How about a long thread on this: What should the Democrats do to win?

[wyldwolf]

Move closer to the middle? Run from the middle? Give up on polarizing issues?

What?

Honest and open debate here.

No flames, please.

In your opinion, what must be done and why?

[drhilarius]

1. Let people suffer.

It's ruthless, I know, but it's the only way. The democrats fail because they try to change material reality through idealism. what they have to do is change ideology through material reality. That means letting people starve. That means letting people die in wars or from lack of health care. Only true suffering will bring about the kind of fundamental shift in consciousness(from mystical to material) necessary for Democratic ideology to take hold.

[Quetzal]

3. So basically win by default?

[drhilarius]

12. Not exactly.

To win by default they must see the Democrats as being the only choice. That is, they'll still basically be fundies, or homophobes, or what have you. As soon as the economic situation is repaired, we will be in the same mess we are in now.

What I suggest Is a change in ideology- they vote for us not because they have to, but because they want to. Once they make the shift from mystical to material thinking (when they realize you can't eat jesus, unless, of course, you're catholic).

I've actually seen this on this board. A lot of folks questioning their faith, a crucial step to material thinking. In spite of their prayers, they were punched in the gut by reality. If the change is momentary, they are agnostic by default. If it holds they CHOOSE atheism or agnosticism.

[Owlet]

21. Well, this was the German Communist's strategy in 1933

Their slogan was "After Hitler, us". Well, they were half-right, in a way, in that East Germany was created 12 years later after the German nation was destroyed and 30,000,000 people had died. I suppose that's a solution of sorts.

[ET Awful]

7. I hadn't even read your response, but said basically the same thing

I don't WANT to see people suffer, I don't want to see anyone hurt or dying, but if the masses that choose paths against their own best interest all of a sudden realize that there is no one there to defend them anymore, there WILL be a paradigm shift, it's unavoidable.

[Monist]

57. I think it would be useful . . .

to stop using words like "masses" to describe real flesh and blood people. It is dismissive and disrespectful, and sounds like Marxist-chic gobbledy gook.

That term is a real pet peeve of mine, and it makes Democrats who use it sound like really out-of-touch asshole elitists.

There ARE no masses. There are only people. Do we HAVE to be Marxists to be Democrats?

[ET Awful]

65. If it sounds like marxism to you, so be it. That is your

interpretation.

[booksenkatz]

35. I can't help but agree with you

So many people seem to lack any ability to imagine circumstances different from their own. They think that everyone was born with the same advantages/disadvantages that they have. No ability to foresee something different, whether for good or ill. I suppose it's difficult for a culture to receive much inspiration from "Fear Factor" and "American Idol." Ours is a culture with no imagination.

Only when Americans find themselves having to settle for fried dough dinners every night and worrying about getting milk for Rose-o-Sharon and hoping for a whopping 6-cents a day for picking peaches.... ONLY THEN.

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. Run from the middle????

NEVER!!!!

[PoiBoy]

4. Reform electronic voting and

... strengthen laws against voter intimidation... progressives are the majority, we just need our votes to count and be counted... :hi:

[vincent_vega_lives]

29. You need to get people to show up first

to protect their votes at the polls. First things first. Minority turn out was dismal. We need to adress that problem.

[ET Awful]

5. My immediate reaction?

Just stop trying for a year or two. Make NO effort to help anyone for any reason. Let the masses wallow in the pit of crap they have created for themselves.

I guarantee you that if we abandon people for a while, they will be begging for help when we return.

Obviously we'll fight for issues such as forcing their to be auditability for elections, instead of untracibility.

Honestly though, there are millions that will have to suffer before they wise up.

[aquart]

10. The masses did NOT vote for Bush. Stop buying BushCo bullshit.

[ET Awful]

33. Sorry, but nearly 60 million people voting for the chimp DOES

constitute masses.

[oc2002]

52. no, thats just the majority, and a slim one at that...nt

[Midlodemocrat]

11. My thoughts exactly

...when my neighbors kids start dying for an unjust war and they are so distraught, I plan to turn my back the way they turned theirs. Cruel. Yes, but I can't go through this again.

