Ready to win? Here's the strategy ...

[welshTerrier2]

The "winning strategy" model outlined here is in no way a finished product ... I hope to be able to provide more details on this in the next week or so ... and I hope DU'ers will contribute additional elements ... it's pretty long ... please don't be lazy ... we need your contribution ... we also need to stop sniping back and forth between left and moderate and get down to some constructive business ... the goal of this work in progress is to define a map that can lead us to victory ...

Key Elements Needed to Regain a Democratic Majority:

1. Combativeness:

Democrats got active this year ... a great sleeping giant has finally started to awaken ... we have a large active base from across the political spectrum ... it's not just lefties; it's not just DLC'ers ... we came together to fight as a team ... this energy needs to be sustained through the mid-term elections and on into 2008 ... the only way to do this is to give us a steady diet of red meat ... the last thing we need to see on our TV's is democrats enabling the neo-con agenda ... democrats need to fight against bush on each and every issue ... standing together "as Americans" is not what we want to hear while we're seeing America flushed down the toilet by the right-wing ... we need to see our team on the field 24/7 ...

2. Issues (tied to the "master theme"):

There is only ONE ISSUE ... that's it ... I know, you probably can think of many, many more ... but the truth is, there's only one that makes any difference ... and what is THE ISSUE? the issue is that we have lost our democracy ... virtually every significant policy coming out of Washington, both foreign and domestic, is chosen to protect the financial interests of the super-wealthy and their multi-national corporations ... who do you think it is who is whispering in your Congressman's ear? foreign policy is an extension of mega-corporations' security and sales departments ... "if you buy products from Halliburton and Bechtel, we'll wipe out your Sunni opposition" ... "if you allow Halliburton to handle the "re-construction" (after we destroy everything) and run the oil processes, we'll spare your Shi'ite territories in Southern Iraq (fyi, Sistani has been bought and paid for)" ... lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry wrote the Medicare bill ... they, and the HMO's, made millions in windfall profits ... all this was done at the expense of average Americans ... our government no longer acts in the interests of the country or its citizens; it acts only in the interests of the wealthiest citizens and their corporations ... without power, your laundry list of issues is nothing but a game of "pretend" ... the battle, my friends, is nothing less than a battle for the survival of our democracy ... that's the master theme ... we either have a voice or we don't ...

3. the campaign:

the campaign needs to run 24/7 starting right now ... this really overlaps with the combativeness section above ... we need our guys on TV, radio, newspapers everyday ... they need to be a real opposition force ... they need to be both thoughtful and reasonable, but always combative ... everything, EVERYTHING, that bush is doing is wrong ... there is no longer any room for compromise ... we need to object to the neo-con agenda in the most forceful terms ... the status quo has got to go ... the status quo has been that republicans and their hundred media hitmen attack us everyday and we appear on TV, now and then, thoughtfully reflecting on policy ... this approach lacks passion and doesn't reach voters ... it conveys a lack of commitment to our beliefs ... it's wishy-washy ... to win the hearts and minds of voters, we need our spokespeople to be combative, confident, clear, sharp, consistent, articulate and forceful ... the campaign needs to be fought everyday in every media outlet ... waiting until elections roll around is not the way to win ...

4. the message:

the message strategy needs to be comprised of three key elements: a. consistency and frequency, b. a "master theme", and c. detailed policies that support, and are supported by, the master theme ... democrats historically have done a good job only with the latter of these three elements ... we're all policy wonks ... it's a recipe for failure ...

4a. consistency and frequency:
so, consistency, as described above in the campaign section, means that all our people STAY ON MESSAGE ... the master theme, that our government has been co-opted by big money against the interest of average folks, needs to be repeated over and over and over ... this consistent message needs to be broadcast across America by party spokespeople 24/7 through every possible media outlet ... all talking points need to tie back to the master theme ...

4b. the "master theme":
the master theme has to tie together the many policy positions advocated by the party ... the theme should include a reverence for the individual citizen ... it should value the rights of a working person more than the rights of a corporation ... it should value respect for individual liberties more than the power of the central government to restrict those freedoms ...

