Serious question - can we win in 2008...stay with me for a second.

[SunDrop23]

In my novice political mind, I see the biggest challenge is convincing people there is a difference between being "soft" on defense and being "smart" on defense. I'm reminded of this daily here in a red county in a red state where I encounter people who seriously think we should nuke Iraq and follow suit by killing every Muslim we can.

No I am not making this up.

These people just don't get it. They really and truly think the troops in Iraq are "protecting our freedom," just as they really and truly think the GOP is the only party that will defend our county.

I am dumbfounded and frustrated and 2007 isn't even here yet, much less 2008...

[Monkeyman]

1. They are our biggest danger non-informed people

[SunDrop23]

2. Not only non-informed, but unwilling to learn the facts.

[billbuckhead]

3. That's why Wes Clark is our best candidate

First in his class at west point

[illinoisprogressive]

4. You have the chest beaters and the regular people

Chestbeaters are usually chickhawks. guys who never served and feel guilty so they get thier manhood by proxy. Through the kids they send to war to make them feel like real men. For them it's all about war and war and acting like a bunch of fools to feel like men.
The reg. people are not that way. There was a lust for revenge after 9-11 and too quick to believe the garbage. But, now they are looking around and know they made a mistake. These are the people who voted the gop out of congress and right now the republicans are in the dog house.

[babylonsister]

5. The polls indicate the majority of Americans don't feel that way.

Support for this war is down to what, 12%? But I am sorry you have to deal with the ignorance.
And a lot hinges on what happens in 2007 before we know what 2008 holds.

[Vincardog]

6. Just make surer the kool aid drinkers are watching the investigations starting in January.

Be sure to ask them if they saw the latest evil to bubble to the surface every day.
That GOP is the friend of the troops is flat out Bull Shit.
Ask them to explain how the GOP is cutting Vets benefits and why they refuse to pay the troops a living wage; while their corporate insider friends rake in millions and Billions serving our troops bad food and putrid watter.

[Monkeyman]

10. Yep and calling PTSD ---PD so they don't have to pay

[MethuenProgressive]

7. Gore-Clark '08

It's time to return dignity and strength to the White House.

[lojasmo]

13. Gore clarkE, perhaps.

Clark is clearly in Clinton's camp.

[DaveJ]

8. My family is Republican

So I can say with confidence that if Democrats want respect they actually have to DO SOMETHING. Iraq is a mess. We already know that. Bush and ALL Republicans have been punished for it. What do Dems need to do to keep Repukes from gaining control again? SOMETHING! If Democrats want respect, how about actually doing something about domestic issues... health-care, corporate exploitation, political corruption, income inequality, etc., instead of just talking about it.

Really since November I've heard little talk of solving these issues. Please (Dem politicians) do SOMETHING so I don't look like a fool to my family.

[LiberalFighter]

12. They have to do more than just do something....

They have to make sure that the American people see and hear them do something.

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. Wes Clark breaks through to a lot of folks like that

His web site is even called "Securing America", but Clark's views are progressive. The fact that Clark is a retired 4 Star General lets a lot of Republican leaners relax enough to hear what he is saying rather than simply assuming he wants to sell out America's safety. Try steering some of the people you are talking about to Clark's site and see if that helps:

http://securingamerica.com/

[MasterDarkNinja]

11. The dems need to campaign hard in 08 that Repukes make america less safe

I agree with you that it's a problem that the republicans were able to make the public think they were strong on homeland security and that democrats were threats to it. Part of the reason for that is that the democrats offered up almost no real defense to issue (that I can remember anyway). In 08 the democrats need to use that strategy against the republicans, and show how the republicans have made America far less safe then the democrats. There's a number of things that they could use against the repukes. Off the top of my head here's a list of things they could use.

-The intelligence community say Iraq has made us less safe from terrorism
-Iraq has become a rallying point for terrorists that they can use to recruit more terrorists
-Many Muslims view Bush's war on terror as a war on Islam instead, which shows that he's making them not trust us
-Republicans posted nuclear weapon blueprints on the Internet, which brings terrorists far closer to getting their hands on nuclear weapons then anything
-Selling our nation's ports to an Arab company that was suspected of having ties to terrorist groups (though I honestly didn't really have a problem with it myself, but a lot of America sure did)

And I'm sure that I'm forgeting a number of other times the republicans have made us less safe.