What's OUR best wedge issue?

[senseandsensibility]

How come the only wedge issues I've ever heard about are repuke driven? They've won several elections by driving a wedge among working people with abortion, and affirmative action. We'll put aside the rigged elections for now.

When are we gonna get some wedge issues? And what should they be? I think all of the choices below are real possibilities, and could be exploited to win votes for us. That is, if anyone on our side was interested in strategy.

Please pick one, or add your own. The important thing about wedge issues is that a scatter shot approach doesn't work. We need to pick one, or at the most, two, to concentrate on.

[brentspeak]

1. SS was relatively sound and stable until Bush came along

The Republicans up for reelection in 2006 have all supported Bush's dismantling of Social Security and Medicaid/Medicare. The issue of the GOP's gross financial mismanagement should be advertised loud and clear.

[senseandsensibility]

2. Yes

I tend to think that we could very successfully tie the social security issue into a broader economic theme.

[rzemanfl]

3. We need to get video recordings of rich Repug fat cats at their

country clubs laughing at the supid fundie jerks they are using to make themselves rich.

[Gay Green]

5. They're already laughing 'coz...

...all they have to do is say, "abortion - boo!" and "gay marriage - boo!" and those stupid people of superstition will vote the fat cats in.

And if there's not enough votes?... Well there's always Diebold. :-(

[Shoeempress]

4. The draft. We should be using it to our advantage by guaranteeing

no draft if our folks are elected.

[berni_mccoy]

26. You can not make that promise

Because if you do, the backlash would be so overwhelming you'll never get that seat again for your party...

That's what the republicans fear the most... because they *have* made that promise... and the real need for a draft is rising rapidly such that it may really be necessary, even before the 2006 elections.

[Shoeempress]

37. Funny thing, we don't engage in unnecessary wars, so if another was

necessary, it would be if we were attacked al la Pearl Harbor and even I'd volunteer. So that would be a promise we could keep.

[Mr.Green93]

6. the disparity between rich and poor.

The rich have too much of our money.

[yebrent]

7. I picked the deficit, but...

you missed a few very good ones.

Stem cell research and medical marijuana. 4 "red" states in the west (Colorado, Alaska, Nevada, and Montana) have medical marijuana laws. With the supreme court decision today, the Dems should jump right on this and push for either a bill for medical marijuana or a bill that allows states to decide. It is a high publicity issue in the west and could easily be used to split the libertarian leaning Republicans from the Christian Wrong Rethugs.

Check out my thread on this from today

[saltpoint]

8. chose 'other' but liked all your choices in the poll.

I like hundreds of thousands of bumperstickers on blue voters' vehicles that read:

WHY DO REPUBLICANS HATE THE FOUNDERS ?

Since the Republican Party has in effect desecrated the Constitution in key areas, let's hold them to their own record.

Instead of THEIR crying, "Why do liberals hate America?" let's put WHY DO REPUBLICANS HATE THE FOUNDERS of our democracy on car bumpers everwhere.

I think there would be resonance in accusing the GOP of betraying the spirit of liberty.

[senseandsensibility]

12. Thanks

You're right. You don't hear the repugs going around quoting the founders like they used to, and they certainly aren't governing as if they respect them.

[meow2u3]

46. Why do conservatives hate AMERICANS?

That's my version.

[senseandsensibility]

50. And a good one it is.

:-)

[many a good man]

9. Hypocrisy, especially of the religious sort

Hypocrisy and phoniness characterize just about every R issue, but especially the moral and economic ones. At most 30% of voters really believe in these issues, the rest of us are a little frightened. Turn off the religious right and you have instant majority status in most states.

Fiscal responsibility and individual freedoms are being betrayed by the right wing. We must reverse the impression that Dems are responsible for the moral decay in society, crime, and general incivility.

[bklyncowgirl]

10. The real class warfare. The rich against everyone else. nt

[KT2000]

11. health insurance and

access to healthcare.

