Republicans Have Just Shown Us How to Beat Them in '06 & '08!!!

[DemocracyInaction]

The Republicans have shown their vulnerable underbelly and they are trying like hell to hide it. Early morning news yesterday said that it was their intent to return from vacation and on Monday (two days ago) begin the glorious push on the Social Security issue. Instead they stuck it on a shelf. It seems that during vacation they held info meetings in their states for the public and were met with an icy and sometimes outright hostile reception. (Decided to shelve it until Bush could drum up more support). The radar in my brain kicked in.......

Do you realize that this is the first time since this zero took office that massive numbers of people are opposing him on an issue---even more so than when he was lying us into war (that's damn significant). Gallup, as you know, had the support at 35% and Gallup is always weighted to the Repbulicans. We Dems ignore this golden egg on the silver platter at our own risk.

We have to stay away from competing with them on "war" and "terror" because the American people love them on those points and we lose. But we have found the issue/issues that trump their 'terror'. First we have to define and own the issues in the next election and not let them define them again (which is terror all the time). And then our politicians need to yell like hell: "Look how those filthy Republicans have attacked Social Security in order to give more money to their Wall Street friends. You have to vote them out of office or they will keep trying until they succeed. AND, they are gearing up to shred Medicare, too (and, trust me, Medicare is an even bigger issue than SS)". We have to focus on THEIR domestic economic terrorism and this SS issue just proved it. Just like everything out of their lips in '04 was terror, we have to make everything out of our lips be based around SS and Medicare and not try to take on a zillion different issues AND stay totally out of the issues they want to put forth. Make them try to weazle out of what they were up to before a lot of voters stopped them dead in their tracks.

[Warpy]

1. It's the economy

They have been dead wrong on everything they've done. They are dead wrong on social security, and all but the 30% we can count on as brain dead idolators know it.

Ousting the DLC and putting the economy back on the table will do it.

[mattclearing]

17. It won't be the economy until an economic crisis trumps the intl' crises.

And they are very good at causing international crises. Whatever damage they do to the markets can be overshadowed by the damage they do to the world and blame on anything but themselves.

[EC]

32. They'll soon become one and the same

with all the countries switching from $'s to other forms of currency and eliminating our trade by going to other resources...the economy will be our international crisis.

[FreedomAngel82]

24. True

All you have to do is look at the RNC convention and see what they talked about. 9/11, Saddam Hussein. :eyes: Oh and of course bashing John Kerry. Here's the RNC in sixty seconds.
http://bushflash.com/quicktime%5Cgop.mov

But the orginial poster does make sense. Talk about how they don't take care of us here. Medicaid and SS I think in 2006/2008 will be big issues and we can probably win more people over to vote for our canidate if we talk about them and connect with the average person. Even though Bush is filthy rich and born rich people seem to vote for him because he's "someone I can have a beer with." Even though his policies show other wise. I also think a very clear message counts too. A lot of people used the "flipflopper" excuse and the "I don't know his plans" excuse. Even though all Bush talked about was opposing Kerry and 9/11 and the "war on terror."

[radfringe]

38. This "Pee-on" is still waiting for the trickle

but all I've gotten is a tinkle

I survived 8 years of Reagan and 4 years of poppy Bush--no trickle down, just got tinkled on

Then during the Clinton years -- I managed to start getting head -- now it's back to being tinkled on

in past years heating oil has cost less than gas for my car -- not this year it's as much if not more -- we're floundering in the tinkle

the "taxcut" amounted to $2.50 per week more -- big whoop -- doesn't even cover the hike in health insurance co-pay

Since bush* -- I've received a meager 3% raise in wages per year -- health insurance hikes have pretty much wiped out any gains. The "taxcut" is a very bad joke -- it's resulted in a tax hike for property/school taxes

the end result of this "booming" economy is that I have even less disposable income than I did before the "bush boom"

both my partner and I are looking for second jobs

[tsuki]

44. It's the security moms. They Republican Party promised us

10,000 new guards to patrol the borders to make us safe from terrorists coming across and exploding a "dirty" bomb. We get 210 new guards and a couple of cameras.

[frankly_fedup2]

52. I think the wall-street fat cats are the only ones the dime-bag Dubya has

not come through for. He has to get their pockets padded and then he will have fulfilled his duties for his friends and their lobbyists. Dime bag or half pint (whichever you prefer), Dubya is practically getting a hard on about getting his hands into Social Security.

If the right have any sense whatsoever, they will pay attention to his tactics. (Like an add campaign that AARP is against our troops and for gay marriage). Anyone see those pictures? Plain trash out of the mouth of the extreme right. Of course, those are the ones that got him reselected. I still say the election numbers were twisted.

[Dulcinea]

53. Where's Carville when you need him?

"It's the economy, stupid!"

[LondonReign2]

2. We also need to use tort reform against them

'these filthy bastards have taken away your right to your day in court when a corporations knowingly injures you'

[DemocracyInaction]

6. LondonReign---Indeed....I was just thinking the other day

as the news was dwelling on autism and the possible link to mercury stabilizers in vaccines (about every channel had whole programs on it), just how do all those parents react out there who may have a kid show up with problems because of these vaccines and have no way to get the money needed to take care of these children for the rest of their lives. In other words, it's not nice to fuck around with the children of this country and then protect the drug manufacturers who harmed them.

[sendero]

19. They have already passed..

... a law shielding the vaccine makers from liability on this issue.

People scream bloody murder that there is no "science" behind the fear that mercury is the problem, then quietly pass a law to protect the companies that made the stuff.

One of these days Americans are going to wake up and face the truth about some things.

[earth mom]

23. Nobody gives a damn about these kids who were poisoned by mercury

These assholes could care less unless it happens to someone in their family.

* & Co and the drug companies have given these kids and their families the shaft big time and anyone that could have done something about it did NOTHING or next to nothing. Even Oprah wouldn't touch the problem with a ten foot pole-because believe me, many people tried to get her help.

That kind of chicken shit behavior not to mention hypocrisy is beyond disgusting! :puke:

[LiberalFighter]

27. How would the voters respond...

to a video of a child losing their parents because of a product defect and their guardian unable to sue on their behalf?

Then showing the Republican voting against the right to sue.

[Patiod]

45. But all liability suits are frivilous!! They're all "hot coffee" types

A lot of my conservative friends brought out this canard during the last election in an attempt to paint Edwards as a leech on society.

I asked them if they knew how Edwards made his name, then asked them if their kid's intestines were sucked out through a faulty pool drain that the manufacturer KNEW was faulty and knew had hurt other children, would they want the right to sue?

Didn't even get into the fact that their boy Cheney's company had filed LOTs of lawsuits - - that's different - that's okay. It's only CITIZENS that shouldn't sue.

[EC]

33. Right, they are pushing many of these "reforms" far to early

by the time of the 2006 elections and for sure the 2008 elections the results of these reforms will be solely known and hated by the mainstream...the average person that will be hurt from these reforms will not vote for them, if they figure out why they've been screwed...

[loyalsister]

59. One dangerous caveat to beware of

They just started a major dismantling program for Missouri's Medicaid. They are also readying the public for faith based initiatives. Just in time for tax season. It's hard to get people to oppose medicaid cuts it seems like future personal vouchers or something.

[proud patriot]

3. I'm going to start using the term "Country Club Conservative"

when refering to social security

[MemphisTiger]

4. I like that.

If they can't run on terrorism, they'll just invade another country and drum up patriotism.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. kick

[ourbluenation]

8. It's the economy - always.

Wether it be governments or individuals, people and groups make the big decisions based on the bottom line. Always. This time around the rethugs got people to focus away from that and scared the bejesus out of the stupids with terror and 9-11 fear. Had we POUNDED people with economy talk we would have won.

The irony is that the war on terror in the end, is so tied to our economy that its effecting everything. On the big issues, it should be about what economic mess do we want to leave to the next generation...calling out the rethugs for creating this mess and make them pay with our votes. On the smaller, individual issues, we have to communicate to middle america that it is infact teh democratic party that has your "economic" back.

[calimary]

9. That is QUITE good. It just needs to be repeated.

Also consider (this is another DUer's brilliance) PIRATIZING Social Security. It's not "privatization." It's PIRATIZATION.

And remember - GOP stands for

Greedy Old Party

Get Old People

Grab Our Pensions

Country Club Conservatives is GREAT. VERY easy to say, catchy, memorable, and paints a STELLAR word picture - one that casts them in a MOST unflattering light.

It's all about leaving a bad taste in people's mouths about the republi-CONS.

Plant the seed that "Republican = BAD."

POISON THE WELL.

And make sure you REPEAT the message.

[dubyaD40web]

12. Greedy One Percenters

[calimary]

35. That's a good one, too!

Gotta add that one in.

EXCELLENT!!!

[Conservativesux]

58. Wont work. Rush and Hannity both fill the bill as CCC'ers but....

...the American people just cant/dont see that these people are NOT working-class people that have to work up a sweat to make a buck.

* even said it during the campaign: "it's a lot of work", while he had spent 40% of his time on vacation, much of it at his ranch pre-Sept 11.

I dont know about you, but I sure wish I had more then two weeks of vacation pay to goof off like *, Rushicontin and Scammity do.

[Mark E. Smith]

7. Irony Is The Supposedly Tax Hating Big Govt Deploring American People...

...only really get their backs up when somebody threatens an entitlement.

Of course, the reaction is perfectly understandable now that the GOP has convinced most Americans that such things can be theirs without ever having to actually pay for them.

[calimary]

10. "We have to focus on THEIR domestic economic terrorism" - EXCELLENT!!!

This is one absolutely World-Class Superb buzz phrase.

Because what these awful people are trying to do IS Domestic Economic Terrorism.

[woodsprite]

11. How about the "Wealth Care President" or administration. n/t

[lostnfound]

28. That's hysterical. "Wealth Care Not Health Care". nt

[AmBlue]

30. This is getting GOOD......

"Country Club Conservatives concerned about Wealth Care, NOT health care"...... Keep it up!! Ya'll are on a roll....
:toast:

[calimary]

36. It sure is! Keep working, guys - you're coming up with some true GEMS!

This is GREAT! Kudos all around!!!!

[flamin lib]

13. We have to run on our strength and try to seal theirs.

SS is our strength. We built it, we kept it alive and we own it. This is our issue. We should not run AGAINST the Bush scheme, we must run ON ours. Save it! Don't reduce benefits! Don't extend the retirement age! Lift the cap on FICA. That will NOT kill the "recovery". Most people making more than a $million a year get it from stock options, bonuses and other non income sources. It would only impact a very small part of the wealthy's income and NONE of the middle class.

Take defense away from them. Defense does not equate to Pentagon spending! Star wars will not stop a single terrorist. Having two "next generation" $700million jet fighters in the works at one time does not make us safer. Having international friends makes us safer. Having a fully staffed military makes us safer. Funding two more battalions makes us safer. Stronger borders makes us safer.

[DearAbby]

14. This is Brainstorming at it's best. these ideas should be sent to Dean....

Should be new talking points, byte sized and easy to digest. Greedy Ol' party indeed! Wealthfare! YES! keep em coming and send them in.


Gawd I love DU!

[GreenPoet64]

15. Look at the deception as well . . .

Hiring people within the department to scare seniors when they come in for benefits information. That's your grandmother and my grandmother that they are trying to deceive!

You are so right! I felt all along that the best strategy in dealing with this administration is to sit back and let them begin to implement their plans--eventually the blind will see the light.

[kodi]

16. Bush is wrong on SS and out of touch with most average Americans

let it be proclaimed from the roof tops, Bush does not understand average Americans who are worried about SS. he is a rich man who has no need for SS and has no understanding of what it means to tens of millions of Americans.

[realFedUp]

18. Thanks to MoveOn.org for action alert on town hall meetings

We had a much larger turnout to hear
our Congressman due to MoveOn.org sending
out notices to where the meetings would
be held etc.

The Congressman's office staff was surprised.

[demwing]

20. Half Agree

We should hit them AGAIN AND AGAIN on SS, that is their weakness.

BUT...we should not give an inch on Terror or Iraq.

The Iraq war is as deadly as ever, the Iraq "democracy" is looking brutal, Americans keep dying, and Bush is now gearing up to turn up a Veteran Health Tax to pay for his Millionaire's Club tax giveaway.

Oh yeah...Osama Bin Laden is still Osama Been Hidin', and we are further away from containing him than we were in the first month after 9/11.

Republicans only seem as if they are tough on terror, they are actually tough on talking, weak on walking.

[leyton]

21. If they fail with SS, we should take their hubris and beat them over the

head with it. But if they succeed and make it their issue, we can relegate the Democratic party to the history books.

