OK Guys, check in here if you're ready to start fighting back

[auburngrad82]

We've had enough bitching about what should have been. Now we need to start planning how we're going to win in 2006 and then in 2008. If you're ready to discuss tactics and our plan to win things back, check in here and let me know. I've got some ideas that I'll run by you but I'm not going to waste my time if no one wants to fight the GOP.

We are 50,000 strong. Let's pull together and come up with a concrete plan to win the next one.

[terrya]

1. I'm ready. Enough is enough.

Talk, talk, talk. Christ, at this rate, we'll still be talking on November 2nd, 2006 (or whatever the first Tuesday is in 11/06)

I'm here. And I'm ready to fight.

[auburngrad82]

5. Great, let's get with it.

I've spent the last few days getting over being angry and spent last night coming up with ideas to fight the right. Here are what I came up with. Feel free to add your ideas.

First, we need to follow the lead of the Republicans over the last 10 years and develop the habit of labelling them with negative words and phrases every time we talk about them. I posted a list of words I came up with earlier. The link to that one is:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1326797&mesg_id=1326797

Second, we need to quit being defensive and take the offensive on morality issues. They have sold the American voters on the fact that they are more moral than Democrats. We need to yell loudly every time a GOP member does something immoral. I posted several examples of this yesterday:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph ...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph ...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=1941448&mesg_id=1941448

We need to make voters aware of the fact that Republicans are no more moral than Democrats and many are much more immoral.

Along these lines we need to create a network of people that will monitor news sources on both local and state level for misdeeds by Republicans. Then we need to publicize these deeds across the country using this network.

Another thing we need to do is take away the Right's claim that Hollywood is a pawn of the Democrats. Far more GOP members have come out of Hollywood than Dems. Reagan, Sonny Bono and Ahnold come to mind. As do Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson. Hollywood is no more a Democratic tool than it is a GOP tool. We need to research OpenSecrets.org etc for contributions made to the GOP by Hollywood insiders.

Another strategy that was suggested to me yesterday was to force the GOP's hand on the issues of abortion and gay marriage. The GOP has been in control of every branch of government for 4 years now and have an even stronger hold now. We need to force them to follow through on the promises they have made to their constituents in regards to these topics. It's kind of scary but we need to start a campaign to force them to vote on constitutional amendments to ban abortion and gay marriage. My thought is the amendments would never happen because there would be too much opposition to the amendments and it would split their own party. Besides, they would lose their wedge issues. Either way, they lose.

We also need to get in the habit of bringing up negative examples of Republicans every chance we get while touting the good things that Democrats have done.

I'll think of a few more things in a minute or two but I need to clear my head for a minute. Tell me what you think.

[terrya]

11. We need to take back the word LIBERAL.

1) Just because douchebag Robert Novak says that liberals are "evil" does, emphatically NOT make it so. Getting called "evil" by the likes of crawledoutfromunderarock Novak is like being called old, gross and ugly by Barbara Bush. Liberals and liberalism stand for all that is good in America...caring for the elderly, the poor and working class. Liberals brought Medicare and Medicaid. Liberals were stalwart in the civil rights movement. Liberals care about the environment. Liberals are a force for good in this country.

2) John Edwards, during the primaries, had a very moving speech about "Two Americas". We need to bring that back again. It is essential to talk about the widening chasm between the haves and the have nots. This country is polarized, big time. It's time to talk about that...and ways to make things better for the ordinary Americans in this country.

3) Full civil rights for ALL Americans...color, gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation. ALL civil rights.

I like your ideas. What do you think of mine?

[auburngrad82]

31. It's a good idea.

Tom Frank on the Al Franken show today said he thought the Democrats needed to stop moving to the right and head back to the left, where we were most successful. He said we needed to expose the fact that the Republican Party IS the "elite" that runs the country, not the Democrats. It's turned into class warfare in which the majority of voters think that Dems are rich elite snobs that are out to screw them when in fact it's the Republicans that are doing the screwing. They have just painted us as the bad guys.

We need to start painting the Republican party as the evil ones.

[Roland99]

2. So what you doin’ standin’ around? The Revolution Starts Now!!!

I met with an old friend last night and we have both decided it is time for a nationwide, grass-roots movement to accomplish a few things:

1) Expose the right-wing media for what it is. We're already seeing CNN move to the right in order to win back viewers lost to FOX News. MSNBC is starting to do the same. The print media was completely lax in its responsibilities to break through the barrier put up by the Bush administration. Also, people like Seymour Hersh weren't given the publicity they deserved with their glorious work, such as Hersh's Selective Intelligence and The Stovepipe articles in the New Yorker. If everyone in America read those two articles, there wouldn't be one person left who would support the neocon hijacking of the GOP and would no longer support the war in Iraq.

2) Educate the Christian fundamentalists. Not all Christian fundamentalists are blindly following the GOP but enough are that it is making a difference in how our nation is being run. The GOP and it's move to the far-right is now in control of the White House, Senate, House of Representatives, Supreme Court, Federal judges, and are the majority of governors of the U.S. It is up to the conservatives of us up here, myself included, to pound and pound and pound on our local representatives and be very vocal at the national level to foster social liberty.

3) A combination of the above two: Get people to start reading and thinking. We have to get people to stop relying on soundbite news and letting the TV rule their lives. Television: The Drug Of A Nation. Begin having debates at the local level and begin to demand more open government from the local level all the way up to the White House. If we don't make our voices heard we will be stuck with what's placed upon us. DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY!

4) Put churches to the task of either shutting the fuck up about politics or force the IRS to revoke their tax-exempt status.



The Revolution Starts Now - Steve Earle

I was walkin’ down the street
In the town where I was born
I was movin’ to a beat
That I’d never felt before
So I opened up my eyes
And I took a look around
I saw it written ‘cross the sky
The revolution starts now
Yeah, the revolution starts now

The revolution starts now
When you rise above your fear
And tear the walls around you down
The revolution starts here
Where you work and where you play
Where you lay your money down
What you do and what you say
The revolution starts now
Yeah the revolution starts now

Yeah the revolution starts now
In your own backyard
In your own hometown
So what you doin’ standin’ around?
Just follow your heart
The revolution starts now

Last night I had a dream
That the world had turned around
And all our hopes had come to be
And the people gathered ‘round
They all brought what they could bring
And nobody went without
And I learned a song to sing
The revolution starts now

[Roland99]

4. I will be putting up a website soon that we can use to maintain contacts

and begin creating local groups to start this ball rolling.

I'll post back later this weekend.

[auburngrad82]

6. Great, thank you.

[Roland99]

7. My pleasure...bookmarked this thread just in case.

[Sinistrous]

28. I am with you.

I have not gotten my head around a coherent plan of attack yet, but the blurs are coming into focus.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Here is what I am working on:

-----------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT! Take this country back one town and state at a time!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

[auburngrad82]

19. Nice job.

This election really brought to light the flaws in our electoral system. We need to educate people and get them involved in changing the way we vote.

[GreenPartyVoter]

29. Thanks. :^) 2000, 2002, and now this year. Let's hope the third was

the charm!

-----------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT! Take this country back one town and state at a time!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

[MsTryska]

8. here's my idea...I need support tho please....

or someone to tell me it's totally stupid:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1327629&mesg_id=1327629

[auburngrad82]

14. I've had a similar idea.

Signs along the interstate, much like the Burma Shave signs. A couple ideas:

Got WMD? followed by BUSH LIED followed by PEOPLE DIED.

Or how about signs posted every day with the names of the Americans who died that day because of the oil war.

Example:

Sgt John Smith
Age 23
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Father, Son and Husband
Died for Oil

Kind of freeway blogging, I guess.

[MsTryska]

18. Exactly!

Burma Shave not Bryl Cream.

yeah i guess it is freeway blogging.


But we need to get it out there....


my personal thing, living deep in a red state is making liberal stand for good again in the psyches of these people. Newt did a hell of a job.


It's just how to do it. Do i jsut go to a sign shop? and then, by doign that, because i'm in the heart of repuke terriroty, do they turn on me?

i need some friendlies.

[auburngrad82]

20. The cheapest way is to do it yourself

White poster board
A big black marker or black paint
A wooden stake

Total cost probably about a dollar per sign.

Put them where people will see them. At intersections or along freeways. Be prepared to have the signs torn down. I wouldn't expect them to last long. If they last through rush hour you've done your job. Then move on to another location and put up new signs. Remember, the more people that see them the more effective they are so you don't want to put them up in the same place every time.

[MsTryska]

24. Thank you!

I will start working on my penmanship and getting supplies.

[Skittles]

9. here

nt

[auburngrad82]

10. great, Skittles. Any input on what we need to be doing?

[Skittles]

12. oh

I guess I need to start thinking about that, ya know?

[Sinistrous]

13. 2008 Will Be 4 Years Too Late.

We need to hamstring the current cabal to at least limit the horrors they are planning to unleash on the world. We can start NOW by researching and disseminating all instances of vote stealing, ballot-box stuffing, etc. We need to create and intensify the aura of illegitimacy around the thieves in power.

[auburngrad82]

16. Good point. We need to set up teams to work on different tactics

One for voter fraud
One for immorality issues within the GOP
One for the Iraq war
One for GOP campaign promises
One for the economic woes
and on and on.

