How we're getting killed in the culture war

[lancdem]

Here's a sample of something that I got from a staffer at one of the targeted congressional races in the midwest:
"Here's something you're going to hear from a lot of races in Bush winning districts. We were swamped with Republican turnout throughout the district...the wave was too high... In Coal Counties where mineworkers had just lost everything, including their pensions people seemed to be voting values more than pocketbook....the Republican base of non-voting Republicans seemed motivated to actually vote ... among new voters in traditional Republican areas and Evangelicals who vote seldom or sporadically vote we were hit hard... direct-mail attacking him as a carpetbagger and as a liberal, and robo-calls by the right to life PAC and the NRCC suggesting the our candidate was for partial birth abortion and gay marriage. These went unanswered by the DCCC ...People were murmuring homophobic messages as they slept. The culture war this year was not fought on the presidential level, they fought it locally and in congressional districts so that Bush could seem clean of the hate much of his party were spewing and thus no one was accountable for hate."
This went unanswered. The above quote sources the thinking that has not been shamed for what it is-- prejudice. It was a direct appeal to ignorance by the NRCC. The Democratic Party is going to have to get into the cultural issues, we have to combat hate and ignorance with reality and information. For 60 years last century, the Democrats enjoyed the majority because the debate was mostly economic and about financial well-being.
Over the past 30 years, Republicans have figured out that they can win on the issue of values, they have the whole field to themselves, and they are the majority because of this tactic. Republicans define the frame, the issues, and the Democratic candidate. This is the root of the problem. Until it is addressed, until the opposition to Republican candidates enjoins the voters with cultural ideas and values that combat the frame and issues of the Republican Party, we'll lose.

http://www.mydd.com

[booley]

1. the solution may be simple

and hard ot actually implement.

We need ot show these people that when they vote for these "pro-Family" bills, they are hurting families.

These bills have consequences. Have these republicans seen them?

[SharonAnn]

2. Many of the values being voted on are prejudice, bigotry, and greed.

I don't want to be part of those values.

[JFW]

3. yep

..