John Dean nails it and every Democrat should use this

[Bandit]

Progressives need to frame their rejection of the fear campaign as an act of courage: Al-Qaida does not scare us, and we will not dismantle our democratic system because we are afraid. The America we love does not cower in fear, as the conservatives want it to. ... Actually this is Paul Waldman who wrote this and not John Dean as I originally thought sorry
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/07/12/its_the_conservatism_stupid.php

I originally got this quote from this John Dean thread so thought he was the one to say it
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1661676

[QuettaKid]

1. DING ! ! ! DING ! ! ! DING ! ! ! we have a winner. nt.

.

[Dhalgren]

2. Absolutely right!

When are Americans going to get tired of being chickenshits?

[stepnw1f]

3. Never Give Up Your Freedoms for Terrorists

That makes you a COWARD if you do!

[PWRinNY]

21. This is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to Howard Dean

and a few other senators, back in March. The context was in support of Russ Feingold's censure Bush resolution:

"If we don't protect our own laws and Constitutional rights, then how can we protect our own Citizens from the very government that is supposed to protect and preserve our freedom? How can America remain America if we don't cherish and protect our Constitution at all costs?

"Protecting our nation and being strong on national security means that FIRST AND FOREMOST we protect our Constitution and our freedom; we do not hammer away at our own rights, under the guise of "protecting Americans from terrorists." That is absurd! We protect our liberty fiercely, so that we are so strong as a nation, no one could possibly ever undo us. If terrorists hate our freedom so much, then why would our president work to take away the very freedom that the terrorists supposedly hate so much? Wouldn't that mean the terrorists WIN? Why should the president be allowed to get away with that?"

[milkyway]

4. Why are Republicans such scared little wussies?

[unpossibles]

8. for the exact same reason they are bullies

or maybe it's the other way around - they are chest-puffers and act tough, but tend to be chickenbushes when push comes to shove.

[Hekate]

43. Bully/Coward -- indeed two sides of the same coin. nt

[bdamomma]

53. bush/coward

also

[Skip Intro]

5. Agreed!!!!!! K&R!

[jwirr]

6. For those of us who are Christian this is very important and we

can look the cowardly right wingers in the eye and say, "Why are you so afraid? Where is your faith?". Their fear in the face of everything from a to z is absolute proof that they are weak in faith.

[klook]

31. Hey, I like that

-- it takes real courage to have faith in the face of adversity. And strong leaders seek to instill confidence in their people, not fear.

[chill_wind]

34. And what YOU said!

And strong leaders seek to instill confidence in their people, not fear.



Man, if that isn't a bumper sticker ,it ought to be!

[babylonsister]

7. Recommend! Are any Congresscritters listening/reading? nt

[Joe Fields]

9. Agreed! Otherwise, the terrorists have won. n/t

[ourbluenation]

10. I've felt this since the beginning and repeat it often.

[Deb]

11. Let me tell you, this really works

I very rarely argue with anyone, let alone a bush supporter. One overheard our conversation and confronted me with the "bush needs every tool for the war on terror" talking pt. I puffed my 5'self up and said- "I'm NOT afraid of terrorists, why are YOU?" LOL, the guy turned beet red with embarrassment and quickly took off.

[tnlefty]

14. Good for you!

:thumbsup: I've told my kids that they should picture repubbies cowering in a corner pissing themselves. Then I amended it a couple of years later to cowering in a corner pissing themselves and on the Constitution and The Bill of Rights!

Now the older kid will comment on a 'whiny, scared, pissin' himself repub'. Works for me!

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. I've said it before. Republicans are making us out to look like a bunch

of pussies. Americans, under Republican rule, bomb anyone who scares them too much.

[JuniperLea]

13. Dismantling our system

is the ultimate cut and run!

[jwirr]

50. Exactly, I have believed that the reason they are soooo greedy

is because they are afraid. Especially the *ss and VP chainy, rummy and their ilk. They are storing up there ill gotten gains to ride through the storm they have started. I wonder if they have thought about were they are going to live when they get kicked out of the WH? I don't think gated communities are going to be that safe from global warming and pandemics. There are things that money cannot buy.

[pa28]

15. Democratic leadership take notice. K&R

[berni_mccoy]

16. KICKING FOR FREEDOM AND BRAVERY!

LIVE FREE OR DIE!

[Homer Wells]

17. K&R n/t

[rniel]

18. Hell yeah

Osama wants us to dismantle our democratic system and George Bush obliged.

They want to paint democrats on the side of Bin Laden, well Bush is the one who helped him to achieve his goals.

[OregonBlue]

46. Right on, spying on our own citizens, kidnapping people off the

streets in foreign lands, torturing prisoners of war, dropping white phosphorus bombs on civilians, we are now hated throughout the world. They have won.

[mhr]

19. But, Bush Wants Us To Live In Fear, We Must Always Follow Our Leader

eom

[Quixote1818]

20. Action Alert! Send this to every Democratic Congress person and Senator

Please everyone, help me send this off to congress people, radio broadcasters and anyone who can use this.

[senseandsensibility]

22. WHY won't they do this?

Why? Can anyone answer that? We know they won't, so the only logical question is why not?

[yurbud]

23. now we just need the democrats who do not cower...

[Quixote1818]

24. Democrats need to flat out call Bush a coward!

:spank:

[me b zola]

25. Word up!

Waldman nails it!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Just Me]

26. NO leader can scare me out of holding him responsible for ABUSE,....

,...of power over me.

I am an American born with rights and protections,...even against a government which abuses it powers.

Like it or not, you assholes, a quiet revolution against you is happening and, this time, history will advance beyond you, progress above you. You will die, like all of us,...but, empty, as always,...EMPTY.

[bleever]

27. Absofreakinlutely.

[MzNov]

28. Why can't we the public get this type of framing/Marketing

out there ourselves??? No Dem seems to want to take unbelieveably opportunities to put these ya-hoo's in their place. Dems are smarter, have more common sense, yada yada. Why in hell won't someone do some good marketing??? Can't we buy a whole page in some newspaper or something. Not that there would be many newspaper who would actually sells us a page :-)

:eyes:

[mom cat]

29. Now this is a song I can sing! ... Bravo!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

30. It's about time!

The Dems should have called bullshit on this "War on Terror" from the very beginning.

Terrorism is not a country. It's not an ethnic group. It's not even an ideology. It's a TACTIC. And on a statistical scale, it's far less likely that you'll be a victim of terrorism than that you'll be a victim of a car crash.

[ms liberty]

32. I love Paul Waldman...he's very good n/t

[Mr_Spock]

33. Everyone has ignored me for the past year when I say that

What if we chose not to be scared? I'm not, are you?

Why are Republicans cowering paranoid wimps?

[Quixote1818]

37. I think a lot of us have said it but not so eloquently

I know a number of us have been saying the same thing but Dean worded it just perfectly. I was urging the Dem's to run a commercial during the presidential race that attacked the Republican fear machine and included FDR's quote "We have nothing to fear but fear it's self". Unfortunately John Kerry must not have read any of my emails.

I think I remember reading some of your posts on this. You were certainly right!

[ninkasi]

41. Beats me

You say "What if we chose not to be scared? I'm not, are you? Why are Republicans cowering paranoid wimps?"
This is exactly what I have thought all along. My ancestors came to this country in the early 1600's. I can only imagine the obstacles they faced, carving out a life in what was then more or less a wilderness. They left behind the safety of the known, and struck out for a better life which was filled with uncertain danger.

The early European settlers faced a vast continent, and much to my own shame, tamed it by overtaking the native Americans who were the rightful inhabitants of this country. I can't atone for my ancestor's sins, but I can acknowledge that they took a chance on facing the unknown, and so settled down and made a country that would become the U.S.A.

Imagine, no drug stores with medicines, no doctors to speak of, no teeming cities with all of the necessities of their time, nothing but uncertainty and hard work. Am I now, with my ancestors on my mind, to cower because of the possibility of terrorist attacks? No...I'd rather keep my freedom, and my liberty, and not cede it to an incompetent, corrupt, arrogant frat boy. Not unti he learns how to eat properly, anyway.:sarcasm:

I am not about to cringe in fear, content to give up my Constitutional rights to a cabal of money hungry, greedy corporations, or their stooges, Bush, Cheney, et al. I will instead tell them what Patrick Henry did so long ago, "Give me liberty, or give me death."

[Quixote1818]

35. It takes a Republican to put it in simple terms for us

Why is it that Republicans are so good at this kind of thing? Slogans and catch phrases that summaries a complex issue into a nice little package that will resonate with the average person.

Democrats need to hire John Dean as their campaign consultant.

