Democrats Need Not Waste Their Time With Plans Or Programs

[kentuck]

Democrats Need Not Waste Their Time With Plans Or Programs
In todays political world, it seems a waste of time to come up with programs or plans for anything. It would be good to have a plan to stop the war, to fight poverty, to decrease our dependence on foreign oil, to educate more of our people, to create more jobs with better pay, to control in a sensible way the flow of immigrants into our country, to rebuild our defenses, and to restore our respect around the world. But unfortunately, all of these ideas would mostly fall on deaf ears. The Republicans understand this. They campaign from a personal level - with personal attacks and character assassination. Democrats know this, yet they continue to come up with 12-point programs for America's problems.

All the Democrats really need to do is make comparative statements. We are better than the Republicans at creating jobs and balancing the budget. They are spendthrifts that waste our tax dollars on welfare for their wealthy friends. They have almost decimated our military with their impossible demands upon our troops. They talk a good game but they really suck at defending our country. They talk about fiscal responsibility but they spend our tax dollars like drunk sailors. They talk about less government but it is they that are always putting their noses into our bedrooms and our private lives. The number of poor people always seem to increase under Republican Administrations. They sing the praises of trickle-down economics but most of America ends up getting trickled-on.

Yes, Democrats have better programs and better plans than the Republicans. But it is a waste of time to try and communicate them to the American people while your opponent is attacking you personally. Give it up. Fight back with simple comparative statements like those above and we will do much better in the elections. We will have programs and plans to help America but we just shouldn't talk about them.

[Roland99]

1. I disagree. The average American won't buy into negativity and simple

"we're better because they SUCK!" messages.

It didn't work for Kerry, did it?


An overall positive message with soundbites of the details of solutions while at the same time pointing out the failures and crimes of GOP is the best way to retake Congress in '06.

[kentuck]

2. It worked for the Republicans, didn't it...

As Kerry said nothing as the Swift Boat people attacked his character. His plans and programs were nowhere as effective as if he had simply fought back.

[Dr Fate]

7. And I dont recall Bush laying out too many detailed plans either.

"Terra's gonna getcha!"

"The fags are gonna getcha!"

He did say he would cut more taxes and do more God-stuff, I think. But the negatives were stronger than any plans he detailed.

[Dr Fate]

4. Bush/Rove was a million times more negative than Kerry.

Swiftboats. Kerry faked his medals & was a Cambodian spy.

Wolves.

You will be attacked if Kerry is elected.

The "fags" are gonna get cha!!!

[Roland99]

6. But that's not how it was sold. It was sold on protection, values, etc.

Framing is everything.

[Dr Fate]

14. No, that is exactly how it was sold- those are specific examples.

Okay- they never used the word "fag"- but they did indeed say, not insinuate, that Kerry faked his medals and was "in cambodia" or whatever.

Cheney did indeed say we risk being attacked if Kerry is elected.

THey also had a "Wolves" commercial.

They actually did frame it almost just like how I presented it.

[kentuck]

9. Exactly !

And that is my point.

[Dr Fate]

18. And we could do it to them, but without the anger, fraud & lying.

Of course, it would have to be done with a sense of humor for it to work for DEMS, otherwise they will say we are "angry" and make it stick.

"Hide the salami!" type comments are funny, not angry.

[kentuck]

22. Yes.

Humor is deadly. But we should not be afraid to tell people what they already know but are only waiting for someone to validate if for them.

[Gyre]

Kerry never really said "they suck and here's why" in a soundbite

He'd give a mini-treatise. I believe that most Americans can only wrap their brains around simple declarative statements. If the statement resonates with what they sense (but can't articulate), it's a reinforcement and validation and the pleasure centers of the brain are stimulated.

America used to generally respond to only positve messages (about what you're trying to sell), and slamming your opponent would backfire. That still is the case with more sophistocated consumers but I don't believe that constitutes the majority of Americans anymore.

Dems, take the wraps off and start punching them between the eyes!

Gyre

[kentuck]

10. I think that works if the people know you are telling the truth...

they like to have their thoughts and beliefs reinforced.

[confludemocrat]

13. You know, people fundamentally know the Democrats have good plans, but

seem spineless. They can walk and chew gum at the same time, for gods sake, and part of their approcah has to be to engage in a critique of Republican "values", i.e., they need to go on the attack with equal measure, and not hue to the Repub line but distinguish themselves more forcefully.

[flowomo]

3. pretty close to the Shrum strategy from the 2004 election....

not exactly a winner.

[kentuck]

5. I would prefer well-thought out solutions to our problems.....

but I do not beleive they will sell. We have our record to run on. Let the people compare. Ask them to compare.

[flowomo]

8. without solutions we have no record that is not history....

I think you've got to point people to the future, not the past.

[kentuck]

11. Yes, but we are talking about winning and losing elections....

If you don't win, you don't write anything.

[flowomo]

17. I am as torn as others over whether to choose strategy or substance

but my feeling is that most political victories are won with ideas, for better or for worse. The "strategic" approach is a slippery slope that ends at the bottom in good-old "rat fucking."

[kentuck]

21. We do not run without ideas....

But we must campaign in a different way than we govern. We must let the people know that we are not afraid to compare and contrast our record to the Republicans. When they talk about jobs and "big-government", we have to set it straight. We create more jobs - better paying jobs - and the government was smaller under the Democrats than under the Republicans.

