[mensforyouthis]

There is an opportunity for the Democrats to make huge gains in 2006 - but only if they realize the issues that are outraging the American public and capitalising on them.

The two most important issues that strike me are:

Illegal immigration. With reports of the Mexican military making incursions onto US soil for no other purpose then to smuggle drug, its evident there is a serious serious problem along the Mexican border. The national guard shoudl immediately be activatedand deployed to the border. I don't even know if its feasable given the condition of the military but it should be. This will tie into the failure of the Bush administration to protect America. Why would a terrorist call America when they can walk right in???

Outsourcing: With Ford being the latest automaker to almost bite the bullet link,
its evident that little or nothing is being done to protect American jobs. In fact, it is well known that the government gives tax breaks to companies who do outsource.

If I haven't given the Democrats enough firepower to win back seats in 06 then they don't deserve to be a party. With the country going into the gutter farther and farther each year its like a gift waiting to be opened.

Damn I'm good.

[gluckmeea]

Damn I'm good.

I'd not go getting all misty eyed over my political accumen, were I you. Some of still remember a couple posts from just before November, 2004

Seriously, though, I think you have some good points, and I hope to see them addressed by both parties.

Matt

[regfortruegoo]

lol, yes my crystal ball prediction that Kerry would win the election fell through.

I also forgot to mention that American cars are marked up 25% when imported into Korea but Korean cars are only marked up something in the low single digits. I imagine the numbers are simlilar for Japanese cars and now Chinease cars will be hitting US shores soon.

[Buildityrit]

Begala also predicted that Kerry would win, and I think he's a pretty respected Democratic pundit, at least from the left. I thought Kerry would lose the whole time, based upon how Bush generally led Kerry in the polls, and the bath the Dems took at the Republican National Convention. When you see a Democrat attacking another as Zell Miller did, it's a bad sign.

[HelenTay]

1) Tone it down on abortion.

Polls I've seen show that 1/3 of the public opposes it altogether. (The rates are higher or lower on regional levels.) Even most pro-choice people know abortion is a painful issue and that there are mixed interests between the foetus and the mother. Alot of pro-choice people have limitations on what they support. Examples of where pro-choice people depart amongst themselves would be post-first trimester abortion and especially partial birth abortion and parental and spousal notification.

The problem is that too many special interest pro-choice groups like NARAL and NOW spend a fortune and scream the loudest to get clout and tear up anyone who won't follow every one of their whims. These groups, however, take very inflexible positions where some of the points are definitely in the collective minority compared to the anti-abortion and restricted pro-choice views of the majority, as with lightning rod issues such as late term abortions and partial birth abortion and spousal and parental notifications. Worse, these groups also scream and holler like having an abortion is a wonderful thing and America's most important right whilst the foetus is a piece of worthless cellular glob until birth and a hindrance to women's unrestricted personal choice. This throws off a huge odour of coldness and insensitivity towards the sensitive nature of bearing a child, a very personal thing, and often very painful to even those who have undergone the procedure.

2) Give the 2nd Amendment and America's gun ownership culture its due respect.

America has a specified Amendment protecting gun ownership as well as most states. Gun collection and hunting are huge pasttimes in the rural parts of America. Seeking heavy gun restrictions directly attacks generational and regional cultures and the results are obvious. Removing such weaponry from the public is also futile given gun ownership is entrenched. At a time when it seems the Republican Party has taken a strong turn from its traditional libertarian roots towards Big Brother on several amendments, the Dems would give themselves constitutional consistency to attack the recent encroachments on the 1st, 4th, 8th and other Bill of Rights Amendments by removing the one area where they appear dismissive--the 2nd. Being the party of the people's constitution against Big Brother is very appealing, but it requires consistency to gain credibility, and backing the 2nd like the rest of the Bill of Rights would open the door to claim being the defender of the Bill of Rights and freedom from government encroachment upon it given they are more liberal than the current Reps when it comes to the rest of the Bill of Rights.

3) Play up the fact that the current Reps in Congress have abandoned smaller government and fair and responsible fiscal management. This one should be obvious. Play up the balanced budget and the lack of benefits people have gotten from this, some of which has given even less back than the Dems of the 70s.

4) Explain why Big Brother and Religious Right conservatism is often unduly intrusive and invasive to American valued freedoms. Alot of conservatives are 'negative liberty' libertarians--they want the government to stay off their porches, out of their bedrooms,--basically out of their lives. A good number of people don't want to sacrifice constitutional liberty for claims of safety. And alot don't want some politician deciding how to run their lives where it does not really harm others but merely offends another person's restrictive sensibilities who want to tell others how they must live their lives.

5) Show the flip side of 'strict constructionism' with the Constitution. Alot of power-hungry people in the government right now want the constitution construed in favour of their ability to regulate the people instead of giving them liberty from government. That creates alot of negative side effects with bossy social issue special interests groups, government power appetites, and lobbyists, and these hazards should be highlighted.

6) Stop having a non-negotiable large checklist of special issues. This is what drove people away from Dems and is now driving people away from Reps. Be a 'Big Tent' party as much as possible and try to reach flexible and compromising positions.

7) Remember the Average Joe. This was always the strength of the party. School quality, day care, medical care, school loans and grants, fair and safe working environments, etc.

8) Remember the military and take care of them with the best salaries, equipment, benefits and family aid they deserve. They defend this country and deserve the best. They are not responsible for who orders them to do missions--the government chooses that. They are usually the working class who sacrifice alot. Don't look like you cheer the enemies who shoot at them when criticising any decisions made by Bush and the present Reps in Congress. Make sure they have the best of what they need and back them. There was alot of room to point out how shabbily they were being treated, and instead, the message was missed, and instead the anti-war types came across as cheering lowlifes like Saddam, Zarqawi, etc.

There's more, but that's a start.

[Doctor-CTAC]

As Clinton told Begala, don't forget "values." You cannot ignore "values."

[wrardymar]

Nobody can do anything about outsourcing. That's a nowhere issue.

Neither party wants to try to outflank the other on the right on immigration because the Hispanic vote is up for grabs and nobody wants to be the one to make the Hispanic vote go only one way in the future.

African-Americans, take note: THAT's how you make the parties care about you. If your vote is uncertain, no one will fuck with your issues.

[RotsLoado]

1). Take Ted Kennedy off the stage.
2). Take Hillary off the stage.
3). Take Howard Dean off the stage.
4). Stop the abortion obsession.
5). Stop taking from working people to support those that CHOOSE not to work.
6). Stop saying the solution is always to raise taxes.
7). Stop saying the solution is always the government.
8). Dump Michael Moore.

[MauroDarudo]

1) Fix the immigration system so that mexican nationals (or anyone who wants to come to the US, really) don't have to jump through flaming hoops and wait a heckuva long time to get into the US legally. That way, we can properly screen the individuals coming in - and also stop the silly practice of barring people from coming because they're foreigners.

2) Outsourcing is indeed a trouble, but its causes are the socialistic practices that YOUR party put in place. Minimum wages, high taxes, regulations, and the government regularly meddling in business'...well, business...make it far more economical to go overseas.

The way to "protect" American jobs is to get the government out of the American economy.

[ticskebasse]

There is an opportunity for the Democrats to make huge gains in 2006 - but only if they realize the issues that are outraging the American public and capitalising on them.

The two most important issues that strike me are:

Illegal immigration. With reports of the Mexican military making incursions onto US soil for no other purpose then to smuggle drug, its evident there is a serious serious problem along the Mexican border. The national guard shoudl immediately be activatedand deployed to the border. I don't even know if its feasable given the condition of the military but it should be. This will tie into the failure of the Bush administration to protect America. Why would a terrorist call America when they can walk right in???

Outsourcing: With Ford being the latest automaker to almost bite the bullet link,
its evident that little or nothing is being done to protect American jobs. In fact, it is well known that the government gives tax breaks to companies who do outsource.

If I haven't given the Democrats enough firepower to win back seats in 06 then they don't deserve to be a party. With the country going into the gutter farther and farther each year its like a gift waiting to be opened.

Damn I'm good.

The dems or the repubs won't touch illegal immigration with a million foot pole, they're terrified of losing the hispanic vote over it. Look for another 3 million tax dollar sucking illegals to make their way here in 2006. Plus, liberal dems cry that these poor people are just in search of a better life........while the truth is that they enjoy the convienience of having a "new nigger" class.......you'll find them working in homes throughout liberal hollywood. IF these hypocrits really cared about Mexican illegal immigrants , they's find a way for them to immigrate leagally and become real Americans, not non contributing illegal residents.

Ford Motor Company????? just how long did you think $30/hr +excellent benefits assembely line workers would last in this new "world economy"?
Now we are going to import chinese cars. Manufacturing in America is dying a not so slow death.

[FYIbiatches]

National security, immigration, healthcare and fiscal responsibility.

Republicans can be shown to be very weak, vulnerable or damaging on each account.

[standaman]

National security, immigration, healthcare and fiscal responsibility.

Republicans can be shown to be very weak, vulnerable or damaging on each account.

Republicans ? 8 years of the Clinton administration proved to be weak on three of the four you listed.

[Accecyncphory]

Ford Motor Company????? just how long did you think $30/hr +excellent benefits assembely line workers would last in this new "world economy"?

Paycuts for auto-workers? $30/hour sounds awefully low for UAW wages. Up here, $56/hour (cdn) is the average total wage rate for UAW (includes benefits).

And many people have noted that you can replace almost the entire employee base of any UAW regulated auto assembly plant at 1/3 the wages and have line-ups of applicants.

