The Dems platform and talking points should include:

[Nancy Waterman]

If you give us power, we will recommit to the Geneva Accords and end any American-sponsored torture.

We will allow all detainees to have lawyers and legitimate trials.

We will recommit to the Bill of Rights and especially the 5 freedoms in the First Amendment that have been so compromised by this administration.

And we will commit all possible resources to the creation of alternative fuels in order to decrease our use of fossil fuels, slow down global warming, create new and relevant industries, and decrease our military presence in the Middle East which incites more terrorism.

We also commit to universal health care over the next five years, pledging to transfer into the new system or retrain the displaced workers from the insurance industry.

We totally reject the concept of preemptive war unless this nation is clearly and directly threatened by an imminent attack.

We will end all Bush tax cuts for those earning $300,000 a year or more and keep estate taxes on estates of over 7 million dollars.


I am sure there is more, but this is what comes to mind at the moment.

[Warpy]

1. Wages, wages, wages

That's the wedge issue that has been offered to the Democrats on a silver platter. There is nothing the pubbies can say to that because fully 87% of Americans know the minimum wage needs to rise--a LOT.

Pubbies have hamstrung themselves on this issue by fighting every single parsimonious increase in the minimum wage since it was first instituted. There is no way they can counter this issue with ANYTHING except threats to offshore more jobs, and boy, will THAT backfire!

If they don't say anything else on any other issue, this issue will do it for them. Then they have to follow through.

[Nancy Waterman]

2. So we add: raising the minimum wage

Sounds good!! And universal health care will make it easier for all employers and for workers.

[sweetheart]

3. awww shucks... wuz it mean?

i wuz wunderin, them talkin points a bits too komplex
given the literasy irate of the divine electorate.

KISS.

Talkin points gottsa be simple.

The republicans have grown HUGE guvernment, BIG really
fat, totally massive, and they've run up the credit card and
made a right mess. Not only that, they are corrupt as
sin, and this is just plain disgraceful, utterly shameful
for a party claiming to represent the american people.

Your ideas are brilliant Nancy, but the dems need a
unifying theme, a few cutting elevator pitches that
deliver every single time they are repeated.

"Bush has cheated the american people."
"They lied us in to iraq, what next..."

The battle must be the popular will, the song on the street,
the whisper at the macdonalds counter... how soundly the
republicans are gonna get whipped in their iraq corruption
poll... when the birds finally come home to rest, the dead
bodies, the occupied people, all of it... this poll seems
destined to crack the republicans in to lame-duckers and
defectors... perfect ground for mr. Dean...

I trust he's got the helm.

We need to "end the addiction" American addiction culture
is killing itself from within more effectively than any
foreign enemy could from without. I really think howard
dean has got this sussed... the ground is tilting to much
in favour of the dems this next poll, they are the real
popular underground, the romantic hero in this next poll,
and the republicans are just hated for their lies and
corruption... the dems should just spill that paint
on to the repukes, tar and fearther them with it and
drum the scandalous bunch of liars out of the public house.

But i am an arrogant elitist bogeiouis, yes, one who
believes a small minority of righteious partisan progressives
are really politicall "right" for the heart of a people,
and for my sin, i am an addict as well, to the optimism
of a return to goodwill amongst people that has become so
so lacking in times, it is simply tragic. A candidate who
shows goodwill, radiates goodwill, will win... it is that
quality of light so ebbing away in the harsh sniping of these
facile men.