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November 09, 2004
Advice for Dems
Instapundit linked to this post over at BarlowFriendz where he says he (a liberal) will try to take the other side seriously the next four years. So I left him this advice (this is what I really believe the Democrats need to do, not like this):
1. Get serious about defense. You have not nominated anyone who was a serious candidate in this area since LBJ. This was ok in the 90's when no one cared about defense, but it is not anymore. Nominating someone who made a carreer in the senate voting to cut intelligence and defense spending and who voted against the first gulf war and can not make up his mind about the current war is not going to cut it. Unfortunately for you there are not many people in your party who fit this criteria, but there are some. And related to this: always be opposed to fascism and terrorism even when Republicans oppose it too.
2. Get some new ideas and some vision. Besides having a very bold foreign policy vision, Bush is also pushing an ownership society. This 27 year old is glad that I may get to invest and own my money that otherwise would go to the government. What exactly were the Democrats new ideas and vision this year? That Kerry served in Vietnam? That he wasn't Bush? Not good enough. That fact that the Vietnam War was a central issue in this campaign for Democrats even though it ended over 30 years ago does not bode well for your party's vision of the future. It ended several years before I was born. Have I made my point?
3. Stop with all the conspiracy and Bush=Hitler crap. Accept that you lost. If you must worry about stolen elections make sure your worry is bipartisan and try to affect solutions that eliminate ALL voting fraud and intimidation. I disliked Clinton a lot, but when my Clinton hating friends blamed him for murders and stuff I told them to shut up and that they sounded insane. It is time for you to tell some members of your party to shut up as well because they sound insane.
4. Do not make lame excuses about why your side lost other than that people rejected your message. That is almost always the reason why parties lose elections. Not because the message did not get out etc. Work on your message (what was it again this time? Oh, that your guy was not Bush) and maybe you will have a chance in two or four years.
Posted by Pete at November 9, 2004 09:19 AM
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Comments
I respectfully disagree with three of your four points. The only thing I agree on is the need for progressives to get vision. I was an Independent before the election and always have been since I was of voting age. Now I am seriously considering becoming a Democrat so that I can influence the primaries and hopefully we can have a candidate that offers real choice, not Republican Lite. I am better informed now than I have ever been before. Now I know about the rise of the Religious Right. Now I know about the dominance of the neo-conservatives over the mainstream media. Now I know the history of the rise of the Bush dynasty since Watergate. Now I am informed about the 911 truth movement, and I know about election fraud. I will not forget what I have learned during this election cycle. I have been galvanized more, not less. The day I learned Kerry conceded was also the day that I joined the ACLU, MoveOn.org, Planned Parenthood and the Earth Island Institute. It was also the day that I contributed money to alternative media websites such as Consortium News. It was the day I donated to http://www.blackboxvoting.org. Before the election, I had no bumper stickers on my car. Now I have a bumper sticker that says, "God is not a Republican or a Democrat". See, I'm being generous. At least I also admit that God is not a Democrat. If it was your side, and the roles were reversed, your bumper sticker would say "God is not a Democrat".
Posted by: Jennifer at November 10, 2004 11:22 AM
So your basic plan is to stay unserious about defense, have more conspiracy/Bush=Hitler crap, and keep making lame excuses? Sounds like a winner to me!
Also, I am glad that you have the ability to read my mind and know what bumper stickers I would put on my car. Especially since I did not once mention God or anything having to do with religion in my advice to the Democrats. If you must know, my one bumper sticker says "W'04" with a little flag and it covers up a big scratch in the paint.
Posted by: Pete at November 11, 2004 03:44 PM