How to talk to family and friends about Democrats in '06

Is Iraq the only issue for Democrats in 2006?  That's the Republican talking point, repeated endlessly.

Let's help change that.  Daily Kos has such a wide readership that if even a portion of us accept a broad, coherent vision before the midterm elections, we can CHANGE the conventional wisdom and PERSUADE voters to dump the Republican congress.

Let me propose that Iraq is a symptom, not the disease.  The problem with focusing only on Iraq is simple - in the key states, voters are more likely to know someone serving in Iraq.  It is too painful for them to believe that the sacrifices made by our soldiers are worthless.

The DISEASE is the inabiity of Republicans to govern - their desire to govern so badly that it will ultimately destroy the government.

Thus, when talking to family, neighbors and friends, Iraq may be too painful and confusing, so consider mentioning other symptoms of the disease first.

For example,
"Remember that lady who was brain dead and how the Republicans stepped into that terrible situation.  Who do you want making your end-of-life decisions, your family or the Republicans?"

"The strange thing is that Bush flew to DC from Texas on a Sunday to sign a law about that brain dead lady, but it took him a few days to notice the poor people in New Orleans on the rooftops and in the Superdome."

"I tell you, these guys are just malicious.  They want to get into everybody's private business, but when it comes to fulfilling a governmental role like protecting our country and helping out in an emergency, it's almost like they are trying to fail.  I mean, I heard that Bush didn't even know the difference between the Sunnis and the Shiites until two months before the invasion."

"I tell you, the only way to stop these guys is to hope the Democrats take over the Congress."

I imagine that very few here realize the extermely short amount of time we have to introduce ideas into the minds of the public.  When we canvass our neighborhoods, we are told specifically not to try to persuade voters - to only record the voter's sentiment so that the Democratic headquarters can mail a crappy pamphlet about their particular issue.  Let's help ourselves by weaving a coherent story right now - the Republicans can't govern and that can't keep their noses out of everyone's business.

•  That's the right strategy

  Link Iraq, Katrina, and corruption and force them to recall everything they've heard conservatives say about how much they hate government.

  Then frame a series of very simple but devastating questions that force them to think about it all:

  "Would you elect an NFL commisioner who bragged that he hated football?"

  "Would you support a Pope who expressed a desire to drown the Catholic Church in a bathtub?

  "Would you allow your first-grader in a class run by a teacher who believed her job was to 'get out of the way of children and let market forces sort things out'"?

  "Would you be happy if your town counsel decided to 'privatize' the police department, the fire department, and the sanitation department, limiting those services only to those who could 'pay to play'?

  I'm sure some of you could come up with better ones, but you get the basic idea.

  by Fatherflot on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 08:57:44 AM PDT

  •  Are you better off now than you were 6 years ago?

    And if they say "yes," say "Really? Did you own $30 in  Republican debt 6 years ago?"

    And if they say "it's partly Clinton debt," say, "a little part, but remember CLINTON PROPOSED PAYING OFF THE NATIONAL DEBT, until Greenspan talked him out of it.

    Now there we got nothing to pay the debt with.

    by daulton on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 09:03:17 AM PDT

  •  ..I dont know..

    ..I've pretty much given up trying to reason with the dear wingnuts in my family, god bless them (you know you can sanitize any put-down by just adding 'god bless you to the end'; ex. "fuck off, god bless you" or "you are dumb as bag of hammers, god bless you".  Anyway, I put my arm around my dear cousin the other day after he'd spouted 'nutty nonsense about the state of the world, and I said, "Don't worry, I'll try to see that you're saved come the Revolution."

    by sandmancan on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 09:25:51 AM PDT

•  It all depends

  on the viewpoint of your relative. If they are a:

  • Christianist: "I was praying to Jesus this morning, and he told me anyone who voted for Bush is GOING TO BURN IN HELL!  Oh, BTW, you are aware that the Bushies are close freinds to the Moonies. Haven't heard of the Moonies? The guy who says he and his wife are Mr. and Mrs. God? He calls himself a Christian, but can't stand the sight of a Crucifix? Those Moonies.
  • Fetus Fetishist. So explain to me, how come forced abortions by GOP contributors are okay?.
  • Fiscal conservative. So, the first time in ALL OF HISTORY that a nation has cut taxes in wartime. And now it's $10 Trillion in national debt? That means $30,000 in Bush debt for every man women and child in this country. So you voted for him? Fine. You can pay my part of your debt. Make my check out to "cash."  

  by daulton on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 09:00:06 AM PDT

•  Prosperity *for all*

  The rich-get-richer theme (which I didn't see in the poll) has to be really strong for our side. In addition to all the stories about war, immigration, gay marriage, etc., we've heard this constant drumbeat in the news -- corporate profits, executive compensation, Enron, tax cuts for the rich, layoffs, offshoring -- this has been going on for years, and every person who is getting squeezed by this, which is damn near everybody, is a potential Democratic voter.

  by Positronicus on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 09:01:31 AM PDT

  •  You're right the deficit is a huge issue

    and fits into the whole, 'trying to destroy the government' story.

    by lordkelvin on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 09:05:37 AM PDT

•  Save this one for right after saying grace...

  "How far up your ass do these guys dicks need to be before you realize they're fucking you?"

  Bill Hicks

  by daulton on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 09:04:30 AM PDT

  •  Confrontation is not always the best strategery

    A father and son ram are sitting on a hill.  The son says, 'Hey dad, let's run down their and f--- one of those sheep'.  And the dad says, 'No.  Let's walk down and f--- them all'.

    by lordkelvin on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 09:08:57 AM PDT

•  Nice job on the dumbdown

  Sad but true, that's just what it's gonna take to convert Bushies.
  I think I'll print this out and keep it in my wallet next to the card I'm supposed to read to the cops if I get FI'd.

  by kestrel9000 on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 09:09:26 AM PDT

•  Separate the Conservatives from the Republicans

  • YOU. So tell me uncle Joe, do you consider yourself a conservative?
  • JOE. A-yup.
  • YOU. Well let's say $9 billion turned up missing in Baghdad. What would you call the CONSERVATIVE response? Maybe, would you want  Congress to investigate and catch the rascals, to stop more money going down the same rathole?
  • JOE. A-yup.
  • YOU. I agree with your there. But guess who those CONSERVATIVES are? Those are the Democrats.
  • JOE. Wha..?
  • YOU. And guess who's stopping the investigation? It's the Republicans, because they don't want to embarrass Bush, Cheney, or any of the other kleptomaniacs in the White House. It turns out the Republicans are NOT conservatives any more. Republicans are nothing but Bush followers, doing whatever he tells them to to. NOW THE TRUE CONSERVATIVES ARE DEMOCRATS.

  by daulton on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 09:18:01 AM PDT

•  Poll after poll...

  ... shows that a Progressive position on issues is exactly what the majority of Americans favor.  Our problem has been in thinking that all those issues need to be addressed at the same time, in the same ad.  That makes a mish-mosh out of those issues, boring listeners and leading to criticisms that Democrats have "no clear position."

  We need to get spokespersons who are real people, not slick ad types.  Then, on our ads, one person needs to make a clear and compelling statement on one issue, and only on one. Get ten Wilfred Brimleys to address the 10 big issues for Progressives, very simply, and one issue at a time.

  Example:  "America is the richest country in the world, but I can't afford health insurance for my family.  Neither can 47 million other Americans.  We need to build a health care system that works for people and not insurers.  That's why I'm voting Democrat this fall."

  One issue at a time, different believable people as spokespresons, and each followed by "That's why I'm voting Democrat this fall."  Over and over, issue by issue. It'll work.

  by altoid on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 09:40:54 AM PDT

  •  That's right out of the Dem strategist playbook

    and we know how well that's worked.

    by lordkelvin on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 11:05:06 AM PDT

    •  asdf

      Can you suggest another, more effective way to present those issues?

      by altoid on Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 12:41:46 PM PDT