Advice to Dems: Start saying "The American people want..."

[Yoda Yada]

The Republicans are TRAINED to speak about "what Americans want" (collectively). How much brain power does it take for the Democrats to do the same?

The American people want... stronger leadership in Washington.

The American people want...an end to the Republican ethical crisis.

The American people want...honesty, not lies and manipulations.

The American people want...their Constitution protected, as promised.

The American people want...honest debate, not rhetorical spin.

The American people want...honest answers, not "cookie cutter" responses.

The American people want...workable solutions for helping the elderly.

I could go on...but you get the idea.

This is NOT difficult.

[NewJeffCT]

1. The American people want

health care for every single American.

[NativeTexan]

11. Fascist is a hard term, but.....

.....it's kinda like the "Patriot" Act. If you don't want to surrender some of your rights, when the government says it is best for everyone that you, are you then not "patriotic"?

It puts everyone into the same "camp". All AMERICANS don't want the EXACT same things that I do...but a lot of them want MANY of the same things that I do. I would not want to assume that I perceived myself to KNOW everything that EVERY American wants.

Now, Hitler....and Bush for that matter....believed that everyone WOULD want the same things that he did.....or be SHOT.

[Yoda Yada]

12. Yes, I was trying to emphasize the subtlety of...

...how the Republicans manipulate their followers.

Of course, as you say, "all Americans don't want the same things." BUT the Bushies know that THEIR followers will NOT make that distinction.

If their followers hear them say, "Americans want this...or Americans want that...", They know how they will process that seed of thought :

"Oh, I'm an American...I guess that is what I want..." (...then they've got'em)

[NativeTexan]

14. You are very right.

I understand, and my point was that the Bushies, like Hitler, are deluded enough to think that eventually we will all want the same thing THEY want...

[loyalsister]

2. It is, however

a fascist tactic.
Please be serious.

[Flabbergasted]

3. In what way is this a fascist tactic?

And why is it not serious?

[Flabbergasted]

4. In what way is this a fascist tactic?

And why is it not serious?

[bobalu]

5. I'm with Flabbergasted....???

[Yoda Yada]

6. "Facist tactic"?...maybe so...

And the Republicans use it all the time. (Weeds NEVER die.)

[SushiFan]

7. The American people want ..... IMPEACHMENT! :) --nt

[fooj]

8. The American people want honor and integrity, damnit!

This is what we want...

Peace.

[Yoda Yada]

9. Yes, and to your Christian friends...

...we want "peace on Earth, Goodwill toward man(kind)."

Are they getting that from President Bush?

[NanceGreggs]

10. I couldn't agree MORE!

And I've been saying this for a while now. The biggest problem we have in the country right now, IMHO, is that this Admin has managed to 'Divide and Conquer' - keep Americans feeling as though they live in two separate camps - Dems & Repubs - that they'll NEVER agree on anything.

Nothing can be further from the truth; most Americans care about the SAME things: education for their children, job security, a stronger economy that favours the working man rather than Big Business, etc.

Dems should always speak about 'Americans' and not fall into the trap of saying things like, "The Democrats feel ...," or, "The more liberal among us believe ..."

If you address the American people as one cohesive group, they tend to think of themselves as one group.

The Repugs have used this tactic, and very successfully. The Dems need to take this strategy and make it their own. And they CAN do it easily. Why? Because THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, as a whole, do think more like Democrats than this current crop of Republicans. Dems should DRIVE HOME their ideas and ideals as often as possible: talk about the American people versus Big Corporations, the American people versus Big Pharma - if you're going to 'divide and conquer' as Dems, do it with the American people on one side and the PRESENT ADMINISTRATION and its policies on the other.

There's nothing like a common enemy to bring a group of people together. And the common enemy here is this President and his policies.

[Vinca]

13. Every time I hear a Republican say "the American people want,"

I scream and curse at the television: "No, you idiot, the American people do not want (fill in the blank)!" But if the Democrats start using the phrase in a sane way, such as "the American people want health care for all," it might work.

[msongs]

15. and ONLY democrats can give it to them!!!! vote for us. nt

[Hailtothechimp]

16. It's pretty easy, really.

Whenever you think "I" just say "The American people" instead.

So at the McDonald's drive through, it would sound like this:

"The American people want a hamburger happy meal with french fries and chocolate milk."

At the post office, it would be like this:

"The American People want a book of the 39 cent stamps."

Just graft the American people onto your own personal desires. That's all. Takes a lot of ego to speak for millions of people you don't know, but right wingers are certainly capable of such arrogance.