The Long Road

[PBinOregon]

After being gone for awhile and coming back to read the posts on DU, it strikes me that we all need to get into the mindset that 2004 is going to be a long, epic battle. No matter who our nominee is, there will be awful weeks as well as good ones. We absolutely must keep our strength up, keep our faith alive.

We all know that the GOP has more money than God to throw at the elections next year, and they have the media in tow as well. The only way we can win is to absolutely refuse to accept any setback. We'll take the blows they land on us, we will adjust, react and move forward. It's the only way.

The year coming up is the year that changes our lives, that changes America, for a long time to come. Loss of faith, lack of effort for any reason simply can't be considered an option.

There is a great victory on the other side of this for us all, for our kids and grandkids, for the entire world, for that matter. We can have the world we have always dreamed of, if we are willing to be tough enough to take to the battle, to absorb the blows that will come, and to strike back with heart and passion.

America in 2004. It's now or never.

[kentuck]

1. One thing is for certain. They plan on running on the war.

That is their issue, and any Democrat that says they are for the war also, is surrendering tha issue and the election to the Repubs. The Democrat that is nominated must be against the war or we can surrender right now.

[PBinOregon]

2. Agreed

If we accept the premise of what they call the Bush Doctrine, then we are arguing on their turf. One reason I back Dean is that he has expressed absolute disgust with this "doctrine" and how it is being used.

We have to find the way to make this clear--that "pre-emptive war" is bullshit, particularly if it is based on ideology and not intelligence. No one would argue our right to attack in the face of a clear threat. Everyone should agree that if the threat is not clear, the ones responsible for taking us to war have broken international law and should be prosecuted.

[kentuck]

3. Preemptive war is against international law....

and everything that America has stood for, except in the case of self defense, which obviously it was not. America will be a pariah before the world.

[K-W]

6. Wrong

They will be running on the war ONLY if the war will help them win, which would mean enough of the country supports the war to win on that issue. If that is the case than a democrat who is staunchly anti-war would turn off all those voters and would lose.

A candidate that had a more flexible position on war wouldnt lose on the issue and could fight on other issues where he is stronger.

It would be a stupid strategy to make this election about the war and nominating someone who is running on the war against bush would probably spell our defeat. The election would run on how the nation feels about the war, and when an election is based on perception and feelings about one issue, the guys with the most money and the media will win.

[proud patriot]

4. Great post

:bounce:

[mdmc]

5. the issue becomes safety

our pitch:
The Democratic Candidate will make America safer.
how?
international cooperation, fund domestic security upgrades, less ideology, more intelligence.

[EvilJam]

7. re:

Dean has it right ~er correct...
we need to run from the Left.
all those wishy washy Dems in Bubba's "middle" are running as Dubya Lite.
and, why would a voter vote for the Lite version when they can vote for the real deal?
we need to run from the Left. otherwise, why bother to run at all?!
the challenge for Dean and the Dems is how to "sell" our "Leftist" version to enough "centrists" to swing the vote to Dean.
that's a tough sell! but, not impossible. ... evil