Themes for November... thoughts?

[LuckyTheDog]

I have been thinking a lot about themes for the fall campaign and how to frame them. Here is what I've come up with:

Health care for every American: it is important that national health insurance is not framed as "socialized medicine." We need to make it clear that we don't want to nationalize health providers and that we want them to compete. But it is just insane to spend more than other countries (as a % of GDP) and leave out 15% of the population.

Free and fair trade We believe in a world market. We are not isolationists. But giving away the store is not in the best interest of America and its workers. It is time to re-negotiate trade deals in a way that is fair to us as a nation.

Leading the world, not policing it: This a theme that I think most people would understand intuitively. And it directly confronts Bush's asinine assertion that progressives don't believe in American leadership and want to retreat from the world. We need to assert the need for institutions like the UN, while also telling people that those institutions are not worth shit if the U.S. does not provide leadership. Yes, we DO think America has a unique role to play in the world. But we disagree with the right about the nature of that role.

Radical educational responsibility: By using the word "radical here," I would hope to break from the usual lip-service people expect to hear from politicians about education. We must make it clear that education, to us, is a national security issue. And that means making sure that college and technical training is more widely available than ever before. It is an investment in our young people that will pay off and we should not shy away from being radical when it comes to education.

Honest government: we need to make it clear that we mean going far beyond the currently proposed reforms. Money needs to be taken out of politics... period. The integrity of our republic is at stake.

[babylonsister]

1. Good points all, but Iraq and the gulf coast (Katrina)

need to be incorporated somehow, i.e., how Dems will change both issues for the better.
But frighteningly, by November '06, who the heck knows what the '06 hurricane season will
be like, or how it's handled? That also applies to the war. Damn.

[Skip Intro]

2. wow. a couple of suggestions -

i put myself, as much as i could, in the eyes of a receptive formerly snookered by bush and knows it now voter.

I'm still scared of "them"

I still beleive they'll "hit us again"

That's why "Leading the world, not policing it" grabbed me. "not policing" could suggest, to some, weakness or an obliviousness to a threat still widely believed.

Taking that a step further, unless I accidently skipped it, there's no mention of "homeland securtiy." Even if the whole thing is bullshit, its an accepted belief that we are in danger of attack, and we need protection from that vague and shadowy enemy.

We won't change those views soon, so we have to have a "better way." We have to have Homeland Security ideas and plans to better and replace bushco's bullshit.

Other than that, wow - nice list of themes.

:thumbsup:

[Wordie]

3. I heard a good phrase regarding security:

Results, not platitudes

It might need some reworking, but you get the idea. We aren't really safer, despite all the claims of the Bushbots, because:

We've failed to protect our ports and other critical infrastructure;
We haven't caught bin Laden;
We've spent billions on the Iraq war (which has increased terrorist recruiting).

[LuckyTheDog]

5. Good point on homeland security

I think we need to frame it in terms of "keeping us ready and vigilant." That means, among other things, getting serious about giving first responders what they need.

[Wordie]

4. This isn't quite a theme really, compared to your well-thought-out points.

Rubberstamp Republicans!

(They never met a Bush spending proposal they didn't like.)


Sorry, I just couldn't resist...I love that phrase!

:rofl: