The real reason there are so many threads about alleged "Progressive vote suppression"

[Savannahmann]

44. I have no problem with women's equality

I have a problem with that being the one single issue we are campaigning on. I read an article which asserted that sixty percent of the ad buys by the Democratic Party involved the War on Women meme. That would be about appropriate, if it was the one issue facing this nation.

I categorized it as a Niche issue and clearly said that I didn't consider it unimportant, but that polling indicated it was not the most important issue according to respondents.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1675/most-important-problem.aspx

I'm not making these things up. This is what people say is the most important issues facing the nation when they are asked.

Wage issues could cover a lot of territory, but even if we toss in minimum wage and unequal pay, 4% of the people said that it was the most important issue.

If you want to be elected, you have to embrace some issues that the public at large thinks is the most important. You have to embrace some of the populist idealism that resonates out there. By focusing on one issue, just one, all the others feel like they are being ignored. Now, how do you ask them to turn out and vote for the politician who is ignoring them?

Let me give you another niche example. Let's say I am a politician, and I'm running for office. Polling indicates that majorities support legalizing Marijuana. This wouldn't affect me, because I'm allergic to Marijuana. But I recognize that the majority would support it. So I support it to show them that I agree with the majority on the issue. It cost me nothing, gains me some tacit support and show the majority that I am in tune with their thinking on other issues. Gains, more support. Negative, the Conservatives who were not going to vote for me anyway, won't vote for me.

But if that is all I am running on, I'm screwed. Because the economy is being ignored, and that collectively is the largest single issue in the poll I posted above. I'm also not addressing other issues. I'm a single issue niche politician with my legalize weed platform. I'm going to lose the election. When the Democratic Party focus' on only one issue, they make themselves a single issue party, and that loses them votes. Additionally, the constant reiteration of the War on Women phrase causes the phrase to lose it's impact.

I'm not saying it's an issue we should ignore. I am saying it is an issue we should incorporate into a broader message. We aren't doing that, and we're suffering because of that. I hope that I have explained it better this time.