New Democratic Slogan: For The Common Good

One of the overriding concerns many of us have is the Democratic Party's lack of a unified message.  We have allowed the lock-step, unthinking loyalty of the core Republicans to outmaneuver us in the realm of soundbites and short attention spans.

What we need is a unifying theme.  An umbrella under which all of our ideas, as myriad and wonderfully diverse as they are, can fit.  And after much thought, I say that the slogan ought to be: FOR THE COMMON GOOD.

What benefits could come from that slogan?  I explain on the flip.

Why should we adopt that slogan?  I see two main reasons.

First, it is succinct and memorable.  It is a phrase that everyone is familiar with and has nothing but good connotations.  It also could be an answer to any question of our proposed policies.  

• Why do we want to keep Social Security?  For the common good.
  
• Why do we want to adopt the 9/11 commission findings? For the common good.
  
• Why do we want to strengthen FEMA and other government agencies charged with protecting us? For the common good.
  
• Why do we want a balanced budget? For the common good.
  
• Why do we want a minimum wage hike? For the common good.
  
• Why do we want to develop alternative energy sources? For the common good.
  
• Why do we want to root out the corruption of this Republican administration? For the common good.
  
• Why do we want to limit the impact of corporations and special-interest groups on the legislative agenda? For the common good.

That list could go on for days, but you get the idea.  The Democratic Party needs to remember that is the party of the people.  That plumber over there, needs to be a Democrat.  That small-business owner, needs to be a Democrat.  That clerk, needs to be a Democrat.  That lawyer, that priest, that homemaker, that student, that senator and that president, need to be Democrats.  We are the ones that want to help them.  We are the ones that propose the ideas that would help them.  Now that we remember who we are, we need to remind everyone else.

The second reason we should adopt this slogan is because it would be a good way of directing our future work.  If legislation doesn't fit under that slogan, maybe it needs to be rethought.  Would a national healthcare system provide for the common good?  Yes, okay let's work on that.  Does a Medicare bill with a provision that prohibits bargaining for better prescription prices provide for the common good?  No.  Let's rethink that.  Does a $250 million bridge to nowheresville Alaska provide for the common good?  No.  Let's rethink that.  Does running up a few trillion dollars in deficits provide for the common good?  You get the idea.

So that is my reasoning behind what should be the new Democratic slogan:

Okay, okay my Photoshop skills suck.  But you get the idea.

•  I posted this..

  For the common good.

  by jaslusher on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 05:55:43 AM PDT

•  Sounds too much like

  Sounds too much like For the Communist Good. I bet if you focused grouped this you would get people telling you it reminds them of Democratic weaknesses, tax hikes, wealth redistribution and social programs.

  by UpstateNYDem on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 06:01:34 AM PDT

  •  I disagree that they are weaknesses

    I'm not sure if you are saying you think that they are weaknesses or just are generally perceived as such.  But either way, I think they can be responded to like this:

    The tax hikes for the rich are to get them to pay their fair share for the common good.  We have got to have a balanced budget for the common good of our children.

    The social programs we advocate are to protect the common good of the American people.  We are too good of a people to ignore the plight of our fellow American and if we don't service the needs of our weak, sick and elderly, it will bring us all down.  So we want to help these people for the common good.

    by jaslusher on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 06:11:04 AM PDT

    •  In politics

      Perception is reality.

      by UpstateNYDem on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 06:27:26 AM PDT

      •  I agree

        thus the need to change the perception.  All with a nifty new logo.

        Of course, I'm thinking someone with actual Photoshop skills should take a crack at the next one.

        by jaslusher on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 06:29:34 AM PDT

•  actually

  I kind of like it.  The democratic party has been cast as the party of the elitists or the hippies and most people don't seem to fall in either category.  The republican party has used this to their advantage and won over people who really fit better with the democratic party.  I think it's time that we tell Americans which party really is for the "little people".  

  by kisler1224 on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 06:04:17 AM PDT

  •  Thanks

    and thank you for recommending it.  I appreciate the help.

    by jaslusher on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 06:13:36 AM PDT

•  For The Common Good

  I believe one thing we have lost over the years is the concept of the commons, where all have a stake in what happens.

