What issues should DEMOCRATS put on state ballots to boost '06 turnout?

[AirAmFan]

Twenty-four states allow citizen initiatives and referenda on the ballot (see http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legman/elect/initiat.htm ).

But it has been REPUBLICANS, not Democrats, who have used this option to advantage in recent times. Anti-gay-marriage initiatives pulled just about every Fundie out of the woodwork in 11 key states in 2004, nipping Kerry's margins enough to keep Dubya in the White House.

Another advantage of initiatives and referenda is that they ensure that certain issues will be front and center in elections. Without them, personal attacks (for example, "Swiftboating") can steal all headlines away from a candidate.

What issues do Democrats want discussed in 2006? What issues would increase turnout among the poor and other groups who would likely vote Democratic if they somehow were induced to go to the polls in unexpectedly large numbers?

My top two issues would be:

(1) Increases in state minimum wages.

(2) Protecting stem cell research against arbitrary limitation by government.

What issues would YOU want to see on state ballots? Why do you think Democrats have not used ballot initiatives the way Republicans have?

[bj2110]

1. Repealing Corporate "Rights" nt

[ClassWarrior]

2. Iraq. Minimum wage.

NGU.

[sandnsea]

3. eminent domain

I think people are forgetting that personal property rights includes the rights of the corporation over the city, but eminent domain reform is a popular issue.

[Pirate Smile]

10. Everybody is against that. Conservatives, Moderates and Liberals.

[AirAmFan]

12. Excellent point: Property owners ALREADY turn out to vote, and not for "D"

Democrats. I was wondering especially about appealing to groups whose turnout is low -- such as the working poor, who are likely to be earning at, near, or below the current minimums in their states.

Another reason the minimum wage is a great issue for Democrats is that it SPLITS Wall Street Republicans from many of their "social issue" dupes, who often have low incomes as well as low education.

[sandnsea]

14. If Dems back it

It'll help change the image of the Dem Party to landowner supporters, an area where we haven't done so well in recent years. Co-opting issues from the other side is helpful too, not just creating wedge issues.

[Pirate Smile]

15. I mentioned gas prices down below. The Corporate kiss-up aspect of

Republicans is one of their weaknesses. We need to find a way to exploit that. Find something the Republicans have to be defensive about, where they are for the top 1% instead of the majority of the people. We need to figure out a way to go after that.

[Bluestar]

4. Environmental Issues

Targeted environmental issues by state. This would bring out the far left, middle and possibly some moderate Republicans. The environment is the one area where all these folks agree. This is a great idea. Thanks for starting this thread.

[laureloak]

5. Everything fiscal.

IMO irresponsible money management will bring this country down long before terrorists will.

[WI_DEM]

6. A big issue in '06 will be ethics

and we should have very strong initiatives on ballot re: cleaning up elections.

[Michigander4Dean]

26. CLEAN ELECTIONS! Why didn't I come up with that idea before?

Michigan needs that, what with Dick Billionaire DeVos running.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

7. Great answers!

and serious, too.

I was thinking in terms of a defense of marriage initiative that would limit marriage to one human and another human, thereby preventing freeper, Repiglican or weirdo-religious marriages.

Sorry.

[politicaholic]

8. Legalizing marijuana.

I'm Canadian so I can't vote, but I would definately vote a few times for that...


What.


What.


You have a problem with that? Talk to Diebold.

[porphyrian]

17. It would certainly pull in a record number of non-voters... - n/t

[Pirate Smile]

9. Hmmm. Something to do with Oil Companies or Gas stations price gouging.

[MazeRat7]

11. "Its the economy stupid"...

Almost every dem issue _could_ be presented as being better for the average joes weekly bottom line. Pick any issue and you can make the case that our platform will benefit the bottom line of every "average" working joe.

MZr7

[napi21]

13. Well, I have several ideas for some they should embrace, and some

they should leave in the background.

FOR:

Honesty and truthfulness back to Government. A firm commitment that anyone indicted for wrongful conduct will be fired!

Penalties for Porporations that send jobs out of the Country, instead of granting tax benefits as they do now!

Establish a program with the cooperation of the healthcare providers, to provide low cost health care for EVERYONE, with the option to increase to higher levels of coverage available with different premium levels.

Federal support for alternative fuels, and a demand that the US be foreign fuel free in 15 years.

Demand that Iraq have XX # of batallions trained to fight for their own Country in specific time schedules. We will pull American troops out, on that same schedule as Iraqi's are trained.
It's THEIR Country! If they don't want to fight for it, we're GONE!

Things we should still support, but keep in the background:

Women's Rights.

Gay Marriage.

Civil Rights.

Stem Cell support.


There is NO reason to emphasize the prime fighting points the Pubs always use against us!

[AirAmFan]

16. Wouldn't ONE poll-driven issue be better for helping to win the election?

Don't you think issue selection should be poll-driven? The objective is to WIN the '06 elections by generating extra votes for Democrats, from people who wouldn't turn out without the ballot iniitiatives.

The Republicans chose anti-gay-marriage and nothing else for a good reason: overwhelming majorities were on their side.

Minimum wage and protecting the environment would have overwhelming majorities for Democrats, but not fiscal responsibility or internationalist foreign policy. I just found a great thread posted by Czolgosz at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2144666 .

Poll results from Pew show these would be the best issues for Democrats:

RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE: 86% - All Americans
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT FROM INDUSTRIAL POLLUTERS: 77% - All Americans
PROTECTION AGAINST JOB OUTSOURCING: 69% - All Americans
UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE: 65% - All Americans

And these would be the worst:

UNILATERAL FOREIGN POLICY: 37% - All Americans
NO DEFICIT EXPANDING TAX CUTS: 32% - All Americans

[napi21]

18. Well, then the ONE issue should be "Dems for a Gov't that WORKS!"

I heard this on several shows last week. All the commentators said the American people are just sick and tired of promises that are never kept, gov't waste, unnecessary wars, etc. THEY WANT A GOV'T THAT WORKS!

I thought it was a terrific statement!!!!

[Pirate Smile]

21. That is a campaign slogan. The OP was asking for referendum issues

to put on the ballot like the Republicans put the Gay Marriage Amendments on many of the ballots in 2004.

[tinrobot]

19. Money for schools/education

.

[guajira]

20. Good Question!!!

Since most Americans are angry with B* for not protecting our borders, we need to have initiatives that would secure our borders and stop illegal aliens.

Dems should grow balls and backbones and advocate ending Cuban embargo and travel ban. Surveys show most Americans want this done.

[nashbridges]

22. To win:

One thing that will magically rebound the entire democratic party:

Make the homeowners' tax cut on interest a stepping progressive scale. The less you make, the higher the break on the tax break. The trick is going to be including the upper middle class in the break, and we'll have to. Make the income cut-off for the break somewhere in the 215,000 a year range, above which you get no break for homeownership.

$50K a year or less in total household income - surplus break. You get twice the credit you pay towards interest.

$100K a year - 1.5 credits

$150K a year - 1.2 credits

$200K a year - break even, just like you're doing now.

$215 a yaer - small hit, 90% of interest paid goes to the break.

Yes, it's paying people to vote for you, but if all of the people who make more than $215,000 a year had to pay income tax regardless of the homes they own, the amount of tax collected could provide a healthy offset for the breaks given to the poor. And there aren't that many families in the US whose household clears more than 215K, and the democrats weren't getting their votes anyway.

The magic is that you get the votes of people who are in the $125-150 range, who are all along the coasts in dual income families and would easily jump ship if they got just a little more from Uncle Sam each year.

[Czolgosz]

23. I couldn't agree more. I think the best five ballot initiatives would be

1. minimum wage (raise it in each state to the next plateau, e.g., states with no minimum wage adopt $6.25, states with $6.25 move up to $6.75, etc.)

2. health insurance coverage (maybe focusing on children's health care or an incremental improvement in laws requiring businesses to provide health care)

3. job outsourcing (restructuring tax incentives to discourage it)

4. environmental protection (again something incremental based on tax incentives)

5. stem cell research (protections against arbitrary government limitations)

All of these issues poll very well across both parties. If the ballot initiatives are couched in incremental terms and are based on shifting tax incentives without affecting the net revenue but to penalize bad actors and reward good actors, I think all these issues would really peel the church-going Republicans away from the corporatist neo-cons).

edited to note: recommended

[hollowdweller]

24. Ban permanent replacement workers. All gov't projects use union labor.

It makes me so irritated when all the building projects around here are full if illegals when local construction workers are on unemployment.

[Michigander4Dean]

25. MI will (hopefully) raise the minimum wage to $7.15 & expand bottle law

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/071905/loc_20050719007.shtml

But affirmative action might be banned :scared: