How do Democrats split the 39% who approve of Bush?

[thefloyd]

I cannot think of a way to split the GOP base at all. Only two things I can think of are Immigration and Pro Choice Repubilicans.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

1. It's Called Deprogramming, from previous brainwashing.

I wish you luck on that endeavor.

[thefloyd]

7. So take them to Vegas

and show them the virtue of Sin? Just kidding

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

11. LOL

[coldiggs]

2. They say in a 2 party syestem you can run a dead guy and get 40% of the

vote

[AndyTiedye]

32. A Dead Guy BEAT John Ashcroft

[tsuki]

40. I'd vote for the dead guy if Ashcroft was the only other choice.

[FloridaPat]

3. Heard a conversation with a repub lawyer. He was concerned with

the environment. One would think the national debt would be scaring a lot of people. The deficit is unbelieveable. Taking away veterans' benefits and giving no-bid contracts to Halliburton which our soldiers die with little ribbons waving should have gotten of few mad too.

[thefloyd]

10. Environment was not even on my mind

Sounds like a winner though

[sandnsea]

53. Sounds like my bil

They're very conscientious about not buying styrofoam and recycling, hates clear cutting, and he's even an organic gardener. But he votes Republican because he firmly believes government programs keep people dependent and that people would be better off if they were forced to support themselves. Not to mention his taxes. So I would have though the environment a few years ago, but now I think it'll have to be the deficit or something that directly affects them right now. They're just too self-centered.

[hundred6]

4. it impossible...

bush will never dip below 35%. thats his absolute base...his queda, if you will. if it ever does then he must be really messin up.

[thefloyd]

13. Haha his queda

Yeha I agree 33% to 35% is as low as he can go....But it would be fun to try for 25%!!!

[FlemingsGhost]

5. A chainsaw ... machete, perhaps?

:shrug:

[jedr]

6. Middle class tax cuts and underlining the poor economy.

Rebubs care only about themselves and their wallets. Welfare reform issues are dear to them also.

[thefloyd]

16. Middle Class tax cuts

Cliton Style!!!

[FogerRox]

8. traditional liberal values, FDR, to Fiengold & Boxer

The Democrat tax policy is progressive
The Bush tax policy is regressive

The Democrat jobs policy is about jobs
The Bush jobs policy is about his friends jobs

The Democrat Foreign policy is about buying Armored vests for the Army
The Bush Foreign policy is about playing Army

[thefloyd]

17. I like your list a lot

Good frame and has the Sound bite effect I am sure the Bush base can digest

[FogerRox]

28. I call it peeling the onion

you peel away layers of the oppositions voters, eventually getting to the base-- I think BUSHs base may be as small as 12% to 15%. SO there are a lot of available voters we can peel away. Right now.

[cascadiance]

44. Outsourcing tech jobs to India and China will later cut military strength!

Rwers tend to dismiss outsourcing of tech jobs as not being consequential except to techies trying to find jobs who they rationalize should get different jobs now that they are being priced out of the market here in many places.

Point out to the RWers that there much valued military strength over China and other countries will also suffer as the American work force moves more and more away from tech jobs that don't pay them enough to live on.

Do they want to have lower military strength than the U.S.? Not only that, but if we are forced to outsource more and more classified defense contractor jobs if we can't fill them here, it will eventually cause more leaks of our defense secrets too.

That should get their attention when they visualize this equation persisting over the next decade.

[DBoon]

9. immigration

split the xenophobes from the bourgeois pigs

The ones who want an ethnically pure America from the ones who want unlimited cheap labor

[thefloyd]

18. Immigration was

first on my mind so I totally agree

[LostInAnomie]

12. We don't want any part of that 39% in our party.

eom

[jobycom]

19. Correct! However, if we can drive a wedge between them

maybe they'll split themselves apart.

Back in the 90s Gingrich talked about splitting the Dems that way, by pitting the liberals against the far left. I don't know whether he had a hand in the 2000 debacle (though I suspect he did), but he was certainly right that we have that self-destructive tendency. The Repubs have it, too, and we should find ways to play on it.

[Poiuyt]

14. Right now I'm more worried about the Republicans splitting the other 61%

However to answer your question, stem cell research is another area where most people are against the far RW.

[jobycom]

15. There is a split between the Fundies and the Libertarian Repubs.

The latter want less government control, fewer laws, and a stronger Bill of Rights (at least their version of it), whereas Fundies want the government to enforce religious values and use our military for their religious agenda (protecting Israel by invading Iraq, for instance).

The Repubs have trouble keeping both groups happy, so if we push really hard on the religious side, maybe Bush has to appease them so much that it turns off the more traditional conservative element. That's already happening to some degree. We might not pick up the votes, but we could wind up with another Buchanan type split.

