Let's draw up a strategy for the next two years...

[Ken Burch]

I'll start with a few points:

1)Build up voter registration everywhere we can(especially Rainbow and labor voters).

2)Use social media to shape a message from below, pushing some coordinated themes on a daily or weekly basis.

3)Use the same to do basic political education about progressive/radical policies for the future;

4)initiative campaigns against electronic voting machines and for campaign spending limits.

5)A commitment to a massive jobs program, using public works, to get people back to work A.S.A.P.

6)The introduction or progressive legislative proposals in order to MAKE the 'pugs vote them down(demand roll call votes on all).

7)grass-roots candidate recruitment of strong populist/progressives to challenge the sure losers the DSCC/DCCC will push for the winnable GOP seats;

Discuss these and any of yours. The time to get thinking is NOW!

[Lifelong Protester]

1. SHAPE the MESSAGE is among the most important

I don't think we did that well enough at all in 2010

[gateley]

6. I don't think we did it at all. nt

[Lifelong Protester]

32. You are correct, and more precise than I

[Ozymanithrax]

2. Every time an elected officials appears in your town at a public venue...

Get as many people as possible to demand changes. Be noisy. Hell, open carry.

It worked for the TB folk.

[tabatha]

3. We need to set up an online information clearing house.

On many different boards and in discussions, it is apparent that there is complete nonsense believed by many people.

FactCheck is good - but what is needed is a main page for "Crap of the day" - where it is debunked with pictures, pictures, pictures.

[Common Sense Party]

4. Re: #2--what is the message? What are some themes?

Re: #5--that should have been the focus for the last two years. We wasted valuable time, energy and political capital getting some worthless, watered-down piece of crap health insurance giveaway passed, and because the American people really wanted JOBS, we got our asses handed to us.

But, yes, better late than never.

[Ken Burch]

7. Yeah, #5 would have helped big time had it been done first thing.

Even making the 'pugs filibuster it would have helped big time.

[Luminous Animal]

34. #2 assumes that the majority of citizens access social media. Which, in fact, they do not...

Politics-wise, it is still a ground game.

[texastoast]

5. I was at the returns "party" on Tuesday

And we were discussing strategy when we weren't choking on the evidence of American voter stupidity.

And our basic problem is stupid people (in my opinion). It's not that I don't have faith in people, but you gotta admit, that the right-wingers are massively uneducated in civics at the most elementary level.

So my strategy point is how to create an environment in which education is fostered? I do believe that when facts are presented in a "safe environment," the likelihood of assimilation is greater, and I think that will result in a change of heart for a lot of people. But we can't make them feel stupid and get this done.

Republican think tanks disseminate pure lying vitriol and these poor people who vote against their own interests pass on this shit out of fear or they are just mean propagandists who know how to take advantage of fear. We have to confront that with facts and never stop.

[Common Sense Party]

8. The problem is, it wasn't "the right wing" that moved away in this election.

It was the independents.

And whining about how "stupid" they are won't get us very far, and as you say, making them feel stupid is a no-win.

What do you mean about a "safe environment"? You mean somewhere where opposing RW ideas aren't going to be heard? What safe environment is there? I'm not sure where you're going with this.

[creon]

10. agree

Get out the vote is critical. basically, young people and others who vote Democrat stayed home.
The independent vote was basically lost as well.

The messaging was poor - there was not one at all.
get out the vote was poor.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. The republicans leaned this a while ago

At the individual level people might be informed, even intelligent. As a herd, not so much.

So you need to learn this. You too will have to use fear.

Republicans WILL DESTROY your SS.

Republicans will DESTROY MEDICARE.

Yep, bumper stickers. They are true, but chiefly they will cause fear.

Get over it, this is how the box of rocks that is the US electorate votes... time to fully embrace it.

[Luminous Animal]

31. If you go to church regularly, you can start there.

[creon]

9. a few suggestions

create a proprganda machine to rival the GOP. One that competes with Fox
the party needs visceral messages that speak to those who vote Democrat.
the GOP always betrays those who vote for them. Develop messages that addresses that.
get members of target groups registered to vote.
keep the campaign going with the messages that have been developed. stay with that.

develop a progressive grass roots and find candidates. Progressive legislatio needs progressive legislators.

[the redcoat]

11. Create flyers to put in people's mailboxes so people know whenever

the Tea party Republicans make a move that bows down to big business and corporations, and does ANYTHING that results in higher debt.

give bipartisan online sources for EVERYTHING so anyone skeptical has the ability to go online and confirm information.



