How do we peel secular RINO's away from the Republicans in '06 and '08?

[geek tragedy]

Or at least get them to stay home?

My thoughts:

1. Highlight the corruption, greed, and abuse of power by the Republican Congress.

2. Schiavo, stem cells, and evolution. Do they really want to hand absolute control of the country over to people who think that species result from cosmic fairy dust, that specks of goo on petri dishes are human beings, and that blind people can see?

3. Did I mention the greed, corruption, and abuse of power in the Republican Congress?

4. Our troops (and many thousands of Iraqis) died in Iraq so they could implement freaking Sharia over there. Who was the genius behind that one?

5. The only kind of fiscal restraint Republicans recognize nowadays is that practiced by Jean Schmidt's campaign manager.

Others?

[NVMojo]

1. RINOs are such predictable animals. They join because they

are wannabees without the heart to really be. Us Dems have got to get our shit together.

[liberal N proud]

2. Stop making it a secular thing!

There needs to be support for Christianity on both sides to loosen the grip the Reich Wing has on religion.

Prove to the fundies that they don't have to support the regime just because they are Christian, that in fact their Christianity should be the vary reason they should abandon the reukes.
There is no such thing as a "compassionate conservative"

[geek tragedy]

3. Secular does not mean "atheist." It means that they recognize things

like science and use rational thought instead of superstitious gibberish to guide their decisions.

We definitely should not be anti-religion, but rather anti-wingutty craziness.

[JerseygirlCT]

16. "We definitely should not be anti-religion, but rather anti-wingutty

craziness."

Agree with this, too!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

5. The Religious Right will remain Republican

It's their party now. I think the point is to go after those in the Republican Party who are socially moderate-to-liberal, but strong on national defense and the budget.

When you talk to these people, but sure to use the phrase "Culture of Corruption" that Paul Hackett is using in the Ohio 2nd C.D. race. We have corporate lobbyists writing legislation on a variety of issues (energy and banking are two big ones). The Republicans have basically placed a "For Sale" sign on the White House and the Capitol Building.

I think you talk to them about privacy -- from who's reading your medical records to who's deciding whether you can die with dignity or be kept on a ventilator for decades.

[JerseygirlCT]

15. Agreed nt

[paulk]

4. #4 - Iraq

the three Republicans I know who voted for Kerry were mostly upset with Bush over the (unnecessary) war in Iraq. That's why I think the DSM and the Plame affair are important - they point up that the reasons for the war were fabricated.

The deficit is also a good one with true conservatives.

[NewJeffCT]

6. from my perspective...

I know a lot of moderate Republicans that held their noses & voted for Bush because the RW propaganda machine did such an effective job demonizing Kerry that they figured Bush was the lesser of 2 evils. These are the folks we have to win over, as they like Giuliani, McCain and slightly more moderate appearing Republicans.

Of course, a few non-moderate Republicans that didn't like Bush thought Bush's problem was that he wasn't conservative enough! So, I don't see them voting Kerry (or Gore, Clinton, Warner, Feingold, etc in 2008)

[paulk]

9. the RW and the MSM which they control

did an excellent job of distorting Kerry (or just flat out not reporting what he was saying). They'll do the same in 2008 - it's really up to us, as individuals, to try and educate the moderate Republicans we know.

It's tough. I've had some success, but not nearly as much as I'd like. It's hard to compete with the voice of god (a television).

[Sgent]

7. As a former moderate republican

The things that eventually got me to switch sides (I voted for * in 2000, Kerry in '04):

1) Fiscal irresponsibility

2) Radical protestantism -- abortion, stem cell, evolution, etc.

3) Loss of liberty -- patriot act, etc.

4) To a lesser extent the corruption -- at the time I really didn't care about the corruption, but rather the end result. I supported deregulation and a variety of other issues.

5) Fiscal irresponsibility

[rocktivity]

8. Definitely exhume the ghost of Terry Schiavo

and the Jesus freak show that Bush and the religious right put on. Tom Delay said that Terry would be useful--he doesn't know how right he was.

:headbang:
rocknation

[bunkerbuster1]

23. Terry Schaivo IS Willie Horton in "Ratf*ck II: Electric Boogaloo."

Coming soon to a precinct near you.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

10. Already waiting to pull the (D) levers...

Any Rockefeller Republican (notice, this is a more accurate term...RINO is a brand name used by the zealots against the non-zealot Republicans) who follows the traditional fiscally responsible, socially liberal/moderate line of thinking is already looking for good Democratic candidates to support. Many supported Kerry and, for those that pulled the lever for W, it was the "terra and taxes" line.