[BigBearJohn]

22. BRILLIANT IDEA!!! ((((( LET'S ALL SPREAD THE WORD ))))))

[Liberty Belle]

25. Yes. Dems, here's how to win in 2 words: STAND UP!

This is the only issue where DEMS held a unified front. Just imagine if they'd done so on those horrid cabinet nominations, on the class action lawsuit bill, on all of the harmful environmental measures, and so on. Dems should do this as well on any Medicaid cuts and on that wretched budget, which robs from the poor to give to the rich corporate fat cats, as usual.

[dandrhesse]

26. You don't mess with people's money, sorry but that is where they listen

I agree 100% time for a full court press on the Republicans. Each and every chance you get to talk about it, let it be known that all that is going wrong in our country could be fixed by the Republicans in the House and Senate if they were concerned about the American people.

They have screwed every segment of our society every way possible and the Congress has sit by and let them do it. No investigations, no select joint committee, no voting down horrendous legislation, no looking into voting fraud.

The Republicans could be heros and you know what I would be happy, because in order to be heros they need to stand up to Bush, tell him NO and investigate all the felonies he and his gang have committed.

We need to take them to task with emails, snail mails, postcards, phone calls, I hope they all have to hire 3 addtional people to handle the flow of correspondence!

Let's go, it can be done!

[MoonRiver]

29. They can't be "beaten" as long as they count the votes.

All debate about who is going to run and strategies about winning is futile in light of this fact. We have to get rid of the corrupt voting machines, but I don't think this can be done now. Our brave Senators implanted their idiot heads firmly in the sand a long time ago on this issue. As a result the Pukes have completely taken over the Congressional agenda, and will NEVER allow real election reform to take place. In other words, this country is screwed.

[Virginian]

31. Become a part of the process.

Sign up to work the election.
Make sure that your precinct is running correctly.

We may not be able to correct the "fix" in the black boxes yet, but our involvement will fix the process.

[eridani]

43. Exactly. Without enough involved eyeballs--

--NO tabulation process is secure.

[Virginian]

54. It isn't just the tabulation, It is who gets sent away without voting...

There is a lot more to working the polls than counting the votes. That takes just a short time at the end of the day.
During the day, all sorts of unusual events occur. People from other precincts come in and want to vote where they aren't registered. Some people who never registered at all come in and expect to vote. Some people who are not citizens have brought their relatives to the US for the first time on election day because "everyone in America can vote."
Some people registered and are not on the pollbooks. Some people registered too late to vote in the current election.
In every jurisdiction, there is a process. The process has logic behind it and has been questioned for fairness. The essential part of working the polls is making sure the process is followed. If you have too many people from one party working the polls, they may slant the process to favor their candidate. This is why it is essential that there are people of both parties working every precinct for every election.

The process is where the voter can get disenfranchised. This is where I try to do my best to keep the elections in my precinct fair. I need more eyes and ears that can help me sort out when to send away a voter to his home precinct and when to give him a provisional ballot. I almost sent a woman away in the 2004 elections until she asked me for a provisional ballot. Thank goodness she knew. I was so exhausted by that time, I wasn't thinking straight.

[sellitman]

39. Bingo!!!!

Finally someone from DU "gets it".

:hi:

[demwing]

46. What are you talking about?

Not to take any credit away from MyPetRock, but MANY people on DU have been "geting it" for years.

Where have you been?

[MoonRiver]

49. Yes, although I would love to take credit for this concept,

in fact I learned all about it here on DU. Certainly nobody else outside the Internet progressive community has talked about it.

[sellitman]

55. How many of these "polls" are we going to see on DU?

I have seen far too many in the short period of time I've started posting. If you get it....good for you! So many here don't. We could raise JFK from the dead and he couldn't win an election if Hitler was the Republican choice as long as the Repukes count the votes.

[demwing]

56. Look, I'm not interested in arguing

but when you come in here and declare "Finally someone at DU gets it" you imply that the folks at DU are slow to catch up.

My experience is just the opposite. DUers are far ahead of the crowd on nearly every issue, including electioneering and fraud. These have been topics of discussion since November/December 2000, the month I began reading DU.

The month it became clear to many of us that Bushco was stealing the election.

It isn't fair to paint DUers as ignorant of this issue, when it is you that are ignorant of the history of the discussions and threads that have passed before you.

Again, I'm not interested in coming down on you, but your assertions are unsupported. Perhaps there are some here who don't get it, but they are in the minority. A very small minority.

Just because you haven't seen it, sellitman, doesn't mean that it wasn't served here, chewed on, swallowed, and passed through both intestines during the digestive process.

Do you "Get it?"

[sellitman]

57. I am not painting DU in a broad brush stroke.

Hopefully you are correct and the ones who waste band with and space arguing who is our next Democratic stall worth are the minority. But until I see change in the direction needed by DU'ers and the party in general I will still call out and bemoan the dreamers. The machines are the enemey...not each other.

Peace out

[LittleClarkie]

34. Thing is, Bush is still wanting to push it I hear

I wonder how he's gonna do that if everybody is saying "no, no!"

[SoCalDem]

37. Naw.. They will just "change" their approach

They will still have the "townhall meetings", but will "stock the pond" with carefully choses, cheering masses..

It worked on the campaign trail, and that's how they will do it again. The lapdog media will just report the "events" and show the cheering "folks".. the rest of the country will "fall in line" because...."them folks think it's a good idea, so I will too"...

The repubes are masters of their universe.. the media universe..They own it, lock stock and barrel....and I see little chance of much opposition..:(

[slor]

40. Frame "tort reform" like this...

If you flash a breast, or say a 4-letter, rethugs want you to pay $500,000, for every instance too. If you lose a child, or suffer a surgical mishap, due to medical negligence, the rethugs feel you should get only $250,000 and that is all. Only those with twisted values, could come up with that!

[evilqueen]

41. morals and values too

No *moral* person would take away Grandma's social security check.
No *moral* person would cut Grandma's medicare plan.
No *moral* person would deny Canadian drug imports and at the same time allow mad cow imports.
No *moral* person would spend taxpayer money on PR campaigns for religious or political issues.
No *moral* person would send our kids off to war without body armor.
No *moral* person would give themselves a better retirement or healthcare plan than war veterans have.
No *moral* person would implement a policy of rounding up and detaining people without due process.
No *moral* person would formulate policies that condone torture.
No *moral* person would want to know what you're reading at the library.
No *moral* person would sell your private information or allow it to get stolen by identity thieves.
No *moral* person would drill for oil in the Alaska Arctic Wildlife Refuge.
No *moral* person would loosen environmental laws that allow big corporations to pollute the country.

Try it, it's kind of fun...

[dandrhesse]

42. here is a great link for AARP - It's their activist page - it's great!

You can contact any Senator or Congressional Rep. They offer choice of Letter/email/fax, they also offer form letters or compose your own. You sign up or register and the service is free, if you save your information you don't even have to fill in the form everytime. Try it, you will be impressed. You can also view their ads and their positions on issues.

http://capwiz.com/aarp/home/

[ArkDem]

47. You should be a political consultant.

[Gyre]

48. This is strong evidence that America

isn't totally asleep. At least when the chimps shenanigans threatens to directly impact them. Otherwise, they don't seem to give a shit.

Gyre

[GOPBasher]

50. I agree, and I want to add another point that we should make to the people

We should make sure we let the American people know why SS is at such risk in the first place. Under Clinton, we finally started paying down the debt, which would ensure SS's solvency because the treasury would then be able to pay the SS administration what it owes them. As of right now, it doesn't look like the treasury will ever be able to pay that, simply because of the fiscal, budget crisis that Bush has given us. He added $2 trillion to the debt in two years, and that's REALLY what puts SS in danger.

[DemBones DemBones]

51. If you haven't written a letter to your senators and your rep

opposing Bush's plans -- or any plans to set up private accounts (costs too much, benefits too uncertain except for those who sell stocks) or cut benefits or raise retirement age -- write them today! Tomorrow at the lastest.

You don't have to be a great writer to do this, it doesn't take more time than posting here, and stamps are cheap. I'm writing mine today and they're all GOP (thanks, Diebold!) If you're like me, you don't write enough letters to Congress -- so let's all do it!

Edit: Damn, I just remembered the anthrax scare. . . Do these guys even get their mail these days? Letters used to be the best but now I don't know. I guess phone calls may be the ticket. Many of them ignore e-mail. Anyone know about FAXes???