Does anyone else feel that a cogent, specific Dem plan is needed?

[CoffeeCat]

I think we have a real shot at winning most of the 08 elections. I think America has grown weary of Bush's failed policies, floundering in Iraq, scandals--and also his bad ideas (Social Security, Medicaid, etc).

I think the time is ripe for the Dems.

However, I'm concerned--because I'm not hearing clear and concise ideas from the Democrats. I would really LOVE to see the Dems version of the Republican "Contract on America" (Of course, it wouldn't include the sick, fascist policies brought forth by Gingrich). However, it would include solid, fresh ideas that would appeal to voters, and also exploit Republican weaknesses and Bush's failures. Ideas such as:

--Reforming FEMA (The Fema we have now can't get bottled water to people dying of thirst!)
--Reforming the Medicaid System which which seniors are now struggling
--Reforming health care
--Abolishing tax breaks for the wealthy, and implementing REAL tax relief for the mid class
--Real Campaign Finance Reform and Lobbying Reform (isn't it time to end the corruption?)
--Creating a plan to reduce the Federal Deficit
--A cogent plan for winning and leaving Iraq (something Bush has NEVER done)
--A plan to help reduce gas prices and provide tax breaks for people who buy smaller cars or hybrids.

Dems could sloganize the plan, and hit hard with media tours, town meetings and public speeches. Dem leaders could get in the cornfields, inside the factories and out on the streets--talking with real people and magnifying the fact that Bush is the boy in the bubble who will only talk with his elitist friends and donor buddies.

Why don't we do this? Why are we not doing this?

We could kick some major Republican ass to the curb if we DEFINE them as elitist, corporatist, corrupt, out-of-touch Bushbots---while touting our solutions to their glaring, disastrous failures.

It's not going to be enough to come out against the Republicans. They can worm their way out of anything with lies and distortions. We must go on the offensive and set the agenda.

In my opinion, Dems should be sitting in a smoke-filled room--strategizing NOW!

[papau]

1. I think they are doing that - per ABCNote - they have a 15 point list

but will the current Dems in office sign on to that list - will we have a contract with America moment?

Also will those points have at least a few that are hard hitting slogans that can be repeated for 6 months ao folks remember?

I have hope - but I wait yo find out.

Some idiot has told them that they would be better off to drip 15 ideas out one every 2 weeks - God - where do we get these marketing idiots?

[Cocoa]

2. they have it, but they're going to wait til closer to the elections

they don't want to give Rove too much time to tear it down.

They remind us that the Contract With America came out just a couple of months before that election.

[papau]

6. True - but summer months are lost - is this a good idea to give it only

65 days to develop?

[NYCGirl]

3. Here's a great six point list from Howard Dean.

http://democrats.org/agenda.html

There's even a video for you to watch.

[Roland99]

5. The Dems need to pick an issue a month and hammer it over and over

on every TV show they are on.

[BillZBubb]

4. I guarantee that Dems are strategizing now.

The problem is, they can't come up with a unified message. The DLC wants us to go rightward. The DNC wants us to be centrist. The blogosphere wants us to go progressive.

When we get to a consensus for the three wings of the party, all we'll agree on is a bunch of non-controversial, uninspiring bullshit. A three winged bird just isn't going to fly.

We'll all agree, or almost all, that the Repugs are corrupt. We'll all agree, or almost, that Iraq is a mess. But we won't have a concise, cogent agenda that will pull voters to us. If we win in 2006, it will be because the voters rejected the Republicans, not because they supported us. That's not a very hopeful prospect.

[Warpy]

7. The DLC has gotten their way in the last 2 elections, with their

platform copied word for word. I'm sorry, folks, but it's a platform to appeal to upper middle class folks and working people know damned full well it won't do a thing for them. Either they stay home and comfy on election day, or they vote for bait and switch tax cuts and because they don't like gays. The party hasn't given them anything to vote for in a long time, so they don't.

The party has to abandon the DLC platform and reconnect with the traditional party base if it wants to conmpensate for the type of fraud that has characterized the past 2 presidential elections. Sticking with a program that is so bland and nuanced that it turns most of the party off before they've read the third point is not going to do the job. Running on hating the GOP isn't going to do the job, although it may pick up a temporary majority. Squabbling over the yuppie vote while ignoring the majority isn't going to do the job.

Sticking to a conservative platform that benefits the few and ignores the many is a sure way to accomplish another defeat, and the country can't afford more GOP mismanagement. Any platform has got to start with a way to start raising wages from the bottom up, windfall taxes for embezzling CEOs as well as oil giants and Big Pill, and an end to the silly dogma of absolute free trade that has cost the workers of this country so much even as it's enriched the richest. We've now exported so much of our infrastructure that we're no longer in much of a position to survive a major war and beggaring the population based on cooked inflation figures based on cheap TVs instead of necessities like housing and health care is about to strangle the consumer economy.

Party conservatives have simply gone the wrong way for too damned long. The party needs to reconnect with its roots, and that isn't going to happen in the east coast cities.

[LiberalPartisan]

8. Excellent observations

Now, will groups that don't have 100% their demands met support the Dems or will they oppose?

[applegrove]

9. I think we should be hashing it out here. I for one, do not believe

DIEBOLD stole any votes. I think "overly optimistic exit polls for Kerry" stole votes because they were out there from 2PM till 8PM on election day. And that kept a % of harried-parent-democrats-overconfident-home.

That's my take.

Hash it out here.

And be ready to work for the Democratic party in all its colors. And not to pick fights based on how-fear-has-been-doled-out.

Only "BIG TENT" parties win in America.

I think we need to take it to them. And take what we agree on to them. And put aside what separates us.

[LiberalAndProud]

10. Cogent & specific

You are either FOR the Constituion or against it.

[radio4progressives]

11. naaahhhh... we're just gonna coast right on in with our pretty smiles and

sweet voices... cuz "we can do better"... ;)