SoCalDem (1000+ posts) Sat Feb-12-05 04:38 PM
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Dr Dean's Agenda... Suggestions for our trip back from the brink
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3101609 Have a meeting with all democratic "leaders"...ASAP..
Clue THEM into the "no response to unattributed quotes" doctrine..and make them adhere to it..
Ask them to PLEASE avoid screaming head"talk shows" where they will undoubtedly be out-numbered,ignored, derided and interrupted.
Make sure that the ones who DO go on shows are PREPARED...and KNOW what they are talking about.. It;s like fingernails on a blackboard to see them reply.." I hadn't heard about.... or.... especially when ... has been on the news for DAYS..
Remind them that republicans are NOT our friends, our "colleagues across the aisle", our partners.. They are our ENEMIES, who seek to humiliate and destroy us. They have not been shy about admitting this. They have accused us, as a party...as a group, of being Godless, indecent, amoral, liars, cheats, and a multitude of other "sins". There is NO middle ground on this.
Pound home the idea that the media...ALL of it.. is NOT our friend. The smiling, well dressed man or woman with the microphone is only interested in getting a sound byte that can (and will be) used against us ad nauseum. The media is not interested in facts.. Facts are kryptonite to them. They want spin..pizzaz..confrontation.
Work hard on the language... People do not take time for policy renditions.. Modern marketing techniques have taught the public to listen for the "hook"..the buzzwords. Just look at the way ideas have been bastardized by the republicans:
Logging old growth forests has become " Healthy Forests"
Canceling a woman's right to choice has become "Pro Life" (as if we are Pro Death)
Testing children relentlessly, while subtracting real teaching time has become "Leave No Child Behind"
Destroying working public programs while funneling public money to fundamentalist church organizations has become "Faith-based Initiatives"
Removing taxes from super-wealthy inheritances became "Death Taxes"
Allowing polluters to self-regulate and swap credits became "Clear Skies"
Under-educated common people who vote against their own interests is "Heartland"
In the absence of our own buzzwords, the very least we SHOULD be doing is outing these scams in the loudest voice possible..NOT agreeing to them like a whipped stray dog.
Develop a "farm team" of TV savvy, photogenic, well-spoken young people who can "hit the road" and spread our message. Kennedy and some of our other leaders have become "radioactive" by the massive propaganda machine the republicans use, and almost anything said by these democrats is immediately "on the radar screen".
Use the media you have... Air America would certainly welcome regular visits and their audience is building. Sometimes preaching to the choir is a good thing. We need reassurance that you are still with us.
Use the "sugar daddies" we do have to good advantage. There are many small communities with REAL people doing their own radio shows.. They are not the "big time" radio guys, but they are often paying out of their own pockets to spread YOUR (and our) message. They need some financial help. A very small amount of help can mean the difference between them being on the air or not. Guy James down in the belly of the beast (Florida) is just such a person..
Make sure there is NEVER another unopposed republican running in ANY office. It has to start somewhere. The excuse often given is "Our candidate has no chance, so why "waste" the money?" Here's why we "waste" the money.... Never give the republican a free ride.. MAKE them spend money..OFFER the people a choice. How many democrats are eager to run out and vote when they do not even have a candidate to vote for?
Encourage the republicans amongst us to "hear their momma calling them" and to run along home..Lieberman comes to mind. We really won't miss them much. If we cannot count on their loyalty, and if they crave "face-time with Bush", they are a liability..not an asset.
Carve out a set of "rules".. Number one on that list should be "Do not give the enemy ammunition". When we form circular firing squads and embarrass our own, we might as well be writing the script for the next republican commercial against us. Our candidates should feel free to debate policy with each other, but if they cannot win without demonizing fellow dems, they do not deserve to be the candidate.
Lacking the gazillion think tanks of the republican machine, USE the people you have. There might even be MORE advice available via the web, through the many left-leaning websites. They are full of REAL people with REAL ideas. Good ideas are not limited to well paid advisors in $1,000 suits. Where better to get public opinion, than from the public? These are FREE researchers, at the click of a mouse. They are there...use them...
Admit you use polls, BUT explain to the public how FEW people are actually polled, and how polls can be (and ARE) skewed by the kind of questions asked, the time of day people are called, the zipcode choice, and the political leanings of the pollsters. Lots of people do not know this..
Can the gobbledygook-speak. Use real language..Encourage our people on the ground to speak TO the people..not AT them.
The republican mantra, for decades has been "attack..attack..attack", and look what it's gotten them... The white house, the senate, the house, the supreme court, control of radio, tv, and newspapers.
Good Luck, Dr. Dean. We need your help, and are eager to have you make a real difference in our party
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