Start reading the national exit polls to plan the future.

[andym]

Here is a link:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/US/P/00/epolls.0.html

Look at vote by ideology. Kerry won both liberal and moderates. Only
problem is that Kerry won moderates only by 54 to 45. Note that Kerry won liberals 85 to 13%, while Bush won conservatives 84 TO 15% which would have been a wash, if only self-identifying liberals weren't only 21% of the voters versus 34% for conservatives.

Bottom line is that we need more self-identifying liberals if we hope to promote progressive values. We need a strong cultural/political movement to promote liberal values. Books, movies, plays, radio boradcasts, etc.

We need strong personable candidates who bridge cultural stereotypes-- like Jimmy Carter, a evangelical christian politician who by today's standards is quite liberal (though a moderate in the 70s) and break down the Republican confederation of fiscal conservatives and cultural conservatives.

[johntao]

1. my prediction

The conservatives are going to do such a terrible job the next 4 years that it will be cool to be called a liberal and uncool to be called a conservative. When the centrists see what the fanatical conservatives will do to this country, they will remember the days when liberals stood for REAL freedom.

[arcos]

3. that's what a lot of people predicted in 2000...

and yes, the conservatives did a terrible job. What happened then?

[Canuckelhead]

4. The Supreme Court

Hurts the most

[Randi_Listener]

2. The fucking exit polls

Are what started this shit.

[doc03]

5. 40 years ago I read in the Ohio History textbook .

"As Ohio goes so goes the nation" Find a candidate that can win Ohio
and you can win the presidency. The only time we ever win is when we run a moderate from middle America. Maybe we should just skip the primaries and have the party leaders pick someone that can win. I swear the people that vote in the Iowa caucuses work for Karl Rove.

[Awsi Dooger]

8. I completely agree, a free for all primary is suicide

We need a visionary party leader who can pick and demand, not just nationally but state by state. I would rather have one person handicap than two states. If we keep running candidates with the wrong dosage index, or recent losers like Strickland in Colorado or Bowles in North Carolina, or that 3 time loser in one of the New England governor's races, we're stuck in the minority for a generation.

[Doomsayer13]

6. There needs to be a big shift in America

the Great Depression made everyone a liberal. JFK's Death and Civil Rights too. Until something like that allows us to run as liberals, the only way Democrats can win is if they win a high majority of moderates/independents.

[andym]

7. Bush only really gained with conservatives

Looking back at the numbers they indicate that Bush only gained +1% with moderates from 2000. His big gain is +3% with conservatives.

Were there more conservatives? liberals?
Here are the old results:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/epolls/US/P000.html

In 2000, 20%, self identified as liberal, so there was a gain of 1%.
In 2000, 29%, self identified as conservative, so this year they gained 5%.

Moderates dropped from 50% to 45%. (Note that 2000 totals only add up to 99%)


So the trend needs to be altered. We need to gain at least 5% of the moderate vote, and hopefully see the recent conservative gains reversed.

[phish420]

9. The state to focus on first and foremost

WILL VOTES BE COUNTED ACCURATELY? BUSH
KERRY NADER
TOTAL 2004 2000 2004 2004

Confident (73%) 64% n/a 35% 0%

Not Confident (24%) 13% n/a 86% 0%


TWENTY FOUR PERCENT, including 13% of republicans are NOT CONFIDENT that their votes are accurately counted.

We must have voting machine, voting standard and recount procedure reform FIRST AND FOREMOST.

[LTRS]

10. So how do we create more self ident. libs?

Short answer, we really can't. What we need is a better message that resonates with moderates. That is the group we need to win over, and their are certainly get-able. And I don't mean by imitating rethugs either. I mean by truly fine tuning our message.