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and then everything will fall into place
We have let Karl Rove and company defined the agenda as a social one: abortion and gay marriage. That was his goal for 2008 to get more "church goers" to the polls. We were blindsided by it, or just ignored it. In one of the rallies the speaker said that "Bush got all the votes that he could get back in 2004." Obviously he was wrong.
It was posted here several times that most voters do support the Democratic agenda, they just don't know it.
Our goal, therefor, is to make sure that they know. And if this means talking in the "me Tarzan, you Jane" style, in a sixth grade level, so be it.
And we need to talk positive - this is what we are going to do - not negative painting the Republicans as the bogey man, at least not only. I think that this is what Dean is doing. This rallies the troops but not the "moderate" voters.
For example - electing anti-choice candidates - I suppose this would be OK as long as they acknowledge that they accept the law of the land which now is Roe vs. Wade.
Accepting candidates, and voters who follow the "what would Jesus do" as long as they do this in their private life, acknowledging that our Constitution mandates the separation of state and church.
And we can even approach these issues with a positive approach: the way to prevent abortion is by educating people about birth control, about encouraging adoption by tax incentives, not by just preaching. By making sex education part of the school curriculum.
As for "what would Jesus do" - taking care of the poor and the underdogs, of course.
And once we acknowledge the social issues and done with them, we can approach the real ones - security of health care, of jobs and of retirement.
But we always have to keep our eyes on those non-issues that Rove and company will lob at us. Yes, Kerry tried to concentrate on the issues while ignoring the Swifters. By the time he did, it was too late.
Kerry professed his "personal" objection to abortion, but did not address it head on with alternatives, or even with the Clinton's "rare, safe and legal."
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