Ok - I posted a poll asking about your thoughts on who would be

[Bullwinkle925]

the ideal Democratic candidate for the 2008 Presidency. It appears that we are all over the board with this one, although the majority in the poll seem to favor Wesley Clark. A couple of you have stated that we need to focus on 2006, which I am in agreement with - however I do not believe that it is too early to think about '08. My fears are that we are shell-shocked and scattered as a party.
There have also been comments about the the past two elections as having been 'stolen' - which I agree with as well. There needs to be a concentrated effort on behalf of the Democratic Party to get the message out to our members to ask for paper ballots and to get to the polls in person to vote. It looks like the mail-ins are being tampered with so I would prefer to see us vote with our feet. That requires us to really be effective with helping to get out the vote in any way possible - volunteering rides, etc.
Any other suggestions as to how we can really unite and start moving forward to have a positive effect in the upcoming elections?

[greekspeak]

1. One of my requirements is that the dems in Washington mus'nt be pukes

The democrats in Washington must unite against this heinous miscarriage of justice that is the Puke machine in D.C. We cannot have key senators and representatives crawling all over each other to see who can be the most puke like of the dems. At least the Pukes admit to being Pukes, and do not allow themselves to be doormats. We need more Rep. Conyers in Washington.

[Bullwinkle925]

2. Then that suggests to me that we need to have a massive wave

of Democrats writing, calling, e-mailing their respective representatives to let them know what it is that they want. Do you think we are doing that now?
BTW - read your bio - that's neat that you are collecting rotary phones. I would like to have one myself - just for nostagia's sake.

[greekspeak]

6. Rotary phones can be had for less than $10. A lot of it is color

Black ones are ubiquitous. Red ones are rare, and fetch a premium.

I think that e-mailing representatives is great. Writing, calling, whatever. However, very little of that gets through the wall of aides/interns/etc. For instance, the other day I did an e-mail to my own rep/senators, and a few others that were key to the issue about which I was writing. I got one automated response, from Arlen Spector, telling me that I do not live in PA so he does not have time to bother with me. At least I got that. The only human responses I get to anything I write are hateful responses from wingnuts to my LTTEs. But I still write/call/email these people.

[Bullwinkle925]

8. Yes - I am doing my fair share of calling and e-mailing as well.

I hope that on 'occasion' some of what I have to say gets through. I'm not going to stop.
I finally had a call from a newspaper this week that was going to print my LTTE. I'm sure a bunch of right-wingers won't like it - hopefully someone will open their mind and think about the situation.
We can only try to change one mind at a time, otherwise we will be too overwhelmed and quit.
Do you go to flea markets for your telephones, or e-bay?

[greekspeak]

13. I have bought phones on Ebay and at the flea markets/antique malls

Black, white, tan, ivory, even olive green you can readily at about any antique mall/flea market. You get into some more rare colors-pink, light blue, gray-you will find much more readily on Ebay. You just have to know what you are willing to pay, and stick to it. Even the rarer colors show up in the junk stores. We got an ORANGE rotary phone at a little antique store here in Tallahassee. I think the brown one and the aqua wall phone came from there too.

[IChing]

3. A couple of you have stated?????? we need to focus on 2006

A couple is two.
I believe it was many more if not the majority of DUers think this.
For an idea for the 2006 look at this post.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1948564

[Bullwinkle925]

5. Sorry if I misquoted - I'm not trying to be antagonistic - I'm serious as

to what we can do to bond together and get our party moved in the right direction so that we can prevail. I will be working hard for the 2006 elections - have already donated to a candidate that is not in my own state. Will be working with my Democratic party in my area.
I just am wondering if we should be trying to form a clear consensus of opinion now in order to win the 2008 Presidency?


edit for typo

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. Too soon.

I'm waiting to see what the political climate will be before I commit to anything.

[Sparkly]

7. Focus on the Iraq War.

The Republican party owns it. They've worked hard to own it, associating themselves with it throughout the past campaign.

The #1 thing is to separate it from the "war on terror," and show that it has UNDERmined the "war on terror."

Beyond that, link EVERYthing else to the war, including the economy, national security, the Plame outing, the failure to implement the 9/11 commission's recommendations, the failure to secure ports and chem/nuke facilities, failure to fund education and veterans' benefits, the hypocrisy of "moral values," the overstretched military, the inability to establish affordable healthcare, the rising national debt that's selling our country out to other nations like China, EVERYthing relates to the Iraq war.

Link every Republican to it, showing it as a policy of the party as a whole. They are so good at being united and "on message" -- fine, let's make it backfire on the lot of them.

Democrats should show unity as a party that, given control of Congress, will CHANGE what's been going on, will establish an "exit strategy" for Iraq, will balance the budget, will respect the military, fund schools, keep Social Security funded, secure ports and chem/nuke facilities, etc. They can NOT let the meme that "Democrats have no ideas of their own" stand.

Those are my ideas fwiw.

[Bullwinkle925]

9. Your ideas are worth a great deal. I have begun a campaign of

e-mailing some Republican Representatives to support Congresswoman Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry that she introduced into the House on 7/21. I am trying to appeal to their conscience and humanity (I am hoping there is some left) to do the right thing and force answers to the questions raised by the Downing Street Memo.'

[MaineDem]

10. Too early

We need to win the Governors' races in NJ and VA this year. We need to get the state Legislatures in Democratic hands in '06 as well as elect more Democrats to the US House and Senate. THEN we can concentrate on '08.

I understand what you're doing but energy can be spent on more beneficial efforts now before we get cracking on the '08 Presidential race.

Working locally is very important. I'm glad to see you doing that already.

Look for more Democratic efforts to get citizen initiatives (where allowed) going to demand recountable paper ballots with all machine voting. That will require a lot of work on the local level.

[IndianaGreen]

11. Wes Clark has a solid group of supporters in DU

and an equal number of detractors.

I don't think we should put someone in the White House that has never held elective office before, and lacks the experience of building political consensus. Clark supporters will site those attributes as Clark's strongest assets. Clark has not been corrupted by the political system, and his role as NATO commander is proof enough that he is quite capable at consensus building.

[Clark2008]

14. Hardly an equal number of detractors

Some detractors, but many more supporters.

[Skwmom]

15. Clark can build "national" consensus because the public

will listen to a leader like Clark, a man who is interested in doing what's best for this country and not his political career.

-Major Clark is the most capable White House Fellow I have known….He brought to his work a brilliant mind and rare common sense. He has initiative, style, imagination, moral courage, and integrity each in extraordinary degree...He has a rare sensitivity to others and a REMARKABLE ABILITY TO MOTIVATE AND LEAD them.....- James T. Lynn, Director, Office of Management & Budget 1976

Go ahead and nominate another self-serving, do anything to further their political career politician. Do the Democrats have even ONE strategist that knows what in the heck they are doing or is being a total idiot a prerequisite for the job?

[Al-CIAda]

12. Well, once again the Dem 'leaders' are screwing up by not DEMANDING

OPEN HONEST ACCOUNTABLE non-partisan control of our elections.

w/o that BASIC environment, every effort is useless. Damn, we are fucked.

[Steely_Dan]

16. Mario Cuomo

- He best articulates the democratic party's philosophy - IMHO -

-Paige

[Skwmom]

17. I think a Clark/Cuomo or Cuomo/Clark ticket would be unbeatable.

[crispini]

18. Get involved locally.

The Democratic Party has a dire need for local grassroots activists who will walk their precincts, phonebank, and get out the vote. Get off the internet and take it to the streets! :hi:

[JNelson6563]

19. Here's a suggestion

Find something constructive to do.

Julie