Whoops, is Paul Waldman a Republican? Perhaps I spoke too soon, I didn't see that sentence.

[TankLV]

36. We have nothing to fear, but fear itself!

My how far we have fallen in over 60 years!

[Quixote1818]

38. That should have been John Kerry's slogan

or something similar.

[Felinity]

52. This should absolutely be central to the Democrats campaign

I think we can steal this issue from them. Why should we send our best and brightest to risk there lives for the freedom that we are so willing to throw away out of cowardice?

Here's another old saw that could use some air-play:

"Walk softly and carry a big stick." This Neocon farce has us blustering around the world, bullying and threatening other nations, while our military might dwindles and weakens. (And as someone noted above, bullying is itself a sign of weakness.)

Bush-Co has made us weak as a nation. Does anyone believe that the EU, behind our backs, is NOT planning to take us down a few pegs? What about China, Russia (though we should be very safe from any retaliation from Russia, cause Vlad likes our prez)? And I'm sure the Arab nations are pretty afraid of us, since they could destroy us by halting oil production.

FEAR THAT STEALS YOUR RESOLVE IS WEAKNESS. FAITH IS THE ANTIDOTE TO FEAR. IF YOUR FAITH ISN'T STRONG ENOUGH, SUCK IT UP AND DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.

Dad-gum chicken-shit hawks.

[gully]

39. Republicans are "cowardly reactionaries"

Dean is right, I've felt for some time we should frame things in this manner.

[Quixote1818]

42. Yep!

In light of all the threads about the "gifted" kids here. It's like the "gifted" kids need to simplify the message so all the jocks and drug addicts will relate to the message.

Either that or learn to Dance really good during the talent part of the campaign.



Vote for Pedro! Vote Democrat!

[petgoat]

40. Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave.

I like to ask the Republiweenies:

"What, are you afraid some lunatic is going to fly an airplane into your country club?"

[AndyA]

44. BRILLIANT - THIS IS THE MESSAGE the Dems need to saturate

the media with. We will not cower down and change our lives in the name of fighting terrorism. To do so is to allow the terrorists to win! America has never done this, and we won't start now!

The GOP's policies are allowing the terrorists to win!!

[pstans]

45. Feingold quote

“THERE CAN BE LITTLE DOUBT THAT IF WE LIVED IN A POLICE STATE IT WOULD BE EASIER TO CATCH TERRORISTS…BUT THAT WOULD NOT BE A COUNTRY IN WHICH WE WOULD WANT TO LIVE, THAT WOULD NOT BE A COUNTRY FOR WHICH WE COULD, IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, ASK OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO FIGHT AND DIE. IN SHORT THAT WOULD NOT BE AMERICA.”
-U.S. SENATOR RUSS FEINGOLD

http://iowafeingold.blogspot.com
http://www.russforpresident.com

[YOY]

47. K & F*cking R

Cowardice is never noble and the best way to combat ignorance is to become educated.

I am so sick of fear mongers. I am sick of talking to my midwest friedns when they coem to DC and having them give me their Foxnews 'Al Quada behind every trashcan BS!' They are so afraid it is palpable and pathetic.

In the word of Frank Sinatra : "I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. No! I'm NOT AFRAID!!!"

[go west young man]

48. Super nomination and kick,kick, kick!

[Toots]

49. About time someone had the balls to say this

Why did it take so long and will it go any further than DU? :shrug:

[NewJeffCT]

51. Their response will be -

"We are not afraid. The reason we need Bush to spy on us, listen to our phone calls & read our emails is to protect America from Al Qaeda. Anybody who is against spying on American citizens is obviously in league with Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Saddam and those who hate freedom. The choice is between Bush spying on you and another 9/11... 9/11... 9/11. America can sleep safely because George Bush is watching over you."

[ClassWarrior]

54. So?

NGU.

[NewJeffCT]

55. I'm not giving up

I've been trying to say that for years now they are weak in terror - I had a LTTE published in the Hartford Courant (here in CT) in 2004 where I compared Team Bush to the Keystone Kops when it comes to national security.

If you're younger, you can replace Keystone Kops with the guys from "Police Academy", or if you're still younger, then the "Super Troupers" - but, basically saying they were incompetent boobs.

It just gets frustrating when we do so much work to get a snippet of information out into the mainstream, while the RW can just press a button and it's the talk of the news for a week.

[Bretttido]

56. Right On! K & R