Any Dem who promises to put "Americans First" will win by a landslide in '

[ecstatic]

A while back, I heard a caller on CSPAN say that anyone who ran with the simple slogan of "Americans First" would win by a landslide. Any question about any issue should be answered by saying, "Americans first." I agree with that. Its simple, maybe even shallow--but it would resonate hugely with the masses.

[YNGW]

1. So...

...if Bush starts saying "Americans First" then he's got the WH wrapped up.

Something tells me there's more involved.

[radical_dem]

2. I agree 100%!, Pick a good slogan and say it 10,000 times!

The radical right are masters at this, Rush, Hannity, Fox, Bush, and all the rest focus on coordinated "talking points", using the same phrases over and over.

It's guerilla marketing pure and simple. Keep the message simple and hammer it home from every direction, rinse and repeat.

They remind of the famous quote:

"A lie told often enough becomes the truth."
- Vladimir Lenin

[newyawker99]

4. Hi radical_dem!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ecstatic]

10. Welcome! And I agree!

The right has mastered this approach. Dems candidates often make their messages too complicated. Its not that we the public are stupid, its just that a lot of us are way too busy and we rely on soundbites to stay informed. If a candidate does not have a quick and easy to remember soundbite, then he/she is screwed!

[roguevalley]

3. I believe what they infer is that if you can use this as your platform,

outlining what you will do for America first, you have
the attention of people who just paid taxes to pave
Iraq and put in flush toilets. For people slipping into
poverty, this is a potent cry.

[imhotep]

5. compare Dean and Clark's websites

DeanforAmerica
ClarkforPresident

That says it all......

[IndianaGreen]

6. The latest permutation of "America First" is cause for alarm!

I don't have warm fuzzy feelings about "Americans First," it sounds like the latest permutation of the fascistic "America First." Pat Buchanan also used the phrase "America First" as his campaign slogan.

Anti-Semitism

By 1939, the anti-Semites had two causes: keeping America out of the European war, and keeping European Jews out of America. And they had two famous men in their ranks. Henry Ford was a true rags-to-riches hero. He was also an anti-Semite, who railed incessantly against "the Jewish plan to control the world" in his newspaper, the Dearborn Independent (circulation allegedly 700,000), which Ford dealerships distributed free of charge. A collection of Ford's ghostwritten columns was published as The International Jew: The World's Foremost Problem — a best-seller in Germany.

The other famous American was Charles Lindbergh, who may have been an anti-Semite, but most certainly claimed publicly that Jews were trying, partly through their ownership of the media, to draw America into the war. Lindbergh represented America First, the powerful isolationist organization that, in fact, ejected Henry Ford for his anti-Semitic views. (See The Isolationist Movement.)

Also ejected by America First was radio preacher Charles Coughlin of the Christian Front, an underground army that attacked Jews in the streets of New York and elsewhere. Coughlin's allies included the German American Bund, led by Fritz Kuhn. ("I will become America's Hitler".) The Nazi-sympathizing Bund had elaborate summer camps and held an infamous 1939 New York rally attended by 20,000 people. Some Bund rallies were enthusiastically broken up by gangster Meyer Lansky and his boys, while Minnesota gambler David Berman was so effective disrupting rallies of the anti-Semitic Silver Shirts that the Silver Shirts stopped holding rallies.

http://www.pbs.org/perilousfight/social/antisemitism/

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Good post.

I agree wholeheartedly. It's just the kind of blatant rightwing nationalism that Bush has run on.

[sandnsea]

7. America First is short-sighted

We can't continue to shit on the world and do everything for our own benefit with no regard for others. America First is the attitude that gave us terrorism. It's the Bush attitude when he pulled out of Kyoto, arms treaties, and the ICC. We need a candidate who is strong enough to explain why America First is not viable in the 21st century. America First creates the ugly American, the ugly American that can't even wear our own flag or colors when travelling overseas. We have to grow up and work with the rest of the world as equals in a way that benefits us all.

[ecstatic]

9. Bush has not put Americans first

He has put big corporations first. Putting Americans first would mean making sure every American has healthcare and equal rights before attempting to provide the same for citizens of other countries. I'm not saying we should become isolationists. There are countries that really do need our help. There are businesses that truly do need our help (in the form of government bailouts).

[sandnsea]

13. The perception

Of course I understand he puts corporations first. But he gives the perception that he's putting America first. Our security is first, no matter how horribly he treats the rest of the world. Cutting foreign aid to supposedly put America first, even though the money is going to corporations. Pulling out of all those treaties to put the economy and security of the US first. Labeling liberals as bleeding hearts who are going to put the well-being of third world countries and those AIDS programs ahead of US health care. We have to be really careful about this put America first business. It plays right into Bush's hands.

Democratic policy has been security through engagement, security through prosperity and democracy around the globe, security through intervening in countries where people are dying from poverty, disease, unsanitary conditions. Put America First is the opposite of this. It's another one of those false choices. We don't have to ignore our own needs in order to improve the situation globally. And we can actually improve our own situation more if we improve the situation of these other countries at the same time.

[Patriot_Spear]

8. Maybe you're heard of the "Dean for America" Campaign?

:Evilgrin:

[Kamika]

11. Man I totally agree

Everyone wants america first.. I think it would be an incredible slogan.. its probably copyrighted though