[flowomo]

23. I don't think you and I disagree....

just the title and lead line of your OP suggested hiding or ignoring the ideas in favor of a purely mechanical strategic plan -- a manipulation rather than a persuasion. If I got that wrong, then we're on the same page.

[kentuck]

26. I do not suggest we run with plans or solutions to our problems...

I simply suggest we do not run on those plans. We campaign with the right to defend ourselves from the personal attacks of the Republicans and we should not shy away from comparing our record to the failed record of the Republicans. There is no doubt that the Repubs will run a similar campaign the next time. If the Democrats do not change the way they respond to these attacks, we will lose again, in my opinion. We know how they campaign and how they govern. When an opponent calls you a flip-flopper, you better damn well have a response.

[Dr Fate]

12. How about the idea some DUer had for a "Bullshit catcher"

The Candidate would refer all Drudge Report type BS to his "B.S Catcher"- and call it that!!

"Sorry Wolf, but that sounds like more Karl Rove BS to me- you can have Joe Blow, my BS catcher on tomorrow if you want to discuss BS- now, back to the issues Americans tuned in to hear about..."

[kentuck]

15. Yes...

We will have plans to fix the problems, many created by the Republicans, but we keep it simple and use comparative sentences that people can see the differences in the Parties and the candidates. It ill serves us to come up with plans and programs and then sit back and let the Republicans define us and personally destroy our candidates. If you are destroyed politically, as a "flip-flopper" or a liar, then your plans are meaningless, unfortunately.

[Psephos]

16. I disagree; that approach doesn't work in the rest of life either

Although I hold a different opinion from you, I'm glad you expressed yours, and know we both want the same thing.

Politics causes us to sometimes take leave of common sense because of the frustration and emotion that begin to color every perception. But common sense is what we need. Less vitriol, and more smart and thought-through alternatives. Less bitching, and more action. Less focus on what divides us, and more on what unites us.

Who would you want to hang out with at a party? A man(woman) who conveys confidence, intelligence, strength, and openness, or one who compares himself(herself) to someone else and tells you how they're better-looking, smarter, kinder, etc.? As soon as we start defining ourselves by comparing ourselves to repugs, we automatically telegraph a message of implied inferiority.

One of our biggest problems is exactly that many potential Dem voters did not know what our programs and plans were in the last few elections. In particular, we seemed to get awfully mealy-mouthed about what we specifically think should be done for national security, energy independence, budget restraint, and personal privacy.

Peace.

[kentuck]

19. Wrong. We don't "compare" ourselves to Republicans ...

We contrast ourselves to Republicans.

[Psephos]

24. A semantic difference to most people, including me

From the dictionary:

contrast - a difference, or something that is different, compared with something else


Again, attractiveness stands on its own two feet. Compare/contrast/refer - it all means we have to define ourselves as "not them." It's a nonstarter. Read Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman for a good introduction into why this is so.

Peace.

[kentuck]

28. But you have to verbalize the differences...

Otherwise, people may mistake you as a liar and a flip-flopper and not really a war hero. You have every right to say that your opponent was in the Texas National Guard during the same time and did not complete his obligation. That is a comparative example. But it must be stated in a timely manner. Otherwise, they will chew you up and spit you out and your plan will be worthless.

[Psephos]

29. Well, I'm certainly not arguing for an absolute here

If I was Kerry I would have pointed out the differences between my record and my opponents clearly and simply. But I wouldn't have based my campaign on that.

Kerry actually is a good example of what happens when a candidate does not project the qualities of simple likeability, strength, and clarity. I'm not putting him down as much as I am saying he lacked attractiveness and did not put a lot of people at ease. Even as a supporter, I sometimes had a hard time understanding what exactly he was saying, and found it hard to explain to others the specifics of what he planned to do in office.

This isn't about Kerry, though. It's about a broader idea, that we as a party must stand tall on our own feet, and not rely on chopping the legs from under repugs to make ourselves *seem* taller.

If you would lift me up you must be on higher ground.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Peace.

[bluedawg12]

20. You are right- the public wants to be told in broad strokes

They will go on gut instinct and powerful audio-visual images.

they will leave governing up to the elected.

in this case, they found out that the gang they elected had no interest in governing and were unable to govern. that's what happens when you elect people who claim to be against big government, as the repugs have claimed to be. Turns out they run a big government, a big deficit, and more intrusive than any other prior.

[sandnsea]

25. Paint pictures

Write for radio. Otherwise it just sounds like a new collection of programs and people really are tired of that.

[Psephos]

30. "Write for radio" is an excellent way to put it

Imagery is powerful and positive; people want what they can see. We were visual thinkers loooooooonnnnnnggggg before we acquired verbal skills.

Peace.

[Carolab]

27. That's why I like Dean. He attacks them, exposes them,

for what they are.

[chelsea fc]

32. Dean

He is such a lunatic about it though, there is a way to critisize and a way to do it civily and Dean sure as hell doesn't know how to do it.

[Carolab]

33. He's right. That's all I care about. n/t

[chelsea fc]

31. Agreed

I agree with you 100%, your post sure made alot of sense too me.