[The Backlash Cometh]

30. Unfortunate, but true.

In many different ways I throw things back in their faces any chance I get. In the last month I've had two offers to help out in the community because I'm such a conscientious worker blah, blah, blah. And I used it to throw it back at them.

Hell, why would they need me? They have all these Christian Republicans in their community. They should be doing all the work, but don't.

[Midlodemocrat]

44. From now on

...I plan to ask how people voted before I open my wallet...right down to the pizza delivery boy last night. He got a nice tip because he voted for Kerry.

[The Backlash Cometh]

47. Nice going.

:-)

[Owlet]

6. Develop an ideology

We all have a clear idea of what the Republicans stand for: I won't bother to enumerate. But what do we Democrats stand for? In a country where the majority of people have voted their feelings and beliefs over their reason and common sense, a political party with no clear set of beliefs is not going to prevail. Like it or not, that's the way it is.
Don't think so? Look at the exit polls. "Moral values" trumped the economy, the war, every other issue. Most if not all European parties on the left have a pronounced anti-clerical stance. From reading the posts on this board I'd say that's a good place to start building a competing ideology to Bushism. Flame away..:evilgrin:

[Francesca]

34. I think we do have a developed ideology

and its THE MORAL one, the key is to take back the language of the conservatives... We need to work on giving new meaning and new catch phrases to our positions.. they have gone to the extreme for example "Healthy Forests... Clear Skies Initiatives..Pro Life..." we should work on changing for example pro choice to perhaps something less obviously related to abortion but more closely related to freedom or ... sorry I need some one more clever to come up with the specifics but I am sure you see the point...

[Owlet]

37. No offense...

..but I DON'T see the point, and that is precisely what we both see as the problem - our inability to articulate what we stand for. If we can't verbalize it to ourselves, how can we hope to talk with and convince others? I don't think the task is impossible, but it's going to take a lot of work.

And I'm not sure that we have to develop a set of competing MORAL values. Unless we are talking about some form of theocracy, as the Bushitas seem to be fashioning, I'm more interested in developing workable, practical easy-to-understand solutions to the real issues that government should be dealing with.

[JSJ]

8. oppose imperial wars, corporate money and cheap slogans

[aquart]

9. We did win. The machines stole it.

Discussing anything else is missing the point.

[vincent_vega_lives]

28. As long as democrats believe this

we will never win. It's like running disorganized, lackluster and wrongheaded plays again and again against the other team and thinking that the reason you are not scoring a touchdown is because the other team must cheat.

The fact is Rove got out more votes than us.

[Mel]

32. listen to aquart

the machines get rid of the machines that's the only way Democrats will ever win another election. Kerry won this election he ran a good campaign I was a DK supporter so I don't think I'm bias for Kerry, Kerry ran a good campaign he did not loose this election.

Bush* did NOT earn a mandate from the people just like everthing else in his life it was given to him in this case stolen for him he didn't earn it.

Listen to Mike Malloy's Nov. 3 show it's archived here Mike is going to tell you straight up what the deal is and not play nice nice.
http://whiterosesociety.org/

Kerry Won!

[bklyncowgirl]

59. I believe that there was massive voter fraud but...

the fact is that it was close enough for them to steal it.

We need to

1. Develop a coherent philosophy.
2. Frame the issues in a way that they appeal to people who are not progressives.
3. Get our side of the story out to the people.

[Sara Beverley]

13. Help is on the way!!! Give us a few days.

I couldn't sleep last night and had all these ideas about how to really inform those who are fed a daily diet of RW misinformation that keeps them ignorant of the facts and the difference in the impact on their lives from Republican policies and Dem policies. These people really need help and I propose to give it to them and in so doing take over at least 5 "red" states that i know would vote Dem is they only had the help to inform themselves. Propaganda is difficult to overcome but it can be done. i don't really blame a lot of those people in the "red states" They need de=briefing in way that puts their personal interests out in front of them and exposes the lies they have been told about the really "gut" issues affecting them.

[Mike Niendorff]

14. I hate to say it, but :

Play the same game they play, and stop trying to "be the better man".

They rally their base by baiting the "least marketable" elements of their opposition into increasingly radical behavior. They pick fights specifically for this purpose : to provoke a visible response from an "undesirable" group, which they then claim represents the "real" face of their opposition. The more outlandish, the better. The more "scary to middle America", the better. The less representative, the better. This is their primary propaganda tactic. It's time to start fighting fire with fire. Pick some fights of our own. Put a face on *them* for a change.

Second : STOP ALLOWING THE RIGHT WING TO DEFINE YOUR LANGUAGE AND TO DEFINE THE TERMS OF THE DEBATE. (all-caps is *very* intentional here).

Stop talking about "government programs" and start talking about "public services". Stop talking about "the Bush tax cuts" and start talking about "the Bush tax shift". Then start talking about "the Reagan tax increase". Stick with it. Refuse to back down. Make it clear that you are in the right, and that *they* are the ones who are trying to dodge the facts.

Oh yeah: and learn to call a liar a LIAR. Decorum is one thing, pathology is another.

Plenty more, but those three alone are enough to make a SERIOUS dent.


MDN

[merbex]

19. I am totally with you on your second part

Allowing the repukes to define us is killing us

The DNC needs to really look at this aspect of the next 4 years.I am tired of the poor communication skills our guys are exhibiting on cable,the Sunday talk shows etc. There are experts out there who can help in this regard

We need to acknowledge that it is the frame that holds the picture; when the repukes frame OUR picture it comes out crooked.Language defines what we believe in -we have to "frame" our positions as you say - public service,tax shift

Our Party needs to acknowledge we need help here

[Midlodemocrat]

45. Don't let them set your agenda

...what my deceased mom, a devout liberal, Catholic and social justice advocate always said.

[RafterMan]

15. Switch the early primaries to Red States

That way you're more likely to end up with a candidate who speaks Red, and will be able to carry the message across the cultural divide.

I'm a firm believer that it's not the policies, it's the package.

[merbex]

20. This is an excellent idea

[drdon326]

22. RM.....see this....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1312327

[RafterMan]

31. I could see that

If you could get the other regions to buy in and play second fiddle to the south.

I agree with you about the most important part. People like to cry, "Not fair! Why should we kowtow to them!", but there's no law that says cultural acceptability has to be a reciprocal arrangement. And unfortunately for Northern dems, it isn't a reciprocal arrangement.

If the Repubs can always count on the South as a block vote for them, they'll win damn near every election. That monopoly has to be broken and Southern Dems are the best qualified to tell the rest of us how (and with whom) to do it.

[LiberalAndProud]

61. Yes!

[CottonBear]

16. Redefine "values"

The entire election was decided on "values." Why broadcast Zell's speech in prime time but not Obama's? Answer: Obama spoke about VALUES: Red States and Blue States and what we have in common. It was a powerful speech. It was a speech that the *media did not want their right-wing fundy base or any undecideds to hear.

They (the media and *corporations) did not want Obama's powerful message to be broadcast to the public on broadcast TV, which has the biggest audience. I am a Georgian who was appalled to see Zig Zag Zell given major coverage. I have many Dem friends who never saw or heard Obama (being that this is not a swing state) and they don't have cable (too far out in the country) or satellite TV. C-Span junkies are the only ones who saw Obama speak. I have not heard any right-wing Xians mention Obama.

[Quetzal]

17. Here is something to think about

Should winning be our goal? After all, we are in no posistion to win. Republicans have control of the Senate, the House, the White House, and soon a super majority on the Supreme Court.

If we are looking to win something, it won't happen for awhile. There will be no legislative victories for at least the next two years, so why should we put our efforts into filibustering every single thing that comes into the Senate? We would win very few battles anyway (except maybe the one over the energy bill).

What we must do is redfine what "America" is. Winning will only come when this task is accomplished.

I am an American because I believe that Civil Rights should be given to all minorities.

I am an American because I believe in Universal Health Care for all.

I am an American because I believe we should be looking into the interests of the poor.

I am an American because I believe that a woman should be the guardian of her own body.

I am an American because I believe in a foreign policy that is grounded in perpetual peace, not perpetual war.

I am an American because I believe in a Progressive Income Tax.

I am an American because I want to leave future generations with a "better" America.

We will know that we are on the right track when Republicans start losing. Winning comes along with the package ;-)

(hoping Santorum is the first to go)

On Edit: Anything the Repubs do that does not jive with what I have written above should be labeled as "UnAmerican" and "Unpatriotic"

[drdon326]

18. Great thread...Give them a REASON to vote democrat.

Ask anyone what repugs stand for and they'll tell you.

More important is that the DNC should put out its own "WHAT WE STAND FOR".....especially in social and moral issues.

SUCH THINGS AS

1. As low taxes without raising deficit "so your children wont have to pay it off"

2. Respect for all views but we are pro-choice and "will not go back
to coathangers"

3.nO ONE respects the military more than dems do.


etc,etc

[MSgt213]

23. Just a few quick thoughts

The first thing we should do is define ourselves as the opposition party to the Republican led agenda. Not the Republican party, but their agenda.

We are for values, but not letting anyone impose their values on someone else.

We are for business, but not at the expense of smaller businesses and workers.

We are for education, but not unfunded mandates and tests that do nothing to improve education.

We are for letting you keep your gun, but not without rules to protect us against people who should not have guns and commit crimes with them.

We are for the environment and when it comes to the environment and big business has to find a away to work without destroying the environment.

We are for people being paid a wage that enables them to pay their own way. If your business can't afford to pay that wage then maybe you need to get out of business.

We are for protecting this country, but not recklessly risking the lives of our troops by sending them into battle without the basic gear because we spent all the money on expensive weapons that don't work or are ineffective. We are also for working with our allies to share the burden in those regions in the world where our combine interests are threaten. That will require us to listen to our allies concerns and be sympathic to their interests and use diplomacy as the first element in the defense of this nation.

We don't feel that Americans should have to give up their rights to feel protected.

I will add more later

[Merlin]

24. Two things: 1) Lose abortion; 2) Adopt the language of Jesus

1) Lose Abortion

Abortion will be lifted from our backs very soon, clearing the single most significant obstacle to majority support for our party and for the broad sweep of its remaining agenda. The Democratic Party does not exist for the purpose of defending abortion rights. It exists for the purpose of governing this nation. The nation--with the support of the majority of white women--has made it clear it does not support abortion rights. It will have to live with the consequences of that stupidity. It will have to learn the lesson all over again. Meantime, our party is now relieved from the responsibility of throwing ourselves on this terrible sword election after election. It is now up to the women's movement to find a solution to this issue that will enjoy the support of a majority of the electorate.

2) Adopt the Language of Jesus

We have every right to look askance at religion. But we must stop being afraid or ashamed to use the name "Jesus" (not "Christ"--a title--but "Jesus," a man's name) in our political appeals. It has nothing to do with religion. It has everything to do with social philosophy and our personal moral obligations towards others and toward making the world a better place.

In terms of moral values and Jesus--we must do what Clinton did to the Republican agenda in the '90s: coopt it. We must adopt much of the language of the believers. Not all of it. We don't have to profess FAITH and RELIGION. We do have to profess SOCIAL JUSTICE, CARING for the LEAST AMONG US, HEALING the SICK, SUSTAINING the AGED, DISDAIN for the RICH. HELP for the POOR. WORKING to make the WORLD a BETTER PLACE. Jesus' injunctions and sayings can be used every step of the way.

There are two reasons why we must begin to invoke Jesus relentlessly in support of the liberal agenda.

First, it's legitimate. Jesus' philosophy is the underpinning of the Democratic Party philosophy.

Second, it WILL win back the rural and farm communities of the midwest who were ALWAYS Democrats before the abortion issue came along.

Jesus was a populist and a liberal. If we don't use that to our advantage in trying to win over the fundamentalists and evangelicals, we are nothing but elite, pompous, proud, foolish losers. When we do start using Jesus to our advantage, we can become the majority party again, and drown the Republicans for decades to come AND accomplish our agenda--the vast majority of which is supported by the true believers.

[Enraged_Ape]

42. Best post I've read in two days

You are absolutely right. We need, in particular, to bring Jesus back into the party in a big way, for all the reasons you stated and for another important one: because the Jesus touted by these neofascists is 180-degrees from the Jesus in the Bible. They've slandered and abused this poor guy for centuries--justifying bigotry, hatred, killing, and every kind of unimaginable atrocity in his name. It's seriously time we clear up the record on Jesus.

And it's not that hard to do. Most of the "true believers"' crazy bullshit (e.g., the Rapture) isn't even in the New Testament, and certainly not in the words of Jesus. It's time to start quoting Scripture better than they do to bring the motherfuckers down in encounter after encounter, instead of just trying to sweep the whole issue of Christianity under the table.

[oc2002]

51. Thats a good start.

The right wing 'uses' the religous groups as a goon squad on election day because they are easily manipulated.

Abortion, and Gay marriage was used as a proding stick, and it worked. Now the republicans will pay lip service to those groups and generaly ignore them. Throw them a few bones, like school vouchers, prayer in schools, .... bits and peices.

We will not win without some changes, thats clear. We need to clean house, but not sell our souls.

We are liberals, we just need to convince them that Christ was too!

[William Bloode]

25. Well as a proud Southener...

I'll tell ya one of the 1st things you have to down here. Ye'r gonna have to quit referring to folks in the south as rednecks, hillbillies, and racists. This attitude is/has been prevalent on this board, and i have sen the negative impact it had on my feelings towards the democratic party.

Sure there are racists and slack jawed rurals here, but you have them in every state. Yer gonna have to appeal to southerners as people,not refer to them as ignorant goat humpers.

Sometimes coming on and around here can be as insulting to a southerner it can be disparaging.

[Meshuga]

26. Fight and be an advocate for the people who are hurt by the Republicans

For instance, a great deal of hispanics vote Republican even when the Republican machine like to escapegoat them for immigration issues and crime. We need to make clear that blacks know that the Democrats are the ones who are going to fight to the bitter end for their issues to get them energized to go out and actually show up to vote.

We need to unite and not devide over issues. We need to reach a common ground within ourselves to work torwards a common ground with other democrats.

We need to be more effective and less idealistic. Not that we need to lose our ideals but we need to find a common ground to start the change process.

We need to be fierce opposition to the government not just for the sake of it but to fight for the rights of the people being hurt by the decisions.

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. The same way that the Republicans did it during Clinton's 2nd term.

We need our own Liberal media. And we need to keep demanding that Bush be held accountable for Plame, and Cheney needs to open up the information to those energy meetings. We have to keep drumming it over and over again until they figure out it won't go away.

Bush will do the rest. I don't for a minute believe that we'll go another month without him stirring up controversy.

[DemVIctory]

36. Divide and conquer

The fundies watch Fox news but are disgusted at regular Fox broadcasting's trash programming. Force fundie positions to be voted on by the repub congress. The non-fundie repugs will be forced to push the knuckledragging agenda or get the boot.
Bottom line is that if knuckledragging agenda is now the law- we win next time as those issues lose BIG TIME in popular support with America. Or if knuckedragging agenda is NOT the law, Robertson and the rest bolt the party! Either way we will win!!!!

[KittyWampus]

38. Put An End To Paperless E-Voting. It's That Simple

[H2O Man]

39. A couple thoughts ....

First, the effort to elect Kerry was actually well run in most ways, and we should not look at it as a complete failure. Obviously, we wish we had won, and we are concerned about the destructive nature of the Bush administration. But we should be very proud of the significant amount of hard work that democrats did, and think about how this can help us not only survive the next few years, but to take power.

The single most important thing is to focus on the grass roots level. The truth is that the Bush machine is better at campaigning than at being in power, because the republicans are organized on the grass roots level. That is where their structure begins. And so while it is important that we work towards the 2008 presidential election, we have many more urgent needs today. And these are in our neighborhoods and communities.

The greatest harm that the administration will do will be felt in your neighborhood and your community. That is where we need to focus our attention. Help to translate "community values" into the bread and butter issues that the general public understands: school taxes; the kid being sent to Iraq; the price of a gallon of gas, and a gallon of milk; the SuperFund Site that is not being cleaned up in your area; the price of college tuition; and the lack of jobs.

If we build our foundation, then we can move forward.

[0007]

40. Who are you? Why aren't you transparent with your profile?

[VaYallaDawg]

41. Stop being ashamed of the word "Liberal."

We all know that our beliefs about government are honorable and deserving of debate. We must find ways to communicate them in simple everyday language, just like the conservatives do.

[drdon326]

43. Agree.

n/t

[LTR]

46. Get our own voting machines

Seriously, get outside the big cities and communicate more effectively in Red Country.

Urban voters only go so far. We gotta hit the heartland.

[oc2002]

48. Many things need to change at the DNC.

TOP THREE PRIORITIES
1. Resignation of all top executive positions at the DNC.

2. Create a new leadership with a focus on progressive issues, create new platform of progressive issues, renew commitment to FDR ideals and a America as a beacon of real freedom to the world.

3. Create a media platform that is progressive, like Foxnews is to the right wing christian fundamentalist.

Thats for starters.

note. after the dust settles, we lost this election because of incompetance at the top of the Kerry campaign and the DNC in not realizing the polarization of the religous groups to the 'gay marriage' referendums on all battlegournd state ballots. This should of been neutralized at the start.

[annabanana]

49. START THE POPULIST RESTORATION!!

We have seen progressive ideas SHUT DOWN with cries of "class warfare". What has the entire corporate agenda been EXCEPT class warfare? This is how we get back the heartland. They have suffered horribly at the hands of the "free market radicals" and the disintegration of the manufacturing base. Multi-nationals have NO ALLEGIANCE to our Country OR our Ideals. They are amoral and are only accountable to the bottom line. (that is their job).

[oc2002]

50. one more thing, lets not overlook that 55 MILLION VOTED AGAINST the right.

Bush barely won re-election by the slimist margin since Wilson.

DNC and Kerry failed because the relied on new voters, first time voters and especialy niave to rely on young voters that they thought would show up to vote and didn't.

[in_cog_ni_to]

53. Get rid of electronic voting machines. Period.

We DID win. THEY stole the election. Want to win? Get rid of electronic voting machines. It's the ONLY way.

[twenty2strings]

54. we dont have to wait for legislation...

A simple way to diffuse the diebold controversy would be a grassroots campaign to only use absentee ballots. Make them work for it!:think:

[demokatgurrl]

55. Start using the Repubs strategy about 10 years too late

Get behind Democracy for America and support their candidates. They are starting as "low" as state representatives, trying to get progressive candidates elected. They also supported candidates for U.S. Congress, one of whom, Lois Murphy, came from nowhere to take 49% of the vote against an INCUMBENT.
Basically start small- run yourself if you are up to it. Even city council or township commissioner, or state representative. It will take time but we can "infiltrate" the government again.

[74dodgedart]

62. Bump

I agree. We need to turn out the vote for every election, not just the presidential cycle.

[ProfessorGAC]

56. Support The Liberal Base; Take Off The Kid Gloves

That's it. Fight fire with fire, and quit appealing to the easily swayed.

The middle is not as extensive as the Dems believe. It's there (it's not non-existent like Rove said), but not big enough to matter anymore.

Appeal to social justice issues from a clear and unamibiguous liberal perspective. Target fiscal responsibility from gov't and don't run and hide from the need to set tax rates at a level that keeps the gov't out of the deep red. Talk about the need to do the right thing for the greatest numbers of people and don't apologize for it.

Then, talk off the gloves and start calling the repubs the names they deserve. Ask THEM why they hate america. Ask THEM why they don't respect the military. (Send people to war and cut vet benefits? Question the navy's ability to sort out which heroes deserve medals? Liberals didn't do either of those things.)

Ask them why they think so little of the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution.

Ask them why they are such scared little children. Ask them why we weren't this scared when the USSR had a gazillion kilotons of nukes pointed at us. Ask them why we didn't feel a need to go to war over the potential threat of those nukes, but in the end claimed VICTORY! Apparently, one does NOT need to go to war pre-emptively, because we didn't do it in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, or 90's, and THEY claimed victory over communism So, we ask them what they are so afraid of.

The outing of the lack of courage and conviction of the bushbots needs to be firefight #1. There is zero doubt in my mind that he got a majority because they are too many weenies. We need to make them realize that they are scared little rabbits and that the fear is unfounded. (I live in a small city on the fringes of a metro area. I KNOW i'm in no danger from terrorist attack. No fear. And even if i'm wrong, what does who i vote for have to do with it?)

More critically, we need to start adjusting the language to make conservative, Christian Right, deficit spending, into DIRTY WORDS. I've had it. No more nice guy. Let's start kicking some tail.
The Professor

[democratreformed]

58. Target particular groups with sufficient numbers to help us win.

That's what "they" did. I can't believe that I didn't get the connection sooner. I remember when they first started the "faith-based" programs that I was angry b/c the churches (I believed) would be gaining too much power. I should have realized that this program is what formed the backbone of their strategy starting four years ago. And it worked for them like a charm.

Ministers in churches everywhere were able to convince folks that killing innocent people is okay and that what really matters is that we keep Americans from "sinking in sin". Somehow, it matters not what we, as a country do, but only what each individual citizen does.

We, as Democrats, were not effective in pointing out the hypocrisy.

[74dodgedart]

60. Don't lose sight of what is important.

The goal is to win the issues. We want solutions to healthcare, Education, Social Security, Budget deficits, etc..

We have enough numbers to pull the country to the left regardless of Bush\Rush\Fox..

Turn out the vote for local and state elections and join like-minded organizations.

[Mr Creosote]

63. An English perspective.

1. Stop bleating about how this election was "stolen". Nearly 60 million of your fellow Americans voted for an evil cretin yesterday, another what, 80 million?, couldn't be bothered to get off their backsides and vote against him. They may have fought a dirty and consistently dishonest campaign but they didn't steal it in the polling booths.
2. Don't change your policies. After 1992 "New" Labour decided that the way to beat the Tories was to become Tories. I'd rather you lost every election from now until the end of time than become some slick version of the Republicans.
3. Doing nothing MIGHT be enough but can the world take a chance? Bush may have gained a lot of votes this week, but he didn't gain one brain cell, or one ounce of compassion, his regime didn't suddenly become competant. Another four years of fuck-ups might be enough to convince enough waverers.
4. Osama will help. When the next terrorist attack comes, and it will, no-one will feel safe with Dubya.
5. The free world will help. Do you think Blair will support a war on Iran, or Syria - not a chance. He must have thought he'd dodged a bullet when those exit polls came in, no way will he dig himself in deeper. And is everyone else now going to come on side. No. Everyone REALLY hates the US now.
6. Be yourselves. Your policies were right - but you fought the wrong battle. This shouldn't have been about personality - it's easy to lie about John Kerry's war record, or about John Edwards's attendance record. The repugs can't lie to someone whose lost his job, or whose son was blown uo in Baghdad.
7. Get the candidate right. If a majority of your compatriots want someone they can have a beer with give them John Edwards - he's a good man too. Don't pick Hillary - the personal dirt they'd make up about her would destroy your chances.

[roseBudd]

64. Fight dirty

Republicans fight dirty. We need a return to machine politics.

Dems/Progressives are too ethical.

In Ohio our Election Protection volunteers were stationed in front of polling places waiting for challengers that never materialized. All around these precincts were the unlikely low income voters we should have been acosting. The voter registration drives had gtten people registered, but that did not change the fact that they were unlikely voters. We should have been pleading, bribing, doing whatever it took to get every extra vote we could possibly get from the homeless, the alcoholics, the dope boys, the welfare moms.

The GOP created hatred for John Kerry. Though we certainly hate Bush, we failed to use ridicule and mockery in our GOTV efforts. The GOP just showed us how effective that tactic is.

Our volunteer GOTV efforts were staffed by mostly white middle-aged/middle class people. Our paid GOTV staffers were mostly young white liberals.

We should have identified the persons to know in each low income community, even if that person is a thug and worked from there.

The GOP dirty tricks included rumor and innuendo. They suggested Dems would ban the bible. We should have suggested that the GOP is going to slash all spending for social programs AND do away with public schools. Of course 18-34 year olds thik the privatazation of social security sounds like a good idea. They have no idea that the transition costs make it unfeasible with the current deficit.

Other dirty tricks Ohio voters received were mailings that used push poll questions, dastardly mailings that featured partial birth abortion and minors getting abortions as Kerry issues he favors.