What Dean SHOULD have said

[Mythsaje]

"Republicans? We oppose them! Not because they're the party representing the rich, white, Christian male, but because WE, the Democrats, represent YOU, the people, who may or MAY NOT be a rich, white, Christian male."

"We are the party that wants to give your children clean air and clean water, and jobs that will give them a chance to give THEIR children better lives. We're the party that wants your children to be able to go to college, so they can get the jobs that pay more than just enough to survive paycheck to paycheck. NOT the party that is eliminating financial aid at the same time tuition rates are skyrocketing.

"We're the party that wants us to be accountable to YOU. We're the party that wants a paper trail at the ballot box. We're the party that is more than willing to provide a transparent political process. We're the party that believes in freedom of speech, information, and religion.

"We're the party that wants ALL Americans to have affordable healthcare, so they're not driven to the brink of bankruptcy by unexpected medical bills. NOT the party that wants corporations to be able to go under and lose your pensions, while still providing management its 'golden parachutes.'

"That's another party altogether.

"We're the party that believes in people...

"We're the party that doesn't want to send our young men off to war without good reason. We're the party who wants to encourage our allies to take up some of the burden of keeping the peace in the world. Not the party that will send your kids off to war with no real plan in place, with inadequate equipment, against an 'enemy' that poses no real threat and spit in the face of most of the world while we do it.

You know the name of THAT party."

:nuke:

Of course, that's an awful long statement. The reporters would have been bored a long time before he finished.

Maybe "Republicans are the white, Christian Party" isn't such a bad sound byte after all.

[Arkana]

1. People know what he meant.

They're pretending they don't in order to make a big stink about it.

[WalrusSlayer]

2. Funny, on Ed Schultz today this was a big topic

Some caller phoned in with some horribly milquetoast alternative to Dean's statements about the Democratic Party being more diverse, yadda yadda yadda. My thought was "thank god he didn't say that!" That kind of lame rhetoric just supports the "Democrats are wimps" attitude.

Schultz repeatedly tiraded about how much of a mistake Dean was making. If I had time I would have called in to counter it---not that it would have done much good.

The way I see it:

1) He is framing the rhetoric for once
2) Republicans are forced to respond
3) He gets airtime from the controversy, and uses it to expound on the message behind the soundbyte.

In other words, he's using the same strategy as Republicans have used to great effect.

So I don't get it: finally we are standing up and doing all the things we have complained the Democrats haven't been able to do, and now that's a bad thing? Huh? What is he supposed to say? "Democrats are for the working people! More jobs! Better schools! Universal Healthcare!" I.e., all the usual things Democrats say which gets absolutely zero mindshare in the press?

I say "Keep stirring the pot Howard!"

[Skink]

3. True.. Dean hates them but he also admires their tactics...

[Mythsaje]

4. Yep

Which is what I was saying, more or less.

I was listening to the Schultz show and it pissed me off.

We HAVE to go on the attack. Dean is attacking. Good for him. There may be a way to frame it in a positive way--like I did--but it's the quick sound-bytes that get the interest. Something startling.

What I said wasn't really startling.

[Psephos]

5. Thank you. You hit the bullseye.

Voters respond to being led, not lectured. You have to be firm, disciplined, and offer an encouraging vision with clear contrasts to your opponent.

Any student of political history knows which approach produces electoral majorities.