Why we need a fresh start

[nine30]

The party hasn't been managed well since Clinton left the scene. What the party needs now is a makeover and a new start.

Like it or not, as long as we don't connect with the Hillbillies, this party is not going anywhere. The Republicans have been very successful at re-dividing the country along cultural lines from a country previously divided along economic lines.

And as Rush Limbaugh said today, you cannot just force people to accept others' values,( I never usually agree with him, but today I grudgingly did) have to win their hearts and minds first. This reminds me of a line from Dale Carnegie's 'How To Win Friends and Influence People' :

" He who is convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still"

If liberalism is to re-emerge, we will have to begin at the small cities and towns of rural america. Right now middle america has an extremely negative image of Liberals whether or not its deserved.
That image has to be changed. And as long as Democrats can be labeled as 'those Liberals', and are themselves running away from that tag, we will never win.

[Dems Will Win]

1. THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION is in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x16099

[TX-RAT]

3. Disagree

I think it's because we have no real voice. Where were the older demo reps in all of this? Where was the Dem's we've been listening to over the last few years. Why didn't any of them stand up against Zell Miller?

[MostlyLurks]

2. It's an odd thing about Rush...

The way he can see clear enough to say "you cannot just force people to accept others' values" and yet not clearly enough to see that things like gay marriage amendments are a clear forcing of certain people to accept the morals of another. Or that the Iraqis...oh, fuck it, we all know how fucking big a hypocrite these people are, why bother to type it.

[TexasSissy]

4. By "hillbillies," I take it you mean rural Americans, those who live

in the heartland?

I know you were making a point, but that's sort of the point. The Democrats by far live in urban areas and are out of touch with rural and small town America. They are not hillbillies. It's all that center area of America between the two E-W coasts.

I agree that any party who wants to win MUST speak to those Americans who reside all across America, not just in large cities on the coasts.

Far lefters will never appeal to middle America. And vice versa. I think I am sensing a splinter in the Dem. Party, where the far lefters and the moderate Dems splinter into two parties. Or the moderates switch to being Independents, and running that way (but they lose all those Dem. Party funds).

But a change needs to be made. The Dem. Party was different in the first half of the century. Maybe we need to get back to those roots. The Dem. Party WAS the party of middle America then, I think.

[ramapo]

5. Name a new leader...

Pick a Democrat who has the resume, personality, and base of support that could really galvanize the country and change the direction.

Obama? Too new...

That's it...problem is I remember thinking this two years ago after that very disappointing election. There wasn't a good answer then either.

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Another thing we need to do

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FIGHT! Take this country back one town and state at a time!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm