Say you're canvassing a swing state. What arguments would you use?

[BurtWorm]

The person at the door is saying they are worried about switching presidents in midstream. They're not sure about the direction of the country, but they think it would be bad if Americans project uncertainty and disloyalty at this time. They worry about John Kerry's history as an anti-war activist. They worry about the effectiveness of the Democrats as a party.

How are you going to swing that vote?

[seabeyond]

1. we need a new president to save lives

then you can show throughout how bush miscalculated and is continuing to micalculate. didnt listen to his generals. greed and money more important thatn giving the iraqi's job. satisfied they wouldnt have raised arms. how they are losing cities and are going to have to fight for them all over again cause they didnt send in enough soldiers like general said. ect.....

we already have proof bush is doing a bad job. it is there for us to see. it is an obligation to fire and bring another in

not to mention kerry military, he will have more experience what to do and listen to his generals

save soldiers lives, vote kerry

[chelsea0011]

2. 1.If you knew that President Bush doesn't care how many 1000's of

American lives will be lost in Iraq in the next four years, would you be more or less likely to vote for George Bush?
2. If you knew that Kerry has a plan to get American troops out of Iraq in his first term, would it make you more or less likely to vote for Senator Kerry?

[Sydnie]

3. I would tell them

that Americans need to project that we have the ability to recognize when we have made a mistake. Bush has made it almost impossible to join with the rest of the world, in tandem, to solve the problems that not only effect us as a county but effect the entire world, as often our responses seen by the world as definitive of what a democracy should do. If we can't adjust our own government when things are going terribly wrong, how could we expect any other country to even consider changing should they find themselves in a similar situation? A vote for Kerry would not send a message of uncertainty, rather it would send a message of positive action in an attempt to be able to once again build bridges with other nations for common goals. Bush has made it almost impossible for us to do that with his comments relating to his intention to take actions as he sees fit and the world be damn. We share this planet with many other people, some are like minded but many are not. When the ability to communicate with others is as stifled as it is now, we can have no hope of finding peace in the world. We must be able to engage in global discussions, rebuild allies and garner support from others around the world, lest we find ourselves all alone when next disaster hits.

As for disloyalty, we would be more disloyal to our country if we allowed these things to continue in our name and stood silently by. In the end, we would have to hold ourselves totally accountable for the results of our inaction. We would be building our own fiscal and emotional iron curtain that would separate us from the rest of the world and could quite possibly take generations to repair the damage to our society and our stance in the world.

Kerry's words to the Senate were made in an attempt to shed light on a war that the majority of our nation came to agree was wrong. Kerry is not opposed to the use of force if the cause is just and right, and if necessary to protect and defend our citizens. He would be opposed to maintaining the stance of being the soul source of world police at the expense of our humanity and our economy. He would, once again, seek to bring consensus to any necessary action with many nations standing solidly behind any action with not only military support but economic relief from the burden of being alone in our resolves. We have great power and with great power comes great responsibility.

As for the Democratic party, consider an ant hill. They are small creatures, unable to effect much change as individuals. But just look at what they can accomplish when they work together for the common good. Knock down their hill and they will come back and rebuild, each one knowing that without the other they will fail to survive. That is the crossroads at which we find ourselves as a nation. We must be just like those ants. We must rebuild our "hill" before all evidence of our society is brushed away and we must work together as if our survival depends on it, because it very well could.

[BurtWorm]

4. kick

[noamnety]

5. swing it like this

"I had the same concerns initially. And you know, it's not only the president that would be changing, but a lot of the administration as well. I started looking into who is advising the president on foreign policy, and who our ambassadors are, because I'm not sure this is the right time to start switching our ambassadors. Here's what I found ...

The Ambassador to Spain, George Argyros, was in Real Estate, and used to own the Seattle Mariners. He raised $100,000 for Bush in 2000.

The Ambassador to Belgium, Stephen Brauer, was Part-owner of the St. Louis Cardinels. He raised $100,000 for Bush in 2000.

(and so on.)

