We need a strategy to loosen voters' mental rigidity and motivate them to embrace
common sense, issues, and solid human beings as candidates more than we need
to throw more money at races

You can advertise and wear volunteer shoe leather to the nub, but if you haven't
changed any minds you're not going to win

I don't know Ryan's district, but if it's really conservative, a progressive Dem will probably not win. That's a big hurdle to overcome at the get-go.

The Dem Party needs to figure out why it's not winning elections. The candidate has to match the people of the area. I'm French, in a conservative area where there are a lot of Catholics with a French ancestry. If a political party runs a candidate that doesn't speak of the local cuisine, mispronounces French words and names, doesn't seem to be one of the local people, that's a big hurdle out of the gate. People have to identify with the candidate and like him/her, in addition to the politics.

I'm no politician, but something needs to change in the way Dems run in some areas, or the types of candidates that run and lose.

Thinking that a candidate who is not one of the people can run, and can change the minds of the locals, is barking up the wrong tree. That is backwards. It's the other way around. People are NOT going to change their minds on certain issues because a candidate tells them they should. They know what matters to them. It's insulting to the population to come in and tell them they are wrong in thinking this or that.

at least against Ryan. From what I've seen elsewhere online in regards to his seat, the only real scenario of victory means a progressive Dem getting people on the left fired up to vote, and Republicans being unhappy enough to stay home. How else do you flip a district where Trump is more popular than Ryan? Not by running a boring centerist/conservative. That sort of candidate won't create any kind of voter enthusiasm, and won't syphon off enough people who fell for Trump's populist message.

to conservative Repubs, to vote a Dem in? I don't know.

But usually in very conservative areas, the Dems in those areas are not by and large progressives. I was raised in the deep south. The Dems there are not northern type Dems. They are more conservative than that.

I would think the way to flip the district would be to appeal to the moderate Repubs to vote for a conservative Dem, since moderate Repubs and conservative Dems are not that far apart.

But you'd have to ask those Dems who have won in Repub districts how they did it. Or study it in order to replicate it.

Many of the northern or urban Dems don't understand the deep south, I think. I was born & raised there. I just don't think most of those areas will vote for progressives, because of the social issues. Southerners do come around to a new world, but it takes longer. They seem to be 10 or 20 years behind the north, as far as social issues go. They are also less educated, less worldly, generally speaking.

He's not a power-point presentation kind of guy. Instead, he's plain-spoken in a believable kind of way. The fact that he's a union guy is an added bonus, because he can speak about a different, more relatable real life than can many professional politicians.

As I see it, the more "ground-up" candidates we have, the better our chances of success.

Refer to my other post on this thread.

and put up Billboards and remind people that his right wing fascist Ryan, is making $223,500 a year and worked so far (see below)

Here are the number of legislative days for the House and Senate each year in recent history:


2016: 131 in the House, 165 in the Senate.
2015: 157 in the House, 168 in the Senate.
2014: 135 in the House, 136 in the Senate.
2013: 159 in the House, 156 in the Senate.
2012: 153 in the House, 153 in the Senate.
2011: 175 in the House, 170 in the Senate.
2010: 127 in the House, 158 in the Senate.
2009: 159 in the House, 191 in the Senate.
2008: 119 in the House, 184 in the Senate.
2007: 164 in the House, 190 in the Senate.
2006: 101 in the House, 138 in the Senate.
2005: 120 in the House, 159 in the Senate.
2004: 110 in the House, 133 in the Senate.
2003: 133 in the House, 167 in the Senate.
2002: 123 in the House, 149 in the Senate.
2001: 143 in the House, 173 in the Senate.


When I was working it was 365 days a year, or 2,026 hrs , making around $75,000 a year , and getting 4 weeks vacation

I really hope he takes Ryan out. I think he has a pretty good chance. I can't see why he wouldn't appeal to most working and middle class people from both sides of the fence. Anyone with half a brain must know how much Ryan despises the average working American. I can't see why any of them would willingly vote for him.

i signed right up. Ryan is malignant.

Last edited Wed Jun 21, 2017, 12:50 PM - Edit history (1)

However one must remember that Paul Ryan is a Walker/Koch Brothers puppet.
If we think the ads that were ran by a PAC group in GA.were bad,they were probably mild compared to what the Koch Brothers will offer.when this campaign comes full circle.Great candidate and we need more like Randy Bryce. We also need the current Democratic leaders to step aside to allow the next generation of Democrats to lead.
All the way from the DNC down.There are several rising stars that are eager to take over.

I supported Ossoff and gave money to him. But he talked like a wet noodle Democrat who was too scared to own our party's positions. And he lost.

I saw the same thing with Senator Udall in Colorado, who lost to Cory Gardner - GARDNER, for God's sake! - because his campaign stump and commercials were so lame and watered down, no one really knew what he stood for. So now we have Gardner, who is helping draft the Republican death bill.

So, whoever wins this primary, Yankovich or Bryce, I pledge to support, but only on the condition that they talk plainly about kitchen table issues. Healthcare. Affordable college. Good roads. Clean water. Strong Social Security. Renewable energy and the transformation of America to cleaner standards.

OWN THESE POSITIONS AND WIN.

DON'T AND LOSE.

Remember Ossoff.

in the effort to broaden appeal by not saying anything that any bloc of voters could disagree with, we Democrats tend to water down our message until it has no hard content and is delivered without conviction. Controlled outrage over Trump should be our position, factually presented, but showing our displeasure with Trump and policies that harm people.

I didn't follow the Ossoff race closely, but in my judgment 30 year olds are light in the life experience aspects of running for office. You need candidates able to discern the mistakes of others on the fly, and express soft but visceral concern for our country. Adhering to issue-positions from a focus group is not enough, nor is party platform. A campaign will always lay bare shortcomings in the personality for all to feel, worst of all if those are on the subconscious level. Genuine heartfelt candidates have an advantage.

$100,000 in light of the $50 million losing campaign in GA, seems a drop in the bucket.

But on the lighter side, I live in rural Wisconsin and I think Randy Bryce can speak to the folks around here. Although, not in his district, his message can be wide ranging. I liked what I have seen and heard so far.

I will donate to him and any candidate that has his message.

...... before the polls even open we are going to continue to lose by small margins but still lose. Anyone that doubts that listen to Dr. Haldeman (Michigan State University computer scientist ???) initial opening statement in today's Senate hearing.

They are stealing with gerrymander districts. Purging voters from the voting rolls. Make it hard or impossible to obtain a Voter ID. Limiting the number of machine in voting places to slow down voting. Spending MILLIONS to defeat Democratic contenders with TV ads and other misleading tactics.

Election ARE being stolen. Investigations and history will prove that.... but not before they steal what little democracy we still have.