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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow Democrats can win in 2014 and beyond
I have no data on this, but at least half the self-proclaimed Tea Party members I know were not active in politics prior to 2010, and seldom if ever voted. By appealing to the more base instincts of this group - fear and hate - the manipulators behind the scenes managed to grow their ranks almost overnight.
Fear and hate are, of course, more powerful motivators than love and compassion. Still, half the potential electorate is out there waiting for something to motivate them as they did not succumb to the fear and hate messaging. These are the people to whom our party needs to appeal. The fear of the Republican alternative to Democrats isn't going to do it. We need to offer them policies that capture their hearts ....
Medicare for All, including dental ...
Free public education including four years of undergraduate studies for qualified students ...
A reduction in military spending ...
Green energy, no XL pipeline, no subsidies for big oil ....
Reduce gun violence ...
Protect voting rights ...
End the warrentless spying on citizens ...
Rein in Wall Street and other financial institutions ....
Investment to modernize our national infrastructure and create jobs ....
With the right set of policies, and loud trumpeting of them by our candidates, we can win at the polls. We won't do so by chasing the mythical "moderate Republican" but can by energizing the currently disaffected.
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wyldwolf
(43,867 posts)That's the same red meat Tea Party candidates throw to their masses.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Are you saying that even if Dems control the White House and both chambers of Congress we still can't deliver?
wyldwolf
(43,867 posts)In reality, they're not too far off from what our candidates promise every election cycle.
But the prospects of them also rally the opposition. So let's say we run the tables and have the House, Senate and Presidency. Who herds the cats to vote for all this? Will Southern Dems fall in line? How do we overcome GOP filibusters?
I agree with your issues. I DON'T agree that it would be nearly as easy as you seem to believe.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)If that's true, we should disband the Party.
wyldwolf
(43,867 posts)... and 92 - 94.
and... hell, ANY number or time periods...
JI7
(89,244 posts)just look at Cantor's loss and Graham's victory.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)wyldwolf
(43,867 posts)We had the house, senate and Presidency and that's what we got.
RiffRandell
(5,909 posts)Agree with all of the above...living in a red state has rendered me pretty hopeless.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Loudly
(2,436 posts)I am going to advocate, overall, in electoral campaign strategy, the following: Listen carefully to the messages being sent out by right wing conservatives.
Tune your ear to what they are saying and what they are hoping for out loud. They are making an appeal to the electorate which can always be effectively responded to. So How To Respond To It.
Figure out how to get between that message and all the ears in a congressional district who are vulnerable sympathetic to what the right wing propaganda machine is saying. Be alert to what potential friends are hearing from these sources of propaganda and newsy truth.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)And Gillooly the NSA. Two good starts.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)Unfortunately, these are not the things that corporatists seek to win.
They "win" by pleasing their corporate masters, and they are guaranteed tremendous personal wealth and comfort and security for their own families after that...
We need a revival of conscience in this country. Conscience.
