Patriot Act can be a big winning issue for us.

[Silverhair]

When the Patriot Act was in congress, a lot of the opposition came from the far right. It was amazing to watch the ultra conservatives and liberals making the same, or very similiar arguements. The Libertarians hate the Patriot Act. On some issues other groups can be an ally to us, and on those issues, I see nothing wrong in teaming up with them, even we are mortal enemies on other issues.

The average citizen doesn't know how he is effected by the Patriot Act. Bear in mind that he doesn't care if the gov't sees how many library books or which ones he looks at, or which ones. To him those are esoteric rights. The average citizen views his rights in layers. There are the everyday ones that he uses constantly and is aware of, and others that he thinks he only uses rarely. Of course, in reality they are one seamless fabric of interwoven threads of rights, but he usually doesn't see it that way. We need to educate the avarage person on how the Patriot Act is effecting them in their ordinary lives. Remember, he doesn't give a damn about the prisioners in Gitmo, or about Arab-Americans being asked some questions. MAKE THE AVERAGE AMERICAN AWARE OF HOW IT IMPACTS HIS LIFE. Borrow a page from Reagan's book. Reagan was a great storyteller. He had piles of index cards on them with stories of people that had suffered because of some idiocy of the gov't. He told those stories and people identified with them and voted. WELL, LET'S TELL STORIES OF ORDINARY AMERICANS HURT BY PATRIOT ACT SILLINESS. Also we must point out that the act is NOT helping the war on terror. If Joe Average thinks that the act is helping catch terrorists, he will put up the rest of it as necessary. But if he can be shown that the act is NOT helping catch terrorists and is hurting him personally, then he will awaken.

[Flying_Pig]

1. It could also hurt us. Too many Dems, sadly, voted for it.

n/t

[tsipple]

5. Nominate a Democrat...

...Who didn't vote for the Patriot Act. That's pretty easy, actually.

[iangb]

2. And the answer is.....

..."We are fighting evil. Remember those poor souls who died on 9/11 before you question the minor inconveniences caused by the Patriot Act."

And 'Average Joe' says: "Makes sense to me."

[Cocoa]

3. there may not be any such stories

I think the arguments about civil liberties will mostly be about the potential for abuse, and there may not be any concrete stories like you say. It doesn't mean they shouldn't be made, it just means that it will be more difficult.

Jose Padilla, possibly. Not sure if the Patriot Act itself was applied, but the larger question of civil liberties. On the other hand, Padilla is not a sympathetic guy, not cut out for being the dems' poster child.

[Silverhair]

4. That could be a BIG problem with my suggestion.

If you can't make it concrete, Joe Average won't buy it.