What we SHOULD do as strategy

[knight_of_the_star]

Since I doubt that we will be able to have a direct influence on the Kerry campaign, we can always work independently of him to procure a victory that we all badly need for this country.

After looking at electoral-vote.com and using the handy electoral vote calculator, I propose that we, as DUers, do everything we can to ensure that the following states go our way in November:

Pennsylvania
Wisconsin
Nevada
New Mexico
Colorado

Based on current data and trends, I believe that those five states will give us the needed amount to pull off a victory, although I feel that we should get a solid enough lead that BushCo will not be able to change the outcome by the flipping of once state.

[Parche]

1. electorate

Ohio too




I think that we need to slam the People with what GW Bush didnt
do on Sept 11th, with an ad of him sitting dazed and confused
and doing nothing the whole day
That is what we need, so these people start to realize that
Bush did not protect us on Sept 11th

[MAlibdem]

2. i feel like florida is more winnable than ohio

sort of a gut feeling, but i've spent time in both places...

[roseBudd]

3. I'm in Ohio and all I know is YoungVoterAlliance & MobVote

are going after youth in a big way. especially college campuses.

I think we have to consider higher than average turnouit in 18-29

MoveOn just created a flyer for distributing. I think a lot of people can be reached with flyers thta communicate a point in a short, concise, visually compelling manner.

here is my example for printing. (I can make more, send me your copy)
to download high refile:
http://somnamblst.tripod.com

[roseBudd]

4. We could contact bands that are going to be playing in swing states

in Sept. & Oct.

Ask them to help get out the kerry vote.

[shockingelk]

5. And what else?

I can think of much a web forum could do that we're not already doing.

[mahenphx]

7. All that's fine for a small segment of voters newer to the game but

There are a lot of disenfranchised black potential voters out there who feel like the ugly step child. How much attention to them has there been by Kerry? He's confident he has California so no major messages to pass along from there to black voters...likewise New York, how much time was spent on reaching black voters in PA, I'm from Buffalo and I can tell you you won't find many in Erie, PA! He's given up in the south, Edwards can't even deliver his home state. Louisiana looked hopeful for awhile, why'd everyone give up there?

Another suggestion if you really want to do something personally. Every person you can talk to and I mean everyone, ask if he/she's registered to vote, if they say yes feel out their choice and reason for that choice...if they say * and have a bible in their hands, walk away it's a lost cause but if they have other agendas try to address them and reason point by point without bashing * if you can help it. If the person has teens male or female ask if they want to face the draft issues for their kid when * needs to expand his military or rotate the guardsmen out...hit them on their job, family, health care , gramps' Medicare, the lack of after-school programs in the local schools...in other words make it personal on all *'s failed promises and steer them away from Iraq/911 fears. I even carry AZ voter registration forms with me. If you're in the southwest raise voter ID with the Hispanics around you.

If every Kerry supporter could register one Dem new voter or turn one * leaner around, it would be all over for Bush and Co. It would only take one from each of us in every state that's undecided or a Bush stronghold. Give up on Bush bashing. With the help of the media, he's somehow become Teflon.

Ma Hen in Phx

[shockingelk]

11. for most of those things ...

- including militant islamists - I think a great thing to say is "Are you letting Bush campaign against Kerry or are you listening to what Kerry says and looking at what he's done?"

Telling a kid Bush is going to draft him seems specious, even if you feel it's true.

[roseBudd]

12. I canvass urban blacks everyday on my lunch break

We, the foot soldiers need to reach out. You do not have to be black to talk to blacks about the election. I do it everyday and there is no weirdness just because I am white. I do however abandon all wonkish formal speech, and just talk about the necessity of voting Nov. 2. I do communicate that the democratic party is fighting to make sure the black vote is not tampered with, and to keep up morale in light of the polls because the polls are wrong because they are not calling cell phones.

I am finding very few unregistereds, unless they are just barely 18. I am also asking everyone I speak to, to talk to friends and family about the importance of Nov. 2.

[johnnyrocket]

6. Kerry should win Ohio

Florida is a lock for Bush, they've got it rigged:


From an interview by David Talbot with Kitty Kelley:

Talbot- What do you think W will do if he loses in November? Will he happily go back to baseball?
Kelley- No. You know something that I have found out from this family after four years - he doesn't plan to lose. They know how to win - no matter what.
DT- What does that mean?
KK- That means these people can put the Sopranos to shame.
DT- Does that mean vote stealing?
KK- That's a bit overt. But nothing will stand in the way of these people winning. Nothing. You start out looking at the Bush family like it's The Donna Reed Show and then you see it's The Sopranos.

[mahenphx]

9. I wouldn't give up on Florida yet...

That * brothers ploy has gone too public, too early and Kerry's people aren't going to let it play down. The white-haired AARP folks had it stolen from them once and they won't let it happen again! Kerry should build some stronger alliances with the minorities there too!

Ma Hen

[cheshire]

8. I had a post earlier that gave us a chance to sign up women in these

states. It's at http://www.act04,org/actiondays You have to register but you can really make a difference. The day they are going is this Sat.

[knight_of_the_star]

10. In response to all the replies so far

I am aware that there are other groups out there. What I am saying is that WE should do something to get Bush out of there as an organization. We have demonstrated that we can fundraise enough to keep the website going, a lot of us had experience in the primary campaigns, I know we have a lot of Deaniacs and Clarkies who know how the online fundraising worked, we can finance our own operations if need be. We have 30k+ people on these message boards, we have Gods know how many people who know what DU is who aren't actually on here that we are in touch with, we have people in every state and overseas.

My point is that WE have the means, the capacity, and are in a position to do something about it. We do have campaign underground, I know.

I think we should use that and the DU forums to coordinate activities to unseat Bush, I know that we have the people to do so. Every little bit we do will weigh in immensely in the coming election and I think we can do a better job as a coordinated group than working for a collection of others.

I am very sure that if we put our hearts and minds into it, DU could be decisive in getting rid of Bush.