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Jolie Rouge · 01-26-2005, 11:17 AM

Dem’s Numbers Are Down & Shrinking

After the last two election cycles, here is where the Democratic Party stands. The Dems hold 202 House seats, 44 Senate seats, and 22 governorships. By comparison, in the 102nd Congress in 1991-93, Democrats held 267 House seats, 56 Senate seats and 32 governorships. They’re down 65 House seats, 12 Senate seats and 10 governorships in a matter of 12 years. Bill Clinton, while he was a popular president, did you no favors.

From a Democrat’s point of view, this is certainly a pathetic state of affairs. But in every defeat there is an opportunity to learn something. You should have learned that the American people don’t like obvious and malicious obstructionism and filibustering. The people of South Dakota sent chief obstructionist Tom Daschle packing.

But did the Democrats get the message? Apparently not. They continue to obstruct every Bush appointment. In the latest instance, Dr. Condoleeza Rice was approved as the next Secretary of State by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a 14-2 vote (with Barbara Boxer and John Kerry voting no). Yet the Democrats have obstructed a full confirmation vote in the Senate. The question is, what do they hope to gain from this repeated public rebuke of the president?

People are sick of the knee-jerk obstructionism, games and the politics for politics sake. But like it or not, this has become a trademark of the Democrats. You need to lose this attitude. Remember by not being petty or vindictive, you are not automatically giving in to your opposition. The American people expect disagreements; the American people want disagreements; but try taking the high ground. When you are in the minority and on the attack, you look small and nervous. A minority becomes a majority by acting like one.

Weak On Crime & National Security

The Democrats are also perceived as weak on crime and terror and national security. In this post-9/11 era, that is the kiss of death all by itself. You need to change this. Try doing it in public view by holding townhall style meetings around the South and Midwest. (You remember where the South is, right?) Talking to regular folks and really listening for a change is important here. Was FDR weak on national security? No. How many times was he re-elected? You need to get this one right. Consider asking Sam Nunn to lead this effort - his credibility here is rock solid.

Protecting our national interests used to be a top priority among Democrats. Prior to 1968, the Democratic Party had a very impressive record in this area. The old saying goes, ‘politics ends at the water’s edge.’ Not any more. Democrats seem to be chomping at the bit to place other nations’ interests ahead of our own. It seems that the conventional thinking in the party in recent years is to weaken the country and subordinate America to the United Nations or the European Union.

How do you fix this? Stop being ashamed of America’s prominence in the world. Accept that America is a force for good and justice. Embrace that idea and try not to hate your own country. Overhaul the party platform to include ‘strong America’ provisions.

Again, this does not mean that you rubber stamp the president’s foreign policies. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with the president about his foreign policy if you don’t like it. Americans understand disagreement, but they do not like obstructionism. Remember that in the end, it’s the president’s head in the historical noose.

Other Tips For The Democrats

Increasingly, it is hard-working, rank and file folks who are leaving your party in droves. Do yourselves a favor: Move inward from the coasts. Don’t think in terms of red versus blue states. Stop referring to the middle two-thirds of the country as “flyover country.” Keep in mind that there are more regular folks than super-left Hollywood elites and ivory tower academics. Check recent election results to confirm this.

The old saying goes, ‘a Democrat never met a tax increase he didn’t like.’ That has to change. We all know taxes are a reality in a modern society, but tax reform is definitely needed. If you don’t agree with the administration’s ideas, propose your own plan and take it to the people. Tell us why your plan is better without attacking the other guy. Don’t just criticize.

Also its time to give up on class warfare – pitting the rich against the poor. The American people know who pays most of the taxes in this country. This strategy has fallen flat for you three times now; you need to lose it. In order to do this, you need to jettison senior policy strategist Bob Schrum, a seven-time loser, from the party apparatus.

Stop playing the race card. Stop scaring seniors. And stop taking these groups for granted. They are starting to turn on you, slowly but surely. You act as though you are entitled to their votes, that you own these voting blocks. That turns people off.

There is also a lack of core values in today’s Democratic Party. At least that is the perception. Make a public display by amending the party platform to include a universal values covenant. Then try to stick to it.

