Do Dems See the Golden Opportunity That's Sitting on Their Doorstep?

[DemocracyInaction]

You know how there is always a mighty brigade of Dems who scream that we have to reach out and embrace moderate Republicans??---well, do our Congressional Dems see that there is a big, gift-wrapped package being handed them (or will they not recognize it)?

There is one issue on Bush's agenda that is attacting a mob of Repbulican voters (some not so moderate even) to the Dem's side---the Social Security fight. All news articles I have read show an increasing panic among the Repbulicans on the issue (Hassert even having to tell Bush to shut up and be vague). Point blank: If we can not absolutely dominate on this issue with all this Repub voter supporter, there is no way in hell we are going to 'win them over' with some idiotic campaign speech in the future. The time is NOW. In fact, we could set up a bit of a trend if we play the cards right.

This is going to rquire the Dems not just opposing Bush on the issue but swinging into ultra dramatic mode as if they were saddling up to ride to the Crusades!!! ...make the propaganda media cover it by making a din!! If then what I read here at DU is on the agenda for Bush's tax reform (eliminating deducting interest payments on house mortgage's; taking away tax breaks for companies to offer health insurance to employees, etc.), a whole bunch of republican voters (like overextended yuppies and their new McMansions)could very easily run to embrace the Dems to fight back at Bush because of how they fought him before. If we don't make a big public show on the SS matter, then these repub voters will not even think of turning to the Dems for help.

If we want to reach into the repub voter ranks, this is NOT the time for playing compromise with Bush. They will come if we stand up strong for these voters who are starting to scare their own party.

[Bluzmann57]

1. Right you are

Now you, and others, need to contact our Representatives, Senators, and the DNC to inform them that we will not go away quietly. I recently contacted Nussle, the Representative from Iowa's first district, and he seems to disagree with bush's stance to some extent. Now if a guy like Nussle disagrees, then you know the repubs are running scared. As you said, the time to pounce is right now.

[calimary]

4. Kick!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. We have to tie EVERY Republican to it.

Any Republican that has ever stumped for or had a picture taken with Bush must be tied to this Social Security debacle. No quarter shall be given.

[calimary]

3. Well, if they don't act on it, WE certainly should. HERE'S HOW:

I posted this in another thread: PLEASE read and seriously consider. DemocracyInaction is correct - this is being handed to us on a plate. And if we DON'T take every advantage of it, we deserve the continuing defeats we're going to get.

NOW is the time to start driving a HUGE, and VERY PERMANENT wedge between these voters and the republi-CON party. The Bad Guys may just have overreached, folks. SEIZE THE TIME!!!!!!

What we need to do now is a little bit of ACTING (why not? It's Oscar season!) when we encounter people like this. VERY VERY gently and as non-judgmentally as you can, murmur something brief and discouraging about this - like maybe: (shaking your head in sorrow, with an audible sigh) "I guess that's what happens when we vote Republican..." Or "Yeah... (sigh, shaking head) I trusted those Republicans too."

It may be MOST shrewd to make like you're one of THEM, you trusted the jackals and you're now getting screwed, too. PLANT THE SEED. PLANT THE SEED. PLANT THE SEED. PLANT THE SEED. PLANT THE SEED. And POISON THE WELL.

As with most seeds, you don't have to stick them too far down in the dirt. Just a little water and the right fertilizer and they'll take root by themselves. Just ONE little one-liner like this can get them thinking, and give kkkarl rove and ed gillespie and ken mehlman some never-ending nightmares.

What you'll be doing is souring potential voters on wanting to vote republi-CON EVER EVER EVER EVER again.

We HAVE to start equating voting Republican with NEGATIVE FEELINGS, CONCEPTS, AND VIBES: feelings of discouragement, being lied to, being bait-n-switched, being sold a load of snake oil, betrayal (THAT is a big one), being screwed - and BEING SCREWED BY SOMEONE YOU TRUSTED, being preyed upon and picked clean so the have's can become have more's.

This is how they poisoned the well with the word "liberal." TIME TO TURN THE TABLES, guys. Especially when the truth is on OUR side, and when so many of us tried so desperately hard to warn them.

NO "I TOLD YOU SO'S" of ANY SORT!!!!!!!! Okay? This has to be done delicately.

Because what we need to do is start reversing the march farther and farther toward the wrong wing. We want to make it damn near unthinkable to vote republi-CON. We want to foster such a bad taste in "the heartland's" mouths that the instinct becomes inbred - "Man, I'll NEVER make THAT mistake again!"

Leave bush out of it. Leave Clinton out of it. Just promote the concept that "Republican" = BAD. POISON THE WELL.

This is a golden - no, make that PLATINUM, ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME opportunity, guys. We can start turning this mess around. We can make it bad, unwise, ill-advised, stupid, even uncool, to vote republi-CON. That will tip more and more voters back toward the Democrats for maybe a generation or two.

POISON THE WELL.

[E_Smith]

5. sneaky... but

wouldn't it be more fun to say "you suckers! i told you so."

[calimary]

10. Well, of course it would! But this is war - a war in which WE really CAN

win hearts and minds. What we don't want to do is stick it in and twist it when these people are already hurting. We just want to help them focus on WHY they're hurting. We want to encourage their hurt, their anguish, their pain, their feelings of betrayal, to work for them (and for us). We just need to lead them gently to water. They will then drink.

But if they're hurting and we just make them hurt more, they'll go with knee-jerk reaction and just lash out back at us, and not at the real problem.

A little psychology. A gentle touch. "I Told You So's", MUCH as they're richly deserved (this from one who is trying DESPERATELY to find some tiny grain or fiber or sub-atomic particle of sympathy for these bush-supporters, now that they're realizing their support is merely digging them a nice grave), tend to backfire.

The gentle touch. Less is more. Plant a seed. Plant a tiny acorn. Watch it grow into a mighty oak.

But YES I FULLY understand the "you made your bed, suckers, you deserve to lie in it" attitude here. I own one of those, myself. I'm just keeping it bound and gagged over there in the corner for awhile.

[GOPBasher]

6. You're right. SS is a winning issue for us. n/t

[CWebster]

7. Don't count on Nancy Pelosi

with her "hold your fire" orders.

I swear, that silly woman only comes across as apologetic.

[realFedUp]

8. I agree...let's see more news stories with Dems speaking up

I really hate reading the copy editor's headlines
every morning in the LA Times just taking steno
from the boys in the backroom of the White House.

It's time for a full on push.

[TheDonkey]

9. Yep this SS nightmare is singing to be xploited by Dems

I can see us start taking seats in congress on this issue alone.

The plan is not good at all (even though I was intrested at first), is very confusing, convoluted, and would require even more government intervention in our business!!! Sounds to me like a dud of a campaign promise for the pukes.