Top ten changes YOU WOULD MAKE in the Democratic Party

[Ken Burch]

Ideological, organizational, financial, or strategic.

Brainstorm and make it big and BOLD, kids.

[alittlelark]

1. uh, yeah....... whatever you say.

[Ken Burch]

13. You can sit this one out if'n you'd rather, Lark

Just wanted to get people thinking and suggesting.

[oscar111]

2. Massively fund AAR or a clone: use the touted new fundraising ability of

the web to do it. Ask moveon. and truemajority and AFLCIO to join in.

60 hours of rush and clones on radio each week has brainwashed the voters.

OUr dem leaders should have matched HATE RADIO when it began..
1988?

DNC raised a lot during the campaign .. use that ability now for AAR, because the next campaign is going on already, on Rush Limbaugh's show. We pause. GOP does not. We lose. Obvious.

AFLCIO has been cut in half since '50. thirty percent to fifteen. I call it the DISAPPEARING AFLCIO.

They desperately need AAR. Scold the new UAW chief for unplugging their AAR clone, ieAmerica radio.. which had Malloy on the radio.
UAW folks, i hope you can tell me here, what is going on.

[Warpy]

3. Good start

The number one priority is to DUMP THE DLC.

We need to hammer the pubbies on their dismal economic record of high unemployment, downward pressure on wages, upward pressure on prices, offshoring of jobs, and skewing the tax code to fall heaviest on the people least able to pay. We need to pound them on their looting of Social Security to mask the devastating effects of tax cuts to fat cats and corporations on the nation's finances.

We can't do that as long as the DLC is in place. They don't care.

We need to initiate class action lawsuits in areas where the exit polls didn't match the vote tallies and were outside the margin of error. We need to get those machines taken apart, suppoena those source codes, and find out exactly what was done and who was responsible.

We can't do that as long as the DLC stays in power. They don't care.

We have to pound them on their unchristian attitudes of criminalizing poverty and social differences. We have to hammer them on their destruction of the Bill of Rights, the thing that protects the minority from the tyrrany of the majority. We need to nail them for their utter disregard for laws, the constitution, and treaties that has put Americans at risk all over the world.

We can't do that while the DLC runs things. They're comfortable with all that stuff.

Unless we manage to unseat those old maids in pants, we'll never get anything done, few elections will be won, nobody will represent our interests, and the party will fade into deserved obscurity.

[Bounce]

55. Hire Maryscott OConner to run the DLC

We don't need to get rid of it, just put Maryscott in CHARGE OF IT!

[newyawker99]

68. Hi Bounce!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Just-plain-Kathy]

97. Better ad campaigns... Make rupubs shake in their boots...

I started a thread this morning before I saw this thread. I wrote an open letter to Democrats who want to win these coming elections and '08's. I hope it gets in the right hands. :)





http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=296x6355

[agentkgb]

93. Unite?

The conservatives are united, they all work together and it works. Sure, Gore won Florida anyway, but if it weren't for Nader Gore would have officially won.

[DieboldMustDie]

4. Return to being the party of working Americans.

Advocate the repudiation of NAFTA and GATT. Eliminate tax breaks for outsourcing Increase the minimum wage 10% per year for the next 8 - 10 years. Raise tariffs to keep domestic goods competitive at least within the U.S.

[Democrat Dragon]

5. okay...

10. Extend Democratic Party clubs to high schools

9. More organization

8. Give each running democrat's campaign team a copy of The Prince and The Art of War

7. Create fundraisers aimed at the rich(especially celeberties)

6. Organize thinktanks to work for "the common causes"

5. Enhance communication with grassroots organizations, volunteers, and supporters.

4. Educate each and every official about how dangerous the Rethuglinazis are.

3. Demand a backbone, and unify the party with common causes that are considered progressive.

2. Add a team of marketing strategists and other people from the business world to the "campaign department".

1. Expose all DLC and Nazi plants and release publications on their acts. Furthermore give DLC the cold shoulder.

[yurbud]

10. marketers okay only if...

they sell the message, not choose it.

We need to shape public opinion, not constantly bend and sway with it.

[Democrat Dragon]

18. Well...

If WE give THEM money, they'll work for US not Philip Morris, ConAgra, Halliburton, Pepsi, etc.

[yurbud]

6. No corporate money

Most of why our congressmen and senators are silent is they take money from the same amoral, bloodless corporate lizards that the GOP does.

It would give us a lot of moral authority if our guys could say they aren't bought by anyone but the people.

[OneBlueSky]

8. yup . . . that's the one and ONLY change that's needed . . .

take away the corporate money and Democrats will have to answer to the people instead of the corporations . . . radical concept, huh? . . .

[hope42mro]

34. I very much agree. Great idea. nt.

[IronLionZion]

84. public financing for both parties

and find some way to accomodate third parties as well.

ban all corporate, labor union, and special interest donations. serious lobbying and ethics reform such as Russ Feingold's very excellent bill that no one else is supporting. Capitalism is a great economic system, but it's not a system of government.

[thingfisher]

99. If the system could be purged

of all coporate money and lobbying it would be more accountable. All candidates could campaign with a limited public funding coupled with free air time on local and national media outlets. This could be mandated by law since the airwaves are supposedly public property (ha, ha, ha). This would perhaps limit the exposure of candidates to meaningful forums and debates and cut out the putrid and imbecilic sound bite ads that have come to dominate campaigning today.

I;m not holding my breath, by the way....

[mikeyj84]

85. Corporate Money

Yup! When they feed out of then same corporate troft, right wing,left wing, they're all the same bird!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[yurbud]

7. Say plainly, "We side with you against big business"

Don't dodge the class warfare label--embrace it and pin it on the GOP.

How come the only people aren't asked to sacrifice are the wealthiest?

Why do republicans side with the power companies who ran up your electric bill, blackmailed your state, and turned out your lights?

Why do they side with business against you by blocking enforcement of safe food and product standards?

And after not enforcing the law, they don't want you to be able to sue when your child is harmed by a defective product.

[yurbud]

9. Get to the point when you speak and don't be polite

Kerry's Iraq War vote killed him because he refused to do this.

If he had just said, "The president lied to us and abused the power we gave him with that vote," the onus would have been off him and squarely on the Bushies.

Instead, he circumlocuted himself into a hole.

[yurbud]

11. wind and solar before new coal and nuclear

No new coal or nuclear plant will be built unless it can be proven that the same need can't be met with renewable energy, which would almost never be the case.

Promise to put the windmill factories in West Virginia so the coal miners don't freak out.

Give tax breaks to businesses that make and install alternative power plants.

[Krinkov]

41. sounds good

i'm not totally against nukes, but there could be a 'litmus test' of this kind. It would be a radical approach to polution control, and could even be extended to decrease our need for foreign oil.
It might be a little oppressive, though.

[yurbud]

12. Energy internet: home electricity generation

There's no reason the internet revolution couldn't be duplicated with home scale solar and wind generation. Most people aren't home during the day, so the solar panels on their roof could feed electricity back into the power grid.

This protects us from two kinds of terrorists:

The kind that might try to blow up large scale nuclear plants.

The kind that privatize electricity, then hold us hostage and jack up the price. If a significant number of people make their own, power companies know if they gouge too much, more people will make their own and gradually squeeze them out of the market.

We can't afford any more Enrons.

[saltpoint]

14. The party should:

1 employ poets and other writers to exalt the purpose of public service, identifying the Democratic Party as the party of public service -- a call for a political language that uplifts and challenges at the same time.

2 adopt a tree for its symbol and re-dedicate itself to environmental protection.

3 wire up an on-line 24/7 radio stream to help counterbalance MSM bias generally and FOX lying specifically.

4 ask Bill Moyers to lead us out of the desert. We are in dire need of his advice. A series of Moyers-led regional meetings would go a long way to re-connecting the party to its roots.

5 strongly support Obama, Boxer, Feingold, and many others like them who are fighting the good fight.

6 strongly promote a new national holiday -- Constitution Day -- which would seek to re-acquaint citizens and school kids with the history of their own freedoms.

7 spend more money in states where good Democratic candidates are often swept away by red vote majorities. If we contested some of these races, we'd win some.

8 buy a news agency and convert it to a national forum on key issues. Murdoch's media empire is a hateful propaganda machine -- ours could be a haven for a national dialogue. Maybe George Soros et al could help with the financing.

9 appoint one of our Senators or ex-Senators to begin establishment of a national network of liberal churches, on the grounds that the ministry of Jesus significantly suggests a liberal, not a conservative philosophy. Maybe Bill Moyers? Al Gore? A accompanying book should be published as a call to action.

10 ask the Green Party and other independent groups for input and advice -- we simply need these people's good energy and clear heads.

[cleveramerican]

58. great,sensible ideas

we need more like you O.C.

[trezic]

15. National security

Create a coherent, practical plan for national defense/foreign policy. No more pacifism for pacifism's sake.

Democrats have near zero credibility when it comes these issues in red states. Even us Southern Democrats have doubts about the willingness of the party to support ANY war. An excellent reason why is how many voted for the conditional declaration on Iraq and then decided it was wrong because Bush 'lied.'

It is not the job of the executive to spoonfeed the legislature. It was pretty clear that the primary reason for war was not nukes, not terrorism, and not oil. It was to put the US in position to have leverage with the real strategic linchpin of the Gulf, Iran. Unfortunately, this party long ago gave up interest in the study of diplomacy and war. This was a mistake, as it leaves us without an effective counter to Republican foreign policy.

If you want to minimize war, you need to understand it.

[Ken Burch]

16. Fine. IF.....

We make sure that does NOT mean regressing to the Truman through LBJ notion that dissent against a hawkish foreign policy decision must be suppressed by any means necessary. And so long as we don't lower ourselves once again to "bear ANY burden, fight ANY foe", which inevitably leads to "the boys'll be home by Christmas" and "we had to destroy it to save it."

We need to be willing to use force, perhaps, but not to silence debate.

[trezic]

17. The trouble with debate

I'm a huge fan of debating issues. Obviously, I'm posting here.

I wouldn't say debate was stifled by either Truman or LBJ. I'd say that they and their opponents were not talking about the same things.

Both South Korea and South Vietnam were led by authoritarian dictators. Nobody with half a brain can dispute that. Both North Korea and North Vietnam were led by Stalinist totalitarians. People who dispute that either haven't bothered to check the evidence or are lying.

Truman and LBJ tried, though not effectively, to make the point that you have to take your allies as they come, not as you'd like them. Granted, those allies were not the best imaginable. They were fairly brutal and didn't have much respect for individual rights. Their opponents were on an entirely different plane of brutal and completely opposed any notion of individual rights.

Truman and LBJ's opponents on the left tended to sympathize with the idea of 'people's war' and pass off reports of communist brutality as right-wing propaganda. The fact that American news could show the brutality of Seoul and Saigon, but could not show the far worse atrocities of Pyongyang and Hanoi only furthered the distortion.

Truman and LBJ tried to emphasize the fact that it's a hard world and that you do the best you can with what you have. Their opponents either did not, or would not, understand this reality.

I often wonder if background didn't play a role in the drama. Both Truman and LBJ came from modest means, where most of their best known opponents came from upper-middle to upper class backgrounds, in terms of wealth. Perhaps their backgrounds, Truman and LBJ, was the reason they were willing to make do with what they had when it came to the Cold War.

[Ken Burch]

19. Scuse me,

but I'd call what happened in Chicago stifling debate.

All I'm saying here is, I don't think victory would be worth having to forget everything we learned about the nature of imperialism and the limits of U.S. power in the last thirty years.
Seems like that is exactly what the DLC DOES want.

Also, in response to your "poor boys making do" theory, I was also including JFK in my comments with his "bear any burden, fight any foe"
quote.

[DrGonzoLives]

31. Chicago was the fault of Hizzoner

That is, Boss Daley, not the national Democratic party. Humphrey, for one, was royally pissed off after it happened, as were a number of delegates.

[Ken Burch]

23. I'd like to invite you to check out my thread on a new Democratic

foreign and defense policy. I'd be interested in getting your perspective there.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

29. Better a pacifist than a war monger

We can say that we'll defend the country against actually existing enemies rather than picking fights so that we have excuses to give our buddies big weapons contracts.

[mikeyj84]

87. LBJ

I,ve been a life long Dem and LBJ lied us into escalating the Viet-Nam war with The Gulf of Ton ken incident. 10 Yrs. we were in that Rat Hole. the French were in there for 20 yrs. before us . What the hell made us think we could straighten it out!

[mikeyj84]

86. Another Saber rattler!

How many wars have you fought in. its easy to talk shit when you ass isn't on the line!

[Lenape85]

20. My plan

1. Impose a progressive taxation system
2. Cancel WTO and NAFTA
3. Universal Healthcare
4. A tougher stance against agribusiness
5. Try and court the hunting, fishing, and small business crowd, while remaining true to the environmental and labour crowd: Schweitzer describes a good plan here (http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0412.sirota.html)
6. Absolute protection of Social Security
7. Greater campaign finance reform
8. IRV in the primaries
9. economically based affirmative action
10. an non-interventionist internationalist foreign policy

[Mr.Green93]

21. Join with the PLP.

for a new beginning.

[Ken Burch]

22. The Progressive Labor Party?

Not sure if Maoism is really the direction we want to go here. Although I have heard you can make good money selling The Little Red Book(the Panthers used to do so, according to Huey Newton's SOUL ON ICE).

[thegreatwildebeest]

54. The issue of third parties...

...is one most mainstream Democrats don't want to discuss, as the potential of reforming elections would put the Democrats at risk just as much as it would the Republicans, and you can gurantee a united full court press if the possibility ever arose of their being a credible threat to two-party duo-poly.

[Krinkov]

24. my list

1. Increased isolationism-- not only to reel in the ugly imperialism that has spawned osama and 9/11, but to cut foreign aid accross the board until the lives of disadvantaged americans can be improved first.

An added benefit is that people might actually listen to the need for social programs and our role in creating the terrorism we're fighting if we put it in those terms.

2. Drop gun control as an issue! There was talk of pandering to conservatives by backing off abortion rights-- then who would be left to defend them? We would be a party with TWO major civil liberties contradictions to our party's stance of individual freedom. REspecting the right to keep and bear arms would GET RID of a civil liberties contradiction.

3. Take a firm stance on decriminalization/legalization of Drugs! See above. The war on drugs is a lost cause and more and more people on all sides of the political spectrum realize this. Reagan is dead. Move on and have some balls, dems!

4. Separate Marriage for ALL americans into the civil union (purely legal, strengthened to have all the legal power that marriage currently has) and the marriage (purely religious, between the couple and god). Each church would determine their own policy on who they marry.

5. Take a hard line on strengthening our borders. Whatever your thoughts on deportation, amnesty for illegals, drivers licenses for them, even benefits, etc, NO ONE should support tolerating unrestricted, undocumented travel into our country in this day and age. Lock it down!

6. Reform affirmative action towards a poverty-based, not race-based system.

[Stevepol]

25. The only issue right now is the voting machines.

TOP TEN ISSUES FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

1. DEMAND A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT AND AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.
2. DEMAND A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT AND AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.
3. DEMAND A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT AND AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.
4. DEMAND A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT AND AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.
5. DEMAND A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT AND AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.
6. DEMAND A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT AND AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.
7. DEMAND A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT AND AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.
8. DEMAND A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT AND AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.
9. DEMAND A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT AND AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.
10. DEMAND A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT AND AUDITS FOR ALL ELECTIONS

[DrGonzoLives]

26. OK

In no real order:

Refine the gun control message/perception. We don't have to "compromise" anything - just insist that assault-style weapons be tightly regulated, if not banned; you know, the position supported by the police in this country.

Start actually marketing ideas, not just whining about how people should agree with us by default. The GOP realized that this could work a long time ago - why haven't we?

Stop just focusing on the White House. There are three branches of government, for Christ's sake. Let's get some people back in Congress too.

A Constitutional amendment outlawing gerrymandering. I'm sick of both sides doing it.

Reach out to our traditional base - working class families and farmers. Oppose ANYTHING that lessens the power of unions, go after right-to-work laws, end subsidies to corporate farms and redirect it back to family farmers that can't afford health care or the next loan payment. Focus on those economical things that make this group agree with us and hammer them into the public's minds every chance we get.

Repeal the electoral college. Most people hate it, and that is one way to go after voting irregularities.

Speaking of which, we need a serious overhaul of elections in this country. Legislation is nice, but it is the county clerks at the local level who really run this stuff. Start getting some Democrats dedicated to reform in offices like that, then we can start moving our way up. Laws are completely useless if there is no around willing to enforce them.

Real campaign finance reform. Read Carville's idea in "Had Enough?" - it's damn near perfect.

Universal health care. Clinton could have made this work, but the Democrats were too scared to counter the idiot spin put out by the GOP.

Number one, though, is learning how to frame the debate like the GOP does so well. We have failed mightily in this area, cowering in the corner and whimpering, "Please don't hurt me." Fuck that. Swing back.

[benEzra]

49. That strategy was tried in 2000 and 2004...and failed miserably...

Refine the gun control message/perception. We don't have to "compromise" anything - just insist that assault-style weapons be tightly regulated, if not banned; you know, the position supported by the police in this country.

That was the strategy that was tried in 2000 and 2004. It failed miserably, and in hindsight it's hard to imagine why anyone thought it would work.

Dems and the Gun Issue--Now What?

Point of fact--the national Fraternal Order of Police did NOT support the renewal of the "assault weapon" bait-and-switch in 2004. A handful of state chapters did, but most didn't, as I recall. The F.O.P. took a LOT of heat from its members for endorsing the original "ban" in 1994, and did not make that mistake the second time around. The organizations usually cited as supporting it were IIRC mostly organizations of police administrators and political appointees, not of rank and file police officers.

You do know that ALL automatic weapons, including actual AK-47's and Uzi's and M16's, have been very tightly controlled for 71 years now, right? The AWB affected CIVILIAN firearms that either hold more than 10 rounds, or have features that Dianne Feinstein didn't like, such as a rifle stock with a protruding handgrip. Not actual military firearms.

The AWB WAS the party's big problem on the gun issue, not "perception" about hunting guns or whatever. Hunting is mostly irrelevant to the gun vote at the moment--only 1 in 5 gun owners is a hunter, most hunters also own nonhunting style guns, and no one seriously thinks anyone is after hunting guns--at least those with traditional styling, anyway.

[opihimoimoi]

76. SIMPLE works Best: The Dem Party is for POSITIVENESS and the PUBs are NEG

ATIVE

The Dems represent change for the Better, advancement, etc...Better LEADERS

while the Pubs stand for whatever keeps them in POWER...to rule over the rest of us...They are RULERS

[tinfoilinfor2005]

27. I love these ideas so far!!

I think I would add, kick some of these old dinosaurs in the rump...Boxer never should have stood alone against election fraud and C. Rice. She should have been backed up to the hilt because she was in the right, and deserved to be backed up by righteous anger from her fellow Democrats. We should show our disfavor to these turncoats by voting for someone with a backbone.

[renate]

28. encourage big donors to fund a TV channel

because as long as the Republican party has a free (in fact, a money-making) mouthpiece like FOX, we're going to be climbing a glass mountain wearing roller skates.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

30. I'll stick mostly to organization changes, in no particular order

1. Better party discipline. De-fund anyone who doesn't understand that this is not supposed to be the party of the kissers of Republican butts. Draw some lines in the sand and insist that everyone support certain positions or lose their funding. Saying "I support (the Republican) president" will earn the guilty party a slap on the wrist.
2. De-emphasize corporate funding and teach legislators how to raise money from small contributors. Prime example: Peter DeFazio's $35 pizza parties.
3. Have the Progressive Caucus propose a bold, visionary plan for improving the lot of everyday Americans. It may not survive in its original form, but it should be the minimal starting point. No more timid, bureaucratic mushmouth proposals like the one that's being promoted on several forums by the same person at this moment.
4. All members of the DNC should be elected at their state party conventions from nominees proposed at district conventions. The practice of state parties just giving positions to big donors has to stop.
5. Keep the grassroots "watered" between elections by organizing precincts into ongoing activity groups, whether it's for activism or education or just socializing. (Setting up precinct-based Democratic organizations in suburbs could provide an alternative to fundamentalist megachurches.)
6. Ideally, get one or several of the wealthy supporters to buy one of those deplorable shopping channels and turn it into a liberal news/talk station, the mirror image of Fox, only scrupulously truthful. Don't let any wimps appear on it.
7. Until or unless #6 happens, train Dem officials to make optimal use of existing media by a) putting them through training in assertiveness and persuasion, and b) having them take advantage of their local media when they visit their home districts
8. Direct all state parties to work hard on the election fraud issue. This is one way to keep the grassroots busy and involved in between elections.
9. Have rotating regional primaries instead of the ridiculous system we have now.
10. Don't stage manage the conventions so much.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

33. Welcome home, and welcome to DU!

:hi:

[PresidentObama]

35. Organization Is Key

We need organization, organization, ORGANIZATION!!! The GOP thugs are incredibly organized, they proved that in Ohio in the Presidential Election. They had a more organized effort in Ohio, they won Ohio, and we have President Bush for four more years instead of President Kerry......Oh and don't let Dean become DNC chairman.

[2Design]

36. ADD SPINES

[texanshatingbush]

37. This is a GREAT topic!!--here are 5 more ideas

Several things come to mind right away:
1) don't even consider running Hillary for a national position in 2008. I like and respect her, and always have, BUT the Repukes' hate mongers have conditioned too many citizens to respond like Pavlov's dog: at the mention of Hillary, they start foaming at the mouth and going berserk. A national Hillary candidacy would have already lost half the battle at the outset of the campaign.

2) the Democratic Party needs to do a better job of countering the Repukes' clever use of language ("death tax" instead of "inheritance tax"; "personalized accounts" rather than "privatization of Social Security"; etc.) Study the recently-leaked Repuke playbook on Chimpy's proposals for Social Security. They're marketing it like Abercrombie clothing or something: warm-fuzzy language, little detail, no substance, because their audience doesn't want to be disquieted or have to think too much, and absolutely no mention of the price. We need to come up with something equally appealing/shocking which also helps us focus the electorate on the downside of the Repuke proposals.

3) It has occurred to me that Chimpy's "personalized accounts" plan is designed solely to cinch today's young people irrevocably to the Republican Party ideology, rather than do anything for the older folks--who won't be around that much longer anyway. Chimpy is spending his political capital on voters who will be in the game for another fifty years, rather than those who will be out of the game in the next ten years. We need to publicize, in plain language, the improbable assumptions used by the Repukes in designing their plan--and then defeat it.

4) The Dems don't gain any ground by only always criticizing Republican plans/actions. The Dems must offer, instead, a well-reasoned, practical approach. Example: stupid to state that we should announce a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. We know from recent experience that a calendar deadline simply gives the insurgents a timeline for intensifying their attacks, and saving the civil war for after we leave the country.

5) Take a good look at today's young people. They're very different from many of us. Large corporations have re-tooled their recruiting and training efforts to deal more effectively with these different values. My dad worked for the same company most of his professional life. I worked for the same company for ALL of my professional life. For the last ten years or so, newly-hired young professionals have not felt that kind of "brand loyalty"; they won't hire-on unless the company offers them a good training program; they will jump ship for a better financial offer; "quality of life" is important to them, and they won't readily work 12- and 14-hour days as a matter of course. We need to re-evaluate the Democratic Party principles in light of these "young person" values to determine where they intersect and where they diverge, and make re-shaping judgments accordingly, if we want to remain a viable party.

[Ken Burch]

38. I agree with all of that

Thanks for the suggestions, texashatingbush.

[thefloyd]

39. Cons Self Righteousness should be a liability

1) THis is a stretch but what the heck. Bible study for all democrats.I do not mean converting everyone Just to get some verses under the belt. Democrats should be hammering Cons at the game of values. Keep holding them accountable for ideas the bible preaches but the cons seem to "overread". NOT JUST "WHAT WOULD JESUS DO"

2) Lou Dobbs Slant:Start talking about the Costs of College education again. A big way to get the middle class back on board. Last election I rarely heard any mention of College. When the middle class prospers the wealth trickles up

3) For god sakes Foreign policy. If I hear one more Con say "dems are weak on defense" for christ sakes. Look at the history, revive the echoes of the Democratic past. Get senior citizens on the airwaves to discuss.

4) I am sure this idea will get flamed but SUPPORT THE PATRIOT ACT. The patriot act will never be permanent. Show the country that when it comes to America we will sacricfice for the safety of the coutry short-term.

[Krinkov]

40. take care of the open border and crack down on illegal immigration

never mind, already have this in my list.

[texanshatingbush]

42. Howard Dean--are you reading these posts???

There are some great ideas posted here which will help put the Dems back in the game.

Please read these and use them to help get the party energized again !!!!!

[jf24]

94. Are you kidding?

I would ask Howard Dean to step down. He hasn't done anything to reform the party.

[mandyky]

43. I may not have 10 but here goes

2 items on media - we have to confront right wing hate radio, much like Media matters does, and by creating "liberal media" like AAR. In some places inthe US, instead of trying to get AAR on stations, encourage local liberal leaning shows to start up.
The other media issue is about the Fairness Doctrine, as well as the quality and content of Corporate media. We either need to start our own media or work on the FCC. We get very little objective international news and with this administration and this Congress we get mostly conservative spin.

The party needs to reach out to liberal and moderate people of faith, while still protecting womens' rights and civil rights, including at least gay civil unions.

We have to restate our support of labor and unions, and working people, esp. the working poor. We cannot say we are different from the GOP if we do things that are basically "trickle down economics".

Related to the last one Democrats need to restart the war on poverty. There are 2 Americas, and more people than John Edwards need to be saying this all the time.

Our party should be the party of reform. Washington, DC is full of paid lobbyists and regular citizens haveno real representation. We need to borrow John McCain's issue of "no pork barrel spending". Every month when Reid and Pelosi do their Press Club appearance they should identify and place responsibilty on all pork laden bills, etc.
No Democrats should be taking advantage of pork barrel stuff, but I am not sure how to frame the difference between bringing necessary spending to their home states or coming up with stupid, unnecessary programs.

Well, that's only 6.
Thinking.

The environment is in severe danger. We have got to come up with decent environmental plans.

I guess these are more issues than changes, but these 7 are very important to having national discussions about the health of our country - economically and physically.

[ianna_kur]

44. Purge and expand the party

I know this is a bit feisty, but I've gotten really tired of watching elected "democrats" vote directly against the stated platform of the party. I don't have a complete list of 10 ideas, but I think a good place to start would be to purge and expand the party membership.
ie:
If an elected official votes directly against a major democratic platform policy (such as voting for legislation to weaken women's reproductive rights, supporting GOP legislation that runs contrary to the stated goals of the party etc..), then their membership in the party should be put up for review, and if found to be a closet gopper, they should be strongly encouraged to join their actual party.
Likewise....those in the GOP who are disillusioned about the neo-fascist take-over of their party, should be welcomed with open arms to the democratic party.

I know it is a pipe dream...but I'm really sick and tired of watching donations to the DNC being spent on party members who's ideologies are a much closer match with the gop's.

[Corey_Baker08]

45. Campaign In ALL 50 states

Campaign in all 50 states, not just 10 or 11 battleground states. For example Indiana, in which I live, Kerry never visited once during the whole campaign. Yet the final result was like Kerry with 42% which is pretty good for no campaigning at all.

Just think if he would have visited Indianapolis just once maybe Indiana would have been blue, also Indianas unoffical saying is Believe in Blue, for the colts, so maybe thats a small thing they could have countered on.

[marlakay]

48. I so totally agree with this!

I think everyone in all states in all elections should be given the exact amount of money and then go into all the states. None of this, he won because he was rich shit. No buying the vote from big corporations. It is time for us to have real elections.