4c. detailed policy positions:
detailed policy positions need to focus much more on the traditional base of the party ... many of the issues democrats should raise should focus on working Americans ... we've gotten too far away from this issue and it's hurt us ... no laundry list will be provided here but issues of concern to working Americans should comprise a significant portion of the list ... and each and every policy should be tied very clearly back to the master theme ... for example, on workers' issues, we need to say that workers have lost benefits, protections and rights while corporate America has grown stronger ... and on social issues, like abortion and gay rights, the same idea should be put in place ... the argument is about respecting the freedoms of Americans in our "great melting pot" ... we are the party of the individual citizen that allows each person to follow their own values and beliefs without unreasonable imposition by the central government ... this should appeal to progressives and libertarians as well ...

5. the grassroots organization:

the grassroots organization is the lifeblood of the party ... it should not connote, as it often does to some, that the term means "the out of touch, not politically viable democratic wing of the democratic party" ... it does not exclusively mean the left wing of the party ... it means EVERYBODY who is a democrat and perhaps even those in other parties like the Greens and the Democratic Socialists of America ... and maybe even a few Libertarians ... it means that we need to get more people working on the campaign ... and we need to start NOW ... it is absolutely inexcusable that the party makes very little effort to keep in regular contact with every single democrat ... a plan needs to be put in place to get more and more democrats involved ... you don't succeed by sending out a dozen or so campaign mailings every four years ... and one more point on "respecting the base" ... when elected democrats vote on significant issues, they should explain their votes to their constituents ... why did so many democrats just vote for the bloated deficit extension? both those who voted for it, and those who voted against it, should explain their votes ... absent this, hostility is allowed to fester among those of us who follow these events ... elected democrats need to connect to their base nationally ...

6. the candidate:

and finally, the candidate ... in a Parliamentary system, and I'm certainly no expert on this, the opposition party has a leader ... that leader is usually chosen because he or she is the most effective spokesperson to make the case against those in power ... in a subsequent election, we need our candidate to have "near incumbency" status ... the candidate we choose needs to be elevated to a prominent position in the party now ... yes, we still need the primaries ... but we cannot wait 4 years to have a prominent, party spokesperson ... democrats need to put a process in place to choose a leader ... this leader needs to be someone who could potentially be a viable national candidate in the next election ... it should not just be a "fundraising cheerleader" ...

If we start putting these elements in place now, if we can remain unified and energized, if our party "elites" will work with us, we will truly become a force to be reckoned with ... we need to understand that we will win only when we put these elements in place ... it's not about picking the right candidate; it's about building the winning team and implementing the right game plan ...

[Arkana]

1. Good strategy

but it means jack shit until we can get rid of black box voting. With the fraud that ran rampant in 2000 and 2004, Democrats will never be allowed to win another Presidential election.

[Vincardog]

4. Exactly so the first thing is fair clear elections

The Fair election petition:
In the interests of fair elections we demand the following standards be instituted immediately for all electronic Ballot boxes and vote counting machines.

All programming instructions shall be written in open source code. That code shall at all times be available for public inspection and pass independent third party certification for accuracy and reliability. After that certification the code and all hardware shall be secured no changes shall be allowed to the code or the hardware after certification.
The vote shall only be counted after a voter verified paper record of the vote has been created and retained.

All vote records and counts shall be transferred by verifiable physical means. Any CD DVD TAPE or other transfer medium shall be labeled with the counts and a date time stamp. All records and counts shall be reviewed and verified for validity and accuracy.

No modems internet connections or telephone connections will be allowed at any stage of the vote/vote counting process.

[welshTerrier2]

6. BBV legislation

corruption of the electoral process is a huge problem ... it should be one of the critically important legislative proposals democrats try to address ... it's unclear whether we can get any redress on the issue in the courts ...

to dismiss the entire strategy document as "jack shit", however, is absurd ... working on the proposed strategy and on BBV is not an either or proposition ... both are necessary ...

i'm looking for constructive ideas to improve the document and make the party more effective ... your one line "sensational headline" hardly achieve that ...

btw, how exactly do you propose democrats address the problems of BBV ?? i'll be surprised if republicans are eager to bring it up in the House or the Senate ... should we all just give up and go home ??

[Arkana]

9. I wasn't discounting your entire theory

I said it was good, didn't I? What I meant was is that we can't implement any of it until we clear up voting irregularities.

