Democratic landslide in 2012.

[dawg]

The Ryan budget that, by the way, actually passed the House, is all the ammunition the Dems need to win a landslide victory in 2012. Cutting taxes on the wealthy to sub-Reagan levels while replacing Medicare with a coupon.

All our side really has to do is hammer this issue over and over again.

Of course, we won't actually do that. But it's there for the taking.

[notesdev]

1. Wishful thinking

Most of the people in this country aren't well-informed enough to do anything other than cast a yes/no vote on the incumbent based on whether they're better or worse off than they were last time.

And with gas now past $4/gal, pushing $5... maybe $6 by the summer... and who knows what it will be by Nov 2012? Unless Obama can fix that problem it'll be game over, same way it happened to Carter.

[SlimJimmy]

5. Agree. President Obama's re-election will be based on jobs, gas, and food prices

and the perception of what he did to help one and curb the other two. Free health care? That's great. But if I don't have a job, can't feed my family, and it costs an arm and a leg to fill the car, then what good is it? His "Well, there's not much I can do about rising gas prices" is just not going to cut it any longer. He has the power to curb the speculation in gas and food. Now let's see if he has the stones to do it.

[MineralMan]

8. True, but, you see, that's our job - informing them.

It's done one person at a time. If we get off our butts and start talking to people now and keep doing it until the 2012 election, we'll have that landslide.

If we just keep on talking to ourselves, we won't. It is that freaking simple.

Join your local Democratic organization and get started spreading the word for your local candidates. It works.

Or, don't...and see how we can lose once again.

[notesdev]

12. Sell them on what

What issues do you think meet these qualifications?

a) voters will care enough about it to cast a vote based on the issue
b) The Democratic Party has a clear stand on the issue
c) Obama has not repudiated by deed or action the Democratic Party stance

I'm coming up empty trying to think of one, myself... anything that passes test (a), fails test (c).

[MineralMan]

16. If you can't think of anything, don't do it.

Here's what I do when I'm precinct walking:

1. Educate myself about the candidates' positions on as many issues as possible.
2. Ask each person I talk to what issues are the most important to them.
3. Explain how the Republican and Democratic candidates in that election treat those issues.
4. Explain why it's very important to turn out and vote for the Democrats in that election.

In 2010, for example, what President Obama believed about an issue was irrelevant to that election. I talked about the candidates the people in my precinct would be voting for or against. I keep my conversations specific and on the issue that each person considers to be important to them. The goal is to get them to the polls and to vote for the Democrat who is running. In every case, the Democrat has a better position than the Republican. The other candidates are irrelevant, since they will not be elected.

Very frankly, general discussions when talking to people are irrelevant. It is specific issues and the positions of the actual candidates the voter will be voting on that matter. Almost ever time, the person I talk to has a specific issue that is relevant to that person. I come prepared with knowledge of the positions of the candidates. It's very, very effective.

Results? In my precinct, where I walked every block over a two-month period, I talked to a few hundred people, at least. I don't keep count. Our precinct, in 2010, had a 60% turnout. Every Democratic candidate on the ballot in my precinct received roughly 60% of the vote.

Obama was not a candidate. He will be a candidate in 2012. I'll tell people his positions in that election, on any issue they want to raise. I'll also tell them the positions of every other candidate. This is not about generalities. It is about individual voters and the individual issues they think are important. It's hard work, to be quite frank, but every person who walks precincts and is fully prepared to answer questions makes more difference in the election that any dozen people who don't bother.

You may do as you please. I'm just telling you what I do and how it works.

You can visit my precinct's DFL website, where I'm the chair, at the link in my signature line, if you wish.

[notesdev]

19. I was throwing down a challenge

My challenge is this: name the issues that meet those qualifications: voters care about the issues, the party has a clear stance, and Obama the candidate's deeds (his words being now less than worthless with the seemingly-endless list of broken promises) match up with that stance.

You just wrote a page of text in your post, but didn't name a single issue.

Please indulge me and list the issues that you think we can run and win on in 2012.

[MineralMan]

21. The issues that concern me are the ones raised by the

individual I'm talking to, and at the time I'm talking to that person.

Your opinion (and that's what it is) of President Obama is irrelevant to me, but that seems to be the only thing you're interested in.

When 2012 campaign time rolls around, I'll be discussing the issues that concern voters, and the positions of the candidates on the ballots of the people I talk to, at that time.

I won't be sharing your opinion of President Obama with them.

So, sorry, I won't "indulge" you. You don't vote in my state, district, or precinct, and it's not 2012.

I will note, though, that you didn't actually raise any issues in your post, either, except for your disdain for the President. That's not one of the issues that will make much of a difference in 2012. Nobody I'll be talking to really cares about your opinion of the President.

[notesdev]

22. I did raise issues in my post

I raised the specific issue of gas prices... another poster helpfully contributed that jobs and food prices were also in the same category of "essential basic voter issues" that will turn the election, and I agree.