Now we are going to import chinese cars. Manufacturing in America is dying a not so slow death.

Not true. The Japanese make wonderful fine cars manufactured in America. They are also selling very well at profitable prices.

Ergo, there is nothing actually wrong with auto manufacturing in the USA (per se) rather the problem is the corporate management of Ford and GM making really bad decisions.

Indeed, Canada has had a net increase in the number of workers in the automotive sector non-stop every year (even though GM & Ford keep laying people off). The problem is not automotive - the problem is GM & Ford (and the private cost of American healthcare).

Please note that healthcare is only a new problem to add to GM & Ford's woes - they already made huge problems for themselves (falling market share and rising costs) long before their healthcare costs became crippling.

[opelonafqe]

Republicans ? 8 years of the Clinton administration proved to be weak on three of the four you listed.

Yeah, Clinton was weak on the first three and Bush is weak on all four.

That's why those issues would resonate with the electorate. They've been starved for good policy on all accounts. Politicians like to put their own interests ahead of those of the electorate.

[AttableBewNaw]

I also forgot to mention that American cars are marked up 25% when imported into Korea

guys,how do you think of China export so much clothes(I don't know fix word,maybe "accouterments" is better) to US and Europe.
My younger brother is working in a accouterments Company,his company export accouterments to US.he is working in office,his salary is about $300(RMB2400)one month.
in factory,an ordinary worker's salary one month is about RMB800($100).so Chinese's accouterments is very cheap.
American says that China worker make US worker lose their job...

[BuyCheapest]

Paycuts for auto-workers? $30/hour sounds awefully low for UAW wages. Up here, $56/hour (cdn) is the average total wage rate for UAW (includes benefits).

And many people have noted that you can replace almost the entire employee base of any UAW regulated auto assembly plant at 1/3 the wages and have line-ups of applicants.


Not true. The Japanese make wonderful fine cars manufactured in America. They are also selling very well at profitable prices.

Ergo, there is nothing actually wrong with auto manufacturing in the USA (per se) rather the problem is the corporate management of Ford and GM making really bad decisions.

Indeed, Canada has had a net increase in the number of workers in the automotive sector non-stop every year (even though GM & Ford keep laying people off). The problem is not automotive - the problem is GM & Ford (and the private cost of American healthcare).

Please note that healthcare is only a new problem to add to GM & Ford's woes - they already made huge problems for themselves (falling market share and rising costs) long before their healthcare costs became crippling.

Is that why a American
vehicle like a Chevey surburban or escalade costs as much as a "starter home" in my area costs?

[Unoloknovagog]

I think democrats really need to deflate the myth that republicans are strong on national defense and in fighting terrorism.

Reducing the civil rights of americans, elevating government secrecy to sacred status, and killing people who had nothing at all to do with 911 is NOT the same as being strong on national defense and fighting terror.

Democratic candidates need to make it clear that you can believe in civil rights and open government and you can be against the needless waste of lives and money in Iraq and still be a patriot and fight terrorism. I think that's why it is important that the democrats find a presidential candidate who was not intimidated into voting for the Iraq war and can be viewed as having stood up for the right thing even when it was politically risky to do so. As far as potential candidates from the senate go, that pretty much limits them to Feingold.

[immoceefe]

I think democrats really need to deflate the myth that republicans are strong on national defense and in fighting terrorism.

Reducing the civil rights of americans, elevating government secrecy to sacred status, and killing people who had nothing at all to do with 911 is NOT the same as being strong on national defense and fighting terror.

Democratic candidates need to make it clear that you can believe in civil rights and open government and you can be against the needless waste of lives and money in Iraq and still be a patriot and fight terrorism. I think that's why it is important that the democrats find a presidential candidate who was not intimidated into voting for the Iraq war and can be viewed as having stood up for the right thing even when it was politically risky to do so. As far as potential candidates from the senate go, that pretty much limits them to Feingold.

It would just be countered with examples of how the Clinton admin let Al-Q grow like a weed. I think we're all familiar with how many times the US was attacked and yet the democratic leadership did nothing. That's going to be hard to overcome with "We'll take care of business this time"

[pharmablogger]

It would just be countered with examples of how the Clinton admin let Al-Q grow like a weed. I think we're all familiar with how many times the US was attacked and yet the democratic leadership did nothing. That's going to be hard to overcome with "We'll take care of business this time"

There has to come a day when the republicans will be required to come up with an answer that is not "Bill Clinton". We are now well in to w's second term. I think that time is now.

[Phlkxkbh]

There has to come a day when the republicans will be required to come up with an answer that is not "Bill Clinton". We are now well in to w's second term. I think that time is now.

many, many things are judged by past performance, political parties included. Did the events I spoke of not occur under democratic leadership? This is the obstacle that will have to be overcome. Confidence in the party will have to be earned, it's not a gift.