LAT says Dems pugnaciousness has no agenda/Dean gives Agenda

[papau]

Interesting - Robin Abcarian sees Dems focused on hitting the President's agenda, but without a message of their own?

Meanwhile Dean's email has 5 priorities for the party: to "Show Up" — compete everywhere; to Strengthen State Parties (more money in exchange for more accountability); Focus on Core Values (which means to use George Lakoff and try to reframe Democratic values and proclaim them loudly); Technology (Demzilla, consumer marketing, the Net), and Training (tomorrow's leaders, that is). And Dean rejects the GOP's media's mantra that Dems have more than a mechanical problem because they have no message -" . . . there is no crisis of ideology in the Democratic Party, only a crisis of confidence. Bill Clinton once described the Democratic Party's problems in the era of George W. Bush, saying that in uncertain times people would rather have a leader who is strong and wrong than weak and right."

The snide ABCNOTE comment on the above was "it gives credence to those who think that the Democrats biggest problem is that they are too afraid to assert their core values, whatever they may be." and that Dean faces Americans who are skeptical of Dem national security judgment and secularism; and of their their commitment to a few precise political tenets "(in that sense, Dean is correct when he diagnosis that folks don't believe Democrats, but that's not necessarily because Democrats don't shout themselves hoarse)".

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Perhaps we can kill the mainstream media's selling of the GOP's "tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show." ?????


http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-et-dems16feb16,1,422007.story?coll=la-headlines-politics&ctrack=2&cset=true
Seeking a rallying cry, louder voices
Democrats want to do better at conveying the party's message. Which is what exactly?
By Robin Abcarian
Times Staff Writer

February 16, 2005

Yes, the Democrats have chosen a new leader. Yes, they are officially all about looking ahead, not dwelling on defeat. And yes, they have vowed to take back the White House in 2008. But it's still pretty much of a downer to be a Democrat these days. Just ask Anna Eshoo, who was first elected to the House of Representatives from Atherton, Calif., in 1992.<snip>
The point is Republicans have consolidated power in the White House, Congress, state legislatures and governors' mansions across the land, and with Bush senior advisor Karl Rove at the controls, are working toward what they have taken to calling a "permanent Republican majority." With the second inauguration of President Bush a fait accompli and gleeful Republicans rubbing liberal noses in his victory, Democrats are struggling mightily to figure out what the party stands for. Part of the job is simply to remain optimistic when the picture is so bleak.

"I do think we need to make lemonade out of lemons," said Democratic strategist Ron Klain, who fled Washington for Mexico during Bush's inauguration. "The good news is his presidency is half over."
<snip>


Regardless of how the Social Security battle shapes up, there is still the pervasive sense out there that Democrats know what they are against, but have a hard time articulating in compact and digestible prose what they are for.

"I think because the Democratic Party is the party of government, and because government is about the art of the possible, and compromise, it's more difficult for them to articulate things like, 'Yeah, cut taxes,' " said Blair Levin, a telecommunications analyst who was a chief of staff at the FCC during the Clinton administration.

"What Democrats have been doing in the last few years is defending programs that are the residue of Democratic successes, Social Security being the most obvious … and Medicare and Head Start, and a thousand different programs. But defending those against cuts is not an aspirational message."<snip>

[lancdem]

1. It's always darkest before the dawn

(BTW, I thought the Dems gained control of some state legislatures in this past election.)

Hey, if we defeat Bush's Social Security push, that will give us a huge boost.

[papau]

2. true :-)

:toast:

:-)

[AndyTiedye]

4. Only When a Storm Is Coming In

> It's always darkest before the dawn

[AndyTiedye]

3. We Articulate it Just Fine, BUT YOU NEVER REPORT IT!

[Cocoa]

5. the media is DETERMINED to ignore the dems' substance

they are insisting on focusing on trivialities.

An interesting and promising development is that Dean refused a CBS interview because CBS would not agree not to play the "Scream" clip for the zillionth time.

[Cha]

6. That's right..latimes..dwell on all the dark

shit!

I hope you have to eat that copy!