The Schiavo intrusion, pork-spending increases, the ongoing disintegration in Iraq, the constant attacks on science/medicine have now awakened the usually complacent moderate/liberal Republicans.

They will be more than happy to vote for Democrats who show some spine and are willing to reverse the theocratic neocon agenda.

[norml]

11. Use the availability of free internet porn issue.

Tell them "The reich wing republicans want to take away your internet freedom"

Tell them "The Democrats want to keep your internet free"

It's an issue they can relate to on a personal level, as can we all.

Keep the internet free!

That's the slogan.

[blindpig]

12. mostly a waste of time

There's a lot more potential votes among the nonvoting public. Reaching for those people just pulls the Democratic Party further to the right.

There's a whole lot more votes in a revitalized New Deal.

[paulk]

13. I haven't seen it

honest to God - I hear this all the time and I've yet to see it.

And why is there this automatic assumption that this nonvoting public is going to vote Democratic. Or to the left?

I'd much rather approach people who are at least engaged in the Democratic process.

[blindpig]

20. If it hasn't been tried....

how can we know it doesn't work? The Democratic Party has been walking away from the working class for decades. Trade policy has been a debacle for workers and the lack of anything substantial in health care is an embarrassment. Small wonder they don't bother.

Not saying that the entire nonvoting block would be swayed but I feel that a majority would if given a good reason.

I know that it is scripture that Dennis Kucinich is unelectable and given the superficiality of the American public this may be so but many of his policies which are essentially a revitalized New Deal would be red meat for people hurting and long ignored.

[JerseygirlCT]

17. I don't think so.

I think we're going to need enough votes -- from any and all sources -- to overcome the whole election fraud problem, if we're ever to overcome it.

There IS common ground there. Look at the way a number of fundie groups are coming around on the issue of environmentalism. We've GOT to find the common ground with all sorts of groups and not disdain an attempt to communicate with them.

This isn't to say that we change our positions to fit theirs. We EXPLAIN ours in such a way that they see the logic of it. We're correct, after all, yes?

[AmandaRuth]

14. The elections have consequences meme and pocket books issues

Paint the outcome of elections and judgeships in real issues that joe and Josephine average can understand and relate to.

Tell the public that some of the goals of the corp repubs are to do away with unions, good paying jobs, min wage laws and laws regulating hours and overtime. Not to mention overturning Roe, and birth control.

Tell the public that the reason the talking heads on the right can get away with saying that there is no inflation is that inflation as defined by this administration does not include food, energy costs or medical costs. Tell them what the real inflation rate is, more than shocking when combined with the real decline in wages.

Tell them that we need real livable wage job growth, their children deserve more opportunity than to be just a nation of shopkeepers.

seez me anyway.

[deadparrot]

18. Well, the abortion thing will hurt matters...

not sure to what extent, but I think it will have some sort of effect on Bush's approval should RvW be overturned.

[BIG Sean]

19. How about by not attacking them on issues that they may still be...

somewhat conservative on?

If the goal is to get some RINO's to vote for a Democrat, some effort may be needed in not blasting them on things. The change over can be a slow, painful process for some people.

Make them feel welcome, in spite of differences. Sure, voice your opinion of course, but don't rip thier heads off because they hold a different one.

Face it, at least at first, most "RINO's" are going to find DLC Democrats more in line with how they feel. If you destroy them when they say "You know, I voted for a republican my whole life, but now I may vote for Hillary because I like her record on...whatever.." they they are going to just get pissed and move on.

Anyway. I am only saying that "IF" the goal is to make/help them change over, then that may be a way to start.

[election_2004]

21. It also has to be the right messenger....

If you're wanting secular Republicans to "cross over," it has to be to pull the lever for a candidate whom they'll find to be BELIEVABLE and SINCERE.

[MsTryska]

22. i think this is the most important point.....

You can get all sorts of people to come out of the woodwork to vote when you have a candidate who is strong, believable, and unafraid of speaking their mind.

that's why so many people liked John McCain and Howard Dean. If Paul HAckett were to run for President -he'd give any republican you throw at him a run for their money - even without any experience.

we're americans. we're populaists. we like fire in the belly.

[geek tragedy]

25. "Integrity means everything. If you can fake that, you've got it made."

Bush is very good at faking integrity.

One reason to select a governor instead of a Senator is that governors don't have the voting records that lead to the "flip-flop" argument.

I think having someone viewed as independent is just as important as someone being viewed as honest.

[Pewlett Hackard]

24. national security

take the ball the repubes dropped: securing the borders, enforcing the immigration laws.