Democrats can anticipate Republican campaigns....

[kentuck]

They will always talk about "cutting taxes", the "sanctity of life", and "cutting government spending"... Every time. Every campaign. So why do we not have better responses than we have shown in the recent past? If you know what your enemy's strategy is ahead of time, shouldn't you be better prepared to counter it?

[ComerPerro]

1. Exactly right. Its always the same lies over and over again

So, why can't we hit them back more effectively.

Becuase, lets face it. Every time Bush gets up to speak, we know what he is going to say.

[senseandsensibility]

2. They can?

News to me. Okay, I'm a smartass. You're right, but for some reason they won't.

[cally]

3. Dems drive me crazy

Why can't we be better campaigners? We are mostly idiots on media manipulation and campaign tactics. Yes, I'm a Dem. Kerry's campaign during the fateful August was just insane. Who let him windsurf? Who let him snowboard and stay at his wife's rich retreat after he won the primary? Are they all clueless about the implications. I liked Kerry, but those were monumental errors. He should have gone to a red state and chopped wood.

[Radical Activist]

4. They will accuse our next Presidential candidate of being a flip-flopper

and of being dishonest. Why can't we finally prepare for that and respond to it? They have done it for the last four elections.

[kentuck]

5. Do you blame the Repubs ?

For using the same strategy so long as it works?? Surely someone could come up with a good response to each of those??

[Us vs Them]

6. I hate to dissent here, but

the American people have been there and done that. If we waste time anticipating the same tactics they used in the past we will be fighting our battle facing backward. I would suggest spending time watching our opponents. Turn on C-SPAN when Rick Santorum is talking (if you can stomach it.) It's not the same ballgame, folks. They've gone completely orwellian. When Rick Santorum talks about saving families, he is really talking about saving his own family. By cutting taxes for rich white folks, we're supporting Rick Santorum's family, too. And it is with this skewed sense of logic that the Republicans will be wording their campaigns. The Democrats will still be known as the party of big Government, because we believe in such things as HELPING our citizens in need. These people are selfish pricks. The Republicans know how to cater to those prurient interests.

As Republicans start to make their own connections (aided by adequate framing assistance) they will continue to label our party as superfluous, over-coddling, weak, and most importantly HARMFUL to American families. It will be our challenge to show that America is not just their gated community or local Walmart. If we can successfully show that Democratic values work for a majority of America, only then do we have a chance at anticipating Republican campaigns. This means we have quite a great deal of work to accomplish, as we're still playing defense.

[kentuck]

7. And the above mentioned tactics will succeed once again...

guaranteed. I wouldn't call it playing defense - I would call it offense...

[acmavm]

8. It would be nice to have a few candidates who had whatever it's called

to stand up and confront the republicans when they lie. To show how nothing they promote or propose is for the benefit of the average American, but of the elite. To show that those in office are only feathering their own nests, to hell with the rest of the country.

Find some people who are willing to do and say what is RIGHT, WHAT IS TRUE regardless of the effect they think it might have on the precious political careers. Yeah, they may lose some corporate funding but hey, they might maintain their decency and dignity and not appear like whores willing to sell themselves out to the highest bidder, or to any bidder, for that matter.

(Really, I think that's one of the dumbest things I've ever typed. Like that's really gonna happen.)

[kentuck]

9. "..precious political careers.."

I think you have hit a nerve....

[KharmaTrain]

10. We Used To Do This...

I sense great opportunities for next year slipping past as the National Party still can't get it's shit together. But that's another rant for another rant.

Democrats used to score big on a key issue Commander Bunnypants has stupidly opened up: Social Security. It's an NIMBY issue...great for someone else, but not for me. People already are squeemish about their financial futures and someone messing with their "stash" will always be a great hot button issue.

The Democrats need to develop themes...just like the Repugnicans...that make issues simple and sweet to campaign with...rather than the intricate, parsed lingo so many candidates use now. In '94 the GOOPs developed a theme..."Contract On America"...a one-size fits all that sounded great in sound bites and was meant to mean different things in different congressional districts. Hopefully the DNC will study this campaign...time's moving fast.

[tsuki]

12. The social security issue is a Republican issue. Don't pin Bush

or they will slide out from under what they are doing. Republicans want to destroy Social Security. The Republican Party wants to destroy AARP. Look how those Rich Republicans use their tax breaks. The Republicans pledge $10,000,000.00 to destroy the AARP. To paint them as troop hating, gay loving, terrorists aiding, unAmericans. That's our fathers and mothers they are attacking. That's our Grandparents they are attacking with their big tax cuts.

It is, first and foremost, The Republican Party, not Commander Bunnypants. He just agreed to provide them with political cover so they can get re-elected.

[sundancekid]

11. you are soooooooooooooooo on target -- here's a couple of ideas

the DEM strategy machine may want to think about these 2 broad themes:


#1. when it comes to moral values, we DEMS know that "a half-truth is ALWAYS a lie" and here's a short list of lies from the R's:
a. "cutting taxes" means cutting taxes only for the rich

b. "sanctity of life" means only Repub-selected life since they do not apply that to unnecessary wars, death-row executions, or the medically-endangered lives of mothers-to-be

c. "cutting government spending" means cutting government spending for programs that benefit the 'least' among us, but NOT to cut government spendind to reward the R's pet industries and benefactors all the while stacking up reckless government debts



#2. keep a running score of these lies on a lie-meter (just like the national debt counter that can ALWAYS be shown on TV)