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Everyone is talking like this one election, where only about 40 percent voted is somehow significant to 2010. It actually gives democrats opportunity. Turnout is key, so we need to nationalize the election, based on a few simple, and easy to understand tenets, to get folks out to vote. We need to show that republicans are against these few things.
You try to pass things that large quantities of people want. Attacking bank executives is just the first step. Find several other large, and clear objectives, and try to pass them. If republicans vote against them, and they will, since they really don't care whether it is good, or that they like it, as they've decided to vote no, no matter what.
Then, with several things people really want, you run 2010 on a national election saying "See, we tried to pass this, and this, and that, and you all want this by 70 percent, and republicans voted in a block against it." You repeat it over, and over, and candidates nationalize this technique. Use talking points well, as republicans do, so Americans hear the same thing, over, and over...ad infinitum.
If you can't pass the bill as a whole, pass provisions forcing insurance companies to not reject preexisting conditions, or canceling people when they actually get sick and need the insurance. Don't start over, since Stephen Colbert's bit, where he showed several senators and house members talking about "starting over," where he put a gun in his mouth, about sums up where we all are, and how little we want to see this go on for another eight months. In fact, Americans' level of nausea over the length of time it took to pass this bill, probably has a lot to do with their perception of "politics as usual." It is certainly my definition, as republicans continue to use this moniker to mean a lot of things, and that is what it means to me, republicans filibustering everything, and trying to stretch out and not pass reform, while having a 40 vote minority, and thinking the bill should reflect somehow, a republican majority. See, the thing about being in the minority is, yes, you get some sway, over 200 amendments to the bill so far. But you don't get to write the bill.
Still, Insurance companies like the bill, or we'd see a whole lot more ads run against it, which is another reason we lost in MA, the majority of democrats staying home, disappointed with their party in congress not even trying to pass a single-payer, simple health care bill.
So, try to pass a few things we know Americans want.
Nationalize the election, pass out talking points, and show Republican opposition to these things. Try for the best turnout ever, and do something, anything to actually bring poor voters back to the polls, who no longer even hear themselves mentioned by either party. I might add, every time you hear tax cut, and cut the deficit in the same sentence, you need to point out that anyone who says they can do both, is lying through their teeth.
Clearly we need some strategy toward taxes. We can't continue spending vast sums, without bringing in more money. I think the logical tact is to be honest, say it isn't about whether we're going to have to raise taxes. With two wars, and vast infrastructure needs, and vast unemployment brought by bad policies over the last 30 years, taxes will have to be raised. The question is, do you want the very rich to pay the taxes, the people who can afford it? Or do you want to pay them, with increased taxes on the middle class and poor, or sales, gas, utility, toll road, fees, or property taxes? The real question isn't raising taxes, it's who is going to pay them. There is vast populism, and anger toward the rich, who are in control of our media, and everything, and have brought this depression down on us. Blame them, and tax them.
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