For those who are interested in persuading conservatives and undecideds, let me offer a few suggestions.
You can catch my main points by skipping to the bold portionsI am a former RINO who was a delegate for Bush 41 to my State Republican Convention and I was an enthusiastic McCain supporter. I am a former RINO because of what I learned about the Rove/Bush smear campaign against McCain after the 2000 election. I have pre-ordered the book/CD combo pack of Bush's Brain and eagerly await delivery, even though I am quite familiar with most of the details.
1. For Fiscal Conservatives - The Gridlock: This is my favorite because it is my personal reason for supporting Kerry. In fact it was my reason for supporting the Democratic nominee even before a single democrat had announced his candidacy.
The Gridlock argument for Fiscal Conservatives: The deficit is out of control and the Republican Party has demonstrated it lacks the capacity for responsible governance. Kerry is the only rational choice for a fiscal Conservative. The Republicans will filibuster Kerry's liberal big spending social programs and Kerry will veto the reckless and irresponsible extension of the Bush tax cuts. We can't trust either party, so voting for Kerry and gridlock is the only way to stop the budget busters.
This is also a great short letter to the editor for your local paper. The key to talking to a Conservative is not to go all policywonkish and try to convince them that Kerry is better on even a single issue. There are an awful lot of Perot voters, Buchanan voters, McCain voters and traditional Republicans who are secretly appalled at and feel betrayed by Bush's fiscal policies. Don't try to convince them on the spot. Make the argument and then switch to another topic unless they give you some sort of encouragement.
You have already opened a dark closet that they have been afraid to open the door to. Once you shine a little light in, the seed is planted and it will worm around in their fiscally conservative conscience right up until election day. You have completed your mission.
2. The McCain Card - If a Conservative throws the "Boy I'm sure glad Bush was President after 911" line at you or perhaps "Boy, I'm glad Bush is in there instead of Gore" - Come back with "You know what? I can't help thinking how much better off we would be if John McCain had won the primary instead of Bush."
Take my word for it, this is a killer argument that literally shocks conservatives with its obviousness. Their eyes will glaze over and their tongue will be tied in knots. Genuine Undecideds will start nodding their head vigorously and you will be able to see the gears turning. The percentage of people who would even pretend to argue that Bush is handling Iraq better than McCain would have is in the low single digits. The McCain Card is also effective for deficit spending and pork barrell spending. The best part is that McCain isn't running and you have just moved them away from Bush and towards somebody else. They're not all the way to Kerry yet, but you've just made a big move in the right direction.
Once again, don't try to convince them on the spot. They can't cast a ballot today anyway. You are just planting a seed. You don't have to like these arguments. In fact you may find them offensive. That's because you are not a Conservative and you are not Undecided.
3. For Undecideds - The Wrong Track/New Direction Appeal or The 1% Solution: This approach is exactly the same one that Michael Moore was getting slammed for yesterday. A couple of weeks ago the L.A. Times had a letter to the editor that said this election was between the worst President in history and the worst candidate in history. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO AGREE. Count slowly to 100 and remember that we are trying to win an election, not convert true believers.
The secret is agreeing with the undecided voter that both candidates suck, but pointing out that Bush sucks just a little more. You don't need to convince them that Kerry is 100% better than Bush. If you convince them that Kerry is 1% better than Bush you win. The more you knock Kerry the more credibility you will have. If you are a regular at Dailykos you already know all the reasons Kerry sucks, because we have been so generous in our criticism of our own candidate. Keep in mind that the only reason they are still undecided is that they honestly believe both candidates suck. Don't try to change their mind.
The key issue for a lot of voters is Iraq, but this argument works for several issues.
I'll tell you, I think both candidates completely suck, but George Bush has realized the full limits of his incompetence and he has totally fouled up in Iraq. (or the economy, tax cuts, perscription drugs, health care, etc. Try to determine the individual's key issue) John Kerry on the other hand is just a huge mass of unrealized potential for screwing up. If you agree that we need to take the country in a new direction, then John Kerry is your only rational choice. Bush has already completely screwed everything up and its time to give a new guy a chance to screw everything up in a different
direction. (You can also reinforce this argument with the Gridlock argument)
Trust me these arguments work. I know because I have used them on Conservative and Undecided friends in my neighborhood and at work. If they already know you are a Kerry supporter, take them into your confidence and admit under your breath, "Between you, me and the fly on the wall I really don't like Kerry. I supported (Dean, Gephardt, Sharpton, Kucinich, Clark, Nader, or would have liked to see Joe Biden get in) but Bush has just driven me nuts with his incompetence." See Order of the Shrill here:
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Mission Accomplished! This is a one or two minute drill you can use anywhere. I worked it in waiting for the elevator at work once. Nearby Kerry or Bush supporters may kibbitz, but they will not be rude enough to interrupt. Saying that both candidates suck is almost not even a political position that you have to avoid at work. Exercise a little discretion, but it's
more like common knowledge or the conventional wisdom that nobody can really argue against, without being completely rude and inappropriate. The natural tendency to be polite and politically correct is on our side.
For the smokers out there the "don't both these guys suck" approach is a perfect and unoffensive ice breaker for total strangers you are sharing one of those intimate nicotine moments with in the smoking detention area.
For the salesmen out there, think of this as a "soft close". You are not going for the order yet, you're just trying to get an innocuous yes to a soft committment. You and I know that if you can get the customer to give you a "soft close yes" five or six times, you are ready to ask for the order. The great thing about this approach is that you don't have to get the "customer" to agree with you. Every time you agree with the "customer" you are getting a soft committment leading up to yes.
NEVER DEFEND A KERRY POSITION. If your customer thinks Kerry sucks don't even think about changing his mind. Ignore your inner ideological demons. Just laugh or smile knowingly and say "I can't argue with that." or "That's a great point, I hadn't thought of it that way." If you're in a bar try "WHOOOOEEEE, good one dude." or "That's EGGSAGLY whud I'm talkin bout." Every time you agree with them you've put yourself on their side and have just moved one step closer to the kill.
Don't overdo it. These are simple, memorable arguments. If this person is someone you run into regularly, the "boy, both of these guys still suck don't they" statement is an easy and natural segue to another persuasive appeal. "Can you believe what bonehead X did today?" is another natural opening, and trust me, both candidates will give us ample opportunites to use it.
Think of every Bush or Kerry mistep as a new opportunity to convert undecideds. Now get out there and 1% or Gridlock some conservatives and undecideds!