The talk of election fraud as big an issue as I feel that it is has gained us nothing. It has distracted us from looking at our gains and failures. Kerry bashing is also not doing anything for us as a party or group. There are good things and bad things we should learn from this. One is that GOTV is a big deal and needs to be an ongoing and constant part of the party and it's surrogates. Two we have a good platform for fund raising that needs to be expanded and improved upon. Three that fund raising and time in the two years before the primaries is just as important as during the election.
Where we lost the election is as many have posted in the way we manage elections and the media. Controling the framing of the debate.
In my humble view we lose the election when we let the president frame the war on terror and link through repetition Iraq over and over and over. It was done before we even new who was going to be our canidate. That is the bottom line truth.
Most people spend little time thinking about this stuff because to them it is of little impact on their lifes. The democrates failed to stand up until Dean loaned them some balls and by then the stage was set. The first rule of warfare is that you fight on your terms not the enemies.
Understand me clearly the 21 century is all about message and Stratigic Informational warfare. It is about image more than substance. It is about vision over specifics. Big ideas over nuts and bolts.
Social security Reform comes to mind. How do you improve the system? Is it flawed? Why do many young people believe that it will not be there for them or it will kill them trying to pay for it?
So the most important thing that the new head of the DNC should do is have a 24/7/365 Rapid response team. To plan and counter attack the GOP message machine. How to do this is still a sticking point. Message disipline and talking points on a daily basis two our senator and congressmen. It would have to be inclusive and timed and relentless.
A information clearing house for reporters to call and recieve write ups and source material on topics of the day. And a base information corridinator with a two way path of information and resources.
Last and not least a talking head who is smart and comes across as honest.
Terry gets bashed here often but he has taken no pay and help put us into a position that we can move forward. He was not strong on tv in my view. He came across as a used car salesman, to hyper and slick.
What are your thoughts on this..