Possible Democratic leaders offer ideas to boost appeal

[question everything]

Possible Democratic leaders offer ideas to boost appeal

By Nedra Pickler
ASSOCIATED PRESS

December 12, 2004

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Eight potential leaders of the Democratic Party pledged yesterday a renewed commitment to win votes from churchgoers and appeal to people throughout the South and West.

The next leader of the Democratic National Committee will become one of the party's leading opponents to President Bush's second-term agenda and a principal planner of the Democrats' strategy to rebound from widespread losses in recent years.

(snip)

Candidates called for fresh talent, better communication with voters, new ways to campaign on values and a strategy for attracting support in rural areas. Democrats must become a more tenacious rival to the GOP, they said.

(snip)

Nearly every candidate spoke of a "50-state strategy." That is a position popular with the state leaders, a majority of whom represent states neglected by Kerry's campaign.

More..

Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041212/news_1n12dems.html

[Guarionex]

1. NO THANK YOU!!!!

I don't want to "appeal" to churchgoers and People from the South...

I want a party that stands for MY values, not some Republican, faith-based LITE.

I'd rather have a party that stands for our values and keeps fighting for them, even in opposition, than to make the Democratic party an extension of the Republican and never have a choice...we've tried it the
DNC way before...listen to the base now!

[EQPlayer]

3. Appealing in the South

There are ways to appeal to churchgoers without becoming a "faith-based lite" party. Keep in mind that most of the Southern states are well below the national average in eduction and income. Talk to people about those issues, and how the Republican party does NOT operate in the best interest of the "churchgoers" from an economic and education perspective, and you may win some votes you think are lost.

Granted, people who are devout churchgoers (or synagogue goers, or mosque goers), may never vote for Democrats because they are living strictly for the "next life" and economic interests and eduction in this life play no role in getting into heaven, but I refuse to believe that 50 million people in this country fall into the category.

Personally, I think we need to move back to the left and demonstrate what great things true liberalism can produce in terms of social and financial equity and how that is the ultimate moral issue (i.e. making the world a better place for ALL). Anyone who has children and tells you that the ultimate moral responsibility is not making the world a better place for their children is a lying sack of sh*t or doesn't understand the true meaning of morals. Leaving a legacy of distrust and a national debt of $10 trillion to our children is a betrayal of our moral trust. Explain this to people in the South in a way they understand, and you don't betray any of the moral (or economic or societal) views held by the people in the Blue States.

Somewhat of a rambling message, sorry about that, but I think the fight is about the message, not the values. The Democratic party has a better vision that is more fair and equitable, we just need to get the message to fit the vision!

Thanks for reading!

[question everything]

4. The only way to appeal to churchgoers is by finding common issues

Traditionally, those who describe themselves as "Christians" supported the caring for the poor and the sick, the elderly and many who were suffering.

A service man was working in our house the other day and we were chatting and he described his love of church music, described himself as an evangelist.

We later talked about general issues and we pretty much agreed about the greed of CEOs and HMO executives.

And then I just flatly said that I was a liberal. That liberalism for me was worrying about others even though I personally may not be affected. And he just smiled in understanding. Then he had to go outside and I went back to my work.

We did not visit this issue again, and I don't know that he agreed, but, I hope, at least gave him something to think about.

[fshrink]

6. You got my vote. nt

[NEOBuckeye]

2. Populism is still THE KEY

Get back to FDR. Why was he able to win the Presidency FOUR TIMES straight? Roosevelt knew what mattered most for people in his day and knew how to reach out to them. People needed jobs, health care, retirement. He found ways to provide those things for people, and the Democrats reaped huge rewards because of it.

Somewhere along the way in the past sixty years, the Democrats lost their way. "People Issues" fell by the wayside, and "Corporate Issues" became the dominant focus for the party. Of course, business has always been home court advantage for the Republicans, and so, they have made tremendous gains where Democrats have fallen further and further behind.

"Getting Religion" isn't going to save the party anymore than going corporate has. We're still playing right into the GOP's hands, and they will still continue to kick our asses on stupid wedge issues like gay marriage, like abortion, like tax cuts, etc., because that again is their home court advantage. We are still trying to beat them by being like them, when we really must go back to doing WHAT WE DO BEST in order to succeed.

In short, the Democratic Party is the party of THE PEOPLE. Populism is our home court advantage, the one the Republicans will never, ever wield over us, because they don't know a damn thing about it. Unfortunately, we haven't been playing home court in a very long time.

Republicans are the party of the wealthy elites, big business and religious folk who don't think enough to know any better. The GOP is only what and where it is today because it has succeeded in distracting, dividing and conquering people by playing on their prejudices and fears, in order to hold onto and further consolidate it's power, that of the wealthy elites and big business. It's all they know how to do. They wouldn't even begin to really know how to relate to the comman man and woman. They fear them, so they use any and every possible means to suppress them. All the better, if they can trick them into voting against their interests.

We will never win an election by playing the GOP's game. We MUST go back to our party's roots -- the grassroots -- and get back to populism which reaches out to the entire country, regardless of region, race or religion. Populism the only way we can play and win big. And it's the one thing that the Republicans fear most.

[sally343434]

5. Oh please spare me

"win votes from churchgoers" is codespeak for abandoning women's rights.

When are these so-called "Democratic leaders" going to face the fact that, no matter what brand of GOP-lite they decide to morph into, it will never make a whit of difference as long as republicans control the vote counting?