I am so sick of hearing that we need to reach out to the Red States.

[The Night Owl]

The Red State Republicans have nothing but contempt for anyone who does not fit into their notion of what an American is. What did the Red Stater Republicans call us not too long ago? I believe they called us a tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show. How can Blue Staters expect to find any common ground with intolerant assholes who will not even tolerate stuff that doesn't matter?

[movonne]

1. I say screw them...we have it good in our blue states..

[villager]

2. exactly.... fuck 'em...

let them reach to us after they're carting dollars around in wheelbarrows, climate-change-spawned storms have wiped out their farms, etc...

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. Even my cousins in SC?

Hmmm...That explains why I haven't heard from them.

[sangh0]

4. So you want us to only reach out to those who already like us?

Sounds like preaching to the choir.

[CBGLuthier]

5. You are so correct

I am a red stater. I have nothing but contempt for blue staters who blame EVERY SINGLE CITIZEN of the red states for the election.

[The Night Owl]

12. I mean the Red State Republicans, of course. I love Red State Democrats!

[Mojambo]

6. Did the Republicans rise to the top by appealing to blue states?

No.

Establish strong positions and argue INTENSELY for them.

That's how you win.

[Ruffhowse]

7. I agree, what's the point of becoming like your enemy? The red states

have no future and I for one would like to see them kicked out of the Union for excessive Christo-Fasciosity. A new Union could develop by a merge with Canada except for Quebec, which could become it's own French speaking country. The resulting United States of Canada would be far stronger than the US of today.

[jcappy]

8. It aint all red and blue....

I am pretty damn certain that four or more red states really voted blue. and even more certain that there are a lof of blues and would-be blues in the red states (the amerikan media and our amerikan education are the two biggest enemies of many red voters)

[fuzz_ball]

36. You're right, the "all or nothing" hides the blue foxholes...

Check this link out:

http://www.boingboing.net/2004/11/03/purple_haze.html

[John Q. Citizen]

9. Us against them by state?

Sounds pretty prejudiced and bigoted to me. Reagan, Nixon and the governator came out of CA. Your going to let them off the hook?

[Career Prole]

10. You skipped the treasonous tag!

What do they mean, reach out? We've been in a tug o' war with those bastards for years, and like any tug o' war, if you get dragged across that line in the center you lose.
We've gotten way too close to the center-line lately. It's high time to tug back.

[HEAVYHEART]

11. I'm in a red state

I'm in a red state and I have contempt, for people in this fucking piece of shit state. I hate this fucking place! Urggghhh! I want so bad to get a t-shirt with some type of writing or slogan on the front, I'm not sure what it will say yet. But I want people around me to know that I did not vote for the goddamn chimp.

[tedzbear]

13. Fuck the red states!

But not the DU members who have to live in them! God bless the blue people who have to live among the reds.

Funny that "reds" will now mean something different than Communists. It's almost ironic.

:bounce: Go Green Party, go!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. I wonder how my fellow "red state" liberals feel about the...

..."intolerant assholes" that post such nonsense on DU? We only make up 45% of the population here in the "red states"...you want to write us off, too?

Just curious, but I wonder how many "intolerant assholes" are currently living in the so-called "blue states"? And how many of those "intolerant assholes" are Democrats with an bad attitude?

[CBGLuthier]

19. After spending half a day

I spent half a morning replying to asinine threads like this, and I just love the after the fact edit requalifying it to only the republicans, I swore I would just let them go but I guess I fell off that wagon.


Maybe we should all just start our own DU. It seems pretty apparent we are not really welcome here. At least not in some members eyes.

[MuseRider]

39. I don't feel very good at all

about this. The qualifier always comes later, well we don't mean you. I was wanting this morning to post a thank you thread to the Blue State people who are keeping us all in the game but I think now I will not. There needs to be an understanding here that we are working against all the RWing things they talk about but without a sizeable group to help spread the word. No liberal anything out in the boonies. These people believe the way they do because they really don't know anything else. Seriously, the guys spending their days in their tractors are listening to the radio and guess who they have to choose from? Ah hell, I am sick of posting these same things over and over. Instead of thanks I am ready to say fuck them all, I will keep on doing what I am doing and if they don't want to help then fuck them right back. I will die trying and never see much progress because they are too fucking good to help us out. Shit, there went my almost good mood.

[StClone]

15. The only reason

Is that our brother and sister progressives are landlocked there. I am sure there are a lot of good people enclaved in the Red States but why then do they the majority vote so stupidly? Why reach out when I am certain it is they the Red State majority that are wrong and will never change.

[lateo]

16. Fuck the red states...join the "New Democrat Outreach Program"

http://forms.theregister.co.uk/mail_author/?story_url=/2004/11/07/blue_state_to_reds

[Jawja]

17. Me, Too!

And I LIVE in a red state!

No, no, no!

How do we reach out to ignorant religously insane homophobes?? How do you do that?

I don't think so.

[Mike L]

18. Wisconsin came within a half point of becoming a red state.

Do you hate them?

[silverlib]

20. "I will hug your elephant if you will kss my ass"

Now, that's reaching out!

Saw that yesterday here on DU. Well worth the rerun.

[Anakin Skywalker]

21. We should not have to. Here's why:

You posed an excellent question, my friend! These intolerant bigots will only have further contempt for you if you reach out to them because in their egomaniacal minds, your compromise is seen as a submission that they have been correct all along and that you have "seen the light".

It is extremely difficult to have any kind of dialogue with people who refuse to think or consider scientific evidence, hard data, etc. It is my opinion that most Shrub voters picked him because of his successful manipulation of their emotions (an example: his faith-based crappola). Their world is one of b & w and they are the ones who refuse to compromise. Just look for instance the way they go after the GLBT community. This is a community that not only is not a threat to them, but is actually economically beneficial! But did these red state rednecks bother looking at the statistics and numbers? Hell no! They hate GLBT all because their religion tells them to. How do you reach out to such mindlessness?

For the liberals out there who are patient enough to "debate" with or "reach out" (or whatever you want to call it) to these simpletons, good luck to you! I have wasted enough time talking to them in the past and will not be doing it now.

[AndyTiedye]

22. I Believe It Was Some Media Whore Who Said That

So lets bash the media instead. They deserve it.

I need some sushi.

[foo_bar]

23. America is collectively a 51% red state

I hope people in other countries don't stereotype me on the basis of my place of birth, or inability to emigrate to more liberal climes.

[secedeeconomically]

24. Ok now we are talking

The problem is that the future under the current electoral system is bleak for us blue state habitants. Unless we can find another BBW loving president like Billy lol and we know how difficult that could be. But seriously. As the population moves further west, you will have a not so distant future where the few (the red states) will govern the many (the blue states).

[Bitter Betty]

25. If I hear the phrase soul searching just one more time...

Agree. I turned off the TV because if I heard the phrase soul searching as it relates to democrats one more time I was going to throw something at it. I can only hope that republican proles will realize that the chimpster screwed them over & go blue within the next couple of elections. Wish it could be faster but these things don’t change overnight.

[ElizabethEdwards]

26. These people are not our enemies

If they think we are all a "tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show", then we have either not done a good job showing them the full picture of who we are or the Republicans have done a better job demonizing us in their minds. It may be a little of both. Karl Rove did not have George Bush buy a ranch and shun those Kennebunkport vacations in favor of clearing brush for no reason. People everywhere -- in blue states and in red states -- want to feel a connection with their leaders, get a sense that they understand their lives. We don't have to try to appeal to the notions with which we do not agree, but we have to do a better job of connecting to the people on their terms -- I saw John do it in town halls all over North Carolina with people who would not have described themselves as supporters when they walked in. When you get their lives and don't denigrate their values and speak honestly, you connect.

I got a Mencken quotation from a friend today: "As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire
at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
Now, as amusing as this might be, it is the wrong tone to reach people -- it is the talking-down-to that everyone we are trying to reach hates. Frankly, we all hate it, so why shouldn't they? John has actually been talking about this for a while, but this election is the hardest way to learn it, but learn it we must.

When I traveled I saw a lot of people of whom I thought that the Republicans in control don't even consider their lives, and when they do, they don't consider them as as important or valuable than their own lives. But those Republicans hide it with "values" language that makes these people feel engaged. We don't feel that way: we value every life, but so often we don't make that visceral case.

Most importantly, we have to make the case. We cannot write these people off unless we want a lot more Wednesdays like last Wednesday.

