Last night, BlueTide wrote an excellent diary entitled
You Frame the Democratic Narrative , urging Kos Members to take an active part in creating The American Covenant, a Democratic Manifesto. For months, we've been writing diaries about how Democrats need a message, a slogan, a characterization... something to create an image that the general public can relate to. Most Americans don't take time to even catch a few minutes of the 24-hour bullshit cycle, let alone blog here or anywhere else for an hour. So when they go to the polls or when their friends pass along political gossip, they need to know who we are and what we stand for... and we ought to be the ones who tell them... not the Republicans.
Here is our opportunity. More below.
When I read BlueTide's diary, I was excited to take part in it. We do a lot of talking around here and sometimes we even go so far as to donate to candidates we think represent our values, but rarely does anyone take action to this level. This is our opportunity to put our heads together and create the very message we've all been yearning for. Once armed with a message, we can be the one's who spread it... when we blog, when we write to our local newspapers, when we call our representatives, when we're talking politics with friends and when we're knocking on doors and handing out fliers. This characterization is something we need and as far as I can tell, Rahm and Co. don't have a plan. If they do, it'll be a cheap Contract-with-America-esque slogan that won't carry us past 2006 if it even makes it that far. And I've yet to see a Democrat outside of Howard Dean actually reference the Six-Point Plan the DNC came up with. Sure it's vague, but it gives Democrats the opportunity to speak consistently and they're not taking it.
The point is, even if The American Covenant doesn't resonate with the public, it will at least advance our own conversation about characterizing Democrats for 2006 and beyond. So read the diary, recommend it, vote in the poll, leave a constructive comment or idea and let's crash the damn gate already!
Peace and Love