Republicans have mastered the game of winning elections

[bobweaver]

Republicans have figured out how to win elections, and Democrats have apparently not. Unfortunately, the keys to winning elections in these times are image, greed and fear. Democrats have tried using truth, facts and reason - and look where that has gotten them. Republicans realize that when the voter goes to mark the ballot, and it all boils down to a list of names to choose from, all that is left from the campaign is the IMAGE of that person. The image is crucial and is more important than any facts or positions or words. Republicans also realize that greed and fear are the two most motivating forces in American society. Republicans reserach and identify the hot buttons to push in voters during the campaign, knowing that these hot buttons are going to carry the voters to the polls and remain in their minds while they are doing the actual act of marking the ballot. In 2004, the hot buttons apparently were terrorism, tax cuts and gay marriage. Democrats did not do any of this - they did not attack the image of Bush, they did not offer anything to satisfy voters' greed or to stimulate voters' fear. Democrats have been trying to win elections by explaining the truth, citing facts and figures, placing reality on a plate and offering it to the voters - but look what the result has been. Democrats are in danger of sliding into oblivion until they can learn to win elections, something the Republicans have worked on for a long time and have mastered. Democrats tie their campaigns to their governance - there is continuity between what they say in their campaign and what they actually do, or try to do, when elected. Republicans, on the other hand, construct elaborate (and apparently very convincing) sales pitches for campaigns, then promptly discard them in the trash once elected and push their own agenda, which has no connection to what they said in their campaign. Remember "compassionate conservative" or "restoring honor and dignity to the presidency"? The Republicans correctly perceive the sad reality that policy and issues do not win elections. Image, greed and fear are what win elections, not truth, reality and reason. It shouldn't be this way, but that's the way it is in the 21st century in the United States. Democrats must learn this and learn how to play the game and make the right sales pitches.

[Melodybe]

1. Correction the fascists have mastered the game of stealing elections

They are Nazis, they have ties to the Nazis, they want to drug us all into submission, they don't care about the constitution, they don't care about our vote, and they are in charge.

They own the media and the machines, what do you except.

[kalidas]

36. Thank you for telling it like it is.

Win my ass. THey are masters of the rig.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. How many people does it take to win an election?

One. But he's got to be the best computer programmer around.

[w4rma]

3. Republicans have total control of the major media. Thats worth more than

all the political donations for commercials given in the past 10 years.

[demosincebirth]

4. Fraud...one that the repugs have mastered. Didn't see that in there.

[ailsagirl]

33. Yeh-- what about the FRAUD issue?? That's how they won it.

[unblock]

5. correct 100%. we need to ADVERTISE our message

having the truth on your side is great, but it's not nearly enough.
having the better and more popular policies on your side is also great, but it too is not nearly enough.

there's no shame in seeking to publicize and put a media-friendly face on your product. we can moan about how sad it is that the truth alone is not enough, but at the end of the day, we have to face the reality that the truth needs to be sold to the people as well, especially when the other side is peddling lies and labeling it truth.

[blm]

6. It's easy if you own most of the media AND most of the voting machines.

.

[pmbryant]

7. Well, it wasn't that easy, really

We almost took them down. Next time we'll do better.

--Peter

[bobweaver]

8. And the other part of it is...

Republicans have also mastered the art of the smear campaign, and Democrats seem to be unwilling to conduct smear campaigns. These operations are dirty and unethical and Democrats may feel that it is wrong to use them, but look at the result - Republicans win when they conduct smear campaigns. Just ask Thomas Eagleton. Ask Michael Dukakis. Ask Rose Bird. Ask Gray Davis. Ask John Kerry - he is the latest victim. The Republicans effectively used a 527 group to smear the image of Kerry (Swift Boat Veterans for Truth). Even though this did not bring Kerry down completely, it did mar his image, and I believe image is crucial to winning elections. They also locked in on the "flip-flopper" label and hammered that in over and over again. This also had an effect on Kerry's image. Democrats have not effectively used negative campaigning and smear campaigning, and look at the result - Republicans hold the White House, both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court. Democrats have to accept that negative campaigning and smear tactics are now a part of political life and learn that game, if they hope to start winning again. Republicans are certainly not going to stop using smear tactics and negative campaigning. It's too bad that negativity and smear are part of political life nowadays. But the Democrats have a choice - either admit what the game is now, and play the game, or lose.

[BillZBubb]

9. Bob, I agree with both of your points.

Until the Democrats learn how to play the game, we won't be in the game.

The really sad thing is that they did to Kerry exactly what they did to Dukakis, yet the Democrats were not capable of a massive, coordinated response in kind.

A lot of people are still in denial and argue that fraud was the reason the Repugs won. That may be so, but that doesn't explain why the WORST president in recent history even had the opportunity to steal this election. Your points address that.

[donhakman]

10. What we copied were the wrong things

[Mike L]

12. Put some NASCAR stickers and an "I hate gays" sign on that and

it would make a winning campaign ad.

[TankLV]

42. Yes - but the Democrat's habbit of strategizing "winning" instead of just

being honest and actually making a stand on something is what really hurts, I believe.

All the advise to vote for the Iraq War Resolution and Patrior Act so it could "be taken off the table" and "not used against us" or to "preempt any questions of patriotism by supporting the pResident" is what killed us.

"Uh - vote for me - even tho I've been praising the idiot, and voted for all his crap - but vote for me - because, well, because I'm me" just doesn't cut it, apparently! What a surprise!

I said this back when it happened, and I've unfortunately been proven correct.

Now, for your imagination, just imagine how much worse Lieberman would have lost by if HE was the candidate!

But we really don't have to resort to lies and smears - just publicizing the TRUTH and not being mealy-mouthed will do just fine.

Call bunkerboy a fuckin LIAR - not "misunderstood" or "misspoke".

Call all repukes HYPOCRITS.

And please please please - stop complimenting any repuke - just keep your goddamned mouth shut if the impulse comes up - would gain us big time!

[Mike L]

11. True. Elections are form over substance. The average voter

is too lazy or ignorant to look into the issues.

It's a shame.

[Hosnon]

13. Shame - but the truth. We can either play fair and always lose or play

smart and start winning.

[CatWoman]

14. Republicans haven't "mastered" anything

they are a bunch of fucking thieves.

[okieinpain]

15. I'm standing and applauding you sir. now why in the hell did you

not inform kerry of this. damn you to iraq.

[bobweaver]

21. Actually I did

I sent e-mail messages over and over to the Kerry campaign at their web site, johnkerry.com, with plenty of suggestions for them to do and say, but they did absoutely nothing I suggested. They could have hit Bush much harder on a wide variety of issues: corruption, environmental policy, energy policy (the price of gasoline) and on and on. I sent them a bunch of vicious one-liners Kerry could have used against Bush in the debates. They never used anything I suggested, and the only reply I ever got was the automatic thank-you messages and requests for donations of money. I wonder who was really in charge of Kerry's campaign strategy - who did they have to go up against Karl Rove's strategy?

[vol5516]

16. recount VS revote

I think you're right! It must be form over substance. But if they've mastered elections, do you think we could ever find fraud? I mean, there's not always a paper trail, so a recount might not show much difference but a revote would, right??

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CatWoman]

18. correction

America USED to be the best in the world.

Your Lord and Master made sure of that.

God don't like ugly.

[LimpingLib]

19. No they represent core interests we abandon our principles.

Im tired of our campaign slogan constntly sying "they are extreme vote Democrat" then saying "wish there were more moderates like Rudy , Rockefellar , McCain etc" .

Well we will get their "moderates" in 2008 and beyond.

Maybe then we will see that the whole damn party is extreme and we need to win by posing a positive agenda for the future not just being the "Republican lite".

WE have people to represent.

(End of sermon that yet again falls on deaf ears.... CLARK/EDWARDS IN 08!)

[killbotfactory]

20. Democrats have mastered the art of losing elections

The strategists running the show just keep fucking us over, and they are too arrogant to admit they would ever make a mistake.