[Diana52]

31. History

I believe history will record this election as "The dumbing-down of America."

It just appears that the electorate doesn't want a President that it looks up to, admires or is in competition with; as in "damn, that guy makes me feel inferior".

It is all so very sad.

[AP]

37. Figuring out simple, clear, honest ways to convey what you stand for isn't

dumbing down the process.

[ElizabethEdwards]

38. Hello, AP

Thanks for the early support. And you are right, here, as usual.

[AP]

41. Hey, EE.

Thanks for making me smile just now & thanks for being part of the most inspiring team of my life.

You were my first signature line picture!

How many people can say the subject of their first sig line said hello to them?!

[seabeyond]

27. people, if kerry doesnt get put in, four years with bush

is going to shift the whole cult like hold the republican party has had on so many here. i promise. i know. i think we do not change our message, we stay true to our issue, we dont give up gays, women or minorities or the poor. and we re educate as they become disillusioned with bush. there is a small percentage of fundies. they like to create a story, like all rove stories, that all the people in the south are church going fundies. that is simply not true. a lot of people in the south the dont go to church every week, and dont participate in religion are buying into this cowboy, gotta fight the world, bring god back..........mentality, but that is only because they were sucked in in the 90's. i see this as a dem opportunity. and all us in the south, will be able to have a better chance bringing the dem message

now.............those damn machines. because we got thru to a lot of people, and those peoples vote were switched. it happened ac ross the nation, that includes the south. the south didnt do as bad as it appears. remember bush stole. remember they tell a story and too many buy into the illusion they create, making something that is not............real

[yorkiemommie1]

28. i live in a blue state

but refuse to deal w/ those around me who have a RED worldview.

Hmmmph. today at work, one of the few bushies was showing off an invitation to the WH because they're using one of her ornaments on the tree... or whatever. she shoved the envelope in my face and went, "LOOKIE"! When I saw what it was, I almost dropped it and said, 'No Comment' and ignored her as she went on regale the rest of them, (mostly Kerry people, which goes to show how insensitive she is)
w/ her story. I am just so tired of Bushies acting as if everyone else shares their point of view.

Oh, and Hah, her son went AWOL!

[fuzz_ball]

35. Could be worse...

You could be my friend (blue through and through) from the state of North Carolina. She believes Edwards is the next great thing since sliced bread and she's surrounded by red! She feels she must be living in a different world than all the people around her that catapulted NC into the Bush column.

[napi21]

29. We CAN'T ignore them!

I understand how frustrated we all are, but we will NEVER win an election if we don't try to explain concensus where it exists. It does exist you know. Most people were VERY upset by the Gay Marriage issue BECAUSE the Pubs told them they would be having men marrying each other right at their own altar! I know here in Ga, the ref. on the ballot said "Would not allow gay marriages." I went and read the actual proposed law in it's entirity. It also said it will ban civil unions, and companies from offering benefits to gays. VERY FEW voters knew that! Most people really don't care if gays get the same benefits and at least some even favor granting the same benefits as everyone else. It was a scam by the Pub leaders to distort the facts AGAIN to get the result they wanted.

I can't help fault the Dems for not bringing that point out during the campaign, but they didn't!

We can never win a national election again without exposing the lies in these wedge issues.

[EdibleEgg]

30. Haha

Like that doesn't apply to the libbies too.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

32. Blue State Republicans don't like us any better

Of the 59,730,364 votes cast for Bush, 25,050,757 came from blue states. It's not the red states, it's the red voters.

I'm sick of hearing blue states should secede from red. We should get rid of the electoral college in exchange for One Person, One Vote and then we wouldn't have this misleading red/blue bullshit.

[quaoar]

33. Amen.

[fuzz_ball]

34. www.bluestatesrock.com Gotta show your pride :)

www.bluestatesrock.com

[lgardengate]

40. What about all the lifelong Dems in red states that voted For

Bush. I live in WV, and Christians i know here 13 years ago when i moved here voted Dem.Now most vote GOP for president. They stll love Byrd but think Dem party (espec Kerry) is far to liberal.They were always social conservativs but voted "pocket book" issues.Now they vote Christian values.How do we get them back?

[The FBI Monkey]

42. I am tired of it too...but it seems like we have too...

There are many semi moderate republicans that we could get to vote democratic...but serriously I am tired of all this too