That's probably obvious, but it's all I could think of. I'm not very original when I'm loaded up with cough medicine/ :-(

[thefloyd]

21. I think

Democrats could definitely score points with the anti legislate morality Libertarian types

[FlowerKrout]

26. What 's a libertarian?

A pug that smokes pot.

The drug issue does seem to split them evenly it seems but it's not quite enough wedge though.

[shraby]

31. Welcome FlowerKrout

:hi:

[jobycom]

34. lol. Welcome to DU!

[Jamison]

38. Welcome!

Marijuana issues do drive a little bit of a wedge, the true fundies think the libertarian repubs are immoral b/c they are under the influence of Satan's herb.

[eppur_se_muova]

37. That's the thought that keeps occurring to me...Western state R's ...

Western state R's seem to be somewhat drawn to the Libertarians, but don't vote for them much because they know they don't have the votes to win. But the Libertarians have picked up some local elections, IIRC. I don't think we can get the neocon radicals to split off from the party...it has to be the "old-fashioned" R's that split off of the pathologically malformed monster that used to be their party. Maybe the Libertarians will draw more votes away from R's than Greens will from D's. If you know any Libertarians, encourage them to join in votepair.org next election. I would have been happy to trade votes with a Lt last election, but I was in TX, so my offer joined a market glut of sorts.

Not every dispute in this country is defined by partisan differences. Some are regional, and divide Western R's (like ranchers) from Eastern R's (like Wall Street financiers) philosophically. Maybe there's something to work on there, others will know more about this than I do.

[SoCalDem]

20. 30% are the original "clinton-haters" (remember the impeachment numbers?)

70% didn;t really give a rats ass about the Monica thing..and 30% produced the faux-angry outcry in the press that was ballyhooed as "the majority"?

the other 9% is probably an amalgam of the gun-lovers, the fetus-worshipers, and the armageddonites.

[thefloyd]

23. 30% would be a great number

I would not want to venture into the deepest areas of the base though. Some people cannot be saved!!

[jedr]

29. The gun issue is big;

many hunters are comfortable with restrictions on some hand guns and assault rifles. If they feel that their hunting guns are not restricted they tend not to like Bush on the war and the economy.

[benEzra]

56. The big problem with that is that 80% of us gun owners ARE NOT HUNTERS

The gun issue is big; many hunters are comfortable with restrictions on some hand guns and assault rifles. If they feel that their hunting guns are not restricted they tend not to like Bush on the war and the economy.

The big problem with that is that 80% of us gun owners, including my wife and I, ARE NOT HUNTERS, and of the small minority that does hunt, many--probably most--ALSO own the guns you want to ban. I personally know several hunters and not one owns only hunting guns. That misconception is a large part of why the party keeps shooting itself in the foot on the gun issue.

Democrats and the Gun Issue: Now What?



BTW, assault rifles (selective-fire military rifles chambered for intermediate calibers) are already tightly controlled by the National Firearms Act of 1934, and have been ever since they were invented. The "assault weapon" bait-and-switch didn't cover assault rifles; it covered guns holding over 10 rounds or civilian self-loaders that had certain cosmetic or ergonomic features, i.e. a rifle stock with the grip shaped a certain way.

[hippiechick]

22. The 'Original Republicans' vs. The Religiously Insane.

n/t

[thefloyd]

24. Very good one

I think calling out the New Conservtives would definitely drive tradional conseravtives away.

[hippiechick]

33. Or letting them fight it out amongst themselves ...

... because the 'Originals' don't give a crap about Roe or Prayer in School or any of that other extremist hooey ... they're all about Free Market and Profit and States Rights types of issues.

So let the Wingers take the party to the far right edge of the cliff and see whether the Originals jump ship or demand a showdown & bring some sanity back to their own party.

Let the Republican Party kill itself, essentially.

[leftofthedial]

25. Several of the neocons caught up in the Abramoff scandals have

made comments disparaging the wingers' religious base, calling them nuts and the like and remarking how easy it is to take advantage of them.

Ralph Reed and other nutjob "leaders" have also been exposed as disingenuous.

The trouble is that the religiously insane don't believe the truth unless it comes from one of these liars.

Even when one of the professional right wing liars changes and starts telling the truth, they don't believe. Witness David Brock.

They are literally mentally ill. Their delusions are stronger than their sense of reality.

[thefloyd]

27. haha

Ralph Reed should definitely be the poster boy

[mitchtv]

30. we need to have our own "Draw Issues", too

to draw out our base, who generally don't vote sorta like their gay marriage amendments like paper ballot initiatives, and medicinal Marijuana initiatives. Then hit 'm on immigration and the debt, corruption, and incompetence (medicare partD this week).

[rzemanfl]

35. Separate the greedy rich people from the poor stupid people. nt

[ms liberty]

36. We tell them * is going to take their guns...

which is very possibly true, what with all the laws we know the * admin is breaking every day.

