"Anti this" Anti that" -- Have you learned NOTHING?

[Capn Sunshine]

The people are sick of the negativity. They want answers; they want to know what is different about your guy.They want a message of change and hopefulness. We just lost serious ground in two election cycles in a row because the only message we articulated was "They are bad. We're not them. Vote us"

No one is going to win with this strategy, yet I see campaigns resorting to it already in an attempt to become competitive with the front runner.

Should they succeed , I fear the general election will be more of this same strategy. You know. The (DLC) one that worked so well in the past, the "centrist appeal" of "we're not them. Vote us"

Yeah, I'll buy that for a dollar.

One of the reasons some campaigns have come out of the wilderness and have taken such an influential position outside the party mechanism and around the pundits, is because there's A MESSAGE OF HOPE being delivered. True, not everyone has noticed that since they still prefer to make their decisions based on second hand reporting, but that's what is going on.

Try a PRO candidate approach instead of an anti-front runner one.
You might be surprised at the results.

[bryant69]

1. Hmmmmm

I wonder what candidates you are talking about.

I like Dean, but isn't a significant part of the hope in his message the idea that he can beat President Bush in 2004?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Capn Sunshine]

3. hell yes

THAT is the central and most hopeful part of the campaign. That we can end this special interest corporate nightmare takeover of our country,and do it ourselves.

[w13rd0]

4. No, not really...

...the hope is that we can focus on the following:
jobs
health care
education
real security

hoping that we can move away from being manipulated, marginalized and left out of the political process by entrenched power structures who see it as in their best interests to keep us ill-informed and easily manipulated...

hoping that we can move beyond elections decided on god, gays, guns and abortion... for each of those wedge issues, proposing solutions that are both encompassing, and unifying, rather than divisive and cynical...

[ErasureAcer]

2. Dennis Kucinich has the answers

www.kucinich.us/issues

find out for yourself.

[xxqqqzme]

5. were U @ the

House of Blues last night? I ask cuz I was very impressed w/ Dean's speech last night.

Dean is tweaking his stump speech a bit. I noticed his entire approach is even more positive & up-beat.

add: w13rd0 - you R so on it. Dean addressed every one of your points last night. I last saw him on Sept 30, last night was light years away from that night. He keeps improving and honing his message. Amazing!

[TLM]

11. I was....

And it was a great speech.

[maxanne]

6. thanks Captain

I've sent an e-mail to both the Gephardt and Kerry campaigns (FWIW) to express my displeasure with their tone. Bashing Dean does not an effective strategy make. Undecided folks are getting fed up with this already. We need to encourage voters, not alienate them.

:kick:

[wryter2000]

7. Are you sure that's Gephardt and Kerry?

It seems to me that the connections between Gephardt, Kerry, and that obnoxious ad are tenuous at best.

[wryter2000]

8. Are you sure that's Gephardt and Kerry?

It seems to me that the connections between Gephardt, Kerry, and that obnoxious ad are tenuous at best.

[janx]

9. It's so much more fun to shout and cry instead!

:cry: :cry: :hangover:
:spank:
:cry: :nopity:

[vi5]

10. I agree, and hate when all the candidates do this....

But it boggles my mind when Dean supporters don't admit that a large part of his come from behind surge and his name on the national stage was made attacking other candidates. It's fair game and it worked for him but to decry it when the others do it seems more than a bit disingenuous.