Don't Think of an Elephant?

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Saturday April 16, 2005 · 12:29 PM PDT

2005/04/16 · 12:29

First, let me start off by saying, I love George Lakoff. I bought his book and read it cover-to-cover and talk about it with my friends. He's a great asset to our country, our party, and now our blog. THANK YOU, George Lakoff, for convincing us that FRAMING matters!

Having said that, I am dismayed to see his diary here today about Social Justice Sunday. Seems to me, it contradicts one of the major principles I've come to believe: DON'T THINK OF AN ELEPHANT!

Please read on... Read More

God, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Holocaust, and Progressives

CTDem2

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Sunday April 03, 2005 · 12:55 PM PDT

2005/04/03 · 12:55

Here's something that stumps me.

A central tenet of AA is that you have to believe (in God) before you get better. I haven't had any first-hand experience with it, but my understanding is that this is a critical part of the program. It's often what determines if one succeeds. The variants of AA that shy away from this slant don't do as well.

For those of us who don't believe, or have a different notion of God, what is this about? What is our alternative to this powerful concept?
Read More

Don't Fall For the Social Security Trap

CTDem2

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Wednesday January 12, 2005 · 6:49 PM PST

2005/01/12 · 18:49

I am deeply concerned by recent talk here, and from Democrats in Congress, that Social Security is safe for decades to come. This is a disastrous approach to combating Bush's Social Security Plan.

We all know that estimates of surpluses and deficits mean nothing. 5 years ago they predicted over a decade of massive budget surpluses; it didn't survive a year of Bush.

The reality is, we have a system in trouble, and Bush is putting it in more danger. But we're aguing that it's NOT in trouble; worse yet, in doing so, we imply that Bush is really trying to fix it.

We know that the most devastating aspect of Bush's fiscal plan is that it is part of a clear right-wing policy, thought up in think tanks thirty years ago, to destroy Social Security and Medicare while fooling the people. If we take the line of argument now that Social Security is a safe program, we lose the ability to sell the critical fact that renewing, or expanding, Bush's tax-cut economy will destroy our way of life. Even if we re-gain full control of government. This is a trap, and a framing disaster for us. Read More

The days of conservative vs. liberal are over.

CTDem2

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Sunday November 21, 2004 · 1:39 AM PST

2004/11/21 · 01:39

The days of progressive vs. regressive are here.

To win back this country, we must win the war of words.

They have skillfully destroyed the word liberal, which once stood for something great; but, indeed, we are no longer just liberals fighting conservatives.

As this giant ship has veered off course, we yearn for it to move forward once again. We are progressives.

"The days of conservative vs. liberal are long gone. This is a new era of progressives and regressives. They are not conservative. There is nothing conservative about the world record of national deficits, about the highest levels of government spending in history, about polluting our recreational lands, about destroying the alliance structure that has made us #1 in the world. They make us weak, and we are for progress: safety at home, quality education and work for everyone, great healthcare, a country strengthened by what unites us not weakened by what divides us. We used to believe we could do it all. It's time to be Americans again. Join the Democratic Party, and build a better future."

Top 10: What We've Gained in the Past Two Years

CTDem2

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Thursday November 04, 2004 · 11:29 PM PST

2004/11/04 · 23:29

DailyKos (May, 2002)
Howard Dean
Center for American Progress
Nancy Pelosi
The Howard Dean/MoveOn/Kos online & offline army
George Soros
Fundraising parity (!)
Favoritism by CIA
Air America Radio
An increasingly unified, energized, and informed progressive base

This is a heck of a lot of progress for 2 years. It took decades for R's to build similar infrastructure achieve power with it. We weren't able to pull it off yet -- but each of these is a steamroller on the ground, still headed straight for the Republican party.

FLORIDA - NEED SUPPLIES!

CTDem2

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Friday October 29, 2004 · 3:43 PM PDT

2004/10/29 · 15:43

I'm here in Orlando, Florida doing GOTV.

There's a problem here that many people are complaining about and nobody knows what to do about. It's a major visibility materials shortage.

We need more materials! If you live in a battleground area, and have bumper stickers, signs, or pins around, bring them to your local Dems office!

Read on for more info... Read More

Draft Vs. Voluntary Enrollment: From now to Election Day

CTDem2

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Saturday October 16, 2004 · 7:51 PM PDT

2004/10/16 · 19:51

So we're all talking about a possible draft in Iraq.

But let me back up for a second. Because I think there are times when any of us... certainly, when I... would volunteer to fight for my country.

If I thought my country was under attack, if the safety of my country were at risk, if our values and freedoms were at stake...

I'd feel a responsibility to do what those before me had done, and risk my life to defend America.

This is how I think of volunteering in the next three weeks...

Fortunately, I don't have to put my life on the line. But look. We're all busy, we all have schedules and obligations and meetings and...