[me b zola]

30. Yes. Prescription drugs go hand-inhand with healthcare

And seniors are pissed that the rethugs are cracking down on their ability to get cheaper meds from Canada. People see through the lie that meds from Canada aren't as safe, especially when it is pointed out to them that they are the same meds from the same US pharmaceutical companies.;-)

[PretzelWarrior]

13. cheese. If we get enough cheese wedges around the country

paired with a nice wine...this country will be a better place

[senseandsensibility]

14. Nice one!!

:toast: Let's add some whine with that. Uh, maybe not.

[stevebreeze]

15. Republicans and conservative have had their economic agenda for 25

years, basically since th rise of Reagan. In that time ALL of the economic gains in this country have gone to the top 20%. While they have claimed to improve our standard of living by lowering taxes, most working people pay as much or more in taxes today. We work longer hours, and far more productively, yet wages are stagnant. Money buys elections, and money's first priority is self protection.

[tedoll78]

16. Stem cell research.

We need to make our appeal on the issue personal. Tell the voter:
"think of a loved one in your life with a disease or disorder. A son, a daughter, a niece, a nephew, a parent. Imagine yourself facing them and telling them, 'No - your life is not worth it.' That's pretty much what a vote for the Republican Party is. This Election Day, tell your loved ones 'Yes.' Vote Democratic."

[Poiuyt]

17. I agree, Stem cell research

[Greybnk48]

19. Likewise--stem cell n/t

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

38. yep

[efhmc]

44. I agree that it is and will continue to be very important.

[cestpaspossible]

18. Social Security and the deficit are really just one issue.

Just as the fact that I have no money saved for retirement is related to my credit card balance... gotta solve the second problem in order to tackle the first one... therefore it's really just one issue.

[Czolgosz]

20. Call me crazy, but i think gay civil unions will ultimately be a wedge

issue that breaks in our favor. Too many suburban women have wandered into the Republican party out of fear of terrorism. I think the issue that brings them back -- probably not in 2006 but soon -- is gay civil unions (the Roe v. Wade of 2008). This issue is a time bomb for the Reptilicans. A majority of people I know over 50 years old don't get the civil unions issue, but NO ONE I know under 30 doesn't get it. Also important: the 50-and-overs are not one issue anti-civil-union voters; they'll vote to protect SS. Soon, the table will turn, and the Reptilicans will pay for the hate and homophobia they are breeding.

[tedoll78]

21. If there's one thing we've won over the past two decades..

it's the mindset of the next voting generation on this issue. At the very least, I think that this issue becomes neutralized. At most, it becomes a popular civil rights voting force.

[nickshepDEM]

22. Other. Economic Populism... If half the Democrats weren't sellouts.

[Douglas Carpenter]

23. Outsourcing Jobs

:nuke:

Outsourcing jobs

Let's face it--even many ordinary Republicans don't like it

:dem: :kick:

[nickshepDEM]

25. Good point.

This is one of the main reasons Bernie Sanders wins even in the redest areas of Vermont. The people know he wont sell them or their jobs out.

[senseandsensibility]

31. good point

and welcome to DU!:hi:

[berni_mccoy]

24. THE DRAFT

More than anything Freepers FEAR the Draft because they know it will mean a civil rebellion of the masses.

Once non-serving Americans (the vast majority) are asked to make sacrifices for the war, they will be all for ending our occupation of Iraq and swapping out the republican dimwits that got us into this war. If the draft is started before the 2006 elections, many republican congressman will lose their seats.

The scary thing is, it wouldn't be hard to get the draft approved at this point, given the terrible recruiting efforts of the military, the mounting, large number of casualties, the dragging out of the occupation and the war drums beating for the U.S. in other nations (Iran, N. Korea, Syria)...

What was that saying? Be careful what you wish for...

[BlueIris]

33. Shit, I forgot that one (and I only think about this every day).

It's been that kind of week, y'all. And it's ONLY. TUESDAY.

I wonder why it didn't work during the election, tho? I met some people who were getting the message, but not enough.

[Warren DeMontague]

27. For some reason, "The GOP Agenda to criminalize birth control as well as

all forms of abortion" wasn't on the list.

