great Plains. Our 32 years dealing with being the minority party is close to ending.

And it will end in four years because of John Kerry. We should not forget that after 1972 the Democratic Party got pegged as soft on defense. Kerry's campaign this year did a lot to reverse that perception. Four more years of Bush's radical agenda will be tough to swallow. But the Republican reign is just about to end. 2008 will be a realignment--and it won't be the kind of realignment that Karl Rove is hoping for.