THE MESSAGE OF THE DEMOCRATIC RESPONSE

[berni_mccoy]

The message of the Democratic Response to the SOTU was Bush is a failure on every issue because he's mismanaged the government and failed to work with Democrats. There is a better way, and that is to have Democrats back in power who will work with Republicans, together as Americans, to address ALL the issues.

Regardless of what you thought of the presentation or the messenger, is this the message or is there a better message (and if you think there is a better message, post it as a response)? (Serious messages only please. I like sarcasm, but this time, it's important)

ON EDIT: Many are posting that the message isn't good, but aren't offering up an alternative... I'm emphasizing this: if you don't like it, please offer up a better message.

[bryant69]

1. They've made great progress describing liberals

as untrustworthy. I think we need to turn it about and slam into them. They cannot be trusted to govern responsibly.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Mass]

2. This is the message that the Dems in 2002 and 2004

It did not seem to work. Can somebody tell me why it will work in 2006?

Obviously, it would require that all Dems work together rather than telling each other that they cant win, but we need to tell what we want and give an idea of how we will do it.

This did not tell me why I should not vote for a Republican, simply why I should not vote for some Republicans.

[stray cat]

3. The message: We can do better because we are doing better!

A gov in Virginia is more competent at getting results than this administration - so clearly we can do better and results are what counts not rhetoric. I think it had much broader appeal than if it came across as a partisan tirade.

[On the Road]

4. I Still Don't Get the Message

I guess that means it has to be presented more clearly.

[ramapodem]

9. I agree the average voter is stupid

[Atman]

5. The problem with "a better way."

(I voted "this is the message," btw.)

It leaves us open to more false GOP charges that we have no plan. I'd bet many republicans would even agree that there is "a better way." But we don't articulate it, and that is what we continually get hammered with. We complain that we don't like the way things are, but don't offer up our solution, we just say "there's a better way."

I'm not saying that I think the charges are correct. Kerry obviously had a plan posted on his web site in 2004, Gore laid out a plan a couple of weeks ago. But we have to stop coming up with happy-talk slogans. We need hard-hitting messages that say Here Is The Problem, Here Is Our Solution. But we don't. We call for "a better way." The republicans can simply answer, "sure there's a better way...no more democrats at all!" and have another good laugh on us.

[elehhhhna]

6. 'there is a better way' sounds about as lame as possible.

A for ATROCIOUS. wtf?

[stray cat]

11. thats why it was important to show the better way - VA!

Warners record in VA. We have to point to concrete leadership and VA is a start. Thats what can make its a better way a strong reponse. This is how it should be done and states are leading the way because the administration is incompetent.

[Armstead]

7. New priorities are needed. "Better management" doesn;t cut it.

The "We'll be better managers" is just more of the same platitudes that mean nothing.

We need a national reform agenda to make corporations accountable to the people, an economy that is based on shared prosperity and a restoration of traditional values like compassion and common purpose.

[stray cat]

12. Service versus corruption and incompetence!

[LibDemAlways]

8. The message ought to be

that the neo-cons in power in DC are holding the American people hostage to fear and creating more enemies abroad while destroying the economy at home with a war in Iraq that can never be won. They are shredding the Constitution and attempting to create a dictatorship and silencing all dissent. They are attempting to decimate social programs to create a permanent underclass and screwing what's left of the middle class by giving tax breaks to millionaires, outsourcing jobs, robbing them at the pump, leaving them uninsured and in debt up to their eyeballs. In other words, Dem leaders need to start forcefully acting like an opposition party and telling the blunt truth. The American people deserve no less.

This DLC lite crap about making nice with the repukes and figuratively singing kumbyah while the repuke freaks destory the country is absolutely what's wrong with the Democratic Party.

[berni_mccoy]

10. Two points:

1. Your message, summed up is: "Dems, we're going to be a real opposition and tell the truth."
2. Kaine never said anything about making nice... he said (paraphrasing) Americans need to be UNITED to solve these problems... while Bush and the republicans have been dividing us... this is why we are not safer with Bush/GOP in power.

[Mugsy]

13. Where was....

All I could wonder in the responses last night was: Where was mention of "Jack Abramoff"? Where was a response to Bush defening his blatantly criminal NSA spying program and the fact that a *legal* option exists ("FISA"), yet Bush chose to ignore it? Where was the response to President Bush's promise "to cut the deficit in half by (what was it?) 2009" when in fact when he took over, the deficit was less than $0 and we were running a surplus? Where was mention that bin Laden and Zawhiri <sp?> are still releasing tapes four years after attacking us on 9/11 while fanatical Islamic extremist openly hostile to the United States were spreading across all of the Middle East as a result of their invasion of Iraq? Where was mention that Iraq was about to begin its *fourth* year with no clear exit strategy or end in sight?

And (most important), where was mention that Democrats have put forward alternatives to all these problems only to be dismissed and attacked as unpatriotic cowards?

:mad:

[berni_mccoy]

14. Bashing Bush didn't get us anywhere...

Blaming the GOP for Corruption is just as pointless. What? No Democratic politician has EVER been corrupt? Americans won't buy that kind of crap.

Kaine laid out a clear, calm message of how Democrats are working to improve the lives of EVERY American. That's what Americans want to hear.

Americans see the corruption, they see Bush's failure, they are looking to the Democrats for leadership. His message clearly gave that too them.

Too many people here are too blind with RAGE against the GOP and Bush. I know, I have been one of them. But the time is to stop being angry and START DOING SOMETHING to make life better for everyone. The GOP will get what's coming, but it will take time and it will definitely take Democrats getting back in power. And we won't get back in power with a message of ANGER and RETRIBUTION.

[JudyM]

15. I like the idea of hammering 'republican-run Washington' is a mess - link

See this post:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2430728

To that I'd add that it's not just negligent mismanagement but management geared specifically toward supporting cronies and personal financial interests. That our objection isn't just partisan whimpering, but solidly principled. Then lay out what our principles are (I do believe that we are unified on many important issues, at least at the macro level) and show how the neocons violate our principles. I'd love to see a dem step up with Ross Perot-type charts and folksiness. Maybe Obama?