Who has the best chance to attract new voters?

[dansolo]

I believe the key to winning in 2004 is getting new people to vote. Essentially, for any Democrat to win, they must get voters from key states to tip the balance of electoral votes. There are essentially two sources of these votes:

1. Get Republican voters to switch
2. Get non-voters/third party voters to vote Democratic

There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach. Each voter in the first category essentially counts twice, because in addidtion to adding a vote for the Democrats, it takes a vote away from the Republicans. But, the pool of available voters is much smaller than in the second pool, which amounts to about 50% of potential voters. So which is the best strategy for the Democratic candidate, whomever it is, to use and why?

[UrbScotty]

1. If Dean is the nominee, he should keep doing what he has been.

Maybe he should be a little more careful about what he says, but he has done a great job.

If Dean is not the nominee, whomever it is should be as aggressive as, if not more aggressive than, Dean.

[Padraig18]

2. Dean and Clark can both do it.

I don't think any of the other candidates can draw the Independents and moderate Republicans we'll need to decisively beat the Unelected Fraud.

My $.02. :)

[sidwill]

6. easy

1. Get Republican voters to switch.

Since the number one issue for Repubs is security an ex-general would have a better chance of stripping away Bush people. Advantage Clark.

2. Get non-voters/third party voters to vote Democratic

I think Dean has the edge here, although its a double edge. First Dean's angry, everyman act will get him some people to vote that maybe traditionally don't vote or are discouraged that said the angry man act will also stimulate the Repuke base to pour out in support of their "put upon" reichsfurher.

[WiseMen]

3. John Kerry: No other has the Credentials and Story Positively Appealing

to all walks of Americans.

Kerry commitment to national service from his youth is a great example to young people. Educated, wealthy, multilingual world citizen, Kerry could have found a way out of military service. He didn't, because he though it was his duty to serve.

His unimpeachable record of committment to progressive causes is reason for progressives to rally behind him.

His free-market approach to the economy and trade appeals middle and upper income folk who are entrepreneurs or have investments.

His war-hero credentials with 2 tours in battle leading his men into and out of some of the most dangerous missions of the Vietnam war, appeals to the nascar and pick-up truck voter that honors the bravery represented by 3 Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star and the Silver Star.

[Padraig18]

4. Practical question:

If that is true, why are they not showing it in terms of support?

[WiseMen]

8. They are. But with Dean and Repub Collaborating we are not going to See it

More than 2 years ago the Repub regarded a Kerry run as their greatest threat. From Ann Coulter endlessly attacking Kerry for campaigning on his military record more than 6 months before even opened his mouth on the topic, to a range RW outlets describing Kerry as psychologically crippled and gun-shy from his war experiences, the Repubs were attacking Kerry when most had not heard the name Howard Dean.

Kerry has been the but of an huge slime campaign:

He has been personally slimed for "marrying to wealth."
When he took the fight to bush the republicans filled the
RW airwaves the charges of "petty" "what a jerk"
and endless comments the "he looks French" and "maybe he
should change his citizenship"

And then came DEAN. Initially, his campaign funded to provide a
centrist option, Dean relentlessly attacked Kerry with the absurd charge of being the "Washington Insider" candidate, compromised by special interest. Kerry had acted in his entire Senate career to be above such charges. But the Dean campaign didn't care and continued to slime Kerry while Dean Co-opted Kerry's leadership of the attack against Bush's rush to war.

Despite being attacked from both sides, and despite a media blackout on his campaign, Kerry is still going strong and may yet survive to fight the real battle against Bush and his minions.

Dean has given the Repubs everything they wanted: he diminished Kerry for a year as Kerry refused to attack another Democrat. And he gave Rove his perfect opposition candidate: Howard Dean.

[LWolf]

5. Let's do both.

Dennis Kucinich easily takes # 2. They have been coming back to the party to support him in the primaries all year.

The first is riskier, but doable. I live in a republican stronghold. I hear people complaining and wishing for Dennis' platform daily. They just don't know it's his. Yet. If they associate him with the issues, rather than with a political label, they'll be there. That's up to the campaign.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Clark gets the center, Dean gets the Greens

For the sake of winning and governing, I'd say the former is a richer pool than the latter. HOWEVER, we should try to find a combination that pulls from both segments. Clark's very strong on the environment and would emphasize investment in environmental technologies as part of his economic plan. He'd also make a major push to re-start the Kyoto Accord as part of his efforts to rebuild relations with Europe. Factor in the fact that he's a military man from the South, and Clark simply has the ability to reach more areas of the electorate than Dean, IMHO.

[caledesi]

9. Dean. nt

[LiberalBushFan]

10. Bush

Him being the worst president ever attracted many new ABB voters. Then Dean scooped most of them up. I'm not one who believes his threat that they're non-transferable.

[ozone_man]

11. Dean for reasons 1 and 2.

Dean will get a heavy Republican vote as well as the left, while energizing new voters that have stayed out of previous elections. How is that possible? It's hard to explain Dean's cross party appeal, but I'll try a little.

1. As governor of Vermont Dean consistently drew a significant percentage of the Republican vote. This includes liberal Republicans, the kind that approved of civil unions, as well as the libertarian type Republicans, the ones who are fed up with Bush's massive deficit spending.

2. Dean has a solid appeal to environmentalists and left wing Democrats. Even Ralph Nader said he would stay out of the election if Dean was the candidate, saying that there wasn't much differece between their platforms.

So, in a nutshell, Dean the pragmatist, the fiscal conservative, attracting liberal Republicans and libertarians, and the social liberal, who passed civil union legislation, attracting the left wing of the party and some greens. In my opinion, he trumps all others in mass appeal. All this party in fighting will largely disappear by election as the party comes together.

[jonnyblitz]

12. I believe Clark if the media would pay attention to him

Dean has been all over the news and it's been mostly negative so I think Clark has the opportunity to grab supporters who havent heard of him yet. I believe his military background would be attractive to many who are impressed by that sort of thing.

[arewethereyet]

13. Edwards is the only one with the populist message

and a fresh look at things.

Oh, and chrisma. Shouldn't forget that since thats what does it more than anything else. And no ugly baggage and a platform that he wrote in early 2003 or before that alrady speaks to how people feel today.

Imagine that...

[revcarol]

14. Kucinich, hands down.

Energizes people with hopeful programs and charisma.Brings the Greens back into the Party. Outreach to first-time voters(naturalized citizens) and youth just turning 18. Et cetera, et cetera