What we must do in 2 years, Read if your'e a Progressive

[WLKjr]

Let me just start off by saying, yeah we lost. Time to get back into gear after some rethinking of strategy. It's buck up time. Sit back if you can, and take a look at my plan, or the beginings of one. Maybe a few DU'ers can add to it. Hell, it makes me want to run a campaign off of it. So sit back, shut up and read :D

To start, I am however, still pissed at DNC leadership. When will this group of puds ever grow some cahonies???

A few things have to happen and happen soon if the Democratic Party wants to start off new, and gain unprecidented support, even from red staters:


-----> They need to start promoting heavily local candidates that are progressives. Take Ben Konop for example, he ran a entire grass roots campaign that had NO MONEY OR BACKING FROM THE DNC in Ohio, ran against a 11 yr incumbent named Mike Oxley (douche) that has NEVER had any competition till now. You know what?, he almost took the 4th district, he won a VERY STRONG REPUBLICAN COUNTY, ALLEN CO. OHIO, by more than a few thousand votes, lost other counties not by a wide margin, and he polled higher than any other Dem running including Kerry/Edwards. His opponent had more than 2 million dollars behind him. So see, there are people out there, but they get no backing like they should.

-----> The Democratic Party ( I may get flamed for this, some may agree with me) needs to start making BOLD statements and standing by them. I am talking about telling it how it is, without the pandering. Taking responsibility for those statements and actions, and stop with the trying to be politically correct. Fuck that.
Tell it how it is, say what we mean and mean what we say, and stick to it and take responsibility for it. We don't have to over analyze situations, all we have to do is talk to people and believe in people. Let them run the campaigns. Follow what I am saying? Let them call the shots and listen to thier ideas and for what needs to be said. We represent those and speak up for those who cannot be heard. Stop with the whining about and sugar coating of issues. Take a stand.


-----> We need to start thinking progressivley more often. Start using the nogin for bold statements that trip up the righties and expose them in how they are wrong.

Sample Talking Points courtesy of My Uncle and Me:

Gays
"When did you choose to like girls/boys?"
when they answer "I don't know."

end of argument

Tourt Reform (this can be tweaked to your likeing with one or more judicial matters.)
"Do you believe Jurys?"
most often heard reply "Yes"
"So you don't have a problem with a jury handing down a death sentence?
most often heard reply "Yes"
"Then why do you not have faith in a jury's decision to award damages to a person or party that was injured?"

end of argument

Abortion
"I don't believe in abortion" or "Abortion is wrong" or "Abortion is Killing babies."

This one works everytime becuase listen carefully to what they have to say:

Example
"I don't believe in abortion at all EXCEPT (this is you cue to strike) in cases of incest or rape."

at which point you come back like so (can be tweaked to your likeing)
Example
"Why is one fetus more important than the other? Why do you think it is okay to abort one fetus and not the other. You people always say Except and marginalize things. If you were truly pro life, both fetuses would be equally important. "

end of fucking argument once again

And keep these arugments going adding to the list as things arise. Together we can slam these people royaly and point out the faults in thier thought process.

Take my advice progressives, we can do this if we just keep the message going. Start thinking for 2006 NOW.


Sorry for the long post. But I just had to get this out. Flame me if you wish, I don't mind critisism if kept intelligent.

[WLKjr]

1. kick

[Eumenides]

2. I agree

I don't know about the rest of the country but where I live (Hillsborough County, Fla) the local Democratic Party dropped the ball bigtime. I talked to a couple of people active in local public politics and they pretty much said that they did 'fuck-all' for Kerry/Edwards. I am getting everyone I know to start getting active in the local Democracy for America. We need to pick a slate of candidates, knock on doors, NOW!; work our asses off, NOW! and throw these pricks out of office at the local level. Grassroots, grassroots, grassroots should be the mantra from now on to the next election in 2006.

[WLKjr]

3. Like someone once told me

you have to start from the bottom up if you want to change thigns. Remember, from the dog catcher, to the courthouse, to the statehouse, to the White House. (my grandpa)


and I intend to do just that. Just wait and see.

[WLKjr]

4. Kick

[Inland]

5. What is this "democratic leadership" you mention?

There isn't a democratic leadership. There's a bunch of ad hoc volunteers showing up on TV on the basis of the editorial choice of the conservative producers and media moguls.

In fact, you can't name the person you should be sending this post too.

There isn't going to be a coherent message until there really is an ongoing leader to whom you can direct this complaint and he can either accept or reject it or accept it in part.