[Tux]

46. List

1) Add a diveristy of faiths. Not just Christianity since there is more to religion than that.
2) Return it's economic values to financial control to control the debt.
3) Ban tax breaks for offshoring/outsourcing.
4) Don't use big words since that'll make us look "eleitist".
5) Use more newspaper ads.
6) Get people that can counter Clinton's blowjob scandel.
7) Yell the same code words Republicians use.
8) Show evidence that American is becoming a corporate communist nation.
9) Open the party to all social classes and education.
10) Create a platform that isn't anti-Republician but has alternative ideas.

[dryan]

47. First and foremost....

Hire the best and I mean the best PR firm in the country to do polling, focus groups, whatever and see what peoples perceptions of the Democratic Party is. A majority of Americans believe in what the Democratic Party stands for but the message is muddled.

2. Keep the donkey - its cute and its an American icon.

3. Soften the "class war" rhetoric. Half of the messages in this thread say "get wealthy"..(to do whatever).. and the other half make capitolism sound like it is destroying America. Folks, there are wealthy Democrats, we need them...we need everybody.

4. Soften the "abortion" litmus test inferences of what makes a Democrat. I happen to believe that abortion should be used in cases of rape, incest, or the ultimate health of the mother. I do not feel abortion should be made illegal again though. It is upsetting to me when other Democrats make it sound like I am "disloyal" because I feel this way. We are "loosing" the war on this issue.

5. Show we love America. What's wrong with being proud of all the good things your country has done or accomplished? Yes, not every chapter in our history is something we can be proud of but we are still a great country, let's be proud of it.

6. We can show support for the troops but still be against the war in Iraq.

7. Ramp up the Senate and House Democratic Campaign Committees. Florida's Democratic Senator Bill Nelson is up for re-election next year and he is a target of the GOP. If we want to really put the brakes on Bush's agenda, get more Democrats elected to the House and Senate.

8. Can the "meet-up" mentality, we need more hands in the fields. Last year every time I attended a "meet up" here in Orlando the room was packed, that's great, but we need more foot soldiers willing to walk precincts, hand out fliers, telephone, flash signs, and talk to voters.

[wyldwolf]

50. Policy and platform wise

1. Reaffirm that the Democratic party is pro-choice but enact a bold education initiative to reduce the number of abortions. Clinton said abortions should be safe, rare, and legal. I believe that.

2. Reaffirm that the Democratic party is pro-environment and issue a Kennedy-like challenge for the nation to find a clean alternative fuel source to slash our dependence on foreign oil.

3. Declare the Democratic party "The Party of Fiscal Discipline." Balance the budget... again.

4. Embrace Second Amendment Rights but temper them with sensible gun control policies.

5. Enact tough campaign finance reform.

6. Tax simplification. A 1999 poll found 66% of Americans think the current tax code is too complicated. In addition, other polls suggest most Americans are interested in some variation of the Flat Tax or the Fair Tax. The Democratic party should not be afraid to explore or study these tax issues.

7. Bilingual Education Reform. Polls show that both Americans and Spanish-speaking immigrants favor English intensive immersion programs over bilingual education programs that teach students in their native language.

8. Reaffirm that the Democratic party is the party of national defense and that Democrats are better prepared to defend America against foreign threats and terrorism.

9. Present a unified front to the American People - encourage Democrats to keep inner-party squabbles private. Wes Clark has said "Americans will believe that a Democratic Commander in Chief will defend them when they first become convinced that Democrats will defend other Democrats." I think it's time for Democrats to quit their silly "Democratic Party Moral Purity and Political Correctness Tests," forbid the circular firing squads that have hindered then for so long, and get back on the winning track.

10. Be wary of blind allegiances to special interests. In his 1948 campaign, Harry Truman said repeatedly that his campaign was defined as special interests against the people and that the Democratic party is the party of the people, not special interests. He stressed the national interest over special interests.

[Ken Burch]

52. I'm with you on most of that, wyldwolf

Provided that point 8 is NOT defined to mean(as most incoming Democratic presidents defined it)as requiring Democrats to prove that they are indistinguishable from Republicans on defense policy. Blind militarism has been proven time and time not to work.

And on point 9, I'd be ok with that if you didn't insist on it meaning we should say "it doesn't matter that CANDIDATE X agrees with Bush on everything that matters. He/She's a Democrat, and that's all we have a right to expect".

[whazzup dog]

57. I agree with all of those

I'd like to see them expanded on.

[nodular]

100. some agreement

"1. Reaffirm that the Democratic party is pro-choice but
enact a bold education initiative to reduce the number of
abortions. Clinton said abortions should be safe, rare, and
legal. I believe that."

Agreed.  I also think the Democrats should give up the
commitment to third term abortions.  If they do that, they can
get a solid majority of Americans behind their position.

"2. Reaffirm that the Democratic party is pro-environment
and issue a Kennedy-like challenge for the nation to find a
clean alternative fuel source to slash our dependence on
foreign oil."

Consider the possibility that we already have one, though it
is not yet popular with Democrats: nuclear power.



"4. Embrace Second Amendment Rights but temper them with
sensible gun control policies."

Well put.




"7. Bilingual Education Reform. Polls show that both
Americans and Spanish-speaking immigrants favor English
intensive immersion programs over bilingual education programs
that teach students in their native language."


Agreed.


"8. Reaffirm that the Democratic party is the party of
national defense and that Democrats are better prepared to
defend America against foreign threats and terrorism."

OK, but specific ideas are needed here.


"9. Present a unified front to the American People -
encourage Democrats to keep inner-party squabbles private. Wes
Clark has said "Americans will believe that a Democratic
Commander in Chief will defend them when they first become
convinced that Democrats will defend other Democrats." I
think it's time for Democrats to quit their silly
"Democratic Party Moral Purity and Political Correctness
Tests," forbid the circular firing squads that have
hindered then for so long, and get back on the winning
track."

I'm not sure about this one. It can be partially obtained, but
we are a big country and an open democracy.  These squabbles
happen on both sides.

"10. Be wary of blind allegiances to special interests.
In his 1948 campaign, Harry Truman said repeatedly that his
campaign was defined as special interests against the people
and that the Democratic party is the party of the people, not
special interests. He stressed the national interest over
special interests."

Well put. Special interests are part of both parties and
cannot be eradicated.  But when the allegiance to a special
interest becomes "blind", the party stumbles.

[John Grevstad]

51. Screw Florida

1.Stop wasting so much time and money on Florida, it has already cost us two presidential elections.
2.Support States rights. I worry about my "Blue" state of Washington being influenced by a "Red" Nation
3.Attack the morals of religious conservatives. The proof is in the puddin'
4.Be more aggressive about supporting public education - ditch No Child Left Behind
5.Don't be afraid to promote the responsibility of paying necessary taxes to build and update infrastrucure... se Hurricane Katrina
6-10.Develop a spine

[newyawker99]

63. Hi John Grevstad!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[robinlynne]

77. i like all of these suggestions, but there is one from Joe whihc is great:

Get a spine.

[Joe Fields]

53. Getting rid of Howard Dean would be a good start...

Finding a candidate with credibility and fire in the belly to replace Porky Kennedy, (a true embarrassment) would be another good move.

