Do not give up! GET NASTY

[dubyaD40web]

Yes, yesterday sucked. What else did you expect? Kerry in the White House? No.

I've been reading many posts the past 24 hours and I'm ashamed that many of you are wanting to leave the Dem party. Why? If you leave the Dem party will you still have the same Dem beliefs? I'm sure you will. Our problem is the LEADERSHIP in this party. We need to take it back. Out with the old and in with the new, right? It's time to fight fire with fire. It's time to GET NASTY like they did to us! If we keep rolling over for the republicans then we'll never be in power again. If you want to leave the Dem party then fine, good luck convincing the 50+ million others to leave too. The Repugs will only get stronger.

Can you imagine how many of them are laughing at us right now? Instead of being strong, we're kicking each other while we're down. Now is not the time for that! We've got 4 years people. That's a lot of time to GET NASTY! If we start today.

*We can start a War Room. Challenge anything and everthing the Repugs do and maybe the media will pick up on it. For example: When they say "X is good for the future of the country", we say "According to studies, X will bankrupt us." We keep doing this to prove they're a fraud on every front.

*Contact our elected officials. We must take back our voice. There's a reason why they got elected to office. US. We need to talk to them until we're blue in the face. They are there to represent us. If they don't, goodbye! We'll find someone new.

*Get the word out. There are so many fronts to get the word out. Websites, talking to friends, freeway blogging, etc. We have to work twice as hard as we did before the election. The media isn't doing it so we should. Just one sign, t-shirt or whatever will make someone think about what's really going on. Let's do it.


NOW, WHO'S WITH ME??



http://www.dubyaD40.com

[AllyCat]

1. We can leave the Dem party and still have Dem beliefs

because the Democratic Party no longer holds our values. They truly are Republican Lite. No, I did not believe the election would be overturned...I just thought some of them would actually stand up and fight. A few did.

Who were the 33 Dem Representatives? I have not been able to find a post about that although I'm sure there has been much discussion.

[nickinSTL]

5. Here is a link to a list of the 31 Reps and 1 Senator

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x261392

[Carolina]

9. exactly

With a few exceptions like Barbara Boxer and the heroes of the House yesterday and in 2000, the Democratic Party has left us.

I have no more money or energy for repuke-lite Wimpocrats.

I will support individuals but not the party. DNC, DLC can rot for all I care. We're in an ownership, Constitution-trappling, warmongering society now because our party failed to fight for 4 years. Time for change.

[tsuki]

11. I agree. The person, not the party. And if the person is a democrat and

not a Democrat...Allen Boyd of Florida...I will not support him/her.

[MsUSA]

2. Wisconsin had it's first "People's Legislature" meeting

on Tuesday Jan 4, 2005. 1100 people from all over Wisconsin showed up. Look for information on http://fightingbob.com/ We're starting from the bottom and working our way up. First local meeting in the La Crosse area is Thursday, January 20. Start your own group, or come to ours. We have to do something.

[AllyCat]

4. MsUSA

Did you go? I wanted to attend, but had to prep for a job interview. The goal was to get 805 people there and they ended up with over 1100. NPR actually reported it for about a minute and a half (if you can believe that).

My favorite line from the report: The lobbyists have their Legislature. Now it's time for the people to have theirs.

[MsUSA]

6. Yes I did go.........it was very uplifting and folks are determined.

Determined to start this people's legislature. Was the first of I hope many many gatherings to take back our state.

[AllyCat]

8. I went to the fightingbob.com link and signed up for reports

Once I am done job hunting and have some money and time, I would like to work with this group. I've always said change needs to be smaller and grow...the past election (if one can call it that) was a case in point. The national grassroots effort was needed, but let it now serve its purpose to get us all involved in our communities. We'll change it like a patchwork quilt.

Thanks for attending!

[goju]

3. I think you missed the lesson of 04, alot of people did

Alot of people talk about re-organizing as the solution to regaining power, thats not what we need. Neither the media, funding, or the grass roots efforts need attention, but our message does. We did have a war room, we did contact our reps (whatever good that would do?) and we did get the word out. It didnt work. You think redoubling an ineffective effort will produce success?

