The Democrat mission (and message) should be:

1. Energy independence for USA by 2016

2. Health care reform...affordable for all (Kerry's plan?)

3. Government Spending Limit

4. Out of Iraq

5. Equitable Taxes

As my hero Carville said, (I think) Keep it Simple, Stupid.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Public financing of elections.
Free quality public education.
Jobs for all with living wages and benefits.
open fair clean elections.

I received an e-mail from Kerry about his energy 2020 plan - I thought that was a great platform too. During the election, his positions on renewable energy and using it for job creation was one of the things that got me excited about the prospect of a Kerry presidency (outside of being "anybody but Bush")

just seems like an obvious and natural solution to two (maybe three) major
problems we face. If we could only spend a third of what we have wasted in
Iraq and Halliburton on boosting research and development of this industry
I believe we would lead the world in job creation. I think it is also likely
that we could actually start having a reversing effect on global warming which
as far as i can tell, has no solution in sight.

I want the democrat party to get America engaged in these ideas.. it feels like
it is impossible because they are not as exciting as divisive issues that
make a person gut check. But clearly, if the Democrats got behind a central
theme and hammered it in the media and did so aggresively we could force this
as the agenda for the USA.

and welcome to DU!
:hi:

(and I agree it is extremely important). It appears in virtually all attempts they made to have a plan.

Their problem is not that they have no plans. Their problem is that the DCCC, the DSCC, and the DNC each have their plan, all similar, but they dont seem to be able to make it in a single document at this point.

I would say that their plans all have at least your points 1,2, and 3.

Kerry related all three and it worked beautifully. What's sad is that the media never covered the parts of his speeches about vision or plans.

It almost suggests that we need to have ads for each major issue that can hit key points on the issue. I really don't think it's uniquely Kerry the media hated. They were progressively harder on Clinton, very unfair to Gore, and even worse to Kerry. In addition to finding a good candidate somehow we're going to have to get the message out.

But I agree that this is a fantastic issue to grab hold of - it clearly is key to the economic future. Bush talked about it in the State of the Union - though he doesn't seem to really be doing it.

Especially your second paragraph.

How refreshing, I have about had it with one particular "divisive issue" that seems to be taking over DU, while we lose on all the practical stuff that matters to real people.

Anyway, Welcome to DU! Always happy to welcome a voice of reason!!

:hi:

http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research/rockridge/stratinit/view?searchterm=slippery%20slope

NGU.

Kerry's 10-point plan outlined:

1. Obey law, protect civil rights.
2. Tell the truth.
3. Fire the incompetents.
4. Chase the moneylenders and changers from temple of democracy.
5. Bring our troops home!
6. Find OBL and protect ports.
7. Stop stabilizing big oil and blaming people. Commit to alternatives.
8. Make access to healthcare affordable as America's right.
9. Reduce deficit (conservative!) Respect work over wealth.
10. Fight for American jobs.

Same things except that he added Iraq and deficits after he released the statement. You're right: energy independance (APOLLO project in particular) and port security were two important parts of his agenda in 2004.

Tell the truth. Find Osama bin Laden and secure our ports. Stop subsidizing big oil and start investing in energy alternatives. Make access to affordable health care a right and not a privilege. Fight for American jobs that restore the American dream. Obey the law and protect our civil rights. Fire incompetents and restore competence and integrity to Washington."

He hits all the right notes without being dated. IOW, Kerry's plan is about our priciples.

All those things fall under those three core values. Always relate your points back to them. This is the beginning of message discipline.

And Never Give Up.

NGU.

Hmmm....does that mean boycott Venezuella, Mexico, Canada and, of course, those awful Ay-rabs ?

I am suggesting that USA develop an energy technology by 2016 that renders it unnecessary to import oil. And I emphasize the word "unnecessary". Right now it seems to me that we are dependent on
foreign oil and that forces the USA to engage in issues and controversies in ways that must take into account that dependance.

I am also very worried that the continued use of fossil fuels on the
scales we are at presently will ruin the atmosphere and accelerate
global warming. With China and India ramping up their use of oil I
can only see this getting worse.