A spinal transplant for the entire party

Simple, effective messages that are hammered home (ad nauseum) in the media are also very critical.

Also, the ability to keep from shooting ourselves in the foot.

And a unified front.

Hows that for starters?

[Ken Burch]

56. You hate Dean AND Teddy?

...uh, is there anybody in the party you, uh, like?

[cleveramerican]

59. boil it down to one sentence.

We need one very cleverly worded sentence to accurately sum up what the democratic party of 2006 stands for. Simple and direct enough to be understood and repeated by an average 5-year old.

just some ideas off the top of my head:

Democrats stand for individual freedom and the responsibilities that come with it.
Democrats stand for using the power of the nation to help the citizenry to proser.



Think now, one sentence to sum it all up.

[Ken Burch]

65. Well, there's always "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity".

I've always thought that was one of the two all-time best global political mottos(The other being the Bolshevik phrase "bread, land and peace". Not that the Bolshies actually lived up to the motto, but it was still a good one.)

[Richardson08]

66. Teddy is old dinosaur.He comes on the screen,I turn the channel.Same thing

Rham Emmanuel.Barrack Obama,etc

New blood.New leadership.New ideas

[Ken Burch]

73. Obama yes. Not Rahm.

Rahm isn't really on our side.

[Loose Nuke]

60. Demand accountablity for 9/11 and the stolen elections.

9/11 was an inside job and the last 2 elections were stolen. These are the same people who voided the Bill of Rights with the Patriot Act, lied us into the Iraq War and are rendering and torturing, didn't care about Katrina, spying illegally, not reigning in the Pentagon spying on peaceful anti-war protesters. Polls are showing a majority in favor of impeachment if Bush broke the law on the spying and the Iraq WMD lies. Once it becomes common knowledge the elections were stolen and 9/11 was an inside job, people will be asking what the Dems knew and when. The only bigger threat to national security than the Bush Administration and the current lineup at the FBI, CIA, Justice and Defense is global warming, and Bush is the world's biggest obstacle to that. The Dems need to eject Bush and put our nation and economy on the renewable/alternative track. Publicly financed elections; get corporate influence out of the People's government. Why do they need a majority? If they'd confess their sins and tell the People the truth about what's been done in our name and with our govt. and public resources over the last century, they wouldn't need to spend a dime on campaigning; the People would drive the Republicans out for all time. Both sides are plenty corrupt, but the Republicans are the darlings of Corporate America cuz they even let them write the legislation these days.


http://www.cooperativeresearch.org Timelines made of hundreds and thousands of mainstream news stories. Some cast doubt, others prove the lie. The big picture destroys the official stories of 9/11, Iraq, Katrina and more.

http://www.911truth.org Umbrella organization for the 9/11 Truth Movement- find out what's being done and get involved.

http//www.911research.wtc7.net Excellent analysis of the best evidence, debunking of bogus theories.

http//www.911citizenswatch.org Keeping tabs on 9/11 issues, investigations, news, etc.

[cajunboy2k]

61. Please expand on this.

Hi. This is my first post here.

wyldwolf, please explain exactly what you mean by the following quote:

"4. Embrace Second Amendment Rights but temper them with sensible gun control policies."

What do you mean by "Sensible gun control policies?"

Some of the firearms I own would probably not pass another so-called Assault Weapons Ban.
And, this "One gun a month," garbage is all feel-good legislation.

I have been voting 3rd party (Libertarian), but really want to vote Democrat in the future.

[AbsoluteArmorer]

62. Oath of Accountability

Not that any politician or political party would ever do this, but I feel the Dems should be the first to come out with their own version of an Oat of Accountability to the people that they represent. Yes, that's what I said. No matter how many times you demand explanations of the issues from the politicians, they agree to state what they must for the lobbyist with the best deals offer to them. The real people still get screwed on such promises made in order to get their votes.

You want to clean up DC and the state offices? Then I say whomever the first party who comes up with their own accountability oath that holds them responsible for everything that they 'promise' YOU in order to get your vote would be the cats meow for winning harts and minds of the people again, not to mention a powerhouse move on that party's behalf. Lets hope that the Dems nail such an idea to be the one who steps forward in the political race of the future.

[Post]

64. Huge Immigration Rallies not covered by MSM

What gives? If the left could muster the huge turnout the Immigration Rally organizers have accomplished today, btw, not covered at all be MSM, they might have an opportunity at a comeback. Check it out: http://postanapology.blogspot.com/2006/04/immigration-rallies-not-covered-in-msm.html#links

[emal2me]

67. No Change

I’d think it’s best to let the GOP continue to self destruct.

[Ken Burch]

72. Problem with THAT approach is, it never works...

Largely because the GOP always has its strategy plotted out ten or twelve moves ahead, which we usually can't manage.

We can't win by default, and if we did, we wouldn't be able to do anything with such a victory, because the DLC'ers would keep reminding us that we only won by default and that therefore we could only do what the DLC approves of(which is, of course, to continue with most existing Republican policies).

[Swiftsure]

69. Here's a Change The Mad Doctor Howlin' Howard Dean is making...

"Dean slams gay marriage on '700 Club'
DNC chair misstates party platform, angering gay Democrats, activists
By JOSHUA LYNSEN | May 10, 9:16 PM


Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean has contradicted his party's platform and infuriated gay rights advocates by saying the party's platform states "marriage is between a man and a woman."




Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean, appearing on the Christian Broadcasting Network, erroneously stated that the party's 2004 platform says 'marriage is between a man and a woman.' Christian conservative Pat Robertson is host of the program.
"The Democratic Party platform from 2004 says marriage is between a man and a woman," Dean said May 10 during a "700 Club" program hosted by conservative Christian leader Pat Robertson on his Christian Broadcasting Network."


You can find the link here: http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=6713

[alvarezadams]

70. Changes?

Well, we can start with the basics: actually identify an ideology and at according to the same. And no, this isn't just an echo of the GOP talking point of "the dems have no plan" - this is about what DEM values should be and what they should be based on.

The billions spent every year against liberal ideals since... hell, since FDR - have pushed the US farther and farther to the right. ONE of the con talking points is true in this sense; as the US has moved to the right the liberal wing of the DNC had almost stayed put and was represented by East Coast "intellectuals". The majority of the DNC - bereft of any ideological base and pretty much orphaned of the myriad of think tanks, PR firms (etc) started to play the "political marketing game" after McGovern. This has meant an abdication of the initiative and our current sorry plight - not to mention the abominable DLC and "everything" is "stands" for (appeasement of the corporate rw machine).

Over here the European left has also fallen into the trap. Blair's "third way" is just Thatcher lite while the rest of the "left" has fallen for similar neoliberal economic ideals with just a smattering of the old progressive ideas mixed in to give an alternative to the right. The GOP and the European Popular Party go to the same conventions and use the same think tanks.

As for a more "doable" change - I will vote for anyone from any party that will stand on a platform of true reform. That is to say - one that would eliminate corporate contributions or at the very least their tax-deductible status, one that would reenact the fairness doctrine, one that would eliminate the tax-free status of churches or pressure groups or whatever, whenever they get involved in politics.