What do you have that will counter the dissatisfaction with the absence of jobs, and escalating prices of essential goods?

[MineralMan]

23. For which candidate would you like that information?

You seem to be missing my point, and it's far from campaign time in 2012. Aside from President Obama, nobody on the ballot here will be on your ballot, so why bring it up with me? Check your own candidate's positions on those issues when you know who those candidates are. \

We appear to be talking about two different things. That's not interesting to me, so I'll make this my last post in this subthread.

[notesdev]

26. Pick any candidate who is in a competitive race

Any one you please. The Presidency is the most important so that's mostly what I was referring to, but we can discuss any number of the Senate seats (and we have 24 at risk to the opponent's 10) or any key, competitive House seat.

And then let's try to figure out how that candidate wins with the albatross of no jobs and high food/gas prices incensing the electorate.

[MineralMan]

28. There's no election coming up soon.

No candidates are named for all of those legislative races yet. The Presidency is NOT the most important race, actually. Legislative races are far more important in US politics, as we've seen this year.

When the candidates emerge in the 2012 election, I'll be able to answer your question on any issue, with regard to the candidates in my precinct, district, and state. In fact, I'll help to choose the Democratic candidates at the caucus and district and state conventions. That process starts next year, you see, not this year. I'll be working to nominate the most progressive possible candidate who can win for each office, just like I have done in the past. Again, check out my DFL precinct site to see the candidates who I've helped get elected. Go look them up, if you like, and see if you think they're OK.

Right now, I'm in the very early stages of discovering who's even interested in all those legislative positions, so I can start learning about who they are and what they want to do. Your questions are premature at this point.

[notesdev]

30. OK well, then I'd like to talk about last year's elections

No uncertainties in the facts relating to them, they are history now, in the books.

Why, in your opinion, do you think we lost so badly, across the board, from the federal to the local level?

What steps would you recommend to correct those failures?

[MineralMan]

31. OK. But first, I'll tell you what happened where I am.

In my Congressional District, we nominated and elected Betty McCollum again. She's a staunchly progressive Democrat.
For my State Senate District, we nominated and elected John Harrington, another very good progressive Democrat.
In my State House District, we nominated and elected Tim Mahoney, who also fits that mold.
For MN Governor, we elected Mark Dayton, a Democrat, in a very, very close race. He's not as progressive as I'd like, but the Republican candidate was a teabagger.

So that's what happened where I am in Minnesota. Elsewhere in the state, we lost both houses of the state legislature to Republicans, primarily because turnout in the districts where Republicans gained seats was shitty on the Democratic side.

Why did this happen? In large part it was because Democrats were frustrated with a lack of progress in Washington, so they didn't bother to show up, despite the need to elect good candidates to other offices. That's how it appears to me, after analyzing the results in Minnesota, where most of my focus is. In areas where the local DFL organization mounted a really good GOTV and educational strategy, those things did not occur.

There was also the re-election of Michele Bachmann, in a neighboring district to my own. We worked hard for her opponent, but the makeup of that district was just too conservative for us to win. We came pretty close, but could not pull off the upset. The people in her district, with a lot of help from other districts worked their asses off, but it didn't quite work.

The steps to take in 2012 include a refocus on the incredibly stupid ideas of the Republicans and relating those stupid ideas to the voters everywhere. The second step is to work hard to nominate Democratic candidates who are strong and are as progressive as possible in the district where they're running. Each Democratic candidate nominated needs to stand a good chance of election, so some may not be as progressive as many of us would like in conservative districts. Then, we need to mobilize a well-trained, enthusiastic team of precinct workers who will talk to as many people as possible in every Congressional district, both state and federal to present both the failure of the Republicans and the promise of the Democrats on the issues that are of primary interest to the voters AT THAT TIME. We need to make absolutely certain that Democratic voters go to the polls and vote by showing them exactly why it so important that they do. Along the way, we need to convince as many current Republican voters that their candidate is working against their interests, with the hope that some will vote for the Democrat and others will stay away from the polls out of disgust at their candidate.

I can't give you any more details about issues and other things until closer to the election. I do know that the current Republican stupidity will definitely be a major issue, since it's so easy to show people how their ideas negatively affect the average voter. Until candidates are in place, though, I can't tell you how to present each candidate's position. They'll vary. That's going to be up to people in individual districts to determine and use.

I'm a local political activist. I campaigned for President Obama as part of my work in 2008, and will again in 2012, but most of my focus is on races in my own precinct, district, and state. I have to leave other states and areas to those who live in them. I can't make big donations, but I have time, so that's my contribution.

We can win in 2012. We can win big, if we're willing to put in the work. I'll be there, assuming I live that long, which is never a certainty at my age. Will you?

