What is our best issue to win in 2006?

[senseandsensibility]

Poll question: What is our best issue to win in 2006?

As usual, we have many, many issues from which to choose. This is because we are right and they are wrong.

Strategically speaking, which ones will win us seats?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Same as it was in 2004 - Iraq.

Hope it isn't bungled as it was by pro-war Kerry.

[lostinacause]

20. An "anti-war" candidate would not have been able to do

any better then Kerry did. It would be too easy to label that person a pacifist. Too many Americans feel threatened after Sept 11 and most need someone who they feel will do what is necessary. Also anyone who does not like the way Bush behaves should have reason to vote for someone who is less willing to go to war.

[orpupilofnature57]

2. Other, the democracy of the people and the danger of corprate control.

Thomas Jefferson warned us about it in 1816.

[Somawas]

16. Exactly.

Republicans=corporate fascists. They are no longer anything like mainstream. The readicals in the Republican party have gotten in charge of the country. The neocon reign has been antidemocratic.

[AntiCoup2K4]

38. Eisenhower warned us about it in 1961

..And he even knew the people who were reponsible for it, as they (the Bush Criminal Empire) were the ones who put him and Nixon in office.

But they didn't listen to Ike either. Or even Mussolini, for that matter, who told us exactly what corporatism really was.

[senseandsensibility]

3. That's funny!

Right now, there are five votes, and they are all for different things. What does this say about our prospects?

[American Tragedy]

8. Perhaps it's more a reflection of the effects of Republican rule.

All the listed options are applicable - I hardly even know where to begin when explaining how things have gone wrong.

[ClassWarrior]

11. It says our common, shared Progressive values are a big tent...

...with many bright, diverse people inside.

NGU.

[snippy]

4. The necessity to reform a government now under corrupt one party control.

Republicans hate the phrase "corrupt one party control," but it can be used in reference to every issue.

[senseandsensibility]

6. If the repukes say they hate

the term, I say use it at every opportunity!

[snippy]

7. It also nationalizes the election and is applicable to everything.

Soaring deficits? All due to corrupt one party control.

Senate filibusters of judicial nominees? All due to corrupt one party control.

Growth of the republican nanny state? All due to corrupt one party control.

Healthcare unaffordable or unavailable? All due to corrupt one party control.

The republican War on Social Security? All due to corrupt one party control.

The lies leading up to the invasion of Iraq? All due to corrupt one party control.

The lies leading up to Bush's next war? All due to corrupt one party control.

Slowest job growth since Hoover was president? All due to corrupt one party control.

Tax code too complicated? All due to corrupt one party control.

Reproductive rights threatened or ignored? All due to corrupt one party control.

Environmental protections being weakened or ignored? All due to corrupt one party control.

Veterans' benefits being cut? All due to corrupt one party control.

Homeland security a farce? All due to corrupt one party control.


As Lord Acton said: "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

[FreedomAngel82]

5. I think

since a lot of people aren't happy with the SS plan it'll be our best thing. Plus our party invented it anyways so who to know more about SS then democrats? Then the deficit.

[autorank]

9. Social Security*Iraq*Social Security*Iraq*Social Security*Greenspan

Equal portions Social Security and Iraq with a pungent dash of Greenspan is a political hack.

[ClassWarrior]

10. We won't win on ISSUES!! We'll win on VALUES!!

And George Lakoff says Progressive values are THE BEST in American values. Read his book, "Don't Think of an Elephant" - an easy read and just ten bucks.

NGU.

[EWACampaign]

23. VALUES = HUMAN DIGNITY = EQUAL WORTH AMENDMENT

VALUES = HUMAN DIGNITY = EQUAL WORTH AMENDMENT

Rather than allowing others to set the agenda and then reacting to it, respond with your own plan that rises above but cuts across all issues.

The EQUAL WORTH AMENDMENT does this. Values begin with human dignity. From there, you address Social Security, Health Care, Iraq War, Corporate Fraud, Living Wage, etc.

