2006/2008 - what are the issues we want to run on, and our message

[The Straight Story]

and how do we sell it to people and get them to vote for those issues?

It does not matter at this point the candidates, I am more thinking about party and message as a whole - which to me will help define the candidates themselves and how they must run (ie, if we suceed in getting the ideals into the minds of the voters and they want them, then the candidates will pick them up and run on them).

Recap:
1. Issue(s)
2. Method of explaining it and why people should want it
3. How the issue helps them and the country

We can run against things (like * and such) but I am hoping we have a more clear message in the future of what we are running for and how it relates to the voter.

[flaminbats]

1. impeach Bush and throw out the incumbents..

1) The issue will be the Republicans and how they use our tax dollars, wealthy donors, and the law for their personal benefit.

2) method..bring back Harry and Louise.

3) It helps the country by holding government officials to a high moral standard. How many members of Congress see themselves as Government officials, how many see themselves as individuals crusading against the same government which they control?

[RafterMan]

2. My triad -- Security, Energy, Debt

These three issues are existential -- how they are managed is the difference between first and third world status. Right now, they are pushing each other into a negative feedback loop -- if we don't get that turning the other way, nothing else really matters. I think most Americans have an intuitive understanding of these relationships, but they just don't believe the Democrats will fix the problems.

Many other things Democrats like (peace, environment, tax reform) fall out of these issues as natural byproducts. Kerry talked about these issues piecemeal, but was never able present them as an integrated solution to a many-faceted crisis. This left his arguments looking more like a cafeteria plan than a vision. I say present the vision, worry less about the individual plans.

[purduejake]

3. Issues...

1) Equal rights for EVERYBODY, jobs, debt, plan for peace, and the environment.
2) Confront the Repukes and call their evil deeds out! Get educated about what is actually going on and take the facts to the media whenever possible. Start groups that help the community and use it to bring positive publicity.
3) These things affect everybody and their mother. It's in our own interest.

[Dark]

4. My thoughts

1. Issues:

-Economic Issues:

-National debt. Kerry should have hammered this one, and the seventeen cents out of every dollar lost because of it. He should have also promised to increase the tax cuts for ALL americans, with a focus on the middle class, and a light gift to the rich.

-Death of the Dollar. We also need to emphasize the importance of a healthy currency.

-Cheap labor conservatives: This is useless terminology. It should be dropped immediately before it spreads amongst too many liberals. It requires an indepth explanation of conservatives' policies, and has no ring to it. I prefer the term 'Borrow-and-Spend Conservatives'. It parallels the 'tax and spend liberals' but for true financial conservatives, it is a haunting phrase. And it requires little explanation, with record national debts under Bush after record surpluses under Clinton.

-Prescription Drug plan: We need to propose a SIMPLE and CLEAR plan to provide Americans, especially seniors, with drugs. This would help us achieve so much more of the seniors' votes. Also, Kerry's plan was complex and had too many unanswered questions.

-Social Issues:

-First of all, despite what conservatives say, WE WILL NEVER TAKE THE SOUTH. I do not understand why so many liberals think that we need to take the south to win. We need to take border states, such as OHIO, FLORIDA, and IOWA. These states would give us a win. And we can take them, if we stop letting the conservatives bully us in these states.

-Secondly, abortion and gay marriage may lose us some votes, but it gains the democrats so many more. If the far left liberals thought the Dems were becoming pro-life, many would back out of the party. We have to support these issues. It CAN be done.

-The War in Iraq.

-Repeat: 'There were no weapons of Mass Destruction.' That WAS the reason given for invading Iraq. That Saddam was threatening US with WMD's. Hammer this point home. If they say 'We went to Iraq to liberate the Iraqis.' Spit back at them, "That's not what Colin Powell told the UN when he was trying to get their support. All he talked about was the WMD's."

[flaminbats]

6. peace and prosperity..

Your thoughts sound great, if we wish to divide the party. Kerry's healthcare plan may have been complex, but he wouldn't of won my vote by only running on a Republican-lite Prescription Drug plan.

Nationally we need to make the Republican Congress and Bush our central theme. Let the Congressional candidates chose other issues locally. Its the economy stupid..and don't forget the war.

[annabanana]

9. um...Dems ARE "pro-life" Repugs are pro-fetus, or just pro-birth....

(your meme is showing)

[progressiveright]

5. plan

is to be a real opposition party, challenge DeLay, redistricting, social security.

republicans have done very well in framing the issues, there are more people that identify themselves as conservatives than those that call themselves liberals. with expansion of government, deficit, we can attack them from the right, and champion pay-as-you-go system that will define democrats as party of fiscal responsibility once and for all. we have to frame our issues in terms most people can relate to - for example, fight for capitalism by stopping deregulation, monopolizing of industries by corporations, corruption and business crimes.
i wrote the whole bunch of stuff about it in this post:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1502632

[votedem]

8. Election Reform

Good thought on the redistricting. Forgot that.

Also, Election Day Registration, and the Election Day Holiday that Presidents Ford and Carter proposed and support.

Our troops are dying "for an Iraqi election". Shouldn't AMERICANS have access to voting, too? Call them on hypocrisy here. Get militant. They get all huffy and puffy when we question Iraq? Well, it's difficult to believe you, Mr. Republican, when you don't support AMERICAN ELECTIONS.

[votedem]

7. 123: Freedom, Safety, Economy

I think we should run on their territory. Leave no reason for any voter to vote for them.

1) The republicans have said a bill requiring paper trails will "NEVER" (Tom Delay) come to a vote. Why do you hate freedom, republicans? Why do you hate elections, republicans?

2) Republicans abandoned the world's cooperative effort to eliminate Al-Qaeda and their networks, to INSTEAD go launch an unrelated all-out war to remake the world, starting with: Iraq?? Expose PNAC. Democracy does not come out of the barrel of a gun. It comes from the people.

3) Republicans: this is not the same party you once voted for. Spending is out of control. The deficit and debt are going to become dangerous. Ownership society = Ownership of American society by China. Give aways to the rich suits, republican business as per usual.

The rest of the issues, by and large, already advantage Democrats. We should continue to do good work on those. Right now, however, we are missing a HUGE opportunity in Social Security.

They are trying to PIRATE-ize and plunder and eliminate a system that is more solvent than the rest of our government. It serves an amazing benefit to society. They want to turn it into an unaccountable give-away. There is no crisis. We should NOT back down from this fight. We should go out there guns blazing on this one. The public already supports us.