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that we aren't projecting the serious foreign policy image with this administration we need to be. Instead, we are showing the world we don't take it seriously, when we appoint baseball owners to positions like that as a reward for reaching a campaign fundraising goal."

more info on the ambassadors here: http://www.ideamouth.com/appointments_and_disappointments.htm#Ambassador

[BurtWorm]

9. Nice!

:thumbsup:

I think showing how the Bushists are playing us for suckers should be an irresistable selling point. Americans may be suckers, but they don't like to be played for one.

[roseBudd]

6. Quote Army War College & 9/11 commission

Bush has burned bridges, only a clean slate can repair damage

[vetwife]

7. Have you heard of MMOB? Please please

order my Take it Back CD..Everything has talking points that you need right there and MMOB recommends it for swing voter participation. (MainstreetMoms Oppose Bush)
Trust me, I am not making money on it. Its at http://cafepress.com/focusgroupnow.9200633
You can paut it in and listen as you go door to door. All documented and all there !
Thanks.

[cthrumatrix]

8. Facts....such as:

Kerry is for raising min wage...bush is not

Kerry is pro-labor while bushco fights it

Bushco exporting jobs... 1 million less than started

Buschco mislead the facts on Iraq and now it's democracy ...not WMD

[BurtWorm]

10. kick

[sangh0]

11. You don't know?

.

[BurtWorm]

15. Another nice friendly constructive post.

Just what I'd expect from you. ;)

[sangh0]

16. It's a question

One I'm surprised you can't answer.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sangh0]

19. Still can't answer the question

.

[BurtWorm]

21. Well perhaps you should try harder.

There are no right answers. What's yours? ;)

[sangh0]

22. You should read your own thread

I answered below

[BurtWorm]

24. And I found that just as helpful as the post I'm replying to.

This is a thought exercise. If you don't want to think about it, you don't have to join in. Thanks.

[sangh0]

29. No, it's a thoughtLESS exercise

A minimum amount of thought would show that answers that assume that all undecideds vote for the same reason is unrealistic.

If you really wanted to have a thought "exercise", you wouldn't react so strongly to an argument questioning your premise. Instead, you'd exercise your mind, and think about what I said.

[funkybutt]

31. Please DU! stop this kind of thing

we don't have time to be patronizing each other. The poster is seaking advice for canvassing that is very hard work. Several people responded with intelligent helpful arguments. If you can't help, then don't post. WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME SIDE HERE....i hope :)

[BurtWorm]

34. Thank you, funkybutt.

There have been some excellent replies to this question. It's not just for my edification, though it is for that, surely. It's for anyone who is going canvassing in the next couple of months who really wants to make the sale.

We can't all be campaign geniuses like sangh0. ;)

[BurtWorm]

33. I never think about what you say, sangh0, because whatever you say is

always delivered without a hint humor and with a great deal of sanctimoniousness. I don't know why you bother trying to engage with me if you have such transparent contempt for me.

I don't have anyone on my ignore list, but you're a very good candidate for first member. :hi:

[brentspeak]

12. That Bush was on vacation for thirty whole days before 9/11

And yet has the audacity to claim that he's "tough on terror".

Never before has the United States looked so much as if the captain has abandoned the helm.

[arbusto_baboso]

13. Iraq debacle = bad economy

Truly, the issues are linked.

Think about it. Billions are being spent for destroying, rebuilding and re-destroying the same patch of ground over and over again, for no gains to our national security. Social Security could be shored up with part of the money going to the Iraq war. A stimulus program for small business owners could be created from part of the Iraq funding. Education programs are facing extinction because of lack of funding, which could be provided if not for Iraq. Businesses around our military bases are severely suffering because there are few service people there to spend money. ALL OF OUR CURRENT ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES would be either much less, or completely nonexistant, if not for the unnecessary war of choice in Iraq.

[blm]

14. Bush CAN'T effectively fight terrorism because he won't address the Saudi

royals and officials who promote terrorism.

Kerry is not beholden to the Saudi royals the way the Bush family is, since the royals have lined the bank accounts of the Bush family and their cronies for decades.

In fact, Bush was making deals with Salem Bin Laden atround the same time that John Kerry's investigations into terrorist banks like BCCI placed Bin Laden under arrest.

Another point is that surely noone in their right mind would prefer a president who was so incompetent that he refused to read the Hart-Rudman report on global terror that was handed to him on Jan.30,2001. That's just too stupid to be believed.

