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[Name removed]

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[Lefty48197]

1. It's the talking points

Make it daily though. Make it clear and consistent.

The Republicans always seem to speak with one voice on every single issue. I sure as hell don't want to be anything like them, but it would help if our message were heard coherently through the media.

[Devilock]

5. Problem is,

It's difficult to have a unified message when the world is seen as more than good v evil, black & white, and when issues elicit sophisticated discourse, not table-pounding single-mindedness. It's the liberal nature to be diffuse -- and open to possibilities yet unrealized. Sad to say, our strength is our greatest weakness in these politicized times. I wish I had answers.

[THUNDER HANDS]

2. I don't like the term talking points

As much as I'd like to see us have a coherant message. I don't want liberals to become zombie-robots like conservatives and just parrot out answers without any thought involved.

[Cocoa]

3. we should be calling the media on its crap

It's very easy to email reporters who are guilty of Gore-style distortions. They answer half the time, which means they read the emails, and even though it's usually defensive, if they get enough of this feedback, and if it's quality feeback like mine is :-) then they may find it harder to keep doing it.

It's the difference between them pretending to themselves that no one notices what they're doing, and us letting them know that we know.

I almost always remind them how sucky the Election 2000 coverage was, just so they know not everyone has forgotten.

[welshTerrier2]

4. The Essential Question

When I first came to DU, I had hoped that I had stumbled onto a left-wing think tank ... I had hoped that we would be about developing a platform that we could use to educate all of our candidates ...

The process I envisioned was one where we would debate and discuss all key issues and try to arrive at some sort of consensus ... We would then take our best writers and ask them to encapsulate these positions into a mission statement ... maybe even into a book ... the point of debate was not "to prove the other guy wrong", it was to find common ground and a workable solution to solving the nation's problems in a politically pragmatic way ...

And once these positions were in place, we would contact candidates, both democrats and greens, and try to encourage them to champion our views ...

I've grown very skeptical about the effectivness of DU as a political force .. I enjoy the comaraderie here ... I think there is some value to both the learning and the teaching that I can do here ... but as a "think tank" trying to consolidate itself into an effective political force, I'm afraid we are more or less nowhere ... I wish it weren't so ...

Too much time is wasted debating candidates ... very little time is spent developing a platform and a political strategy for all democrats ... what is needed is a way to convey to voters that democrats can sweep the dark republican tide out of power ... what is needed is a platform that americans could clearly understand ... what is needed is real solutions, not just candidates, to solve america's problems ... i don't think most americans believe that there is a compelling reason to vote for, or against, democrats right now ... this will hurt us ...

My point is not that I have all the answers about how to achieve these goals ... but I'm sad to say I see little on DU to bring them about ...

I do appreciate your raising this question though ... it should be the essential reason most of us participate on DU ...

[Kanary]

9. I vote for/with you, Welsh terrier...

I so glad to see you have voiced my very concerns.

I think there are several of us with that view.

The question is... how to bring together those of us with that viewpoint, rather than we splinter off quietly?

I'd like to hear more of your ideas.

Kanary

[calimary]

12. Well, shoot, welshTerrier2, let's roll, 'eh?

Repetition, for one thing, worked and is still working for the rethugs. They've learned VERY well how effective a pr tool it is to keep saying something over and over and over until it becomes accepted reality by those too lazy or apathetic or distracted to discern the truth or pay attention.

So - lay it out, 'eh? I, Miss "Have-you-called-your-congresscritter-using-that-TOLL-FREE-Capitol-Hill-switchboard-number" am ALL ears.

[sweetheart]

6. we should be registering voters door to door

... that is my belief. I asked regarding the best time to do this, and the best state to do it in, and nobody said anything... 0 responses. Getting people registered and to the polls is in every one of our interests... if you visit one house per week, it will still mulitply your vote by an order of mangnitude... If you live in a republican area, then perhaps driving to a more likely democratic area and doing "girl scout cookie" door bell ringing.

[kimchi]

7. Agree.

Registering voters should be a huge priority. Daily refutations of Republican spin should be another. And finally, if BBV isn't fixed, it could all be for naught.

It shouldn't be too hard to gather our thoughts daily in one post that tears holes in the Republican spin. Unconsciously, we are influenced by the hard work of those who can see through it, and are eloquent enough to share. We just need to put it together.

[Name removed]

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[Mountainman]

10. Do what Hillary said last night, not just point out the right's mistakes

But to craft a message and see that it gets out!

[Kanary]

11. Reclaim Disenfranchised people

My hunch is that most people who are *going* to vote are already registered.

There are sooo many people who have given up on the process, because they simply do not see themselves being included. *Those* are the people who are likely to be open to registering and to vote, if effort was spent in listening to their concerns, addressing those concerns, and including them in the agenda-setting process.

They've been left behind for many years now. It's time to go back and pick up the ball.

Kanary