This is not a Democrat vs. Repub issue. But Democrats can win by
seizing the initiative on this issue. If we scorch our planet
you can just forget the hell about all the other important issues
we struggle with. If we get reduced to struggling just to survive.

And, make no mistake, that is where the world is heading...I don't want
my daughter (4 yrs old) to inherit THAT world.

Welcome to DU

Democrat is a noun, not an adjective. When you use democrat as an adjective you are speaking the language of the right wing.

1. 65 percent say the government should guarantee health insurance for everyone -- even if it means raising taxes.

2. 86 percent favor raising the minimum wage (including 79 percent of selfdescribed "social conservatives").

3. 60 percent favor repealing either all of Bush's tax cuts or at least those cuts that went to the rich.

4. 66 percent would reduce the deficit not by cutting domestic spending but by reducing Pentagon spending or raising taxes.

5. 77 percent believe the country should do "whatever it takes" to protect the environment.

6. 87 percent think big oil corporations are gouging consumers, and 80 percent (including 76 percent of Republicans) would support a windfall profits tax on the oil giants if the revenues went for more research on alternative fuels.

7. 69 percent agree that corporate offshoring of jobs is bad for the U.S. economy (78 percent of "disaffected" voters think this), and only 22% believe offshoring is good because "it keeps costs down."

8. Over 65% of all Americans believe that the Invasion of Iraq was a mistake.


The Democratic Party should make it a mission to give the American Perople what THEY want!

"It doesn't get covered by the corporate media (imagine that), but mainstream polls consistently find that big majorities of Americans are not meek centrists, but overt, tub-thumping, FDR progressives who are seeking far more populist gumption and governmental action than any Democratic congressional leader or presidential contender has dared to imagine. In recent polls by the Pew Research Group, the Opinion Research Corporation, the Wall Street Journal, and CBS News, the American majority has made clear how it feels. Look at how the majority feels about some of the issues that you'd think would be gospel to a real Democratic party:"

http://alternet.org/story/29788/

1. 65 percent say the government should guarantee health insurance for everyone -- even if it means raising taxes.

2. 86 percent favor raising the minimum wage (including 79 percent of selfdescribed "social conservatives").

3. 60 percent favor repealing either all of Bush's tax cuts or at least those cuts that went to the rich.

4. 66 percent would reduce the deficit not by cutting domestic spending but by reducing Pentagon spending or raising taxes.

5. 77 percent believe the country should do "whatever it takes" to protect the environment.

6. 87 percent think big oil corporations are gouging consumers, and 80 percent (including 76 percent of Republicans) would support a windfall profits tax on the oil giants if the revenues went for more research on alternative fuels.

7. 69 percent agree that corporate offshoring of jobs is bad for the U.S. economy (78 percent of "disaffected" voters think this), and only 22% believe offshoring is good because "it keeps costs down."

they want leadership that sets out to solve the real problems
in their daily lives. I believe even 'muricans are pretty stressed
about the repub penchant for spending money on Iraq and Halliburton.

The average guy and gal is reminded of this screwed up policy
every time he fills up his gas tank and every month when he
pays his health insurance bill.

Solve those problems and you will win.

I agree with you.

Specifically on the issue of gasoline, however, Americans use too much. We use 1/4 of all the fuel burned on the planet everyday. We use gasoline too cheaply. Perhaps if it were not so cheap, more would use mass transit and consider the true cost of driving a car.

E = Energy Independence
N =
O = Out of Iraq
U =
G = Government Spending Limit
H = Health Care Reform


Letters N & U to be filled in still?

ideas?

acronym...so here's a couple of ideas for "N" and "U"

N: National Security with International Cooperation

U: Uniform Tax Fairness

I think that dern well covers it!

E. Energy independence by 2016
N. National Security with International cooperation
O. Out of Iraq
U. Uniform Tax Fairness
G. Government Spending Limit
H. Health Care Reform

:kick:

:)

oh I forgot..they could take it one step further:

E.N.O.U.G.H. is E.N.O.U.G.H, Vote Democratic.

(to the song by Donna Summer I think it is or was
it Barbra Streisand?)



edit: added thoughts.