There are some who in good faith believe the Democratic party needs to move to the Right on social issues to win again. The belief is we are losing due to "God, guns, and gays."

I just don't agree. This strategy is flawed because the focus is on abandoning our base rather than expanding our base.

**WE NEED TO FOCUS ON EXPANDING THE BASE***

Why is the Republican Party still trying to pass SS priviatization when public support is down to 35%?  Every pollster in America would tell the GOP to take their losses and move on.

Amy Klobuchar and Patty Wetterling have both announced they are running for MN Senate.

I see very little ideological difference between these two excellent candidates. I am planning to volunteer to help one of the two campaigns and can't really decide - it boils down to whom I think is most electable.

Presently Patty Wetterling is polling better against Republican Mark Kennedy. She also has more name recognition at this point, so the polls don't mean a lot. She has also never held public office (a minus). She is well respected for her work on children's issues. She ran against Mark Kennedy in MN-6 (a conservative district) and lost a very respectable 54%-46% (for a Dem in MN-6).

Amy Klobuchar is Hennepin County District Attorney She is very intelligent, and tough on crime.

I've spoken with a couple informed Minnesota swing voters. They would vote for Klobuchar over Kennedy anyday, but not necessarily Wetterling. Why? The only reason is her lack of experience.
They also don't feel someone like Mark Kennedy can win statewide.

Any thoughts?

I've read almost 31% of Texas residents have no health insurance - higher than any other state.

You'd think those 31%, plus the many people who have either inadequate coverage or fear losing theirs, would vote Democratic. But they don't - or Texas would be a blue state.

I know the standard argument - abortion, death penalty, gay marriage. But these issues cannot be more important than whether you have health care, decent wages, and so on.

Do people just get used to being shit on by big corporations and not expect anything different? Are few of the uninsured voting?  Has the local Democratic party not made a big issue of health care?  Have the Republicans framed the debate in a way that favors them?

We have to be able to make a big issue out of health care in states that have a high percent  of uninsured residents. Note Louisiana, West Virgina, Arkansas, and Florida all have above average number of uninsured.

Here is a list I ran across from a diary over a week ago:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4965539,00.html

What would happen if the Republicans overturn the
Roe v Wade court decision?

This would simply return the issue to the states where it would be made legal again in about half the states?  The Religious Right would not be satisfied - they would want a constitutional amendment (needs 2/3 so wouldn't pass).

The resulting mess and controversy would do the GOP much harm, in my view. I doubt this would go over very well. Also, what would you do with women who have abortions?  With doctors who are caught performing one?  Would it be legal to go out of state?  I don't think the controversy would go over very well.

Comments?

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