People are waking up in the "heartland"

[biscotti]

My son visited his republican in-laws over the holidays. They are born and breed north western Kansas farmers. He said they were furious with *. They spoke about the unnecessary war in Iraq. Also, about Social Security, Debt the whole misguided agenda of the GOP.
This is so encouraging to me. These are the kind of people we need to reach. They are slowly coming around from their group think.

[peekaloo]

1. The Medicare/Medicaid clusterfook is rattling cages, too. nt

[tjwash]

6. Medicare is a REAL hot topic among the heartland folk...

...especially the retirement aged ones.

[Warpy]

2. Yes, they are the people the party needs to reach

which is why I keep saying the new wave of progressivism is going to begin out west. I'm hearing the very same thing in my flyover state, whereas all I heard back in Boston was the same old yuppiefied DLC nonsense of holding the line on social issues while trying to make supply side, free trade economics work.

There's a reason a strong progressive populist is the governor of Montana, folks, instead of a babble thumping GOPer or any other alternative.

[havocmom]

14. When more DEMS return to populist methods and values

the west will go blue. Even people who listen to the GOP while ignoring DEMS out of habit are looking for some other class of people for leadership. They are seeing how the neocons are subverting everything of value. Give them an alternative, listen to their concerns and communicate WITH them, not at them. The west and even more of the middle west could respond well to some serious attention.

Look to the example Schweitzer (MT) is setting: Roll up sleeves, relate to the challenges faced by REAL Americans. Offer real solutions for problems facing us NOW and vision for even better solutions further down the road; the combination of pragmatic approach AND long range vision is appealing to people who are struggling NOW and worried about the world we are leaving our kids and grand kids. And the vision thing gets people excited & INVOLVED! People wanna be part of the team with winning agenda. Engage, inspire the common man and woman and watch things change!

And do not forget to keep the issue of honest elections and lobbyist controls to insure politicians represent The People instead of the money changers. Present the facts about our subverted election process. Seeing the people in power willfully and continually subverting the Constitution is making for fertile ground to plant more seeds of awareness. People need help getting the info to make informed decisions and to become involved again. Democracy is NOT a spectator sport. The more folks we get involved, the greater the chances of restoring some integrity in the process.

[Skidmore]

16. Tell this to the DLCers. We need a populist message.

One that appeals to the average person, not the corporate class or those who perceive themselves to be wealthy.

[tjwash]

3. I was in Montana last week, and noticed the same thing.

As a matter of fact, everywhere I travel I seem to run into tons of people that are disgusted with the shrub, and the war, and it makes sense. There were lots of houses with yellow ribbons, telling me one thing--that these are the states, and counties that our soldiers are actually coming from; the heartland of America with it's working and middle class families, and not the rich SOB's who send them there. Hopefully people are waking up to the fact, just like they did in the 60's.

[EFerrari]

12. Am I wrong or has California taken the most casualties?

On the other hand, "Califonia" has some very red regions.

[tjwash]

15. California has a huge population though...

...so it would make sense that more soldiers came from here. However, and I am too lazy to look it up, I wonder what the actual proportion to a states population the recruitment totals are.

[EFerrari]

27. I don't know how to find that -- maybe Lynn does.

But, it pretty much would kill the RW talking point that Blue CA doesn't "support the troops" if it IS the troops. If I find it, I'll post it.

[Rosemary2205]

4. Maybe, maybe not

Unhappiness with Bush doesn't necessarily mean they'll stop voting R. These folks are definately fed up with the Bush Admin but they are not going to run out and vote for a Kerry or a Hillary - IMHO.

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. Yes, but will they vote for Democrats in 2006

If they want Bush out before January 2009, that's about the only hope. :(

[ComerPerro]

7. That's the important thing. And, my guess is, no.

I bet most of the Republicans doing the bitching and moaning about Bush will go right back to supporting Bush and the GOP when its time to vote.

Why?

Because Republicans campaign on lowered expectations.

As poorly as they are doing, and as much as they upset their base, they spend millions upon millions every year reminding people that "We suck, but Democrats are worse!"

[EFerrari]

10. They might stay home. n/t

[Norquist Nemesis]

21. We can hope. n/t

[tjwash]

11. Actually they'll just keep pushing the "gods guns and gays" buttons...

...and throw in a little anti-choice for good measure, and the folks in the heartland will continue keep on voting against their interests.

[ComerPerro]

13. Thats the funniest part of it all.

Some like to get incredibly self-righteous and say that by voting against their economic interests, they are still voting for their best interest because they vote pro-life. Its all about the fetus, after all.

But even THAT argument is bullshit, because the Republicans aren't doing a God damned thing to make abortion illegal.