Yet, if the GOP platform was implemented as it has been written for 3 decades, the pill would become a controlled substance. The Bush admin. won't say if the president supports legalized contraception. Santorum doesn't believe that the "right to privacy" as enumerated in Griswold v. Connecticut-- the ruling that said married couples could use birth control without fear of arrest- doesn't exist.

I'm astounded that anyone could NOT consider that a "wedge issue".

Also, the idea that they've won ANYTHING using abortion as an issue is not borne out by the facts. The majority of Americans are solidly pro-choice. The March for Women's Lives in DC in April, 2004 was the largest March on the Mall in History. No offense, but you are echoing the lies of the corporate media to suggest that somehow we have "lost" by standing up for what a majority of americans believe- that a woman and her doctor, and not politicians or televangelists- should have control of her body, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy.

But even without that, the war on birth control is a total loss leader for the GOP, as is most of their agenda.. which is why they need to steal the elections and rig the voting machines... and seriously, I don't think we're gonna get anywhere if we "put aside" THAT.

[kodi]

28. national health care, it will separate business from conservatives

businesses know that spiraling health care costs for their employees is stunting growth and competitiveness in the international market.

if GM goes under because of its obligations to retiree's and their pensions and healthcare insurance, it will cause big business to consider letting the government run health care insurance.

if the democrats can drive a wedge between these groups who usually support each other, there can be a reallignment of business towards the democratic party because the democrats actually help the bottom line of these companies

[Carla in Ca]

29. Stem Cell Research...

This is THE issue, IMHO. It affects us all and the Dems want it.

[BlueIris]

32. I HAVE to go with social security. My "reframing" idea:

"Don't you love your grandma?"

That's all I got--that issue seems to matter to the most number of people.

[senseandsensibility]

39. That about says it

"Don't you love your Grandma?" Might sell in the red states.

[DukeDevil]

34. Immigration

Turn the "Minuteman project / Pat Buchanan" wing against the corporatist, cheap labor wing. Let the Repugs participate in a circular firing squad for an election season.

[demwing]

35. The growing death total in Iraq

No one wants to be responsible for the unnecessary death of American soldiers.

[senseandsensibility]

49. But will we

ever be able to convince the cororate media to cover this?:mad:

[blindpig]

36. The Environment

seems like a slam dunk to me. According to LCV 86% of Americans claim to be environmentalist. I think some of that support is soft when things get up close and personal but at the end of the day there will still be a strong majority in favor. Only a handful of greedy Randites and fundie whackjobs will out front oppose saving the earth though treachery and backdoor deals will always be a concern. It's sort of like the polls on religion: when asked most people will identify with the consensus good, even if they are not entirely clear or on board. This is a strength for us. The main problem is that so many Democrats are in bed with big business.

The ruling cabal is working overtime to wreck this planet in so many ways that the mind boggles. Energy, forests, mining, fisheries, air & water, endangered species and their habitats, they do it maximum wrong every time. Can we not hang these bastards with their obvious infamy?

The ESA is about to be mutilated and eviscerated by these pigs. Why not put the blessed and fortuitous rediscovery of the Ivorybilled Woodpecker to work for us? Make the Lawd God Bird our standard, emblem, talisman! Any who oppose the survival and restoration of this magnificent creature will be the vilest sort of scum.

The Environment is but one shaft in our quiver but it's a damn good one not to be ignored.

[LuPeRcALiO]

40. Social Security

if we lose that one, the D party is over.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

41. That we don't need "wedges" to promote our agenda.

Wedging is cynical and detrimental to democracy. The majority of Americans agree with progressive policies, we just need to lay them out loudly and often.

[knight_of_the_star]

42. No need

A true Dem should unite the people, Pubs are the ones who need them divided.

[LuPeRcALiO]

43. agree, but Dems do need to split the red bloc

There are plenty of Southern voters who will return to the Dem party when they understand the self-destructive danger of voting GOP (and watching their SS benefits go down the toilet, for example) IMHO.

[Ksec]

45. other, we should be using the Populist message

They are for the rich and corporate powers

We are for the working class.

Simple, true and effective.

Very easy to show proof of such, just look at their record . Everything theyve done has benefitted their elitists at the expoense of the working classes.

And by working class , I mean this group takes up most of this country .