Visit http://www.equalworthamendment.org

Work towards an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America that clarifies the rather ambivalent statement--"all men are created equal"--and add the basic human rights and responsibilities that follow.

------------

EQUAL WORTH AMENDMENT (EWA)

All persons are fundamentally equal worths in themselves with none superior and none inferior unconditionally and unexceptionally, regardless of age, race, gender, ethnic heritage, formal education, political affiliation, socioeconomic status, religion, profession, or any other title, status, or situation. As such, all persons have the inherent and inalienable basic right to be related to respectfully as worths in themselves by all other persons. Correspondingly, all persons have the inherent and inalienable basic responsibility to relate respectfully to all other persons as worths in themselves. It is upon this foundation of the individual dignity in self of all persons that all other human rights and responsibilities are based and from which they are derived.

------------

The Equal Worth Amendment addresses the following:

Section 1: The Basic Statement that all persons are basically equal worths in themselves unconditionally and unexceptionally, simply as persons and members of the human race.

Section 2: The Bill of Basic Civil and Human Rights about each person having the basic right to be related to maturely and justly as a worth in self by other persons along with the manifestation of this in external peaceful behavior.

Section 3: The Bill of Basic Civil and Human Responsibilities about each person having the basic responsibility to relate to other persons maturely and justly as worths in themselves and to manifest this in external peaceful behavior.


In the United States of America, who would stand up and oppose this Amendment? It applies to all persons. As such: (1) Each person is of equal worth/value in self, solely on the basis of being a member of the human race. This is not in the Constitution of the United States of America. Would you oppose this? (2) Each person has the basic human right to be related to with dignity/respect, solely on the basis of being a member of the human race. This is not in the Constitution. Would you oppose this? (3) Each persons has the basic human responsibility to relate to others with dignity/respect, solely on the basis of being a member of the human race. This is not in the Constitution. Would you oppose this?

Seeking inclusion of the EQUAL WORTH AMENDMENT into our Constitution; this will provide the foundation to address all of the present value-based political issues...and that is all of those mentioned in this discussion.


EWACampaign
http://www.equalworthamendment.org

[ClassWarrior]

32. Exactly! Lakoff would call this a strategic initiative.

See this article: http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research/rockridge/stratinit/view?searchterm=initiative

Another idea would be a Defense of Faith Act, which essentially re-affirms the value of ALL faiths in our society, as well as the value of the separation of church and state.

NGU.

[ldf]

12. other = truth

list every single lie that the american people have been told by the bush administration, with documentation of the lie.

americans may be uninformed. but they feel strongly about what they HAVE been informed about.

americans will NOT appreciate the blatant lies they have been fed, nor the way those lies have been fed to us by a complicit media that is trying to pass itself off as news agencies.

rumsfield stated that they (the bush administration) would lie to the american people anytime they (the bush administration) felt the need to.

why the democrats did not take that and run, i continue to question.

but, bottom line, americans will NOT appreciate being played for fools. and that they have been, BIG time.

the only problem, HOW to get the info to the people through the pravda press.

:shrug:

[ClassWarrior]

33. Excellent! But we need to re-frame that slightly.

You see, everyone believes that ALL politicians lie, and in some sense HAVE to lie, to one degree or another. Sometimes lying is quite useful to someone in Bush**'s position - or to any one of us, for that matter.

Instead, we need to frame this as, "Bush** betrayed the trust of the American people." Now THAT's an unforgiveable sin in our culture - a pResident who betrays our trust. A much more damning arguement.

NGU.

[shance]

13. S&S, we aren't going to win anything until we confront election fraud.

We can continue to get distracted by "issues", but if our vote is not valid, then our voice isn't either.

We need to be working on state and local elections and running for election supervisor positions.

Our elections are our ticket to fairness.

[senseandsensibility]

15. Election fraud

is THE issue, I agree. And we need to stay on it and not give up. Nevertheless, we need a strategy as well. It's not all or nothing, IMHO. So while we work on election fraud issues, we also work on a winning campaign. We're gonna need both, especially with the corporate media doing *'s bidding.

