Anyone remember Newt Gingrich's Contract With America?

[InvisibleBallots]

It was a brilliant political move. Republicans defined themselves to the public by advertising in TV guide and magazines that massive numbers of Americans actually read. They came up with 10 simple points, worded in such that most people agreed. The Democrats were left to react. Gingrich was able to win Congress with a some of the most right-wing Republicans ever.

Democrats need to define themselves to the public now - not a litany of things that Bush and the Republicans have done wrong, but what Democrats propose to do. We set the terms of debate, and have a discussion directly with the public, leaving the Republicans to react. Talking about 2008 is premature, we need to concentrate on winning Congress. Sure, the demographics and gerrymandering are against us, but we don't really have any choice.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. We must start now

showing how Dems are different from Repukes. And let's be honest with our advertising-that will be one big difference between us and Gingrich's Contract ON America, which is a better name for what he set in motion, imho.

[liberal N proud]

2. I remember more as a contract ON America!

You are correct, Now is the time for the Dems to say, this is who we are and what we stand for and how we can make America better, then sell that to the voters for the next 4 years.

[Clark2008]

3. You mean, the Contract ON America

Yes, I remember it well.

And, yes, the Dems do need to define themselves to the public, now. But, will the media pay it as much attention as they did the Republicans?

[InvisibleBallots]

4. no, the corporate media will try to ignore it

then they will try to discredit it. Democrats need to talk directly to the public, bypassing the media as much as possible. That means buy a page in TV guide - not go on FOX news to be "interviewed" by one of Murdoch's employees. A direct ad at least goes without the corporate media filter and "editorializing".

[Deja Q]

5. Will the DLC follow suit?

Or will they continue to say "We don't need X Y Z speaking for us" in their latest effort to react to events which, in turn, leave voters bemused, confused, and possibly even betrayed.

Forgive me, my cynicism, but we've all said "The Democratic Party needs to do ________". While there's no doubt many Dem officials in many offices have listened and read and reacted, I constantly get the feeling (now quadrupled thanks to the DLC) that they just. don't. care. Kerry is a rather good example. All show and no substance. For all he said, he seemingly proved * quite correct on the 'flip flopping' allegations when he capitulated conceded the race so early on without so much as stating obvious concerns that you know * would have done in a heartbeat, and oddly for the identical reasons.

Unless the DLC know something the rest of us don't, and have a real mammoth whopper of a reason not to share their juicy gossip, of course, why should we blindly continue to support the Democratic Party when they seem to be ignoring the people in favor of the corporate dollar and saying "We can be like * too!" in voice and action...

Late-entry: The media is another concern to. Thanks to the telecom and other acts of the 1990s, we have a real one-sided flop. Remember when the iceberg asked the Titanic "You sure you're really sinkproof?" Now consider the Titanic as being our eggs-in-one-basket, one-sided system. Given the field of icebergs America is swimming around (teetering economy that has not grown one damn bit, peak oil, our perception in the world having plummeted thanks to (a) stupid and vicious acts and (b) what is increasingly proving to be a majority of Americans wilfully wanting * to remain president (something I wholly feared) now suggesting that ALL Americans are as pompous and flatbrained...