[meow2u3]

47. Let's just put it this way

Dems must return to their pro-working-stiff roots. Economic populism trumps divisive behavioral issues when Dems deliver the message loud and clear. The more we piss off the elitist fat cats, the better it is for the Democratic Party.

My pet peeve: The pro-choice litmus test often expressed by a large number of DUers is nothing but a Republican booby trap.
Only by putting it on the back burner (de-emphasizing "choice") and/or proposing compromises, such as referendum, will we convince the naive masses that Democrats are not a bunch of amoral hedonists, contrary to popular belief. In fact, many Repukes are amoral hedonists behind closed doors and only pay lip service to moral purity.

[LuPeRcALiO]

48. Very true. Gore and Kerry both ran fairly populist campaigns

IMHO, except they didn't use the term "working class," which most working class Americans no longer identify with, they used "middle class" instead. Kerry for example said in the third debate "I'm fighting for the middle class" (or words to that effect) and it was the best line of the night.

[The Jacobin]

51. The Deficit

Bush will bail on SS privatization as soon as it starts to turn on him -- then that issue will be dead in the water.

Besides a "wedge issue" is something that can be forced into the side of the opposition to make them crack. Defending SS is just that -- defense.

The Deficit is an offensive issue.
- We have a track record of eliminating deficits. They don't.
- The fiscal conservatives can be split off on this one (think Dominici)
- Even right wing radio says Bush spends "like a drunken sailor."
- It won't go away. We can keep pounding it until we win.

[Pryderi]

52. How 'bout one that hasn't been mentioned Banking and Credit Card issues

I accidently bounced a check a few months ago, and I was astounded to see a $32 overdraft charge for a $18.42 check, which led to another $32 overdraft charge for a $38.67 check! Good God! I don't think "Guido the Legbreaker charges those kind of fees!

How do the poor, or working class deal with this, if they get accidently bounce one check and it snowballs into a half dozen overdraft charges???

This is a straight to the wallet, real family issue that the Dems could raise regarding bank fees. Especially given the Bankruptcy Bill that passed recently.

[Fire Walk With Me]

53. Liberty and justice for all.

Someday.

[Douglas Carpenter]

54. Outsourcing!!!Outsourcing!!! Outsourcing!!!!Outsourcing!!!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

:bounce: I just cannot understand why more Dems don't get this. :bounce:

:bounce: Ordinary Republicans don't like outsourcing. :bounce:

:bounce: Evangelical Christian don't like outsourcing :bounce:

:bounce: Gun owners don't like outsourcing :bounce:

:bounce: Pro-lifers don't like outsourcing :bounce:

:bounce: People who complain about higher taxes and too much government don't like outsourcing :bounce:

:bounce: Low wage workers don't like outsourcing :bounce:

:bounce: Silicon Valley programmers don't like outsourcing :bounce:

I just cannot imagine a stronger wedge issue :bounce:

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[AirAmFan]

55. Minimum wage. Opinion in some state polls is running 6-1 in favor

of an increase in the statewide minimum. There has been no federal minimum wage increase for the second-longest period since the minimum was established under FDR.

And the politics is brilliant! The Wall Street wing of the party CANNOT refrain from going all-out against an increase--they love money just too much. And many of their religious right coalitionists will see that their partners are depriving their children of what they deserve to have.

This is one of the top three priorities in Minority Leader Reid's recent strategy memo. See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1813446&mesg_id=1813446&page=

In your lead-in, you missed the other two top wedge issues on Reid's memo as well.

[pat_k]

56. Trustworthy Elections: Not a wedge, but our best issue!

Trustworthy elections (Why, Oh why didn't this even make the list? Why isn't it on EVERY issues list?)

Enforce existing laws against secret vote counting (and that includes the unobservable counting that occurs in the machines).

Make it a capital crime to manipulate an election by any means, including systematic voter suppression. (Do this and you don't need to do much else to ensure Trustworthy Elections!)

These aren't wedge issues, but they are our best issues.

BTW. Your claim that "They've won several elections by driving..." is problematic. Given our current election system, we can't have confidence in the results of our elections. We don't know which candidate actually won most of them.