[shance]

27. I guess the critical thing is how to invest time most wisely.

So that we don't wind up accomplishing nothing by spreading ourselves too thin.

[lostinacause]

14. There is no question that the issue is the deficit and debt.

The deficit is so important because it is a big issue with people across the board and an easy one to convince people that the Democrats can do a better job then the republicans. All of the other issues, regardless of how they are approached, will alienate most potential voters. Justifying a continued deficit is also hard and at this point the justification of being in a recession and/or being at war would hurt the Republicans.

[pstans]

17. I voted for deficit

I voted for the deficit er, I mean the birth tax. If Dems hit that point hard and the term burth tax gets into the mainstream the way death tax did, then we will be winning some of the seats we haven't been.

[pstans]

35. After reading this article by R. F. Kennedy Jr.

I might have to change my vote to the environment. Here are some things I learned from the article. Bu$h is the worst environmental president ever. 81% of Americans think the Government is responsible to regulate the environment. Lobbyists are writting and enforcing our environmental laws under the Bu$h administration. We are destroying our children's future.

I am in my mid 20's and after reading this article I don't think my wife and I should have kids for a long, long time cause it just isn't safe (1 in 6 women in childbearing years have an unsafe level of mercury).

Here is the link to the post I made about the article (the link is included): http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1640642&mesg_id=1640642

[zulchzulu]

18. It depends if we get "struck" again, but otherwise health/SS combo

Another 9/11 and all bets are off.

Bush's fiasco with the Medicare package AND the events still pending from the Social Security "strategy" could further outweigh all the senior votes (who vote strongly in mid-term elections) over the usual anti-Gay Marriage voter magnet bills...

Once seniors realize (many have but more will figure it out) that the Bush medicare plan doesn't allow for affordable drugs and has former employers to stop their pension funds for health care needs, there will be hell to pay. If the Repugs somehow get Social Security to be raped, it could be an absolute disaster for the Repugs sucking Chimpy's teets.

[Califooyah Operative]

19. social secutity + deficit + tax cuts for the rich + iraq + healthcare nt

[Jackie97]

21. Social Security.

Nothing else seems to get their attention as much.

[lostinacause]

22. Social security is very risky

Regardless of what plans come forward the will all have to sacrifice something.

[senseandsensibility]

28. Yes but the *

plan will demolish Social Security as we know it. And we need to scream that from the rooftops.

[lostinacause]

34. I’m not saying that this is an important issue;

however, in many people’s minds there is uncertainty about the best way to deliver social security. A strong plan on social security is a necessity to win the election but it is easier for the Bush administration to defend their plans for social security then it is the deficit. Another advantage of focusing on the deficit is that it is uniting issue. The deficit is something that liberals, moderates and conservatives all care about.

[cire4]

24. We don't know yet.....

It's about 15 months till the heavy campaigning begins..Alot can change in the next 15 months.

[Skittles]

25. stop republicans from cheating and stealing eom

nt

[senseandsensibility]

36. Good message

I agree

[Swamp Rat]

26. Loss of civil liberties - loss of privacy, police state/brutality,

The other issue is thousands of dead American soldiers and the whole world hating us.

[BoristheBewildered]

29. How about real elections? Counting votes and all that. If you still think

issues determine outcome of elections....

[Kahuna]

30. Voting Reform. The repukes won't want to touch it. And it will..

reveal their true colors.

[bluedog]

31. all of the above plus

look what the GOP party has made of America.....the once liked nation becomes the worlds bully..............at home and abroad...........

[erpowers]

37. Corporate Welfare

I think Democrats should try to explain the effects of corporate welfare on the defecit and the economy. I think people should be infromed about how much more money goes to corporate welfare than to social programs. I think it would surprise many people to learn how much money goes to corporate welfare and how it effects the economy and the defecit. It can be argued that corporate welfare is part of the reason the economy is doing so poorly.