Are the Democrats making a mistake by focusing too much on Bush and...

[kentuck]

not enough on the Republican opposition in the House and Senate? After all, Bush will be gone. At this time, according to most of the polls, Bush is very low in public approval. The trick is to tie the Republican Party, the Senate and the House, to Bush. And not to focus entirely on the Chimp. Will the Democrats see this in time to use against the Republicans in the upcoming races?

[Telly Savalas]

1. Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

[Telly Savalas]

2. Furthermore,

yes.

[corkhead]

3. I am having to remind Dems I know about '06

they are only thinking about '08. We have the opportunity for a SEA CHANGE in Washington, the mirror image of '94 if we figure out how to take advantage of it.

Our problem; the Repugs can herd their constituents like sheep, and Dems can herd theirs like cats.

[Telly Savalas]

4. And if I may add, the attack shouldn't just be aimed at the GOP,

but conservative ideology in general.

During the 90's cats like Limbaugh and Gingrich conducted an effective PR campaign which turned "liberal" into a dirty word. Not nearly enough has been done in the last 5 years to counteract this. Pointing out examples of Republican incompetence might give an opening for conservative Democrats to succeed, but so long as we don't challenge rightwing assumptions, we're never going to make any real progress in this country.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

20. We need to start saying "conservative" with a sneer

Our people need to say of Republican officials "He's too conservative" or "He's a right-wing loony" to get that idea implanted in the public's heads. Or how about, "He's a selfish, hard-hearted reactionary"?

[kentuck]

5. From the past, we know they will lie about everything...

the economy, the war, jobs, Social Security, etc...


We simply need to dispute them. "It's not true" statement is better than nothing at all.

[Mist]

16. How about the Dems do a rip-off of Reagan's line:

"There you go again!" Then present the facts. Using a Rethug tactic like that would have the added benefit of stumping them for a bit, so the FACTS could be presented.

[kentuck]

17. That would work..

Something short and simple that says they are full of shit.

[xchrom]

6. two different tacts here.

opposition to bush rallys support for opposition in the house and senate.
it also provides a great deal of built in publicity that you couldn't buy.

secondly -- crimes were committed to get bush in the white house to begin with -- and dems should never stop pursuing the repukes on that front.
if there is an opportunity to make them pay legally for their crimes -- then that is what they should do.

[madfloridian]

7. I don't really see that. I see that we are working toward 06.

I agree that here at DU there is a lot of concentration on 08, but locally there is not at all.

If you go to the DNC site there are a lot of posts about various other GOP and their weaknesses. In the blog, under the Local section, and lots about Roberts.

I know that locally our Democrats have formed city groups to try and run candidates for commissions....so far DFA and DEC are pretty cooperative together there at a local level. We do differ on state level.

I think DUers do tend to concentrate on 08 too much.

[quiet.american]

8. The Democratic leadership *is* focusing on the House and Senate

I didn't think it possible, but Chuck Schumer at the DSCC is winning me over with his bulldog mentality towards beating the crap out of the Republicans in 2006 -- you gotta check out this map, put your cursor over the red states -- it speaks directly to your point about Democrats calling attention to the corrupt Repubs in the House and Senate:

http://dscc.org/2006races/

http://dscc.org/

Also, Howard Dean's "50-state strategy" is also focused on winning back the House and Senate, not by focusing primarily on Bush, but by focusing on challenging the abuse-of-power Republicans on every level from local city council to the House and Senate right where they live.

Lastly, in emails I receive from Barbara Boxer, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and others, they always reference what the abuse-of-power Repug reps are up to, and how they're working to keep them in check.

Right now, I say we have the best of both worlds. Bush is being hoisted by his own petard, Republicans are seeing the writing on the wall and are already losing sleep over how this will play out in their own elections, and in the background, the DNC and DSCC are working non-stop to level the playing field.

Is there room for improvement? I'll agree with you on that -- but I'll also give credit where credit's due. :)

[kentuck]

9. I guess I haven't heard many of these attacks on Republicans...

Mostly just Bush? Maybe we need to get on the same page?

[quiet.american]

11. Not a bad idea. :) n/t

[Toots]

15. Well Santorum is catching a bit now and then but he is being targeted

I agree that we should be tarring the whole damn GOP as one like minded wrong headed entity that is suffering from arrested development. It is time for the Adults to step forward and put America back on a path to Peace and Prosperity.

[Stevepol]

10. The trick is to get a fair vote count, which isn't possible in a faux

democracy like we have. If we had real votes to count and audit and recount we could have a real democracy. We don't, so we can't.

The most important activism we can engage in is aimed at restoring our democracy by getting a fair vote count.

See the Forum 2004 Election Results and Discussion for more ideas about activism.

[kentuck]

12. Isn't the hidden danger in this is that people will simply not vote ?

Believing that it doesn't really matter? It is all fixed anyway, so why bother? Do you believe that?

[Vogon_Glory]

Gee Dubya Is A Symptom Of A Bigger Disease

Gee Dubya is a symptom of a larger disease. My fear is that if progressives personalize the nation's problems with that--man--in the White House, it'll make it that much easier for the Republican-controlled House and Senate to escape accountability and for the Rethugs to re-brand their next candidate as an "I'm-not-George-Bush!" Republican.

[ClassWarrior]

14. Nope. Bush**'s slime will stain them all.

Remember Nixon?

NGU.

[kentuck]

19. Then how do you explain the Repubs winning in 2002 when...

it was expected the Democrats would do much better in the House and Senate? I think you have to challenge each of these assholes individually for their connection to Bush and the mess we are presently in.

[ClassWarrior]

21. That was then. This is now.

(Wasn't that a song by "The New Monkees"??)

NGU.

[kentuck]

18. Bingo !

That is exactly what will happen if we do not change our direction and start attacking the Republican Party as a whole. They have screwed our country. It is "they" that have us in the mess with the huge deficits. It is "they" that have us in a mess in Iraq. It is "they" that have threatened Social Security with their fiscal and tax policies. After all, we were in a surplus when they took control in 2000 and were not having to borrow from the SS fund.

[photuris]

24. They also "Don't Care"

They "Don't Care" to hold the administration responsible for its lies.
They "Don't Care" about gas prices.
They "Don't Care" about Osama bin Laden.
They "Don't Care" about the mounting death toll in Iraq.


That "Don't Care" bit down in Crawford certainly could come in handy I think.

[newyawker99]

26. Hi photuris!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ClassWarrior]

13. Taking down the Bush** Adminstration is just the first step in...

...taking down the entire corrupt Republicon Party.

NGU.

[Booster]

22. I talked to my aunt last night who's 78 yrs old and she found out

that her government loan for her house was sold. When she called to ask a question she got someone in India and she is livid. She's voted Repug all her life, but says never again so we got one more on our side, plus her husband & daughter will vote as she says. ha

[kentuck]

23. I think many people feel that way but...

they need a little nudge...Just like Joe Scarborough if he runs for the Senate in Florida. He will probably win...unless we can portray the Republican Party as unacceptable to govern.

[Dawgs]

25. No...

Look what happened in Ohio's 2nd district.

[BluGrl]

27. It will all be for not if we don't.....

come up with an appealing message first! As Springer said this morning, running on the idea that "we aren't republicans" isn't working! Give the voters something to vote for...then drive it home with the pubs are scum.

[leesa]

28. We need to focus on all the GOP corruption....collect all the names

of those under indictment and keep pounding them in the media.