We need to start thinking like strategists

[OSheaman]

All poll inadequacies aside, this is what we use, so let's work with it. Have the rebuttals had time to sink in yet? If so, and there's hasn't been a bounce, we need to work hard on this. If there's too much of a bounce after the RNC, we could have a hard time coming back. Is it really the SBVFT that are resonating with the voters, or is it a different message that seems to be hitting home? How do we counteract what's happening out there?

Instead of bitching about it, let's formulate strategies and present them to the campaigns. We can moan about unfair bias and lies and slander and all of that, but it doen't change the way the world is working. What do we do to pull back into the lead?

[mhr]

1. I Live In Texas, Kerry Has Written Us Off, Strategies Won't Help Here

eom

[OSheaman]

3. So what should we do nationally?

The battleground states are the ones that worry me.

[OSheaman]

2. Just so I'm being clear

I'm talking about the polls that are putting Bush ahead and have states like Ohio going in Bush's column. We need some answers.

[mhr]

5. In Texas We Were Told To Sit Down And Shut Up The Adults Are In Charge

In Other Words, We Do Not Want Your Advice!

[liveoaktx]

10. But Texas fighting back, plus it's not clear it's Bush's territory anymore

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2004-06-04/pols_naked3.html

I also saw something the other day from Kristol where he said that, in 2002, were it not for 911, the Repubs would not have had a chance.

Where I live, which is rural, there are STILL more Democrats than Republicans and the ones I've met are very motivated to get Bush OUT.

[John Q. Citizen]

4. Check this out

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=683189&mesg_id=683189

The echo chamber of the right wing is much more dangerous than what they echo. It's the repitition of the lies that does the trick.

[OSheaman]

7. Cool, so do we contact you for swing state boards

in places like Ohio?

[John Q. Citizen]

11. I have seven boards

sent to me by people in six swing states so far. I want more boards and more folks posting.

I have Nevada 1
PA 2
OH 1
NM 1
WA 1
W Virginia 1

[roseBudd]

14. Pull yourself away from the keyboards!

I copied my post from another thread to paste below:

I thought I would share my experience of getting up
the nerve to approach strangers on the street as a
means of campaigning for John Kerry.

I went to the Board of Elections and they were quite nice. How many applications did I want to start out? 100? OK.

I work in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio (swing state) so there are lots of people to approach. At first I was a little shy but once I
realized how open people are to a brief and or sometimes prolonged chat about Nov. 2 I was on a roll. So I have developed a few tactics.

I carry a clipboard with voter registrations. If the
person(s) I approach are young I ask them if they are
18 yet, and I also show them the voter registration
forms. If they are really young I ask if they are
registered. If they are not young I say "I want to
know if you are with us on Nov. 2 to send that man
back to Texas." If they seem in agreement I show them
my forms and ask them if they need one. The majority
of people I have approached say they are registered,
but some have told me they want a registration form.
I also say things like, "That Iraq war was a big mistake, it's
costing us a billion a week and created new
terrorists". Because I select my targets based on age
(young) income (not rich), race (minorities), marital
status (unmarried women), sexual orientation (gay),
attire (hip), transportation (bus) I have not
confronted a single Bush supporter.

I have only been blown off by a couple skateboarders.
I have found people often do want to chat and enjoy
hearing some of the more gossipy facts such as George
Bush was a cheerleader and Laura Bush committed
vehicular manslaughter when she was 17. We also often
discuss the Swift Boat liars, the bad economy (a Pay
Less Shoes worker told me no one is even buying the
cheap shoes things are so bad), outsourcing, the
environment, college tuition, the deficit, John
Ashcroft, Bush being AWOL (Gary Trudeau had a $10,000
reward for anyone who could state they saw George Bush
completing his National Guard commitment in AL and it
went unclaimed.)

And last night I went to a restaurant for carryout and while
waiting for my food I talked to about 7 people and 4
of those asked me for voter registration forms.

So in short the polls reflect likely voters, which are
people who have voted in the past. If we can increase
turnout among people who have not been voting but who
are feeling squeezed economically (lower incomes), and
youth concerned about the draft (Iraq, Iran, Syria and
who knows what other countries the Vulcan plan to
invade), college tution costs, outsourcing, file
sharing prosecutions, homosexual bigotry, etc then the
polls will turn out to be wrong.


Also if you find anyone who wants to help with the youth
vote put them in contact with Young Voter Alliance:
http://www.youngvoteralliance.org/cep/index.php?view=GetInvolved

YVA is active in swing states

MoveOn PAC is also operating in swing states. To volunteer
visit:
http://www.moveon.org/pac/pledge /


Rosebud

[John Q. Citizen]

15. Rosebud

In my case I'm a single dad of 3 young school age kids. I live in a Red State.

i agree with your strategey, however.

I canvasses for 3 years in seven states, knocked on 25-40 doors a night 5 days a week 50 weeks a year. I registered thousands of voters, raised thousands of dollars but now I need to do most stuff from home.

If you can work on the streets in swing states do it! It works.
If you can't, find something positive to make a difference, but don't just sit around and expect it to be done by Kerry/Edwards. They are doing their part we need to do our part.

[mckara]

6. Attack, Attack, Always Attack With the Truth

We need to capitalize on Bush's lack of credibility and his propensity to lie. Keep the message simple and keep repeating it over, and over, and over...

[OSheaman]

8. Yeah

that brings up a good question. Is repetition the key to success, or is variety a better answer? In other words, should democrats repeat the same talking points or spread their bets out among all of *'s numerous flaws.

[mckara]

9. Have You Seen or Read "Bush's Brain?"

We can beat Rove at his own game by using the truth as a weapon against his arsenal of lies. With a shield of truth and a sword of justice we can bring America back home to the values we cherish as Americans.

[John Q. Citizen]

13. Too much variety

overwhelms

repetition works better.

Look at what Bush is doing.

Flip flop is the whole message broken down into:
voted for voted against
for Vietnam against Vietnam
Lied (flip flop)
Wishy washy- French

[Paradise]

12. Can any of you creative DU'ers

do a "salmon", "spawning season" "against the *current", "do or die" analogy?
Because that's the kind of fearless determination/instinct it would take imo.

*the media