I can see the Midwest going Democratic

[catbert836]

The Democratic Party has always been the party of the working class, and the Midwest is dominated by the working class. But to do it, and I'm sorry to say, I think we're going to have to abandon our positions on gun control. Sorry, but I don't think we can win without doing that.
PS: And BBV people, I know we have to fix BBV before anything else. So there.

[BayCityProgressive]

1. Wouldnt work

if we gave up gun control then the GOP would just hammer on Abortion. Then we would give that up and they would hammer on gay marriage. Then we would give that up and they would move on to Affirmative Action. There will always be a wedge issue.

[catbert836]

3. Let's try economic issues then.

As far as I can see, the GOP can only win on social issues like the ones you just said. They can't win on economic issues, like free trade, because everyone knows they're beholden to rich people.

[illflem]

2. That's how progressive demo Schweitzer

freed red Montana from four decades of rep control and got elected governor. Read about his strategy here
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0412.sirota.html

"Schweitzer had an innovative, three-part political strategy, one that perfectly fit the current conditions in Montana, but which Democrats across the country could learn from. First, Schweitzer took advantage of public dissatisfaction with two decades of insular one-party rule in the state capital, casting himself as an outsider and a reformer. Second, he rallied small business, usually a solidly GOP constituency, to his side by opposing the deals Republicans had cut in Washington and Helena to favor large or out-of-state corporations over local entrepreneurs. Third, and most interesting of all, Schweitzer figured out how to win over one of the most important, reliably Republican, and symbolically significant groups of voters: hunters and fishermen."

[BayCityProgressive]

4. The problem is

while we need to educate people about why our social positions are correct, we also need a very strong economic message or the social issues drown them out every time. Most Democrats supported NAFTA and free trade deals, Democrats never talk about restoring the progressive tax or repealing taft hartley. Those are the types of economic issues you would have to push.

[catbert836]

6. Yes, exactly.

And many more besides.

[BayCityProgressive]

11. WOW

maybe Shweitzer for president in 08?

[catbert836]

5. Thanks for the article!

I think we can all learn something from it.

[wildflower]

14. Great article! So that's where David Sirota has been!

I'd wondered since he hadn't been on Al Franken's show much in the last few months.

That is one article every Democrat should read, IMO.

[madrchsod]

7. of course the gun control issue

has been completely bungled by the democrats. i owned a gun and it was registered and i had an foid card. my father in law hunted and trapped all his life but when he found out the nra was backing the assult rifle he droped his lifetime nra membership. he said you don`t hunt deer or fox with a ak 47. he was right. attack the republicans on the rape of our land and waterways..deer wasting disease in my area thanks to tommy "bad food" thompson, the rock river that flows thru southern wisconsin and northern il has fish and other life that is mutating into god only knows what because of ag chemicals...the democrats really need to realize kerry`s hunting pictures were just plain stupid and rethink thier position on hunting,fishing,and gun control. take the message away from the republicans

[catbert836]

8. The Democratic Party has come across as anti-hunting,

which we aren't. I think we can win by pointing this out, as well as attacking the GOP on bad environmental policy.

[Ms_Mary]

17. This is a BIG issue in the southeast

I had several people vehemently argue to me that Kerry would ban guns and hunting and I'd better not vote for him. They insisted. One offered to bring me proof. I told him I'd love to see and would definitely read it b/c it contradicted everything I had read but oddly enough, he never brought me any proof. He did, however, have the gall to laugh the day after the election. I gave him my coldest stone face and said I didnt' find a single thing funny about it. I freaking sell hunting gear in my store, you think I'm going to be so dedicated to an anti-hunting candidate?

[wildflower]

9. I think Ed Schultz' show is a big help here. n/t

[Bush was AWOL]

15. His show is great

and even some of my conservative friends like to listen to him. Guy is very down to earth, and just comes off as being a very good man.

[catbert836]

16. Hmmm... maybe. n/t

[wildflower]

23. And he's pro-fishing, hunting, sports, comes across as rugged and tough...

Not my thing personally, but I think he's a great asset to reach a lot of moderates and conservatives.

[chieftain]

10. I wonder if Gephart would made a difference in the Midwest .

I was never a big fan of his , but I saw him give a great speech at the Florida Democratic Convention where he emotionally laid out the dark side of globalization . Had he been able to show that kind of passion to primary voters , there could have been a groundswell for him to offset the Edwards tide . Oh well as we sports fans say all the time : " woulda , coulda , shoulda . "

[illflem]

12. Edwards certainly didn't add much to the campaign.

[Ms_Mary]

18. I'm in a red, red NC and a lot of Bushies told me they would have voted

for Edwards if he had gotten the nomination. By the same token, I heard a lot of ambulance chasing lawyer crap. But I, for one, really like Edwards. He's been a good senator for my state and I'm sad to lose him.

[catbert836]

13. We need someone from the Midwest for President

like, as a previous post said, maybe Schweitzer.

[illflem]

20. Schweitzer says he hasn't ruled out running for prez

I'd hate to lose him as such a common sense, down to earth guy doing his good for my home state, but he's already started the ball rolling by exposing the republicans for the pro big business party they are. Schweitzer even breaks the republican 11th commandant by getting down on WalMart.
My feeling is that Schweitzer, along with a now balanced Montana state legislature, will do so much good that Montana state government will shift Democrat for many years to come.
Could be the time will come very soon for him to go national.

[catbert836]

21. Awesome. I think maybe he could be the answer.

Not that Montana has too many electoral votes, though.

[TheDonkey]

19. We have pretty mild positions on gun control I think

Really, the Gays, Guns, and God boil down to Gays and Fetuses.

[illflem]

22. I hear you on the Gays and Fetuses issue

but if the demos turn the gun issue into an environmental rights issue it will pull in republicans who didn't even realize they were tree-huggers before. They don't need to look far to see the reps are giving away their scared hunting and fishing lands away to private industry. It's a simple matter to prove the Demos have always been pro-environment, public lands and that the reps don't give a crap about the environment except in how to exploit it.

[goodhue]

24. no way

Dems won in MN, WI and MI.
No need to change gun position.

[WI_DEM]

25. Illinois is the only reliably democratic state in the MW

with Minnesota a strong runner up--but there it's getting competitive. Michigan and Wisconsin are swing states--sorry, but they are. Ohio, on the other hand, is still a GOP state in presidential elections but is getting competitive. Iowa is a swing state which tends blue despite Bush's win. I don't see Dems ever being competitve in presidential races in Indiana, the Dakotas, KS, or Neb unless we are in a depression and a republican is president.