The Texas Reptilican Party passed another hate-filled platform so let's

[Czolgosz]

remind ourselves and the voters of those important issues which separate the GOP extremists from the sane majority of our population.

The Pew Research Center's study "Beyond Red vs. Blue" (here: <http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=943>) has identified the wedge issues that divide the extremist Corporatist-NeoCon faction of the GOP (called the "enterprisers" in Pew study) from the the rest of America, even including the mainstream of the GOP which generally agrees with us on these critical matters.

Here are seven wedge issues which divide the most extreme and least democratic element of the GOP from everyone else in our society:

1. Fair access to health care


2. Raising the minimum wage


3. Tax cut equity and debt responsibility




4. Protecting American jobs from outsourcing


5. Regulating corporate pollution and misdeeds


6. Appointing fair judges


7. International cooperation not unilateralism


WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT THESE WEDGE ISSUES EVERY DAY AND IN EVERY CAMPAIGN BECAUSE THESE ISSUES REPRESENT THE IDEOLOGICAL DIVIDE BETWEEN THE CORPORATIST-NEOCONS WHO MISMANAGE OUR GOVERNMENT AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF TEXANS!

WE MUST RAISE THESE ISSUES AT LEAST AS OFTEN AS THE REPTILICANS BLATHER ON ABOUT THEIR HATRED OF WOMEN'S SOVEREIGNTY OVER THEIR OWN BODIES, THEIR WEAK-LIVERED FEAR OF MAKING THE BLESSING OF MARRIAGE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE LIKE MARY CHENEY, OR THEIR PATHOLOGICAL NEED TO PUNISH NON-EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY OVERLOOKING THE EMPLOYERS WHO PROFIT FROM ILLEGALLY EXPLOITING IMMIGRANT LABOR.

[PDittie]

1. Great post. Deserves a kick.

See you in Fort Worth, Cg?

[Czolgosz]

3. I wish I could make it to Fort Worth, but I'll be out of state on business

[cosmik debris]

2. A lot of meat on that bone!

And I noticed that every one of those issues can be expressed in a POSITIVE statement of Democratic values without the necessity of calling the Republicans hateful, evil tools of Satan. (which they are)

Instead we can say that Democrats support health care as a right for all people, not a privilege for the rich.

Democrats believe that a living wage is good for the workers as well as the country.

Democrats believe in responsible spending and fair taxes, not favors for the rich and powerful.

We can draw a contrast without name-calling.

I know that some disagree with me, but I am convinced that the electorate already knows what kind of people the Republicans are. We don't need to tell them.

They don't seem to know what kind of people the Democrats are. We have to make that the core of our message. And it wouldn't hurt to stake out a little moral high ground, because we KNOW that the Republicans will stoop to all sorts of nasty stuff. I believe it makes us look better to stay above the mud slinging. Positive messages WORK!

[urbuddha]

4. Texan born & raised but Californian by choice

Not that California is all that much better...but their are
more like minded people I can share ideas with here.
I still go back to Texas maybe once a year to see family.
I've been away for over 25 years and people still look and
think the same there.
There also seems to be an over abundance
of mean spirited people in Texas. I'll be back down in September to
see family and catch a high school football game. Hang in
there. I support you all in spirit !