We've had total Republican control for 3 years now, and abortion is still just as legal it was under the Democrats...

[tjwash]

17. "Republicans aren't doing a God damned thing to make abortion illegal."

And they won't either, for this very reason. It's much more valuable as a wedge issue and a political tool. They could really give two shits about pro-life, or pro-choice, or culture of this or that, or whatever they are trying to market it as, except in the context of how it gets their constituency to keep pulling the lever for therm.

[recoveringrepublican]

23. I use to think this, but no longer, they'll just switch it around

"vote for those evil liberals and they will make abortion legal again!!"

[Gemini Cat]

18. That may be right and if so, we need to reverse that trend.

The white gloves need to come off. It's time to fight back hard.

[Norquist Nemesis]

20. Not only that...

but also the incumbents go back and say "look at this great <fill in the blank> I got for the good people of this district!" They all ooohhhh and ahhhh while miraculously acquiring a case of political amnesia about the rest.

[AlinPA]

22. Yep. GOP issues: God , Guns, Gays and the Flag. No defections-

they will pull the R lever or mark the R, or touch the R. If they don't, the voting machines and readers will do it for them.

[Pharaoh]

8. Will the voting machines be fixed in 2006?

until that happens it will be more of the same.

[RufusEarl]

9. Will they vote?

I look at it this way. I doubt re pubs vote for a Dem, I'd be happy if they just stayed home on election day 2006.

[Warpy]

24. Not unless the Democrats wake up and put populist issues

back where they belong: right out front. I don't see that happening this year, the DLC bozos are still controlling too much of the party and ruining its chances.

[orwell]

19. After the "fury"...

...they will turn right around and vote for McCain or whatever rotting fishhead the R's run in 2008. Because even a horrific Con candidate is better than any Dem.

At this point, its in the DNA.

[romana]

25. My mom

I don't post here often, but I do read as often as I can. :) I did want to comment on this thread, because I have experienced the same thing.

My mom, I should say first, is not a Republican. She's what I would call a Reagan Democrat (until he fired the air traffic controllers, including my uncle, at which point Reagan became "Prickface"), very much in the center with a lot of right-leaning tendencies (she would never call herself a Republican, however). She currently lives in Ohio.

Much to my dismay, a few years ago, I went home for the holiday, to discover that some Shrub-loving, Republican talking-point spewing imposter had taken my mothers place. We could barely speak to each other on anything that mattered, and the visit was not a pleasant one. This was shortly after 9/11 and as I live in NYC and was here when it happened, I knew a lot of her position was because she had been badly scared.

Fast-forward to this Christmas. In the car heading back from the airport she brought up the Iraq war and went on at length about how wrong it was, how the nation had been mislead, how Shrub had lied, and how our people were over there dying for nothing. It was a radical shift from the woman from a few years ago who had wholeheartedly supported the war, insisted that Saddam Hussein had planned, organized and executed the 9/11 attacks with bin Laden, and who actively suggested that anyone who did not support the pResident during a war was a traitor. We could actually talk about politics again, and agree on about 75% of the topics, or at least agree to disagree.

This is beyond encouraging to me. To see such a radical shift in someone in the course of a few years was amazing to see, and I think says a lot about the current state of the country's attitude toward Shrub. She plans to vote in the mid-term elections with a mind to taking the House back for the Democrats because, in her words, "We have to get these horrible people out of power." The fearmongering this administration is so good at worked for awhile, but she is getting clear of it now, and realizing what they've done to her and to the country.

We still disagree violently about some things. For example, she is not opposed to torture while I vehemently oppose it, and that did lead to a few arguements. She also thinks the US should just withdraw from the Middle East and "let them all just kill each other off because that's what they're doing anyway." Not a saint, my Mom, but I love her anyway. :) But, we can now have reasonable discussions about politics, rather than walking around each other on eggshells, and this is not only refreshing, it's downright encouraging. If my mom can see the light, I think a lot of other people can, too.

Thanks for reading,
--sah

[catmandu57]

28. Welcome to the fight romana

We really need to address the non voter. They outnumber all of the members of every political party, these people have issues and needs that aren't being addressed, by anyone.
I know every poster and reader knows someone who will not bother to vote come election time, we must make it our sworn duty to get at least five of these people to the polls come election day.
That's how we turn back this madness.

[newyawker99]

29. Hi romana!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ultraist]

26. We need to shift the focus off "God, guns, and gays"

And we can do this by putting forward a strong populist message, which is a return to our core values.

I really do think that people will wake up to realize that putting the food on the table is a bigger priority than fighting to keep gays from marrying. Priorities. Our party needs to set those priorities and drive that message home.

Dems must frame our message and package and market it, in an effective way. It CAN be done.