The problem w/ the Democratic Party

[angee_is_mad]

isn't the message, but the messenger. The recent election in Ohio is proof of that! We need to start grooming a new crop of politicians that will bring authenticity back to the party.

Hell, anyone can say that he/she are for the troops, but against the war. It takes someone who has been there to articulate that message. Anyone else would come off as a poll reader and viewed as being capable of flipping at the drop of the dime.

As evil as the re pugs are, you have to admit that they believe the bulls@# they talk about.

We have a big tent with diverse ideas and opinions, but I honestly believe that if there was a candidate(like Hackett)who has walked the walk, he/she can talk the talk. Divisive topics(abortion, same-sex marriage, religion)would not be a factor that could be be used against him/her.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the re pugs tried to throw those topics at Hackett and they wouldn't stick! We need new blood to groom on the grassroots level and work our way up, because evidently the ones we have now (majority) are trying to reach those moderates(re pugs) that I forget what party they belong in.

If all else fails we need to take some of our athletes and get them involved. Hell the re pugs have Lance Armstrong. You better believe he will run with Sheryl Crow holding his hand. Who do we have to counteract that move?

Thank God for the CBC,Barbara Boxer and a handful of others.

[don954]

1. dito and Dean said just about as much on Randy's show the other

day.

[angee_is_mad]

5. but are we listening?

I've heard the party leaders say we need to recruit more, but it is always in the context of moving more to the center(right) and attracting moderate re pugs.

What I'm saying is that we need someone with authenticity who would have a single message(Iraq?) and make everything else a non issue. That way he/she will not alienate the base(minorities, women, labor)and attract democratic-leaning independents. That is ALL we need to do and we are in control again.

Hell the country is 50/50 and we just need shave off a few percentage points. That is what the re pugs are doing when they try to court the black churches. They know that they will never get a majority of the Black vote. They just need those few percentage points to get them over the hump.

This party keeps making the same mistake over and over again. That is, to be as repug-like as possible without changing parties.

[Old and In the Way]

2. When the new crop loses just outside the recount trigger......

please come back and explain what happened.

It's not the messenger, it's the system that's controlled by the Republican Party.

[ugarte]

3. Why do you say Lance Armstrong is a Republican?

I've heard the opposite. Source?

[snowbear]

6. Hmm.. I can't find where anyone said that...

(about Lance) I must be getting loopy :crazy:

Didn't he say recently he was an Independent who is a bit to the left, and that Sheryl was a Democrat who was "way out in left field"

Anyway... I still think a LOT of the momentum the R's have enjoyed came directly as a result of 9/11.

Finally though.. FINALLY..... it seems like Americans are realizing that the Rethug Talking Points that Democrats are weak on national security are BOGUS.

I think our party is slowly improving as far as getting the message out. Major Hackett definitely didn't hurt, did he? :) :patriot:

Actually.. I think '06 will be a good year for us.. in areas without Diebold = x( =

[snowbear]

8. Oh.... DOH... Angee said it...

Angee.. Angee.. Angee.. two minutes in the penalty box for you!

Lance isn't a Rethug! :rofl:

[angee_is_mad]

14. Ask and You shall receive dear child

Sorry link didn't work but here is the article. Sorry for the sloppiness.






http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050724/SPORTS/507240443/1004/SPORTS

[aaronnyc]

19. Lance Armstrong is definitely a Democrat

I don't know what Kerry was talking about in the article above. Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow were at Kerry's campaign headquarters on election night.

Lance on the Iraq War: "I don't like what the war has done to our country, to our economy," he says. My kids will be paying for this war for some time to come."

http://www.lancearmstrongfanclub.com/uktimesonline.html

[angee_is_mad]

21. Interesting

Thanks for the link.

[The HL]

20. New Political Comics at The Hollywood Liberal

Hey,
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Bush: Geography Lesson
Visiting The Wounded
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If you like it there are lots more at.

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Thank You

[angee_is_mad]

7. John Kerry

when asked what kind of politician Lance would make Kerry said a great one, but unfortunately he would probably be on the other side.

I saw it on yahoo and unfortunately I do not have a link. If I can find it I will definitely put it on here. If anyone else have it please post. Thanks.

[FreedomAngel82]

12. He's a moderate democrat

He's friends with Bush but he's a moderate democrat. Sheryl Crow is a democrat too. She supported Kerry and performed at his election night party.

[BenDavid]

4. I agree with your comments,

and will say those that are now in Congress need to grow them a pair and everytime you say something the repubs want you to apoligize for later, stay the course, and render no apology. Damn, you meant it when you said it. So why give them the benefit that you were just confused and asked forgiveness... Piss on all that.... The only way a Democrat is going to win again, is to go back to the basic reasons why one is a democrat and fight like hell for those you are standing up for. All this sweet talk about saying someone spoke an untruth... well hell, why not just come and and say the person lied... And another thing while I am on a rant... This idea that you cannot set a date to withdraw our troops is a bunch of bullshit... The average person that joins the military gets what? 11 weeks of basic training and most likely shipped off to Iraq...So, we are letting this private 1st class fight the battle of Iraq, but we going to give the iraqi soldiers months and years to train...Bullshit, after the elections in iraq this winter, tell the new president or whomever that we are gone come jan 1 2007 and you better have your troops ready....and if after we are gone and it turns into a civil war, well good because that is what is going to happen any damn way, but one thing is certain NO MORE AMERICAN BLOOD SPILLED IN THE SAND OF IRAQ.....