No no no, you see, our strategy is perfect. It's the electorate. We must move right for the electorate. Just a little further right. One more step...

[hollowdweller]

22. but Clinton despite all that managed to work the system and win twice

[bobweaver]

32. Frankly I think Clinton was helped greatly by

the presence of Perot in the race in 1992, who drew a lot of votes away from Bush. He was also helped greatly by a terrible economy that year. In 1996 it was the power of incumbency plus a good economy that helped him win. Neither time was it a landslide.

[Poiuyt]

38. Clinton had more charisma than his opponents

and he was able to connect with people on an emotional level..

[rasputin1952]

23. I was looking over this, and you have echoed some of the things I've

said for years. While I still believe there are intellectual values that can be brought to the electorate, in the short run, the three items you mentioned: Image, Greed and Fear do indeed have a huge impact on an election.

If you want to destroy the neo-con Image, the first thing you must do, is remove the facade that covers the reality. It is not hard to do, just hammer away at what they are, loose lipped, immoral creatures that are hypocrites of the lowest order. Just point out, incessantly that subhuman creature known as Tom DeLay. Suddenly, House rules are changed because he would be in violation of standing rules because he has been indicted in TX. How much more hypocritical can you get?

Greed...Easy one here too, Tax breaks. How many people do YOU know that received anything on the much heralded tax breaks? Come on now...Everybody...can you name ONE person you personally hang out with that got cash back, much less 10 people? I didn't think so.
Oh by the way, you want greed where everyone can see it. Bill Frist, yes THAT Bill Frist, Millionaire Doctor, Senator, Member of the Frist Family that bilked Medicare out of Millions, (perhaps billions), of taxpayer dollars, is crying because he's $450,000 in campaign debt, and wants others to bail him out. My heart is bleeding gallons...right...:nopity:

Fear: My personal favorite. If you look at my sig line you will find out my feelings on fear. Fear of WHAT? How about another dreaded list.

Fear of: (take your pick)

Abortion Terror Gay Marriage Aids Blacks Hispanics Asians Iraqis Iranians Israelis Muslims Lesbians WMD's
Drugs Canada France Germany North Korea Syria Mexico Cuba Airports Shoes in airports Box cutters Plastic ware The First Amendment The Internet Anyone that is Moderate, Centrist or Left of Center Communists (what the hell are they anyway?) Castro (oh yeah, he's a commie)

What NOT to be afraid of:

The Second Amendment Ports Fundamentalist Christians Osama(your president says he neither knows where he is and doesn't care), North Korea Color Coded Warnings Total Information Awareness More wars by bush Water Pollution Air Pollution Ground Pollution Arsenic Poisoning Mercury Poisoning Global Warming Acid Rain Ozone Depletion The Flu Outsourcing Chronic Unemployment Bovine Spongiform Encephalitis (Mad Cow Disease)


Of course these lists are no where near anything near complete...please feel free to add or delete as you feel necessary. Point is, Fear is whatever fills the bill at the time. It is forgotten as soon as the party in question is installed, (in this case, the GOP, which seems to have a choke hold on fear). Take abortion, it is such a 'hot button issue' it comes up every election cycle, then abruptly drops from sight, until the next cycle, when it is re-animated to whip both sides into a frenzy and galvanize both sides into single issue voters. I think that single issue voters should be shackled to cold steel chairs and forced to watch Viagra and Condom Commercials until their heads explode.

OK these are some of my views on the subject, enjoy, and don't take everything so darn seriously. We can rid ourselves of these beasts in the mid-terms. Let's get to it...:)

[goodoptics]

24. Democrats need to get the message out.

Dems need to advertise their views not just every 4 years but all the time. They need to run ads in papers on issues that come up but not in just big cities. That's telling the ones that are already on your side. They need to go out to the rural areas and get to those that never hear our side. Farmers in our area are about 90% republican even if they make more money during Democratic Admin. How ever this time I seen the most signs for a Democrat than I ever seen in the past and our state did go blue. They need to get out of the big cities more.

