Infrastructure posted what seemed like the obvious Democratic Strategy for victory. Stop wasting all our time responding to the GOP about GOP issues--topics which excite only the Republican base. Start emphasizing the issues that get the Democratic base interested, the topics that Dems are strong on, the ones that make our politicians shine. Everyone knows the issues that define Democrats. In terms of their current priority in the public mind they are:
1. HEALTH CARE, HEALTH CARE. HEALTH CARE. The last people to try to do anything were Bill and Hillary. The Republicans shut them down. The GOP Congress has done nada. Promise them that a Dem Congress will get right to work.
2. JOBS: we are bleeding our good jobs to other countries and creating crap jobs at home. Dems know jobs.
3. DEFICIT: Dems are the new party when it comes to fiscal conservatism thanks to Bill Clinton. We will stop unbridled federal spending on Halliburton and pet pork and the war.
Speaking of war (and defense): When asked the trick question "What would Dems do differently about Iraq?" Give the trick answer: "First, we must acknowledge that our leaders LIED and TRICKED America into going into war. Only then will America trust us enough to get behind the war effort. Once Americans can trust their leaders again, then we must change our strategy in Iraq. We must stop letting the politicians fight the war. Instead, we must follow the advice of the generals on the ground who know how to fight a war."
This is all the Dems have to do to make themselves into a neatly packaged, easily recognizable alternative political party. Don't believe me?
How about this article from the American Prospect "The Politics of Definition", which was linked on Buzzflash today:
http://www.prospect.org/web/printfriendly-view.ww?id=11435"The thesis of this report is straightforward. Progressives need to fight for what they believe in -- and put the common good at the center of a new progressive vision -- as an essential strategy for political growth and majority building. This is no longer a wishful sentiment by out-of-power activists, but a political and electoral imperative for all concerned progressives.
"After three consecutive losses at the presidential and congressional levels, progressives have been consumed with finding the strategies, tactics, messages, policies, media outlets, language and messengers to overcome their problems at the ballot box. Thinkers across the ideological spectrum battle it out over the wisdom of pursuing a hard populist approach versus a renewed focus on national security and cultural deficits with middle class voters. Philanthropists and elites focus their efforts on building new progressive “infrastructure”; grass-roots activists yearn for new organizational and media tactics and an aggressive public posture; and still others continue to long for the next incarnation of President Bill Clinton.
"Unfortunately, while each of these approaches offers important insights, the totality of the advice simply misses the mark and obscures the underlying problem driving progressives’ on-going woes nationally: a majority of Americans do not believe progressives or Democrats stand for anything. 1 Despite difficult times for the GOP in early 2006, Republicans continue to hold double-digit advantages over Democrats on the key attribute of “know what they stand for” and fewer than four in 10 voters believe the Democratic Party has “a clear set of policies for the country”. 2 "
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