[NewJeffCT]

41. they'd never believe that one

a lot of them have been programmed since they day they bought their first gun (or before) that Democrats will take their guns.

I have an acquiantance that has a dead end job with no health insurance, he weighs 400+ pounds and has the related health issues (more to come in the future), he has a lot of debt... he's pro-choice. But, he will never fought for a Demcrat because he's afraid Dems will take his guns.

[annabanana]

52. sad irony there...

The ACLU would fight for his second amendment rights while the B*sh crowd has become the most likely to get his guns.

(Of course, he would probably join right up with whatever contractor gets the job of taking the guns away - from everybody else!)

[AndyTiedye]

39. The Have-Mores HATE Being Spied On

The thought that their corporate secrets might be getting channelled to well-connected competitors would give them nightmares.
We must nuture those thoughts.

If we can do that, we can turn these scoundrels out THIS YEAR, and the Repubs will help us do it!

[eppur_se_muova]

45. By "corporate secrets" you mean "TAX EVASION" perhaps?

The next time a Dem administration wants to tax the rich, they'll know exactly who's getting out of paying their share -- THANKS TO BUSH** and the NSA!

IRS/NSA joint operations -- *shiver*

[AndyTiedye]

48. Even The Most Honest Businessmen Have Something To Hide from Competitors

Let us assume for a moment that you are a businessman, an honest one. You always pay your taxes and never try to pull anything over on the IRS or anyone else. You treat your employees and customers well, and try to be fair to everyone.

Now imagine that your competitor not so honest, and he is a Bush "Pioneer" and suppose that gets him access to all your internal communications -- all your product strategies, how much you are going to submit in your sealed bids, what your financials look like this quarter -- EVERYTHING.

I would submit that the mere possibility of such a thing would give any businessman nightmares.

[eppur_se_muova]

57. Ouch, I think you're right. The little guy gets screwed...

and the big, powerful corps stay that way. No, they wouldn't resist the temptation, you have that exactly right.

[AndyTiedye]

59. Some of the Victims Are Pretty Large And Powerful Themselves

[eppur_se_muova]

61. Just not donors. Yeah, think "protection racket".

[NewJeffCT]

42. popular progressive issues

1) National Health Insurance. 65% of Americans approve, even if it meant raising their taxes

2) universal pre-school for all children with all day kindergarten.

3) strongly pro environment. 80% + of Americans are pro environment.

4) raised minimum wage.

[Vektor]

43. Fiscal Conservative/Social Liberal vs. Fundy Bigot Reich Winger.

I know a lot of Republicans who are old-fashioned fiscal conservatives who are not anti-choice or homophobic. They care about the budget but NOT peoples' personal lives.

And then there's the wackjobs who think it's ok to politicize other people's sex lives and gynecological procedures.

There's a split.

[tgnyc]

46. You can get at most 5% of them. These are the dregs. Your best

chance: run Southern whites in prominent races.

[SmokingJacket]

47. Rich versus poor?

The ones I know are split between Stock Brokers and the working class. Surely we can make them turn on each other, somehow... point out to the workers that the rich guys are getting richer off their backs. (Though that lesson has had some time to sink in, and hasn't yet...)

[rman]

49. universal healthcare, living min wage, environmental protection, etc:

all things supported by most Americans - no party representing those interests.

[Irreverend IX]

50. Hey Lester...

Maybe it's the Wild Turkey talkin', but Ah's got to thinkin' that George Dubya might be one a' them ho-mo-sexurals. 'Ave ya seen the way he walks?

[B Calm]

51. All Clear Channel radio stations would have to dump right-wing

radio and pick up Air America for this to happen.

[Perky]

54. Keep hammering him on Domestic spying

He is ike a bear cuaght in a trap the more he fights...the worse it is going to get for him. He will implode.

[KyuzoGator]

55. Recruit more young and minority voters so they aren't 39% anymore.

They aren't 39% of Americans, they are 39% of voters.

[Nimrod2005]

58. Tell them the other half are gay or have had abortions!!!

[stanwyck]

60. The economy will do that for us

nevermind the much bally-hooed "positive indicators". Positive for who? Not the average American who is facing sky high heating bills and gas prices. And the spiraling nightmare that is our healthcare industry. Plus, tuition.
Meanwhile, cost of living raises aren't keeping up. Pensions are frozen. (IBM being the latest to announce...the floodgates are now open).
And retirement? Not for this generation. But there are rumors that the age for full social security benefits will go up. Again.
But that minimum wage isn't rising.
And Arnie had to be slapped before he agreed to workers getting a 30 minute lunch. Wow. Thirty minutes for lunch.
I would think most Americans are getting tired of playing the fools for the filthy rich conservatives who've done nothing for this country but inherit wealth.
There's the split. The pocketbook.