Strategy for the next two years ...

[lanparty]

The Democratic strategy for the next two years is VERY simple. Unless the GOP is split, they should ABSTAIN from any and ALL votes they can!!!!

The Democrats need to underscore that the Bush administration IS in charge. They CANNOT leave the administration ANY wiggle room to blame Democrats for voting against ANY of their measures!!!! They cannot be seen as voting against ANY military or reconstruction appropriation.

The message is simple. WHATEVER the outcome, the GOP is responsible. And things WILL get worse!!!!

On the OTHER side, the Democrats should be VERY active in proposing legislation that will NEVER get out of committee. They should propose alternative bills that put forward what their plans for America are!!!! In the next election, they can point CLEARLY to what THEIR vision was instead of debating subtle points of what they voted FOR or against as it's clear that every vote for evil will include some appropriation for troops to get something they SHOULD have had in the first place!!!!!

[Zynx]

1. We have to take them on strongly while reconstituting our forces.

We must outline a clear agenda. Fuck nuance! Take conservative positions if you have to. We need to simplify our message and make sure that we begin turning the tide on values.

[lanparty]

4. NUANCE IS DEAD ...

Nuance is useless in a fist-fight. We need to hammer these fuckers with rhetoric. Only THEN will they start to reason!!!

We need to HAMMER HOME that these fuckers are stealing election with their electronic voting machines. In fact, I think we should pick out a sacrificial lamb in some Democratic County and STEAL an election ourselves. Than we'd clue in the press that some corrupt Democrat stole an election WELL after that person took office.

See, that would force Republicans to pursue a course of challenging electronic voting machines. It would force the press to report on the issue!!!!! It would hurt in the short term. But it's like cutting off a toe to save a foot!!!!

[lanparty]

9. One conservative position we need to take.

Democrats in statehouses across the nation need to take the INITIATIVE and introduce anti gay marriage legislation and amendments that PRESERVE the possibility for partnership rights!!!!

Lets face it, the American people are OBSESSED with rhetoric over substance. We live in a Democracy and if we want our ideals to be represented, we must play the game by the new rules!!! The BIGGEST issue for these rhetoric hogs is the REDEFINITION of marriage, not actual partnership rights!!!

Hell, Bush even did an interview saying that states should be able to decide on partnership rights. And guess what, all those Bible thumpers DID NOT REJECT Bush!!!! This is a VERY strong message and our gay friends NEED TO DIGEST IT!!!

YOU CAN GET PARTNERSHIP RIGHTS IF YOU DO NOT CALL IT MARRIAGE!!!!

This will effectively take the issue OFF the table!!!! Gays can be contented knowing that the possibilities for domestic partnerships still exist.

[Zynx]

11. I agree completely.

Also, we need to take the stance that we want to see the number of abortions drop in half in a decade.

[Walt Starr]

2. THANK YOU!

We're going to lose the votes anyway. If we fight the votes and try to hem and haw while we go down anyway, we're the bogeymen they need.

If we abstain, it's win-win.

The key is the first SCOTUS nominee. This will be the Rhenquist replacement. Bush is going to pick the most far rightwing choice possible.

We need to stand back and let it happen. Make it clear, the Democratic Party will NOT filibuster a Bush nominee.

When the time to replace Sandra Day O'Connor arrives, immediately state, the democrats will NO filibuster any nominee. At that point, the moderate Republicans will beg us to filibuster and we say NO! In the back rooms, we say, "we'll join you, but YOU must initiate the filibuster on the Senate floor."

Now we're bipartisans and not obstructionists.

[lanparty]

6. Moderate Republicans are edgy ...

Arlen Specter has publicly warned the Bush administration to NOT send down another judge like Thomas. He stressed that the court needs great legal minds not right wing synchophants!!!!

The ONLY areas where Democrats should vote is defense appropriations and judge nominations.

In fact, I think I'd go ONE STEP FURTHER by having Democrats convene a separate Congress in which they would pass resolutions representing the laws they WOULD HAVE PASSED!!!! This will be THEIR RECORD and statement about the course this nation would take.

Democrats need to LAY DOWN THEIR AGENDA. They need to be 100% firm!!! 100% consistent. They need discipline and clarity of message!!!! They need to attack Bush CONSTANTLY. They DO NOT need to "bring the country together". They did this in 2002-2003 and they were paid back with even MORE vociferous attacks on their integrity and motives!!!!!

Democrats need to start talking about an American Doomesday. They need to outline that Republicans are taking this country down the course to RUIN!!! They need to get APOCOLYPTIC!!!!

[tedoll78]

3. Another thing:

OPPO RESEARCH.

We need to begin scouring potential GOP presidential nominees' backgrounds for any and all weak spots. I'm talking personal lives, blind-dates-gone-bad, farting in public, killing & torturing kittens.. we need to get all of this out RIGHT AWAY.

I suspect that Frist will be in a strong position for 2008. We need to get a few image points out against him before he's able to define himself. Perhaps run a few commercials with adorable little kittens, and the sound of a screeching, terrified cat in the background. Right off the bat, we need to make him seem like a cruel, inhuman southern redneck. We can do this.

[Nashyra]

5. We did it to Newt Gingrich

We can do it again. Off to a Democratic county meeting. We are continuing to work. Plans for the 2006 elections are being made.

[lanparty]

7. It will be Jeb vs McCain !!!!

I daresay that the Bush administration could retire Cheney in 2006 and appoint Jeb to fill out his term so that Jeb will be able to fight off ANY challenge from McCain!!!

[tedoll78]

8. I seriously think..

that DU eventually needs to set-up a forum where we can report-back our findings on each of the GOP candidates.

Old girlfriends (or bfs?)..
speeding tickets..
drunken public behavior..
past spouses..
estranged family members..

Additionally, we should have teams of PI tailing each of the candidates, snapping photos of moments that we can paint as "embarrassing" or "immoral."

Go nuclear. Destroy the candidate before he can even victory lap out of the primaries.

[lanparty]

10. There is ALREADY an forum in place ...

You can read it in Penthouse magazine. Larry Flynt is the guy who funded all those outings!!!

[GreenArrow]

12. eat a lot of dry beans and cornbread

that's my strategy. Maybe add a little rice every once in a while for some variety.