Hell, people could go out at nights and place the info in mailboxes. We need a revolt that corporations can't fight against. You cannot ridicule and denounce what you can't see, so don't have rallies (YET) and be out in the open, where Fox can tell its huge viewer base how dumb the ralliers are

[Ken Burch]

41. Good idea, but make it their doorbells or their front windows

It's illegal to put anything in a mailbox that doesn't have postage on it. Candidates have been heavily fined for this mistake.

[the redcoat]

42. Wow, thanks for the info!

I completely forgot to consider that.

What about under the windshield wipers?
I feel like you get easily annoyed when someone puts something on your windshield, so that's why I shied away from that idea at first.

In college, chinese food places would wedge fliers into the doors, but I wouldn't be comfortable getting that close and making noise right at someone's door like that.


Other than that, with enough money, people could put lawn signs in high traffic areas with info on them

[Luminous Animal]

12. From years of experience, DU doesn't do actions. I wish it was easier to harness

the political energy here but most political action posts fall off pretty quickly.

For what it is worth, the key to grooming populist/progressive candidates is at the local level and then hold their feet to the fire as they make their way up through the ranks. A candidate has to be people supported and they have to be people supported for specific reasons... some being; consistent support for constituents concerns, accessibility, and transparency.

The problem with most citizens is that they are engaged only during the election process. The key is to keep them engaged in between. And that means creating coalitions with single-issue advocates to include their sister coalitions in the regular activity.

For example, engaging the nurses unions and AIDS activists in homelessness and poverty issues.

If you don't engage the institutions and activists that already exist to further your goals then you will fail.

[Ken Burch]

14. Well, if you believe in change outside, you have to believe DU can change as well.

n/t.

[Luminous Animal]

21. Let's start with #1 - voter registration...

There was already one of the most effective voter registration organizations in existence that was taken down by our own Dems... ACORN. The people who worked and volunteered for ACORN are still out there. Get DUers to find them and pick their brains on infrastructure, the coalitions they worked with and help to re-organize them. Certainly, these dedicated people, though blasted into non-existence by their natural allies, still have dedication to the cause.

[truedelphi]

19. Not sure if that is true.

Many people came aboard DU on account of their activism. I mean, for Pete's sake, who was ever more active than Andy Stephenson on voter issues and election machinery?

And the other thing is, when people are busy being active, they are not really likely to have the time to post about it. "Hey I am not on DU today as I was phone banking all day for Candidate X in my local Congress person's race." When you are busy you are away from the Computer, and too tied up to post.

[Luminous Animal]

25. When is the last time you saw someone harness the energy of this community

like Andy. And where did the supporters of his cause go? Aren't they relegated to some dungeon here?

[truedelphi]

28. I think it might be against the rules to comment on the rules

So I cannot comment!!!

[Luminous Animal]

37. Exactly.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Bumper sticker politics

take it to the streets.

Yes to a point it is THAT SIMPLE.

[XemaSab]

16. Get a democratic office in EVERY county

With a paid staffer who is expected to produce results as far as volunteers, registrations, lists of voters, positions of candidates, and so forth. Also, go to meetings, write a blog, organize get-togethers, and so forth.

Get a smart 22 year old in there and the battle is half won.

[oswaldactedalone]

18. In my county in NC

I'm ready to sign up for that job. Who'll fund it?

[XemaSab]

24. Strip the funding from safe districts and massive rebranding efforts

I would warrant that for the amount it took to give Nancy Pelosi a 70% victory in San Francisco, offices could have been set up in the 45 counties in California that went red.

My bad: Pelosi had an 80% victory.

[Ken Burch]

27. Damn skippy.

n/t.

[Luminous Animal]

30. How much funding did Nancy get? I suspect not much. She didn't have a challenger to speak of.

Her campaign was a walk on.

[oswaldactedalone]

17. Ken

Great list. I've been working on # 1 in my area for six years now. It's much easier to get "Rainbow" people to be interested in voting in Presidential years as you might expect. While each of us can develop our own way of registering voters and educating them on how the voting process works, we need a Soros or group of "Soros's" to fund programs that go into urban areas and help voters understand the process.

I'm really shocked at the number of people who don't vote because they think they have to have their voter card to vote, or can't vote because they moved, or don't know where their polling place is, or have no idea who's a Republican or a Democrat. Heck, without a voter guide from Headquarters, I'm not even sure who the Dem candidates are in the non-partisan races.

I would love to see the DNC take the lead in developing these programs of voter registration and education in the urban areas. One quick point, in my county of about 166 precincts, there were 4 where the turnout didn't exceed 10%. There were numerous precincts in the African-American neighborhoods where turnout was 10-20%. Keep in mind, we have early voting which begins three weeks before election day. Also, these percentages only account for registered voters. There are a good number of people there that aren't registered.