  Paul Loeb, who posts here, signs copies of his books with "For the common good." I think there might be something to this.

  WF

  by Wes F on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 06:35:24 AM PDT

•  Lakoff talks about

  getting the ideas of "commonwealth" and common good out into the ether as goals that government shoudl strive for. (as opposed to "personal gains" goals such as lower taxes.

  I don't think it's out there right now, and is worth repeating.

  It has less "commie" stigma then say "party for the people"
  or "workers party" etc.

  Perhaps it's more a of dem politician "talking point"?
  -Paco

  by Paco3000 on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 06:42:22 AM PDT

•  New Democratic Slogan

  The Democratic National Committee met in Phoenix, AZ last weekend. It was great - a real energy booster. The slogan they were using was "Together, we can do better." Governor Dean used it repeatedly in the marvelous speech he made at the General Session and at the Awards Banquet. He stressed that "Together" was the most important word. Works for me!

  by skilfor on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 07:00:32 AM PDT

  •  don't like it

    because it sounds like "together" means "together as Democrats".

    What we need is "together as Americans".  Or "together as people".

    I want to move BEYOND partisanship and idealogy in this country.

    A counry divided the way it is now is going to fail ultimately.  And the Repubs do nothing but perpetuate the divisions.  Just look at this "war on christmas" nonsense.

    The only hope for this country (and I will actually put our country above the Democratic Party) is that we finally figure out that we have more in common than not.

    Almost all of us want decent jobs, good futures for our children, health, clean air and clean water, and physical security.  

    There is absolutely no reason we shouldn't be able to find common-sense solutions for this that actually don't have anything to do with Republicah vs. Dem or Red-state vs. blue-state or any of that crap we're being force fed all the time.

    I suppose this is why I get annoyed at Democrats here and elsewhere who insist on "winning".  The goal is to "win".  As in make the other guy "lose".

    The goal should be that we all win.  For the country, and for the planet.

    It's really the only hope for the future.

    by Nordic on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 09:16:09 AM PDT

•  Suggestion;

  Do a google search for "For the Common Good".  A bunch of evangelical sites come up.  A site with the slogan "An Inter-faith Perspective on Globalisation for the Common Good"

  There's a book by that name about economics "for the community".

  Plus a literacy project, and an article about Rosa Parks.

  I personally like the phrase, but it's used a lot for a lot of different purposes, some of them not so great.

  It's really facile to use that phrase - I can see * and Rummy trying to use it to justify the deaths of thousands in the pursuit of "democracy" in the mideast . . .

  by delphine on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 07:07:18 AM PDT

  •  Again, I see that as a plus

    When you appropriate something like that for your own purposes, it takes on a force of its own.

    How do you distance yourself from the common good?  You look nutty, elitist and out of touch.

    So now they either have to agree with you and be assimilated, or disagree and be marginalized.  Win, win.

    by jaslusher on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 07:44:21 AM PDT

•  ah, my whispers in your ear

  have been working.  :)

  I think you're right on the money, and not just "common good" but "common sense".

  Because common sense is in very short supply, but it's what people actually want from their government.

  Here's my diary on common sense:

  http://www.dailykos.com/...

  by Nordic on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 09:09:42 AM PDT

•  Common Good=Commons

  This is an important idea. The commons are the thing this administration has been trying to break up and sell off the the highest bidder (or the one they are friends with).

  One example of 'the commons' we need to use is our vote.

  Our votes need to be owned and processed by the government, not by corporations FOR THE COMMON GOOD.

  I appreciate this slogan and think that it is very effective when we connect it with clear examples. We have to harness the anger that lower middle class people in swing states feel toward the elites. We have to remind people that there were once places and things called 'commons' that you didn't have to pay for and that were protected and maintained by a thing called 'government.'

  by Young and on the air on Tue Dec 06, 2005 at 03:59:32 PM PDT