[welshTerrier2]

12. strongly disagree ...

we can't implement any of it until we clear up voting irregularities

we need to start implementing it NOW ... as in TODAY ...

as i said, BBV issues are critically important but there's no reason this strategy can't be implemented while we continue to address voting fraud ...

we don't have the luxury of trying to solve one problem without making progress on the other ...

[greenohio]

2. Whew. Big post.

It'll take some time to digest this one. What I've skimed so far seems good. Kinda general though. I think the devil is in the details. What candidate, what theme, what values?

[Vincardog]

3. You had me until " if our party "elites" will work with us"

We have to take control and let them follow if they want to continue in power. Go DEAN.

[welshTerrier2]

8. while i appreciate the sentiment ...

i really do ... but if a working coalition is not formed between the grassroots and the big people, i'm afraid we're going to have a long wait before we regain a majority ...

don't get me wrong ... i'd love to see Democracy for America and Progressive Democrats of America become more effective forces ... but i believe we need a unified party to win ... if one group tries to seize power from another group, we are nothing more than a house divided ... we need to have a buy-in from all democratic constituencies ...

[robcon]

5. 95% of the "strategy" is one thing:

A candidate that, unlike Kerry, is likable. Issues, combativeness, grassroots and message are each worth 1 or 2% towards the election.

I think the election is easy, and a Clinton-like near landslide is achievable, if we find a candidate that Americans can trust.

[welshTerrier2]

14. so what do we do now?

if almost everything comes down to candidate selection, how to we ensure that the primaries select the "right" candidate ???

again, what work should the party undertake now to make its slate of candidates stronger in 2006 and 2008? if almost everything comes down to candidate selection, maybe we can sit back for now and get some rest ....

[autorank]

7. Great post! And the candidate is: Wesley Clark

Corporate America controls the media and we get manufactured news.
Corporate America now controls the voting machines and we get manufactured elections.

http://www.blackboxvoting.org/

[welshTerrier2]

19. i really like Clark but ...

I think he'd need to upgrade his combativeness a few notches ... he's been a little too "gentlemanly" ...

[brindis_desala]

10. first we need to insure our votes are counted

This issue has got to be kept in front because I strongly suspect it's the reason the Democratic party has been imploding since the 70's. But then we're still left with the problem in the way our political system is structured. We have an entrenched ruling class, namely the Senate, that has no real incentive to respond to the popular will because since the smaller states are represented equally they advocate for a minority. Add to that their being in office for 6 long years to be constantly feted by deep-pocketed lobbyists incumbency is virtually a guarantee. But the first step is to insure that we indeed have access to the ballot box

[welshTerrier2]

16. interesting ...

welcome to DU, brindis_desala !!

are you advocating a constitutional amendment for senatorial representation based on population rather than 2 Senators per state ??

while i agree with you that electoral fraud is a critical issue that's been going on for long before the 2000 elections, i don't think it necessarily explains the implosion of the party "since the 70's" ...

many blame the loss of the South on the the Voting Rights Act that LBJ pushed through ... i believe the statement made at the time (by LBJ, I think ??), is that the Voting Rights Act will cost the Democrats the South for a generation or more ... that's where the deep-seated resentment for Washington came from ... and the republican demagogues have done an excellent job exploiting the issue ... imagine how well Kerry would have done if the South was a lock for the Democrats ...

[KurtNYC]

11. 3+ Media schooling and make overs

I like your list. I would add (detail actually) more for the media campaign. John Stewart and Michael Moore showed what can be done by someone who has trained and practiced for the ambush interview. Stewart lead into what he KNEW Carlson's attack would be and beat him to the moral high ground. Carlson melted down and started referring to Stewart as 'Kerry's butt boy.' In other words Stewart knew that Carlson was going to attack him over the fact that Kerry went on TDS and Stewart did not ask gotcha questions so before Carlson could get to that, Stewart started talking about how Crossfire had failed in ITS journalistic duties. By the time Carlson came after Stewart, Stewart was just repeating the fact that Stewart does a comedy show and Crossfire is (in theory) a news show -- which of those two has a journalistic responsibility?

Michael Moore flipped question after question and I'll bet the morning shows are glad he doesn't have any movies coming out for a while. So I think a resource for media schooling our people is in order. Everyone from those who speak at local townhalls to those who will go on The Factor should be schooled in methods that work.