[SugarShack]

10. Most of the voters are OLDER and untouched by this plan! You'll hear crickets from the dems!

[brooklynite]

2. And our solution is?

It's not enough to criticize the Republican plan without clearly defining a plan of our own that voters will respond to. The electorate DOES think the deficits need to be addressed; just eliminating the Bush tax cuts won't be enough. And the solutions that would resonate with progressives (e.g. withdraw all troops from Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya today rather than at a graduated pace) are not likely to garner uniform party support.

[dawg]

4. That's our problem.

We want to talk about how to actually solve problems. Its in our DNA. But that doesn't win elections.

"Republicans Voted to End Medicare"


That's what wins elections. Simple messages that resonate with voters. Republicans know this and we mostly do not.

Policy choices and hard decisions can be discussed once we are back in the majority.

.
.
.
.
.

Oh, and don't tell me that it's not enough to criticize the other side without coming out with a credible plan of our own. Because that very tactic has worked against us every single time the Republicans have tried it.

[brooklynite]

6. "Cut Taxes".....:"Eliminate waste, fraud & abuse"....."Drill, Baby, Drill"

Republicans ALWAYS offer alternatives. They're simplistic and irrational, but they can always point to something they promise to do.

[dawg]

13. OK.

"Make the rich pay their fair share"
"Close the Wall Street Loophole"
"Make Medicare Permanent"
"Repeal NAFTA"
"Not Just Free Trade - Fair Trade"
"End Tax Breaks For Sending Jobs Overseas"
"Make Wall Street Pay for the Bailouts"
"Trade Policy Designed to Protects American Jobs"

There are a million such slogans we could come up with. Some might actually form the basis of credible policy. Others, not so much. But my point is to fight fire with fire.

When they say Drill Baby Drill - a 20 minute diatribe about peak oil and the international nature of the oil markets will not succeed on any voter not already voting with us in the first place. A comeback like "Spill Baby Spill" will work far better.

if reason and logic worked on the American electorate, the last Republican president would have been Dwight Eisenhower.

[MineralMan]

24. There you go. Exactly.

Define the oppositions failure. Then, tell the voter what a particular candidate proposes as a solution. Elections are not about generalizations. They're about specific issues. "The Republican Candidate in this race wants to end Medicare as we know it. The Democratic candidate wants Medicare to continue to serve the people, and wants to (name proposal) to make that happen."

Move to the next issue, and repeat. But the primary thing is to point out the ugly position of the Republican first.

[Tippy]

3. When gas goes above $5.00 a gal. people will pay attention....

[Bandit]

20. And who are they going to blame?

:shrug:

[OHdem10]

7. Are the Democrats on the hill capable of capitalizing on the gift

on the Gift given them ????? Or will the Conservadems
just do the usual "Me too" and support Ryan or something
close to Ryan.

[lonestarnot]

9. A richie rich is raising the price of gas so high without much action I don't see that.

[Snoutport]

11. I'll do it! I put posts on Facebook about the rich paying no taxes everyday...and my conservative

friends are getting angry that the repubs are not making them pay their fair share!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

14. The only weakness I see is that the Democrats/Obama fails on messaging.

If they can rectify that failure and improve on messaging, I think there will be a chance.

If the economy continues to fail, however, and the Democrats/Obama also fail at messaging, we're looking at a Republican House AND Senate and *maybe* a Republican president.

Though I still think Obama will be reelected regardless, there will be even more Republicans at the state and local levels. There are already 29 Republican governors. Remember when there were 34? Most state legislatures dominated by Republicans. Most elected judgeships dominated by Republicans. That is MORE scary than anything that could ever happen at the federal level. Look at what's happening at the state level with further breakdown of women's rights, collective bargaining, and Republican governors consolidating power in the executive, backed by right wing judges.

We need to elect MORE progressives at the state and local levels. That's where we are losing BIG TIME!!!

[MineralMan]

25. Yes! Local candidates for all legislative positions.

We need to elect more progressive candidates and not elect Republicans. That should be the only real goal in 2012. If there isn't a really progressive candidate in a particular race who can win, vote for the Democrat and try again at the next election.

[Scuba]

15. How about this: Republicans voted to end Medicare. Democrats want Medicare for All. n/t

[MineralMan]

17. There ya go! Simple and to the point.

That's how to approach this stuff. What we discuss here at length is useless in campaigns. Simplicity and a focus on the actual issues that affect voters is the solution. Here at DU, we talk about details. On the streets and in the precincts, people's concerns and attention spans are much different.

You have nailed it on that issue.

[Mira]

18. I recommend this, because you made me laugh. And sadly,

because your last and funny sentence is right on the money.
Many other things have been there for the taking, and are still lying at the side of the road.

[Courtesy Flush]

27. "Of course, we won't actually do that."

If you hadn't said it, the rest of us would.

[MineralMan]

29. Some of us will do exactly that.

Perhaps you'd like to help. Just let me know where you are and I'll help hook you up with the local Democratic party organization.