I propose a shadow goverment.

[WLKjr]

6. Maybe your right

but what really had me thinking someone pissed in my wheaties was what I saw paul bigala and James carvile act like on tv the other night. Terry McCaulliff (spelling)isn't a good leader either, They don't back those who should have the backing (ie Konop) even though that candidate is polling higher than the encumbent and Presidential Candidate. It's not just the national level, it's the local DLC(DLC, DNC, they are both the same damn thing to me) all the way to the top. It needs to change and change pronto.

You are right though, there are no 'leaders' per say.

[Hamlette]

9. we need a think tank...the Heritage Foundation honed and distributed

the republican talking points and have been for 20 years.

Someone find a good one, I'll contribute.

[WLKjr]

10. Hell, we make our own.

[Hamlette]

7. great comebacks! I love them all, thanks for a great post.

we can win the argument if we are willing to take it to them!

[WLKjr]

8. I am telling you, this is the short list of things myself and my uncle

discuss on a regular basis. All we have to do is to start, like you said, taking it to them and never let up, just keep getting louder and spreading the meme.

[elehhhhna]

11. We must spin LANGUAGE properly: Exporting jobs vs. "offshoring"

Radical Right vs. Conservative
etc.

[AlinPA]

12. I think your first item, local candidates needs to be pushed hard. Your

examples are good. We had a local legislator race where a well liked candidate in a small town lost because he had a piddly amount of money to run his campaign. The asshole rpig was able to buy TV ads (this is unheard of around here for legislative seats) and put up huge signs, and bombard the area with the usual shit. People fell for it and he won 16000-12000. Now if the D N C were to let us know they want money donated for these races, and actually send it on down, we could turn this country around at the local level. People would donate if there were a set-aside for this use.

Thanks for your post.

[WLKjr]

13. It's the truth many times across the nation

THE DNC IS MISSING IN ACTION. I truly believe they have taken thier eyes off the local camps. You can't run a good candidate for higher office if you don't have a good pull from locals. If I were in charge of the DNC or DLC right now, I would be flooding money into local dem campaigns I felt met the progressive standard. I would run them against incumbents in strong republican strongholds and would crush them one by one.


Me yelling at the DNC

" DAMMIT PEOPLE, it is all about the local! LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL, get it?????"

[av8rdave]

14. Great post! HOWEVER

Forget about in 2 years....let's think about what we can do starting NOW!

I think what really hurt Kerry in the end was what happened early in the general campaign. He let Rove & Co. define him,and he never really got out from under that. Face it, if all * had to run on was his record, ANYBODY could have taken him. I can't tell you how may people would tell me, "I just can't vote for Kerry." When I would ask why, I would get "I don't know" or "he flip flops." Chalk it up to Rove genius.

What if we get somebody to start defining themselves NOW? We need to get behind a likely prospect for '08 right away. There are some great ones out there (I'm a Dean fan myself, but I digress...).

Here's my thought: what if a potential contender with good mass appeal to the Demo party starts working in a very public but not blatantly political capacity in the very near future? A great possibility would be as a political analyst at a major news outlet. Instead of being a critic of Cheney's marionette puppet (tempting as that would be), he/she would just rationally articulate the progressive position on whatever the issue of the day is. Over the years, that person would become a trusted and recognized figure to the general population. By the time he/she resigned the position to begin running, he/she would already be defined - taking away one of the most effective tools the bad guys have.

Rove and company depend on their opposition candidate to be fairly unknown initially to the public at large. Kerry wasn't well known outside of the northeast to other than the most enthusiastic political followers. Even President Gore, while Vice President, was never well known or defined (occupational hazard of being the veep). If our candidate is a household word and a common sight on the tube come election time, the rethugs will have a much harder time casting him/her in the image of their choice.

If this sounds like anything more than a liberal rant from someone still in mourning, maybe we can spread the idea around and find out if any of the heavy hitters think it makes any sense at all.

Thanks for listening!

av8rdave

[WLKjr]

15. I agree to some extents

Your are hitting the nail right on the head when you said Kerry fell into Rove's trap when he let him define him early on. That was a major mistake IMO. Sometimes Politicians tend to forget just how important your face is on tv come election time, it needs to be on there every day 24/7 or someone talking about you good. You need to be making the bold statements on the tube, and have people repeating them, make and word teh statements in a way that your opponent cannot respond like they want to, but respond teh way you want them to.

[smbolisnch]

16. Great Post.....Kick

:kick: