Remember Ronald Reagan as a role model in 04

[Armstead]

I'm serious.

I totally disagree with most of Reagan's policies and all that has flowed from them.

However, Reagan should be a role model for what the Democrats do in 2004. he shold also be an object lesson for those who are decrying the "all or nothing ideologues" and the "impractical naive purists" on our side this year.

Sure we all want ABB. However, we shold want more. And we probably need more to really bring about ABB.

Reagan was considered to be "unelectable" in the late 1970's and early 80's before he was elected. He was too extreme, too much of a "fringe" ideologue. He and his supporters should have toned down his message, don't attack liberalism so hard the Republican moderates would say. People weren't ready for change.

Well Reagan didn't back down and he didn't kowtow to the Republican centrists. Instead he offered voters a clear break, and a populist message that didn't shirk from telling what he and his supporters saw as the truth.

And it wasn't niavete. They saw that the country had "liberal fatigue." And in fact they were correct. A bad economy and more fuindamental problems that had arisen from the apex of Big Government Liberalism had set the stage for a major shift. And he pulled the GOP and the nation in a new direction.

IMO the USA is ripe for a similar shift today. We have reached the apex of Big Corporate Conservatism, and the pendulum is starting to shift in the opposite direction.

This provides a great opportunity for th Democratic Party. But only if it is willing to emulate the REagan Revolution, and offer a clear alternative to the GOP agenda. That means addressing the core problems of Corporate Power and Elite Government. If that is ignored in favor of micro-issues, we will have blown a golden opportunity IMO.

[charlie]

1. I've long felt that way

Reagan wasn't just unelectable, he was a national joke. It was a huge surprise when he actually pulled off a win.

And before his administration, being a conservative meant you were a stodgy bluenose. In just 8 years, he vanquished the pall of Watergate that hung over Republicans, made them the ascendant party, and had Democrats running from liberalism.

There's a lot to said for having the clarity of conviction.

[Frances]

2. It was the clarity of GE

Reagan was spokesperson for GE for years and he became a very effective spokesperson for Corporate America.

[On the Road]

3. I Think Different Candidates are Trying to Do This

and none of them have gotten it quite right.

The style of Reagan's campaign was very positive, even though the substance was very "anti" -- very critical of the Democratic domestic agenda.

Clinton's message was also very positive. Even though it incorporated serious attacks on Republicans, people didn't perceive it as negative. Maybe that's one reason Republicans hate him so much. He killed them with a smile on his face, and left them looking bad.

Of the current candidates, Edwards is the closest to the ideal.

Dean is a quandary. His stump speech is as close as I've heard to the right tone. But his image has become all negative. I don't know if it's a misrepresentation or not. But that's what's killing him, and he doesn't seem to realize it.

[Armstead]

7. Quandty

"Dean is a quandary. His stump speech is as close as I've heard to the right tone. But his image has become all negative. I don't know if it's a misrepresentation or not. But that's what's killing him, and he doesn't seem to realize it."


I think that negative image is a misrepresentation. Some of it he's fed into by getting carried away. And he does have that northeastern ctankiness. But overall, I think he's an affable guy and when seperated from the necessary anger actually has a hoopeful message.

But the media has filtered and described him into a corner as the "angry candidate" while ignoring the more positive side of his message.

[DjTj]

8. I agree Edwards is the closest.

...Dean got a little bit distracted with the Iraq war issue and didn't pivot over to the real issue, which is the influence of lobbyists and big business in the Bush administration.

Edwards definitely hammers this the hardest and could make the biggest difference in restructuring the tax burden and cleaning up Washington while running a positive and hopeful campaign.

I see Dean and Kerry getting into a nasty negative campaign with Bush and the results of that are rather unpredictable. The positive Reaganesque Clintonesque campaign that Edwards would run while challenging the true fallacy of the Bush administration would be very very effective.

[IrateCitizen]

4. And perhaps an even more important lesson from Reagan...

Is that rather than couching your policies in terms of wonk-speak and what most people see as gibberish, take them directly to the people in clear terms.

Reagan's administration was a master at using the bully pulpit of the Presidency to its advantage. Rather than fight with Congress first, they would take their message directly to the people -- tapping into the "liberal fatigue" you describe and instead offering an alternative vision of hope (even if it didn't work out that way in reality). People responded to this.

[Armstead]

6. Wonk Speak

That is something out side has gotten too much into. The ultimate issues do boil down to concepts that can be spoken in plain language.

[Lefty48197]

5. Remember how he taught right wingers to hate and dehumanize Democrats?

the chickens have come home to roost.

[robertpaulsen]

9. Reagan's re-election slogan as a role model in '04

Remember, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?"

Try asking ANYBODY that question this year. Remind them of the nearly 3 million jobs lost, 500 lives lost in an unnecessary war, the orange alerts. Hell, just point to the local gas station at the corner and ask if gas prices were that high four years ago.

Then inform them if they want things to change, they must vote Democrat in 2004.