I have an idea

[p12psicop]

In a split nation divided by 45% liberals and 45% conservatives and 10% moderate swing voters, every national election is decided by the little 10%. Less so, but still significant is the undecided voter in each state and local election. It's a given that we, the progressive mainstream, can get the 45% vote. Likewise, the reactionary right wing can count on their base of ignorant, undereducated, paranoid, religious extremists to vote for their alleged conservative candidates that will do their best to roll back civil rights, environmental protection, and any sort of progress made in our pluralistic society in the last century.

It's the 10% we have to get. Karl Rove has established the paradigm of successful 21st century politics: Say and repeat, ad nauseum, the opposite of what is true. Let's take a page from their playbook!

Don't laugh. Don't ridicule. Think about this. My idea, is to reverse the definition of conservatism. If we can disrobe ourselves of our identity as liberals, we can get that 10%. We're the neo-cons. We are pressing for fundamentalism; Constitutional Fundamentalism. We are the protectors of real democracy. We are our forefathers' protectors of the Constitution. We are the party of Constitutional CONSERVATISM! We aren't the ones clamoring for amendments to the Constitution. We aren't seeking to alter the system of checks and balances. We aren't seeking to change our election system by introducing vulnerable electronic voting machines into the process.

We're CONSERVATIVES! They are reactionary. If the civil rights movement were characterized as revolutionary, then the reactionaries are counter-revolutionaries. We must label THEM as totalitarians. We must strip from them there verbiage; change the language; adjust the national discussion of liberals vs conservatives to conservatives vs extremists.

If the all important 10% is to be converted, they need to understand, they need to be educated, that the truth is that real American values are being protected by the new American Constitutional Conservative movement, and that their enemies lie in the reactionary, neo-fascist extremist movement.