[newyawker99]

35. Hi goodoptics!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[BlueManDude]

25. but they are too trapped by their own ideolgy to govern

one side can win but can't govern. the other can govern but can't win.

[moondust]

28. Exactly.

Winning contests is all they can do. It's a football game to them, another contest to win, another trophy for the mantle, indeed another sales campaign. But once elected they're terrible at running the government. The short-term profit mindset is not well suited to government.

[LimpingLib]

31. Sadly we are in a major hole ourselves.

We have so many right wing influences in our party that our congressional membership would be hostile to progressive legislation.

All they need to do is win a few victorys , let us win office and stumble , thn they get back in and win some more victorys taking the country further right , we win some elections get in power and then yet again can do nothing but pass center-right garbage , they win again and so on.

Its a big yo yo and we are loosing.

We keep playing their center-right game (slowly moving right but steadily , at times a full gallop like the Patriot Act) and narrowly loose election after election.Even when we take back a house of congress, like the Senate in 2001 we see the biggest assault on civil libertys and HUGH defence increases.

WE need to risk loosing big by tearing down our dilapidated building and reforming our party from within so we can win ASAP and win with legislation that is worthy of teh nations best instincts.Clean out the DLC remnants. Or we can keep loosing narrowly and loosing big in legislation.

[Dr Fate]

26. When the media repeats your lies as facts, its quite easy.

There is no "mastering" involved when the media dutifully reports your lies & distortions as facts. Oh yeah- they "correct" it a few days later, sure-after the damage is done..

[moondust]

27. Delete.

[OneBlueSky]

29. Republicans have mastered three things: lying, stealing, and diverting . .

truth means nothing to them, elections are run and votes counted by Republican corporations with far-right CEOs, and their bombast about peripheral issues keeps us at each others throats and prevents us from addressing the real issues . . . the foremost of which is Ending Corporate Governance . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2778474

Ending Corporate Governance is an issue actually based in reality, i.e. it reflects the truth of how things really are . . . truth these days means nothing to Republicans, and is meaning less and less to Democrats, it seems . . . money talks, and big money talks loudly . . . multinational corporations have big money with which to buy significant influence, and both parties are more than willing to accept it . . . and then vote the way their corporate sponsors want them to -- against corporate regulation, against environmental protection, against consumer protection, against progressive taxation, etc. . . and for things like war, outsourcing, privacy invasions, curtailing civil liberties, and unauditable elections . . . none of this is healthy for democracy, to say the least . . . it's also not healthy for children and other living things . . .

Ending Corporate Governance is THE issue that both supersedes and encompasses all others . . . it's the issue that brings working people, both right and left, together to reform the corporate controlled monster our government has become . . . it should be adopted as the organizing framework for the emerging populist consensus . . . in a political world less corporate, it could even be the platform of the Democratic Party . . .

until we engage the real issues, we'll never win anything . . . the most immediate real issue is uncovering and exposing every last instance of fraud and vote suppression during the 2004 elections, and getting a fair, honest, and auditable voting system in place . . . the longer term issue is Ending Corporate Governance, i.e. restoring citizen authority over both corporations AND our government . . . until we address that, we'll just keep spinning our wheels . . . and losing . . .

[AgadorSparticus]

30. mastered my ass. it is called a rigged election. watch for them

to "masterfully" win all subsequent elections.

[Gyre]

34. Absofuckinglutely!

God, why is this so hard for people to grasp!???

Gyre

[stepnw1f]

37. gah gah gah... wrong

Stealing elections is not mastering anything. Its a sign of weakness. Have a good evening.

[Poiuyt]

39. Read the book "Banana Republican"

It talks about how Republicans view politics as war and how the end justifies the means as far as winning elections. No trick is too dirty if it gets them the win.

[TankLV]

40. Just like "bush* says what he means and means what he says" bullshit.

I keep hearing this crap all the time.

It works, no matter how false it is.

[springhill]

41. How do you figure that?

In reality, we have won the last four elections.