[wiggs]

18. Too large of a question. Depends....

...on what they are interested in. If you know your facts, there are plenty of points to make about almost any policy area comparing Kerry to Bush.

Failing that, ask them if they thought in 2000 we voted for a moderate, competent, bridge-building, honest president that would care about all people. Then ask if that is still the impression.

Doubful that anyone could really argue that this administration is competent, honest, moderate, or unifying.

[sangh0]

20. Bingo!

Before I start telling anyone who to vote for, I ask a lot of question to find out about the person and what they consider important.

[ScreamingMeemie]

23. Here in Michigan, it is quite simple. Are you any better off than you

were four years ago? Do you think it's okay that GM receives large tax incentives to take jobs away?

Ask them just how John Kerry as an anti war activist is going to affect legislating the economy, domestic and foreign affairs. What exactly does it mean to them in terms of today?

I have also started adding in the little rider addendum to NCLB that makes it a federal law that schools must hand over the names, addresses and phone numbers of all juniors and seniors. This grabs the attention of a lot of people as they had no idea that this sleeper provision existed.

Much as this state is projected as a swing state, I see many more Kerry yard signs and stickers than Bush signs, I've yet to get negative comments on my yard sign and bumper sticker.

Good luck Burt Worm.

[BurtWorm]

25. It's the little unpleasant surprises that I think are most effective.

The things about the Bush agenda that make people say, "I didn't know that."

[annabanana]

26. I would go here....to help them tally the cost to their own lives..

http://www.costofwar.com/

This is a great resource!

[qwlauren35]

27. Pragmatism is called for...

We live in a capitalist world. Think of America as a major corporation. When America is threatened, we need the best possible leadership. Americans are the stockholders, Bush is the CEO. If the CEO is a failure, we need to get him out, and we cannot be indecisive about it.

Bush has had 4 years to govern.
* He has turned an $80 billion surplus into a $400 billion deficit.
* He has cost us $130 billion and 1000 American soldiers' lives by invading a country with NO WMD's and NO tie to the Al-Qaeda.
* He has REFUSED to focus on finding and capturing Osama Bin Laden, even though Bin Laden proudly claimed credit for attacking our country.
* He has failed to improve our school system, leaving his "No Child Left Behind" strategy largely unfunded.
* He has failed to improve homeland security, leaving our police and fire stations largely unfunded in terms of combating terror.
* He has failed to safeguard American jobs.
* He has failed to adequately provide for our American military.
* He has failed to prioritize American civil liberties, and he has allowed them to be trampled in the name of National Defense.
* He has failed to garner global support for the War Against Terror, DESPITE nearly unanimous world sympathy after the 9/11 attack.

As a president, Bush has been a complete and utter failure. Leaving him in office suggests that we don't love our country enough to take it out of the hands of the incompetent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope this helps.

[Snellius]

28. Would you trust the life of your child or grandchild in a war under Bush

Can you really trust a man who is anything less than totally honest when he sends American boys and girls to kill and die? Do you think the war in Iraq will make us safer or will it waste our reserves and reputation? And if not, do you think that, with his whole reputation wrapped up in Iraq, George Bush will be in a cool-headed position to get us out? Even if you agree with the president's policy to overthrow Saddam and eliminate the threat of WMD's, why with Saddam in jail and these weapons unfound, why are we still there?

[cthrumatrix]

30. take Kerry's latest speech!

[F.Gordon]

32. Is this a "Push" thread?

Selling is simple. You identify the needs of the buyer then you tell the buyer how your "product" will meet those needs.

[sandnsea]

35. Oh, you lean Republican

Personally, I'm mystified that Republicans aren't upset about a President who diverted money and troops without Congressional approval, who sent troops into battle in a war of choice without proper equipment, whose running up $400 billion debts every year. I just can't see why more people aren't screaming about Bush. But anyway, the reason I want a change to John Kerry is because he knows what soldiers expect to sacrifice in a war and won't hesitate to ask them to make that sacrifice, like we should have at Tora Bora. But he also knows how bad policies can lose wars and he won't make those mistakes either. If you head off cross-country and the driver gets lost 10 times in the first 500 miles, it's time to get a new driver.

That's what I'd say.