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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

[jonnyblitz]

17. good point about the training times for ours troops vs theirs...

I never thought of that one. :thumbsup:

I am with you on getting out now. Many DEMS disagree, on DU and off.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Two words:

Voting machine's.

[FrenchieCat]

10. Hey! I have someone in mind that fits your description

pretty tightly! The funny thing is I don't even have to say his name....cause most know who I'm referring to. LOL!

:hi:

[snowbear]

13. Angee ~

~~~Hey didn't Mick Jagger sing a song with your name in it? ;)

Here's a ton of info on Lance.. Says he leans middle to LEFT. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong

Besides.. you think Sheryl would let him run as a R? :spray:

Nope.. :hug:

[angee_is_mad]

15. Marie did with the girlyman

and she comes from a freaking dynasty!

[snowbear]

16. Yeah.. but he was ALREADY a Repug...

Lance isn't affiliated with either party. That article said he's friendly with W.. And he did go to the Whitehouse (at Bush's request) after his 5th Tour De France victory.. (and he gave him a bike as a joke after he trashed his)... But Lance didn't visit the WH after the 6th victory - and I doubt he'll go after the 7th.

If Sheryl dumps him.. maybe he'll run as a Repug.. but I kinda doubt it.. ;)

[angee_is_mad]

18. If he is a registered Independent

it is probably in name only. I see it all the time down here(NC).

There are a lot of Independents, but they are closet repugs. Something had to make Kerry think that he was a repug or repug leaning and it wasn't just a visit to the Whitehouse.

[Texas_Kat]

22. There is no party registration in Texas

Most Texans vote for the candidate, not the party.

That's why you saw Bush signs side by side with Richard Morrison signs (who ran against Tom Delay) in 2004.

I suspect if Armstrong had to choose, he'd be a Dem (he's from Austin, after all) but he's likely a ticket splitter like most Texans.

[rman]

23. The message in Ohio was the same as before?

I don't think so.

The messenger in Ohio did have a different message then Dems had before.

So, contrary to your claim, it *is* the message that matters.

[AtomicKitten]

24. I agree - not the same message

Not by a long shot. Hackett delivered in-your-face politics, no mincing words, no backing down, no apologies. Bush lied and people continue to die. Loud. Into a microophone. People cheered.

[AtomicKitten]

25. The problem with threads entitled "The Problem With the Democratic Party"

is that it puts me off from the get go.

sorry.

[Toots]

26. "It takes someone who has been there to articulate that message"

You mean like John Kerry? Well he wasn't in Bush*'s War but he was in combat and we all saw how that was used against him.

[kohodog]

27. Most of the current crop of Dems have sold out to corporate money

and therefore really are "republican lite." Dean showed that it wasn't required to be beholden to corporate $$ and the DLC buried him. Hacket has shown the same thing. In my opinion we need a whole new group of non corporate politicians who will speak truth to power. Boxer, Conyers, Slaughter and a few others are the model we should look to, rather than Kerry, Clinton and the rest of the sell outs.

[usregimechange]

28. And we all need to have the same message.

[GracieM]

29. Many moderates are moderates

because they don't have an opinion formed yet. They've looked at both sides (if they even looked) and can't reach a conclusion.

The people are not drawn to moderate ideas. They are looking for someone to tell them what to think. Someone they feel they can trust. Someone they like. Someone they respect.

Remember, people have the tendency to be sheep. They don't care which pasture they graze in as long as they like the shepherd.

[FightinNewDem]

30. Amen!

Well said!

A candidate with passion, sincerity, a sense of purpose, and a bit of attitude can go a long away. Frankly, this was a major part of both Howard Dean's and John McCain's appeal. People who disagreed with them on a number of specific issues admired their gumption. Similarly, most of the Democratic activists I know who backed Lieberman were considerably to his left, but admired his candor and his sense of committment. People pick up on a wet noodle, and unfortunately, this too frequently seemed to be the case with John Kerry. Kerry is a great senator who turned into a weak candidate when he was seen as squishy on major issues.

Here in New Hampshire, the party establishment is dominated by "path of least resistance" Democrats. Some are liberal, some are moderate, but the trait they share is an unwillingness to upset the bipartisan crapfest. They live from fundraiser to fundraiser, not generation to generation. That's a sad indictment.

I've ben campaigning for higher office, and I have had a good response from the grassroots. They want to talk about protecting Social Security and improving retirement security; they want to hear ideas on how we can improve national security and rebuild America's international reputation; they want to hear how we can create new jobs and provide affordable, accessible health care.

The party old guard is a different story. From these people, it's all about process. It's all about a fear that if they support an outspoken maverick, they will be punished by a vindictive Manchester City Hall, or that a more "respectable" (ie, dull, colorless and electorally hopeless) candidate might emerge.

This isn't about ideology. I am a New Democrat (yes, a dreaded DLCer). But many of my best supporters are from the progressive wing of the party. We have worked together on environmental issues and reform issues (new lobbying laws, campaign finance reforms, etc). What we share is a sense of purpose, of trying to move our core Dem values of opportunity, fairness, integrity and community forward.

The choice isn't DLC vs. DFA; the two groups are closer then most people realize. It's about the past vs. the future, about complacency vs. idealism.

That's our fight, and it's one we have to win.

http://www.sullivanforcongress.org