[Luminous Animal]

33. Um, we already had ACORN. You know, the most effective voter registration

organization that Dems helped to destroy. Their effectiveness proved that you don't need Daddy Moneybucks to launch and sustain an effective organization. You need people rooted in the community.

[oswaldactedalone]

38. I'm saying that you take the people

rooted in communities across the country and do a more effective job than ACORN did. I'm talking about registering voters sure, but I'm also talking about getting those voters voting, and giving them the tools to understand who to vote for. As I mentioned, I printed off sample ballots for 12 people, marked them the way our local HQ suggested, and these folks used the sample to cast their ballots. They were very appreciative of them.

In our blue county here, we had less than 40% turnout, and the African-American turnout was dismal. At least 90% of those votes would be Democratic. We've got to maximize that vote in '12, as well as the Hispanic vote, to have any chance to combat the huge money that will flow in that election.

[DCKit]

20. I'd say "voter education", but I can't even convince my own family members...

to vote the sane option(s). They already know everything, and I can't change their minds.

Point in fact: VA had a proposition to allow localities to determine property tax rates (which are currently set by the state). I explained to Mom that here, in DC, we get a $60K exemption for owner-occupied, first homes. In her rural county, that $60K exemption (or any exemption) would have the effect of putting the tax burden on vacation/second homeowners, hunt-camp owners and speculators. No Sale.

Am I wrong?

[madmax]

22. Blondeatlast posted something along

these lines here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9476614

[madinmaryland]

23. Any strategy that Dr. Howard Dean suggests must be followed up on. nt

[Gregorian]

26. Election reform. Get the money out of the process.

It would probably meet extreme resistance. But if we could do this, it could be the single most important change in our democracy.

[RickFromMN]

29. The Republicans will certainly kill Obamacare, one way or the other so....

They will de-fund it. They will block key votes in its implementation.

Add the following to the list:

Push "Medicare for all".

Keep it simple.

Medicare for all.

It's something people can remember.

It's something the elderly can remember.

Let the Republicans say Medicare is bad. I'm sure the elderly will like to hear that.

Let the Republicans say people don't deserve Medicare. Tell the elderly the Republicans oppose Medicare for All.

Let the Republicans say Medicare is too expensive.
Tell the elderly the Republicans think their Medicare is too expensive.

Don't call it health care reform. Call it Medicare for All.

Hammer the phrase, over and over. Don't call it anything else.

Keep it simple. Keep it so people can understand it. Just remove the age limit when one gets Medicare.

From cradle to grave, Medicare for All.

People will only remember sound-bites. Medicare for All...that's a sound-bite.

Over and over. Medicare for All.

[AzNick]

36. Then let's come back with a PROGRESSIVE version of HCR

F... them.

F... Rahm.

[RickFromMN]

39. We can come up with a Progressive version of HCR, but will it sell?

I'd love a Progressive version of HCR.

I was appalled when we didn't try for a single payer, national health system.

I don't view HCR as health care reform. I view it as Health Insurance Reform.

Health care reform involves controlling how we pay for the program, how we control the costs,
who is covered, and what is covered.

There have been television programs comparing the German, British, Japanese health care systems.

I'd recommend the Frontline episode to people:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/view/

Certainly, we'd create our own, unique health care system.
We can learn from the examples of others.

Unfortunately, a reasoned discussion won't sell in this climate of sound-bites and lies.

Hillary Clinton, and I mean Hillary, not Bill, tried to come up with a health care plan.

What happened? Hillary finally just gave up. It died.

With the vicious attacks now by people who try to shout down anyone with opposing views,
would we have any chance proposing a good health care solution that can't be encapsulated in a sound-bite?

I just don't see how we can sell a single payer, national health system to the general public.

Please see the Frontline summary of the five countries they examined:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/countries/

There seem to be two main categories of systems...one is "socialized medicine", the other "social insurance".

I think I would prefer a system that is "socialized medicine" as described for the United Kingdom.
I doubt that would sell.

It seemed Taiwan adopted a system that some might describe as "Medicare for All".
This kind of system seems to be a "social insurance" version where the idea of "social insurance"
first originated in Germany. As always, the devil is in the details.

Perhaps we could sell "Medicare for All".

I am open to having a full discussion, to better understand the details.
And, I'd like to add some things not currently covered by Medicare, such as Long Term Care, to the discussion.

Even if we have a reasoned discussion and come up with a reasonable health care plan, how do we sell it?
The opposition won't listen. They will shout anything and anyone down. We have to have a good sound-bite.

[AzNick]

35. PROGRESSIVE is the keyword. No more blue dogs.

We are who we are. We need need to make it clear. We are for progress.

[oswaldactedalone]

40. KNR

:kick: