I think "progressive" should be the Democratic buzzword.

[elperromagico]

"Progressive" should be regarded by us the same way "compassionate conservative" is regarded by the Republicans. The word "liberal" has been tainted, I think, beyond all repair. "Progressive" hasn't been.

We are progressive. They are regressive. We want to move forward. They want to move backward.

They are borrow-and-spend, cheap labor conservatives. They want to take your job and give it to a 12 year old working in a sweatshop in Indonesia. They want to take your Social Security and gamble with it - even though it isn't theirs.

And they want to send your children to fight and die in wars in faraway lands, while the man who attacked us sits and laughs at us.

We have to trash them the way they have - successfully, I'm sorry to say - trashed us.

I think we have to go the populist, progressive angle if we're going to win in '06 and '08.

Other opinions?

[wickywom]

1. I agree and have been using it more myself.

[Dem Agog]

2. Progressive and Democracy!

We should be using those everywhere. "Support our Democracy" "Progressive Thinking" "Progressive Ideals" "Democratic Ideals".

Our party was given the best name, we need to emphasize it along with progressive, I agree. I love that word.

[shaolinmonkey]

3. I think that's a good approach. Since they've demonized "liberal".

It would be hard for them to argue against "progress". But, then again, theirs is a faith-based reality. >:(

[patrice]

4. Your post is going into my language file.

Agreed.

We talked about language issues last night at our Democracy for America meeting. I will make this proposal next month.

We all agreed, NO INSULTS, just repeat, repeat, repeat . . . the hard facts, and no more moderates.

[ClassWarrior]

13. Don't depend too heavily on "hard facts"...

We need to frame those facts to help folks relate to them. Read George Lakoff's "Don't Think of an Elephant." It explains it much better than I could here.

(Are you in Milwaukee, by the way? I was thinking of attending a DFA meeting here last night, but couldn't.)

NGU.

[elperromagico]

17. Broad strokes. Always broad strokes.

We lost this election in large part because we didn't connect at all with rural voters. These voters feel that we look down on them. We've got to connect to them - simple language, broad ideas. Standardized talking points.

Republicans have learned how to win and win big. We can coopt their methods - but we'll be smarter about it. And we will win.

[ClassWarrior]

20. And we need to stop thinking of rural voters as STUPID!!

They're not stupid - they're overworked and under-informed. When we call them stupid, we play right into the Radical RW's script that we're "elitists."

NGU.

[elperromagico]

22. That's exactly right. As I said, they think we look down on them.

The Republicans talk to them in ways that they can relate to. We need to do the same - all the time telling the truth.

[patrice]

26. Thanks for the tip. Kansas City.

We talked about the need for year-round work, including local candidates and low-level but regular canvassing.

DFA is very "professional". I'm around a lot of groups, and I respect them about the most.

[snacker]

5. And I think we should ALWAYS refer to Republicans

as the Radical Right.

[LuminousX]

12. Regressive Right

also use the terms 'dangerous' 'mean-spirited' 'tunnel vision' 'short-sighted' and 'uncooperative' when referring to the Right.

[ClassWarrior]

14. Radical right wing.

See this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2589462&mesg_id=2589462&page=

NGU.

[Wat_Tyler]

6. Agreed. It's a useful catch-all. It means something to us

and has no possible negatives for others.

[GoBlue]

7. Wholeheartedly agree, and we should always refer to them as....

Regressives.

[elperromagico]

11. Regressives. And backwards thinkers. n/t

[LuminousX]

15. I say avoid the word 'thinkers' in any adjectives

It sounds like an attempted insult instead of a descriptive label.

[elperromagico]

19. "Backwards" is likely sufficient.

[mcg]

8. "borrow-and-spend"

good wording, and true, even non-defense discretionary spending went up, while poverty also went up.

[ClassWarrior]

9. That's right. George Lakoff makes this point.

Did you read "Don't Think of an Elephant" by him? If not, you should. It's eye-opening.

NGU.

[LuminousX]

10. Progressive and Regressive

That is how we must approach our issues.

Alternative energy is progressive. Reliance on oil is regressive.

Healthcare for all citizens is progressive. Healthcare for those who can afford it is regressive.

Federally controlled federal elections is progressive. Locally controlled federal elections is regressive.

Expanding rights is progressive. Denying rights is regressive.

[atommom]

16. I agree. They've stomped all over our old "L" word

and "Progressive" has a more positive sound now.

[Paxdora]

18. I agree completely...

I've been interchanging 'progressive' for 'liberal for at least 4 years (since the *turds first grabbed power). Sometimes I say progressive-liberal to separate myself from 'centrist' liberals, depending on the conversation.

[nonconformist]

21. Agreed!

It makes me sad what they've done to the word 'liberal', since I embrace it and make no apologies for using it. But they've bastardized the definition of it so much I sadly concur - the taint is irreparable.

I see far too many well-meaning people on our side preface their points by saying things like "the republicans have some good ideas, but.." or other self-defeating statements. It's in our nature - we see things from different directions, we're open-minded, thoughtful and respectful.

It's getting us nowhere but our faces held in the mud.

They set the tone. Gloves are off. We need to demonize everything they stand for and every word they use to describe themselves.

'faith-based initiatives' is a scary term to atheists and to anyone who is not christian, but the right loves that term because it makes them look all moral (which they're clearly not) and people buy it. We need to slander it to the point where it even makes religious people stop and pause, just like they do with terms we use for our policies. We need to redefine it, or really properly define it, at every opportunity. 'fascist-theocratic ideology' is a good substitution. There is another thread here about the term "moral values" being used as rationalization for Bush votes.

Slander, slander, slander. I'm not above it. None of us should be. The high road, the 'better man' tactic is not only getting us nowhere, it's destroying us.

[elperromagico]

24. Yes. We ran a good man, an intelligent man, an honorable man,

and the Republicans painted him as a liberal elitist. And it stuck.

And I also want to point out something, somewhat unrelated to your post. I am not arguing that we become Republicans - I am arguing that we coopt their winning techniques, with one minor adjustment: We tell the truth.

[OneBlueSky]

23. progressive and populist . . .

we need to connect to the average working person . . . we KNOW that the Democrats are, and have always been, the party of the working class . . . in the past several elections, we've been afraid to articulate this for fear of being accused of engaging in "class warfare" . . . well, I got news for ya . . . there IS class warfare in this country, and it's the product of Republican policies and Republican language . . . we need to be progressive AND populist, i.e. a forward looking party protecting the interests of the working class (defined loosely as anyone who works for wages or salaries that don't include stock options) . . .

[LuminousX]

25. Seeking our populist roots

We can no longer disparage the rural voter. We need to get out there and talk with them, learn what issues they truly care about, and educate them on all the core issues that they may not realize are affecting their lives.

These are busy people who don't believe they have time to read various news sources, to discuss issues in depth. Front page news and 30 minute of news a night is maybe all they get.

[patrice]

27. I want to say, "EXCELLENT thread All!"

This is a productive discussion. That's important among the reasons I come to the DU in the first place.

It reveals some of the uses of this technology in the struggle we face.

Power to the People!

[elperromagico]

28. Kick.