We need to organize our membership into teams or groups to benefit the most from our manpower and our anger at Bush. Any ideas how we can get DUers to organize? Ask for volunteers?

The GOP has always had a great organization when it came to attacking the Democratic Party. We need to organize to combat them and take the fight to them. It's time to stop being defensive and go on the attack.

[Sinistrous]

21. Excellent ideas.

Perhaps for each issue, we could set up a forum that would serve as a focal point for research results, talking points, reports of actions taken, lessons learned, etc.

Members could use their own expertise, experience, and preferences wherever it works best.

[auburngrad82]

25. Yes, people always work hardest on the things they are most interested in

How do we get the moderators to set up forums for the individual tactics and how do we decide on the tactics to use?

[MsTryska]

22. I agree!

WE NEED TO GET FOCUSED.


i keep trying to come up with ideas, but they got lost in the shuffle.


I for one would like to work on Public Image stuff. namely making us look good, and them look bad.

[auburngrad82]

26. Good, we'll mark you down for public relations

I can supply a lot of information to people that would like to write letters to the editors, op-ed pieces in the local papers, e-mails for distribution to undecideds, etc. I've been doing a lot of digging into GOP immoralities and it's amazing just how much you can find using Google.

:7

[Godhumor]

15. I just volunteered to Work for Clinton

I'm a DC public school teacher originally from NY, I've lived in Hawaii, Japan, and Maryland; my mother is a teacher in NY, my father and step-mother are professors in NY, and I have ties with many others in the educational community of that particular state. I asked to work with her people in DC for things not just including her reelection campaign, but helping in anyway I can. I'm bringing support from a lot of places, and I hope that I can be a positive force for at least the next 2 years.

I am also thinking of running for my local town board and starting to get involved with the candidate side of elections, as well. This past week has actually energized me to get more involved in turning back the tide.

[auburngrad82]

17. Thanks for helping

If you hear anything good in DC regarding the GOP or their personnel let me know. I'm keeping a spreadsheet of all immoral activities that get reported in the press about Republicans. I'm over 70 right now and I've only been doing it for a day.

[auburngrad82]

23. We also need to register voters but we need to do it early

We don't want to risk voter registrations getting trashed or "lost." The earlier the better in this regards because if something does happen the person can re-register.

We also need to educate people on why they have to vote. If there is a draft next year that will solve a lot of the problems with getting young people out to vote. Nothing like fear to motivate a person.

Exposing the immorality of Republicans can take care of why people who voted on moral issues should not vote for these hypocrites.

Forcing the GOP's hand on abortion and gay rights issues should wake up fundamentalists to the fact that they've been had by the GOP. They have no intention of doing anything about abortion or gay rights because that would eliminate their two biggest wedge issues.

[aldian159]

27. I'm tired of this losing shit

I'm ready, let's kick ass and take names.

[auburngrad82]

33. What tactics appeal to you or what do you think we should be doing?

We need any ideas that we can come up with.

[LiberalAndProud]

30. Checking in.

In 2006 there will not be a registered Democrat in my state who has not been contacted by my party.

Person-to-person contact in this state is dismal. There can be no coalition if there is no communication.

I will not allow my party to concede my state by default again.

[auburngrad82]

32. Great, thank you.

We need to really hit the undecideds hard. The true right-wingers probably won't listen anyway, but we need to somehow convince Dems and undecideds and the masses that don't vote that the Republican party is destroying America. I'm going to make it an attack on the GOP's morals. That's easy for me. I propose we come up with a series of e-mails that we send out to everyone we know at least once per week that exposes the lies of the GOP and shows just how they are failing us.

Any ideas on how we can quickly and effectively distribute e-mails without getting into trouble would be appreciated.

[auburngrad82]

34. Another e-mail idea...

How about an e-mail that we send to people EVERY DAY that details the casualties in Iraq? For instance:

"Six coalition soldiers were killed yesterday in the United State's occupation of Iraq.

Those identified are:

Cpl. Jeremiah A. Baro, 21, of Fresno, Calif.
Lance Cpl. Jared P. Hubbard, 22, of Clovis, Calif.
Sgt Robert Gray of the UK
Pvt Paul Akin Lowe of the UK
Pvt Scott William McArdle of the UK

A sixth casualty has not yet been identified.

1273 Coalition troops have now been killed during the occupation of Iraq, including 1128 young American men and women.

Simple and to the point, and it keeps the losses that we are suffering in Iraq front and center in people's minds. That way maybe we can make the war a big issue with people. We need to make it closer and more personal for people. Of course if there's a draft that will make it a LOT more personal for young people.

[Renew Deal]

35. I'm ready to fight.

I'm going to be working hard on my county.

[auburngrad82]

36. Thank you