This is the time to put things in perspective, let go of the ordinary priorities, and voluntarily enroll to fulfill our civic duties:

Go to your nearest swing-state, make calls, do what you can. It's now or never. Time to fight for our country.

Answering the Liberal Charge

CTDem2

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Tuesday October 12, 2004 · 3:47 PM PDT

2004/10/12 · 15:47

So we know Bush is going to attack Kerry hard for being a "liberal." Unfortunately, it's still an effective stab amongst some of our potential voters. Kerry needs to hit it out of the park this time, turn it around on Bush, and finish this "liberal" business once and for all:

"Mr. President, tonight, you call me a liberal, you say I'll tax and spend, you say I can't be trusted with our military. Would you listen to yourself? You say I can't handle money, as you borrow and spend and borrow and spend and create the biggest debt in the history of mankind? You call it a Tax Cut, Mr. President. The rest of us call it a Deficit. You say I'll increase spending, as your own budget shows that you've increased federal government at the fastest rate in 35 years - and that's not including anything related to defense, military, or security. You say I can't be trusted with our military, while you've sent our troops on a poorly planned and deadly search for weapons that never existed. If I'm a liberal, than what are you Mr. President? This isn't about liberal and conservative this time, Mr. President. This is about right and wrong. And it's time to put this great country back on the right track."

Problem: Long Lines = Lost Votes.

CTDem2

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Sunday October 10, 2004 · 5:47 PM PDT

2004/10/10 · 17:47

Imagine for a moment:

---------------------------------

It's election day. Those of us who can are on the streets volunteering.

But we run into a problem.

The lines at the polling stations are around the block. People are getting agitated and leaving. People have to get back to work.
GOTV volunteers are not even sure if it makes sense to go bring more people to the polling station.

And we find out on dKos: the same thing is happening in virtually every swing-state big city across the country.

We had prepared for everything. But not this.

Continued... Read More

Our Biggest Threat in November

CTDem2

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Monday August 02, 2004 · 9:08 AM PDT

2004/08/02 · 09:08

This keeps bugging me, but I've seen it discussed so little on dKos. I hope someone on the Kerry campaign thinks of this and starts taking appropriate measures...

I think the biggest risk to a Kerry victory in November may well be... Security. And I'm not talking about his position on national security.

I'm talking about Security in the city polling stations, creating long lines and driving voters away.

Now, I'm not one to give Bush much benefit of the doubt, but it's not unreasonable to want to protect the polling stations. It just so happens that nationwide security on election day would probably lead to few delays in the quiet rural polls, and long delays in the urban Dem districts.

Imagine: it's the afternoon of November 2nd, and all the talk on dKos is of huge delays in the cities. "...I counted six people leave and I doubt they'll be back..." "...I brought my coworkers with me, but after almost an hour, they insisted they had to get back to work..." "...I'm hoping they can extend the hours, but I'm not sure that people who didn't vote earlier will necessarily be back..." "...Shit! What do we do? This may lead to a Bush victory that could, whatever the circumstances, be touted as "legitimate" because the votes cast will say Bush!..."

Sorry for the sensationalism, but this is my fear. Any thoughts?

DCCC and Donations

CTDem2

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Thursday July 29, 2004 · 4:29 PM PDT

2004/07/29 · 16:29

I just left an entry on the DCCC blog, in reply to a post by Executive Director Jim Bonham, in which he replies to Kos's main-page entry with a thoughful (but unsatisfying) entry.

In that entry he comments that "we do not, and cannot, use ideological or policy positions to decide our support or non-support," which is where I start my reply.

I ended up making a few points that were kindof unexpected and I thought useful. So, I decided to cross-post it in my diary.

Continued below... Read More

My Suspicion: Cheney will be Replaced

CTDem2

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Thursday July 29, 2004 · 10:55 AM PDT

2004/07/29 · 10:55

You know, I'm tired of Torch flamebaiting diary entries (see below). But his last one - though probably false - touches on something I've been thinking for a while.

Cheney will not be Bush's running mate in the end, unless Bush's numbers turn around dramatically.

They will cite health reasons, and may even stage an urgent visit to the white house MD for a "heart-related irregularity." I don't know what the silly details will be.

But it seems to me, these people won't let go of power easily. We've all speculated elaborate schemes. But we've almost ignored the simplest one: cause a stir on the ticket, that will gather media attention and change the dynamic of the race. Giuliani? Powell? Who knows.

While I am purely speculating, which I try not to do too often, this is one where I'm just waiting for it to happen. In my mind it's almost 50/50.

Will it help them? I don't know. In the end, the incumbent is judged on the performance of the economy and the success of his endeavors, not on the political character of his running mate.

Are we ready for this? How do we prevent such a shift from harnessing media attention and momentum, especially if it happens late in the game (October)?

Thoughts?

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