[If you like this, recommend it (however that works). I'd like to know whether or not I'm just wasting time drafting essays for here.]
Last time, I had presented a list of arguments given by the die-hard Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents discussing why they had reservations (or wouldn't) about voting for a Democrat and compelling reasons designed to deflate the usual arguments. If we're to hammer away at the corruption of the GOP Congress, then a reasonable and realistic contrast must be struck when discussing the differences of the two, which is what I will attempt to do here today.
We cannot continue to paint the differences between the two major parties in terms of broad generalizations. It is a trap which we fall into, time and time again due to the ease of classifying people of faith as right wing lunatics, or the Democrats as the Tax and Spend party, or Republicans as the party of Big Business. Are these classifications true? Perhaps. But if we're to ever win over some converts in terms of voting, then a meaningful dialogue must be reached. Part I focused on the common arguments used to create wedge issues, argue for staying the course of partisanship, and so on; part two will examine this contrast in further effort to excite and mobilize the democratic base.
First and foremost, stop following opinion polls on who is likely to vote however in November. The most dangerous thing for us to do at this point is grow complacent with the idea of Democrats being swept into office with little or no effort, due to the unpopularity of the President or Congress. This November's midterms represents a true turning point in the course of American politics- and it's up to us to be the salesmen and women in the department store of democracy. The GOP has been engaging in fear mongering, bullying tactics, and wedge issues in order to sell their agenda (ineffectiveness of big government, and by god, they proved that!), just as both parties have done in the past. It is important to remind your potential customer (voters) that being dissatisfied with the performance of their current choices should warrant a deep, hard examination of the fundamental differences between the candidates available to choose from. With the advent of Gov. Dean's 50 State Policy for Democrats, more than ever before can we find that there is a choice for representitives, senators, and whatnot. How would YOU sell your product to potential voters, then?
1) Conventional wisdom thus far has afforded us a cornicopia of wrong-headed and moronic tactics to try to appeal to swing voters and win elections. It didn't work in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, or 2004; why continue to posture as a Republican-Lite or Moderate (Hilary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, and the easily bamboozled types that comprise a large part of the party leadership) when it clearly doesn't work AND unmotivates your own base? Priority one thusly becomes having THE DEMOCRATS TAKE A STAND ON AN ISSUE AND FIGHT FOR IT, regardless of how well it polls or focus groups like it. Focus groups don't win elections for Democrats; voters do. And the only way to get voters is taking a position on an issue. What issues are real, important, and worthy of running on? Solution & How to sell it: It's up to us now to act as representatives of the party, to "sell" the agenda of the Democratic party in our everyday lives as the situations present themselves. Cmapaign contributions are a start, but not enough- it requires a level of commitment that is staggering, but the payoff is well worth it.
2) Fiscal Responsibility. Remember how the GOP was the party of small government and budgetary sanity? Voters disgusted with the ineffectiveness of Democrats back in 1994 to defend their positions, themselves, and cut wasteful spending was a very big issue. Yes, we have a similar situation right now: insane levels of tax cuts during two (perhaps three soon) wars, at a time when the economy is "robust" unless you're making less than a 100,000 a year (most of us). Spending is out of control, with lobbying and pork projects taking the place of properly funding programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security; It might shock some people to learn that the flight and landing-impaired V-22 Osprey is still being funded, yet No Child Left Behind is not. Solution: Cut spending and raise taxes would be the most direct method to restoring the runaway debt to something more managable. How to sell it: with the utter lack of shame in cutting taxes for the upper classes while raising them on teenagers, point out to your friends that House Speaker Dennis Hastert himself has said during the week 5/14/06 that people making less pay less taxes, so they don't deserve a tax cut. Remember the 300 dollar checks in the mail a few years back? Turns out that was a load of bullshit, as people noticed now and called Sen. Frist's 100 dollar gas rebate earlier this month. This is not class warfare; anyone stating that it is so needs only to have that label turned around on them, coupled with our wonderful Speaker of the House's tax cutting quote above.
3) Ethics. Considering the amount of stonewalling that was met with the formation of the 9/11 commission, the Abramoff Republican-Exclusive scandal, Cunningham's bribery problems and jailtime, the CIA leak from the top of the Administration, the lies about hurricane warnings last year (and taped statements nullifying the lies), the NSA scandal and coverup, the lies and spin getting us into Iraq in the first place, etc., we can find plenty to contrast with for ethics. Too much, really: it almost gives one a sense of being overwhelmed when trying to consider all the problems plaguing the GOP led-Congress and Government overall. Solution: Perserverence. It's hard, difficult to keep up with all the scandals, but it can only benefit us in furthering a Democratic win in November by following the reports to where they lead. How to sell it: People must know the extent that these Republican scandals that have occured on Republican watch and attempted to coverup by Republicans to cover their own Republican-asses was orchestrated from the top-down; If the voters are tired of all these problems from an ethically challanged Congress, then now is the time to present the Democratic contrast of accountability. As Markos (and I) have said elsewhere, voting with tacit approval for the unethical Congress is essentially fighting against democracy. It's Congress's job to exercise oversight, pass laws, and deal with financial matters. It's the President's job to enforce those laws, to present ideas to Congress, and to work with them in order to form a functional government and working programs. The Constitution is clear on that: isn't it time that we had a Congress willing to do it's job, whereas reelecting the GOP to the reins of power is very clearly unable (and unwilling) to do their job?
4) War & Peace: It doesn't get much simpler than this. Solution: Responsibility, planning, and accountability. How to sell it: Right now, the United States is engaged in military action in the Middle East, Eurasia, and stationed all over the world at various bases, locations, and so on. War is a difficult decision to make; it must never be rushed into; it must have planning developed for it; adequate supplies and manpower need to be used in prosecuting military conflicts; the conflicts must be funded, and when problems arised THEY MUST BE ADDRESSED, not swept under the rug, like extrodinary rendition, torture (reprehensible in any form) and domestic spying. War is not the justification for any action under the sun, nor should we allow it to be. Did this country become one of the greatest ever by torturing it's way to the top? Forming a police state that would make the USSR envious? How about letting theocratic firebrands determine how existance came to be and what constitutes as science for the classroom (here's a clue: religion is religion and belongs in religion class, not science class; would you like it if I barged into your church and started lecturing about neurosensation? Didn't think so. End of fucking discussion)? Then it would be best for us to address here how these issues are hurting America, our good standing, and tarnishing the citizenry. This is not how we became #1, nor will it help us stay there. Appeals to patriotism can work for us as much as the GOP would like to use them against us. This is one such instance.
5) Wedge Issues and Strawmen: So the most important threats facing the nation call for a 390 mile fence along a 2500 mile border, reporductive rights, restricting medicine-availability, dictating bedroom and end of life issues, whether or not Spanish divides the nation, and holding votes on whether two gay people can cohabitate and file their taxes jointly? Solution & How to sell it: Allow me to cut through the politicking here: it's all a load of elephant shit. If you can claim that because the GOP is anti-abortion that they're moral and ignore the lies for war, taxes, and wall of unethical practices they've built around themselves, then not only are you expressing an inability to examine and comprehend the issues (hint: abortion will never become illegal so long as it motivates voters to go to the polls) realistically, but you're effectively ignoring at least 11 other Commandments there, for the religious types reading this.
I suppose that's a fine start for us to remember as we go out there and have coffee with the neighbors, a beer with the coworkers, or are BBQ'ing with friends and family. These are all opportunities for us to be an effective grassroots movement, to be the salesforce of the Democrats and push the party to success in the Midterms. If you're still lukewarm to the idea of supporting your Fighting Dem or not-ethically challenged candidate for government, then take this opportunity to learn more about your representatives and senators. Get their position on the issues, and add those to the list of ways to present the alternative. We all know damn well by now that voting in more of the same won't bring about change- it is up to us to be the new 'values voter': our values lie in democracy, and ensuring its survival.