There are always plenty of pitfalls and mistakes to be made in American politics. Neither side gets it all right or has all the answers. But don’t let the Democratic Party continue to get caught up in fringe issues that are far, far out of the mainstream (same sex marriage, for example). Be careful where you lend your national voice. Try speaking for all Americans and not just the fringe groups and the 527s.

Ways To Improve Your Image

There are too many abrasive talking heads on your side. You have a lot of youthful spokespersons with a lot of vigor, which is good. But their lines seem overly rehearsed and beyond their limited political experience. Many of these young people come across as ‘slick’ and as a result, they aren’t being taken seriously. Americans don’t like slick. Bring the adults back.

Show some respect for opposing views while making your case. Stop the name-calling and non-stop attacks. Try to remain above the fray. Don’t be so shrill. Try your best to appear mature, sane and centered on the issues.

You can do this by dropping themes such as the ‘vast right wing conspiracy,’ the ‘Bush is illegitimate’ argument and the Bush/Hitler comparisons. Most people do not buy them. America is not a fascist state, and it never will be. So stop propagating the notion that every last freedom and personal liberty are being subverted by the Republicans.

Above all things, the Democratic Party needs to restore its honor and integrity. You can do this by putting forward stronger candidates who appeal to the whole of America and not its urban centers. Try this: the next time a Congressional pay-hike is in the offing, vote against it, denounce it and filibuster it if need be. Remind everyone that you are doing the work of the people who don’t have the luxury of voting themselves pay raises.

Finally, you’re going to have to leave the Clinton’s in the past. There are too many negatives associated with the Clintons. Yes, Bill could win elections and he is charismatic, but he is a natural at politics. You don’t have any naturals on your bench (neither does the GOP). You don’t want to find this out by nominating Hillary in 2008.

If the Democratic Party is going to once again live up to its history, it has to make some serious and drastic changes. So get serious, think big and make them. If not, you will continue to lose constituents. If not, you are almost certain to lose even more seats in Congress in the 2006 midterm elections.” END QUOTE

01-26-2005, 11:17 AM	#21 (permalink)
Jolie Rouge C & P Queen Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Lan astaslem ! Posts: 38,144 iTrader: (2) Thanks: 1,465 Thanked 3,536 Times in 1,949 Posts	Can The Democrats Resurrect Themselves? ((continued)) Dem’s Numbers Are Down & Shrinking After the last two election cycles, here is where the Democratic Party stands. The Dems hold 202 House seats, 44 Senate seats, and 22 governorships. By comparison, in the 102nd Congress in 1991-93, Democrats held 267 House seats, 56 Senate seats and 32 governorships. They’re down 65 House seats, 12 Senate seats and 10 governorships in a matter of 12 years. Bill Clinton, while he was a popular president, did you no favors. From a Democrat’s point of view, this is certainly a pathetic state of affairs. But in every defeat there is an opportunity to learn something. You should have learned that the American people don’t like obvious and malicious obstructionism and filibustering. The people of South Dakota sent chief obstructionist Tom Daschle packing. But did the Democrats get the message? Apparently not. They continue to obstruct every Bush appointment. In the latest instance, Dr. Condoleeza Rice was approved as the next Secretary of State by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a 14-2 vote (with Barbara Boxer and John Kerry voting no). Yet the Democrats have obstructed a full confirmation vote in the Senate. The question is, what do they hope to gain from this repeated public rebuke of the president? People are sick of the knee-jerk obstructionism, games and the politics for politics sake. But like it or not, this has become a trademark of the Democrats. You need to lose this attitude. Remember by not being petty or vindictive, you are not automatically giving in to your opposition. The American people expect disagreements; the American people want disagreements; but try taking the high ground. When you are in the minority and on the attack, you look small and nervous. A minority becomes a majority by acting like one. Weak On Crime & National Security The Democrats are also perceived as weak on crime and terror and national security. In this post-9/11 era, that is the kiss of death all by itself. You need to change this. Try doing it in public view by holding townhall style meetings around the South and Midwest. (You remember where the South is, right?) Talking to regular folks and really listening for a change is important here. Was FDR weak on national security? No. How many times was he re-elected? You need to get this one right. Consider asking Sam Nunn to lead this effort - his credibility here is rock solid. Protecting our national interests used to be a top priority among Democrats. Prior to 1968, the Democratic Party had a very impressive record in this area. The old saying goes, ‘politics ends at the water’s edge.’ Not any more. Democrats seem to be chomping at the bit to place other nations’ interests ahead of our own. It seems that the conventional thinking in the party in recent years is to weaken the country and subordinate America to the United Nations or the European Union. How do you fix this? Stop being ashamed of America’s prominence in the world. Accept that America is a force for good and justice. Embrace that idea and try not to hate your own country. Overhaul the party platform to include ‘strong America’ provisions. Again, this does not mean that you rubber stamp the president’s foreign policies. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with the president about his foreign policy if you don’t like it. Americans understand disagreement, but they do not like obstructionism. Remember that in the end, it’s the president’s head in the historical noose. Other Tips For The Democrats Increasingly, it is hard-working, rank and file folks who are leaving your party in droves. Do yourselves a favor: Move inward from the coasts. Don’t think in terms of red versus blue states. Stop referring to the middle two-thirds of the country as “flyover country.” Keep in mind that there are more regular folks than super-left Hollywood elites and ivory tower academics. Check recent election results to confirm this. The old saying goes, ‘a Democrat never met a tax increase he didn’t like.’ That has to change. We all know taxes are a reality in a modern society, but tax reform is definitely needed. If you don’t agree with the administration’s ideas, propose your own plan and take it to the people. Tell us why your plan is better without attacking the other guy. Don’t just criticize. Also its time to give up on class warfare – pitting the rich against the poor. The American people know who pays most of the taxes in this country. This strategy has fallen flat for you three times now; you need to lose it. In order to do this, you need to jettison senior policy strategist Bob Schrum, a seven-time loser, from the party apparatus. Stop playing the race card. Stop scaring seniors. And stop taking these groups for granted. They are starting to turn on you, slowly but surely. You act as though you are entitled to their votes, that you own these voting blocks. That turns people off. There is also a lack of core values in today’s Democratic Party. At least that is the perception. Make a public display by amending the party platform to include a universal values covenant. Then try to stick to it. There are always plenty of pitfalls and mistakes to be made in American politics. Neither side gets it all right or has all the answers. But don’t let the Democratic Party continue to get caught up in fringe issues that are far, far out of the mainstream (same sex marriage, for example). Be careful where you lend your national voice. Try speaking for all Americans and not just the fringe groups and the 527s. Ways To Improve Your Image There are too many abrasive talking heads on your side. You have a lot of youthful spokespersons with a lot of vigor, which is good. But their lines seem overly rehearsed and beyond their limited political experience. Many of these young people come across as ‘slick’ and as a result, they aren’t being taken seriously. Americans don’t like slick. Bring the adults back. Show some respect for opposing views while making your case. Stop the name-calling and non-stop attacks. Try to remain above the fray. Don’t be so shrill. Try your best to appear mature, sane and centered on the issues. You can do this by dropping themes such as the ‘vast right wing conspiracy,’ the ‘Bush is illegitimate’ argument and the Bush/Hitler comparisons. Most people do not buy them. America is not a fascist state, and it never will be. So stop propagating the notion that every last freedom and personal liberty are being subverted by the Republicans. Above all things, the Democratic Party needs to restore its honor and integrity. You can do this by putting forward stronger candidates who appeal to the whole of America and not its urban centers. Try this: the next time a Congressional pay-hike is in the offing, vote against it, denounce it and filibuster it if need be. Remind everyone that you are doing the work of the people who don’t have the luxury of voting themselves pay raises. Finally, you’re going to have to leave the Clinton’s in the past. There are too many negatives associated with the Clintons. Yes, Bill could win elections and he is charismatic, but he is a natural at politics. You don’t have any naturals on your bench (neither does the GOP). You don’t want to find this out by nominating Hillary in 2008. If the Democratic Party is going to once again live up to its history, it has to make some serious and drastic changes. So get serious, think big and make them. If not, you will continue to lose constituents. If not, you are almost certain to lose even more seats in Congress in the 2006 midterm elections.” END QUOTE __________________ Laissez les bon temps rouler! Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT!** Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?