..guess I was wrong...

I don't know if it is still that. I believe some Democrats fell for the Taxed Enough Already, but I am sure they all left after they found out what Tea Party REALLY stood for.

but I seriously doubt he tea party grew from an influx of people who previously didn't vote. Just the same old angry republicans in an off year election.

I think the tea party in 2010 was made up of old angry Republicans. I would guess some of them didn't vote in off year elections, but once a democrat and African American democrat was elected they had something to be angry about. So they protested by voting in the midterms. I think it is almost impossible to appeal to the tea party. They are completely brainwashed. We need to focus on appealing to the occupy wall street crowd. That did not vote in 2010 and many didn't vote in 2012.

... to the 50% of the electorate who won't bother to vote as things now stand.

I think most of that 50% would agree with the agenda in your post. It will hard to get the other 50% to vote, but it could be done. We have to convince that their vote matters and so do elections. Personally I think there ought to be a law where everyone is required to vote. If we had a 100% turnout Republicans would never win another election.

... republicans too embarrassed to admit they voted for W... twice. Oh, and throw in a few white supremicists, a bunch of CTists, and season well with a lot of outright ignorance.

they don't know beans about policy. Shit, they don't even know Medicare is socialized medicine. They just mad that a black dude stole the presidency from them. They mad that they're old and dying, and their fantasy world of Ward and June Cleaver is gone. They mad their savings and pensions been stolen, but too stupid to figure out whodunit.

Start another thread rather than hijack this one.

but I would add most of the CTists were republicans too that vote for Bush in the general. Same for the white supremacist.

having a black guy as President just made them angry enough to get out there and try to do something about it.

... campaign on policies and principles to stir the currently disaffected portion of the electorate.

has nothing to do with being disaffected.

The PTB don't want people to vote, so they make the whole process as ugly and difficult as possible. Their media never reports on the issues, only the "horse race" and few people are interested in horse races.

If we had a nation-wide contingent of candidates all pushing the same progressive issues, promising to work together to get things done, it could inspire many of those who don't typically vote. Remember, we don't have to get all, or even most, of them. Just a small slice will be enough to tip lots of elections, and it's HALF OF THE ELECTORATE we're talking about.

and i do get a few people. but you make a lot of assumptions about where people stand. many who regulalry support Democrats are not always supportive of all the liberal policies. and the same goes for those who regularly support republicans.

also many who do pay attention to politics just don't want to deal with it. i can understand because i'm the same way when it comes to polls or even random people on the street(even if i do the same sometimes) trying to get interest. i just have other things to do and don't want to hear them. not because of lack of interest or disappointment or whatever.

i would prefer to do other things sometimes.

... obviously was not intended for you.

Remembr Katy Abram....?

I followed her on Twitter a year and a half or two ago and had a long back and forth with her, lasted two days.

She's calmed down somewhat.

She admits to not knowing nothing then.

I drove the point home that Bush was the worst and she was derelict to NOT have been awakened then.

She's about the same age as I am, and I was politically awakened during the Bush Regime.

So, yeah...I think you're assessment about TP and new voters rings trueh.