Secondarily, looks count for a lot. The barn coat has replaced the dark suit as the photo op costume of choice for politicians (and Martha Stewart btw). There a number of simple things that can be done to connect our speakers visually with the audience. Some simple things: if you wear a flag pin on camera, make sure it is not too glossy, make them shoot you from eye-level (Bush is often shot with up angles). Eye level helps the camera read your eyes and therefor helps the speaker connect with the audience. The list of don't is large but basically, you want to eliminate anything about your appearance that either detracts from your verbal message or sidetracks the viewers (eg. wearing a yellow bracelet during photos ops which are NOT about Lance Armstrong's charity).

DFA was sponsoring media training for local candidates during the summer. Perhaps they will be creating an ongoing resource in this area.

[welshTerrier2]

13. great ideas, Kurt ... thanks ...

media training is a great idea ... media appearance have become much too important to be left up to a game of chance ...

doing this would also help our spokespeople tune in to the central message ... this should be assigned as a task for the party's "Communications Director" ...

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

15. "Take a look at us now"...the Democrats

How about hammering the Republican trifecta of the house, senate and POTUS for out of control fiscal spending. I didn't know until the debates that Bush had NEVER vetoed a bill...this should have been brought up much earlier by the Democratic party. I was a battleground state (PA) and we were bombarded with ads, yet I never saw an ad playing on this fact. Giant pork-filled giveaways pass over and over again...Educate the public on the NASCAR and golf spending. It's disgusting.

Also, the public needs to understand the EXTREME views of the evangelicals. All those Catholics who voted against Kerry would probably be surprised to learn that the Evangelicals believe Catholics are all going to hell (not "born again"). Foreign and domestic policy based on the Book of Revelations is a BAD thing. Didn't Thomas Jefferson refer to Revelations as "the rantings of a mad man"? Historically, mixing politics and religion has only resulted in bloodshed.

I agree that the Democrats need to start now defining their message and don't wait til election season to try and cram the voter's head with facts...separate the moderates from the far-right extremists through a series of methodical, surgical strikes over time.

[welshTerrier2]

17. "Bush never vetoed a spending bill ..."

welcome to DU, ModRepubinPA !!

that spending argument really was a missed opportunity ... how the hell is it possible that your exact point was not repeated by every democrat every day ??

the "trifecta" coupled with massive deficits was a powerful argument not just because the neo-con agenda is bankrupting the country but because it highlight the hypocrisy of the republican's "smaller government" argument ...

the one thing i've tried to emphasize in my post is that we have to have a message that goes beyond just being "anti-republican" ... we also need a positive vision for America and Americans ... the points you've raised are excellent and should have been hammered home every day by every spokesperson for the party (although the "evangelical" thing would have to be handled tactfully) ...

from where we sit today, though, I think our message should be largely positive ... we develop our central theme; we stay on message; we criticize everything the republicans try to do because it violates our central theme ..

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

18. Thanks for the welcome...

Points well taken. Yes, a positive, concise, clear message is important but I think the Republicans, over the decades, have forever associated the word "liberal" with the phrase "tax and spend"...can't the Democrats come up with some equally catchy association such as "max and spend". I hope the Democrats will invest in some top-notch ivy league PR people to get their messages across. I believe it would be money well spent.

Thanks.

[boi1946]

20. WelshTerrier2--great post.

Lots to think about here.

ModRepubinPa:

How about--George Bush is spending your kid's future!

Too long?

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

21. Just wait for the impending scandals, then you could say....

Republican leadership: ethically corrupt, fiscally bankrupt

For me, the fact that Republicans control all must lead to accountability. I never understood why the Democrats didn't repeat over and over "But 9/11 happened during Bush's term and after the intelligence warnings in the summer". Instead I heard them on one show after another DEFENDING CLINTON's admin. on terror/Bin Laden....How do the Dems always end up on the defense?????

Outside of the leadership of the Dems, I really believe that Kerry supporters (and other Dems) need to watch the Republicans closely and CALL, WRITE and email your Senators/Representatives to let them know you are still watching them closely. I called my representative to let her know that I was displeased with her secret vote of support for DeLay/indictment rule. I have also contacted both of my Senators re: various issues. Keep them on their toes. Keep them on the defense.