You are right about leadership and candidates though. But beyond that, think about redefining or consolidating the "message". For all the money raised and spent (most ever I believe), what good did it do if message we sent was weak and uninspiring? We lack focus, definitive plans (domestic and foriegn policy), and effective leadership.

If you concentrate on organization rather than defining our message clearly, you will continue to produce the same results. We got close because of overwhelming organization and funding, but we lost because of the message.

Now, who is with me?

[MsUSA]

7. No, I'm sorry goju, message is one thing, but, organization at the

local level is how we're going to get started. If we can take our state issues to the people of this state, we can progress to the national level by 2008 in MHO.

[goju]

10. Thats the point, we already had the grassroots effort

We did get started in 04, we had the effort, we had the organization. We cannot point to turnout, funding, canvassing, or any other "organizational" asset as the cause of the defeat. More money than ever, biggest turnout ever, largest grass roots effort than ever before. Honestly, what good is more of the same going to do?

Message, that is what we lacked. We fielded a weak candidate and werent clear with our message.

[AllyCat]

14. On a level, I agree with you Goju

I just think grassroots, especially now when we have some time to work with a platform and message, needs to happen on a small, local level. Our grassroots effort for '04 Prez was enormous (and needed to be). It was national, even global. Now, we start up a new message that is appealing to everyone because it affects everyone, no matter what their political persuasion.

The People's Legislature attracted and was indeed organized by members of many parties, including Republicans (the real Republicans who must have just had it up to here with their party by now!).

[DinahMoeHum]

12. Try the League Of Pissed-Off Voters. . .They're hip, they're pissed,

they're cool.

at www.indyvoter.org

:kick:

[hangloose]

13. We need the moderate republicans to be with us, we have to

cross the aisle because the attitude of the Bush administration is take of leave it, and I feel this will alienate the fringe. We need a strategy to talk to moderate Republicans

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. I think mere sanity will bring a lot of people together

Moderate Repubs aren't wild about **'s spending, attacks on civil liberties, or breaking down the wall between church and state.

------------------------------------------------------------
Help save our country one town, county, and state at a time!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm#why

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[moggie12]

16. I'm with you -- great ideas

Yours is one of few practical-oriented posts today! (I think everybody is still working-through their grief -- lots of talk of abandoning Dem Party -- I truly hope they won't, but wound is deep.)

A War Room & pipeline to the media is what's needed most (your points #1 and 2). "Somebody" should be out there TODAY pounding the drums on election reform legislation, bashing home the message after Boxer's courageous stand yesterday. Dems just can't learn. The Republicans just keep pushing their message no matter what -- the "wronger" they are, the louder they proclaim it....

As to your War Room, there are tons of smart people on here who seem able to produce an astounding amount of facts and figures in minutes. There's also a huge # of people with great suggestions for strategy. And some damn good writers, too -- some very literate, some who come up with real attention-grabbing zingers.

Want to try an experiment?? How about putting up a post that says something like "WAR ROOM: 1st Assignment". I wrote a post earlier today (that sank like a stone) asking people for ideas on how to push election reform.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1476274

I had no idea what I was going to do with the ideas -- problem is, to whom do I send them?

Alternatively, maybe concentrate on your idea #2? Organize a letter-writing campaign? People are already contacting politicians on their own, but maybe try to get it a bit better organized, focus on key concepts in letters that will bang home a theme DUers come up with? (For example, I'd like to bombard the New York Times -- their piece today on Boxer's challenge was outrageously slanted!!!)

What do you say, dubyaD40?

[laugle]

18. Bush's coming military draft

I agree, we have to beat the neo-cons at there own game. My idea is to spread as much propaganda about a coming military draft to fullfill Bush's master PNAC plan. This will scare the hell out of all the cowards who voted for Bush. Before the election this tactic worked well in motivating people to vote LET'S DO IT AGAIN!! WHAT DO YOU THINK???

[laugle]

19. TESTING REPLY MESSAGES

JUST DOING TEST NEW TO SITE