[Atman]

71. Welcome, Alvy!

A big DU shout-out to our newest poster.

I've posted with "alvy" on another board for a few years now, and we've ridden through many ups and downs of the BushCo roller coaster (have there been any "ups?"). I've lured him over here because I think he's one of the brightest posters I've encountered online, and he has a strong knowledge of history and geopolitics, even if we don't always agree. I hope other DUers will join me in extending this laurel, and hardy handshake to our little tea party.

[UrbScotty]

74. Here are three to start with

1. Electronic voting - GET TOUGHER on it. DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY.

2. Talk more about faith. For example, "Blessed are the peacemakers," said Jesus, "for they are the children of God." Oh, and ask Republicans who support erecting Ten Commandments monuments in public places: Ask them why they ignored them. "Thou shalt not kill," "Thou shalt not steal," etc.

3. Take all the primaries and caucuses and have them on the same day. Isn't it silly to have them on separate days? I mean, in 2004, Iowa voters got to choose from:

Clark
Dean
Edwards
Gephardt
Kerry
Kucinich
Lieberman
Sharpton

Three weeks later, we in Micchigan had:

Clark
Dean
Edwards
Kerry
Kucinich
Sharpton

Super Tuesday states had still fewer options:

Edwards
Kerry
Kucinich
Sharpton

Of course, then there were Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, etc., which voted AFTER Kerry was the decided winner.

The tradition of putting Iowa and New Hampshire first is, IMO, one tradition that should be broken.

[AbsolutNickUSN]

75. Jeffersonian Democracy

Restore the party of Jefferson. Grounded principles of Jeffersonian Democracy and reawaken the innovation of FDR Dems.

Be the true party of the people: moderate/centrist

[musical_soul]

78. I'd make them....

unafraid of losing votes by standing up for what they believe in and sticking to it.

more progressive in general.

more open to ideas besides more taxes. I believe in raising taxes at times, but the Democratic Party is as a big on that as the Republican Party is about lowering them.

I'll think of more later.

[zonmoy]

79. ok lets see

demand a verifiable paper ballot and elections controlled and watched by some sort of international election watching group.

pass a constitutional amendment saying that not only is a corporation not a person but restoring all the limitations that the founding fathers had on corporations.

pass constitutional amendments protecting gay marriage and abortion rights.

also everybody can vote except for those that are not citizens of the country. that will eliminate the purging of the voting rolls of the poor by criminalizing them.

[BanacekHaircut]

80. Ten Things Democrats Should Do Now

1.	Tell The Truth! Al Franken can help greatly with this one.
2.	Keep it Simple. The Average American has an IQ of only 100.
3.	Campaign Reform Now! Cut the Corporate Umbilical. Think
Grassroots. 
4.	Lobbyist Reform. Cut the Corporate Umbilical. Think
Grassroots.
5.	Universal Healthcare. Put Hillary in charge of DHHS in
2009.
6.	Meet Ralph Nader halfway. The guy has GREAT ideas.
7.	Take Jesus back from the right-wingers. 
8.	Simplify the Tax Code.
9.	Mandatory viewing of “An Inconvenient Truth” for all
citizens.
10.	Get Behind John Edwards for President. (He would have won
in 2004).

[Name removed]

81. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

82. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Finding the Trurh]

83. Be conservative

Just a few questions.
Would the nuclear industry exist without massive government support?

Would nuclear energy be cost effective if the industry had to pay all of its own costs? Liability Insurance?, etc.

How can true red blooded conservatives support an industry the requires massive (big government)subsidies, requires intense regulation thus ballooning the size of government? (NRC) Distorts the free market by making other technologies compete with with its subsidized pricing (Socialism)

Or do I have this all wrong?

Lets all be more conservative and get rid of NP

[goofticket]

88. Spporting the troops...in rhetoric or in deeds.

Support the troops.
We hear the phrase every day.
But we don't hear it as a request. It has become, thanks to the ranting of the conservative media divas, an insult to those who want the troops to come home. It's a cheerleading rally cry of the right. It has little to do with the actual troops in how it’s used today.
Support the troops. A great term, but highly abused. The disgusting conservative use of this phrase, is loud and clear. If you question the Bush plan, or anything to do with Iraq, terrorists or the military...you don't support the troops. Only conservatives are 'qualified' to support the troops. After all, the conservatives planned and designed the war, so they get to take credit for supporting the troops. Liberals have never supported war....well, maybe just this one in Iraq. Conservatives love war, it's profitable and thats were their support stops. Just like a four year old tank that can no longer be repaired.
No, liberals don't like war. In fact, only the fanatical far right likes war. If you'd ask Americans if they would prefer a war over peace talks, the talking part would win hands down. Americans know wars cost lives. Americans have enough experience with wars to know that supporting the troops is doing everything possible to avoid sending them into a war....any war.
If you don't support the troops....you hate America, you are a Bush hater.

If that isn't the most idiotic phrase, I don't know what is.

Supporting the troops means avoiding putting them in danger, at all costs. It means assuring they have, not adequate, but exceptional health care and family support before, during and after conflict. It means providing them with safe protective equipment. It means supporting the actual troops, and not using the troops; to promote a political agenda or discredit opposition to war.
It means making some effort, any effort, to guarantee that when a tour is done. the soldier comes home. He or she has done their part. It doesn't mean sending the soldier back into harm's way, rotation after rotation after rotation.
Supporting the troops means planning and executing a strategy that provides for the shortest tour of duty in combat.
Supporting the troops, as the pro-Bush phrase, by the insulting right wing are an affront to what all Americans know . Especially the troops themselves.
That the best war is the one avoided. Ask a vet about it.
The most noble causes for war are not based on the most questionable of evidences. Genocide, like that in WWII Europe are a noble cause for war. Attacks on our soil, like Pearl Harbor and 911 were noble causes for war.
Sending troops country hopping, willy-nilly, on ill-perceived threats is not a noble cause. Drawn out wars deplete troop efficiency and equipment, something the enemy watches very carefully. We certainly did that with Japan and Germany in WWII. When the enemy sees a force become weaker from depletion, this often results in further conflicts.
This week proved that point.
Iran, North Korea and most other perceived and known enemies of the US, are saber rattling for their own perceived 'noble' causes. They know the US cannot mount other offenses, it has it's hands full on two major fronts.
Fight the war on terror! Who is terror? Terror is a tactic, not an entity. Anything and everything can be terrifying at some point. Defining the enemy is a key in fighting any war. We fight the war on terror but really can't find the enemy.
We are not fighting an enemy, we are fighting an ideology with an army.
Ideological conflict is something no amount of bullets and bombs will change. Only dialogue, compromise and a certain level of respect for different ideologies can protect the world from ideological terrorism. It's not an all or nothing scenario, as the far right claims it to be. We haven't waged war with the Buddhists? or with the entirety of Islam itself. We are dealing with a very small, but dangerously, loud faction of a fringe religious philosophy. By at least making an attempt to understand why this faction; fractured from the main Islamic belief, and trying to see that point of view can we begin to provide a place for both ideologies to exist.
What is most dangerous is refusing to begin that understanding.
But they cut off heads!!! They don't wear uniforms!!! They torture!!!
Good grief! Humans have done that since the beginning of war and they are likely to continue to do so in the future. There is a fine line in arguing that vaporizing someone is far more humane that lopping off their head. Both people die. Both are killed in a horrific manner and someone is going to miss them after they are gone. That is why war is hell.
But to simply discount the enemy as barbaric, or somehow not capable of rational debate in coming to a peaceful conclusion to a conflict is not the sign of competent leadership, nor is it a very human mindset.
It does work well for the conservatives who somehow have come to the conclusion that it is a 100% all or nothing, right or wrong process.
And that is usually as far as they get in the debate. Once their mind is made up thats it. Any and all questions to the contrary are taken as supporting the enemy. It's called attacking the messenger. And that really supports the troops.
It doesn't make the HumVee stronger, it doesn't make the flak vest more bulletproof, it doesn't send the IED or mortar off target thats shot from an enemy bunker.
It just sounds really good.
Pro war cheerleading does not increase the performance of the American military. Troops are not 'inspired' by the likes of Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity, but rather, knowing that their families have enough food and their rent is paid while they serve. Lots of people, especially liberals, work in the social services and support agencies that the troops and their families rely on before, during and after conflict. Conservatives send money to their favorite PAC to make sure the 'agenda' stays the course.
The next time you hear some war-happy right winger make the accusation that someone doesn't 'support the troops'; ask them for money so you can send it to Fort Bragg for the kids of a infantry troop who is on their third tour of duty.

[cezebrgr]

89. CEZEBRGR POLICY PAPERS

The Democratic Agenda 2006

This is my outline of keywords from plans on this thread

I. Social
1. Environmental
2. Poor
3. Drugs

II. Political
1. Social Security
2. Candidate reform
3. Line item veto

III. Economic
1. Taxation system
2. Agribusiness
3. Industry development council
.....A. Roads
.....B. Power
.....C. Industry

Foreign Policy as an Economic Agenda

[chili_rainbow]

90. My 10 Changes

1. Git rid of the 3 term or longer Senators and Congressmen (Dems and repubs).

2. Embrace the 2nd Ammendment as an individual right, as it should be.

3. Support non-east/west coast candidates for president.

4. Support congrssional term limits.

5. Develop a more fair and simple tax plan.

6. help the poor find better jobs, not more handouts.

7. Keep our jobs here, not overseas.

8. Support more retail competition, get tougher on anti-trust laws.

9. Support laws that give divorced fathers equal considderation with child custody.

10. Don't tell the voters that the dems have a plan, tell them what the plan is (this goes for any issue).

[skdemocrat]

91. At least one change I would make

Stop alienating non-Christians at every Democratic Party Meeting with Christian prayers and invocations. Those with other religious or spiritual paths either need equal time (can you imagine?)or do away with such practice altogether.

[meldroc]

92. Ditch gun control, completely.

Gun control doesn't work, never has worked, and only serves to remove firearms from the hands of the law-abiding.

Not only that, but pushing gun control legislation has cost the Democratic party dearly in elections. Most people don't want gun control, and the GOP gave the impression that the Democrats were Brady Bunch gun grabbers.

It's not worth the fight, and I'm certain that lots of Democrats, including most people here on DU, don't want gun control. Just remove that plank from the platform completely and abandon it.

[markiegreg]

95. Hi, my first post.

Simply put, ditch the socialist platform and return to a Jeffersonian/Jacksonian republic ideology.

1.) Restore congressional power to print debt-free currency backed by silver. End the central bank - the Federal Reserve. JFK issued debt-free silver certificates. Andrew Jackson destroyed the central bank (2nd Bank of the U.S) of his time. 3 years later Jackson paid off the national debt.

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and the corporations which grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered." -Thomas Jefferson

2.) Support a Constitutional amendment to ban the federal government from borrowing money. Force the federal government to impose and save taxes before implementing or funding any program.

"I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our Constitution, taking from the federal government the power of borrowing." -Thomas Jefferson

3.) Restore Allodial title rights to all property owners. Allodial title is 100% ownership. The government would have no claim to the land -ending all property tax and returning true land ownership to Americans. Inheritance tax would also end without a government claim.

4.) Support a Constitutional amendment to repeal the 16th amendment including banning the federal government from collecting an un-apportioned income tax and a national sales tax.

"A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government,..." -Thomas Jefferson

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." -Thomas Jefferson

5.) Restore State rights and the 10th Amendment

"When all government, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the Center of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated." - Thomas Jefferson

6.) Restore all individual rights. Abolish unconstitutional laws which treat rights like privileges such as free speech zones, permits for protests, permits for firearms, the Patriot Act, marriage licenses, etc.

7.) Ban computerized voting.

8.) Non-interventionist foreign policy.

9.) End sovereign immunity of government.

10.) Oppose the NAFTA super-highway projects.

Honorable mention.) Support the “Read the Bills Act” (RTBA)


I'm an early 19th century Democrat which makes me a Libertarian by todays standards. I hope for a great Democratic party revolution. A revolution like a planetary orbit with the Democratic party returning to its original radical ideology of liberty, property and individual rights and limited and seperated government - a rebirth of classical liberalism.

[Ken Burch]

96. Welcome to DU!

Interesting ideas.

[thingfisher]

98. As much as I agree with you

you must certainly understand that your proposals will never be implemented by either Repubs or Dems. Such traditional values are a little tooooo traditional for modern America. Surely you remember what happened to JFK?!

[benEzra]

101. Thoughts...

Remind some people that the government does not exist to run people's private lives "for their own good." We bristle (and rightly so) when repubs try to do that; let's not turn around and do the same thing. Smoking bans, Internet censorship, the FDA's anti-supplement jihad, telling people what to eat and how to live, etc. Public health is a good thing, but the public health lobby in its current authoritarian iteration is NOT our friend. "My body, my choice" applies to a LOT more than abortion, folks.

The ban-more-guns agenda is dead. I want to make sure it STAYS dead. I'd like to see party leaders get more informed, and less gullible, on the gun issue. Remove the rifle handgrip ban from the party platform, categorically state that new handgrip bans/1860's-era capacity limits/other restrictions on the law-abiding are off the table, and stop falling for REPUBLICAN Sarah Brady's PR machine.

Fight for a more reasoned and rational policy on drugs, especially cannabinoids, with the goal of eventual legalization of at least the soft drugs that are less dangerous than alcohol. The paramilitary War on Some Drugs, and the black market it spawned, are the root of a lot of our crime and social problems. Remember the lessons of alcohol Prohibition, which a lot of people seem to have forgotten. And I say that as a non-smoking, non-drinking, non-drug-user who has never even tried cannabis.

ALWAYS support civil liberties. In the current climate, a lot of Dems have woken up to the dangers of the Surveillance State. But once a progressive is at the helm, there will be a temptation to stop worrying about it, and to view civil libertarians and privacy advocates as "anti-government." Don't fall into that trap; the 4th Amendment isn't just for repub administrations.

[Atomium]

102. I'd fire Hillary

and replace her with Bob Saget