Read
Parts I and
Parts II to get an idea of what this is all about. Otherwise it might not make much sense.
This will be the last post on this issue, since, like I've said, I don't consider myself qualified to discuss it (even if I did). My hope is that it spur the right kind of discussion somewhere within the party heirerarchy.
So here's the original list of party issues, and how they fit into my values structure:
Smart Government
Anti-corruption
Responsive govt
Accountability
Transparancy
Electoral Reform
Fiscal responsibility
Privacy
Choice
Opposition to regulation of morality
Opposition to Patriot Act
Right to die
Medical marijuana
Consumer privacy
Freedom of/from religion
Access to contraceptives
Conservation
Protecting our environment
Protecting our cultural heritage
Energy policy
Opportunity
Education (pre-K, primary, secondary, college)
Worker rights
Social Security
Health Care
Gender equality (same pay for same work, etc)
Affirmative action
Tort laws to protect the little guys from Big Corp
Non-regressive tax laws
Gay marriage
Fair trade laws
Small business support
US Leadership
Strong (not hollow) military
Leadership on global issues (e.g. terrorism, landmines, global warming, etc.)
Champion of human rights, at home and abroad
Leadership in science and technology (e.g. stem cells, alternative energy, etc.)
Strong United Nations/Internationalism
After all the feedback over the last two threads on the subject, here's how I would modify it. Note, this is my list, regarding my values. I'm not trying to impose this on you or the party. I expect someone with more authority to do that dirty, thankless work. And also remember that this isn't about "framing", but about determining what our core values are. Framing is about selling our values and issues using language. You can't frame without step one.
So after all that ado, here's how my final list would look (though we could keep tweaking forever):
Accountability
Fighting Corruption
Responsive govt
Transparancy
Electoral Reform
Fiscal responsibility
Corporate Accountability (tort laws, strong SEC, etc)
Privacy
Sacrosant Doctor/Patient relationship (choice, contraceptives, medical marijuana)
Family planning
No regulation of morality
Opposition to Patriot Act
A right to die
Consumer privacy
Religious freedom
Growth and Opportunity
Education (pre-K, primary, secondary, college)
Worker rights
Social Security
Health Care
Gender equality (same pay for same work, etc)
Non-regressive tax laws
Marriage equality
Workplace protection (OSHA, discrimination laws, etc)
Fair trade laws
Small business support
Protecting our environment
Protecting our cultural heritage
Sound energy policy
American Leadership (America is number one!)
Strong, effective military
Leadership on global issues (e.g. terrorism, landmines, global warming, etc.)
Champion of human rights, at home and abroad
Leadership in science and technology (e.g. stem cells, alternative energy, etc.)
Strong United Nations/Internationalism
As I knew would happen, too many people fixated on the laundry list itself. The idea of this excercise was to find our three or four
core values -- those values that would cover ANY issue thrown our way. People don't give a shit where you stand on any 25 or 50 issues. They want to know, if faced with a vote on an issue,
how you will arrive at your decision. Hence, the need to have clearly defined values.
If your pet issue isn't listed, then think, "Would it fit under any of these four categories". If yes, then great. This excercise is a success. If it wouldn't, then there's a problem.
In any case, here's my analysis of my last list --
I think accountability and privacy are huge winners for us. There's been lots of debate about the word "privacy", and perhaps it could be framed better, but the concept is a big winner for us -- with the ability to attract independents and even some Republicans in the mountain west and places like Alaska -- places with small "d" libertarian leanings.
As for accountability, it was a big part of Gov. Schweitzer's takeover of blood-red Montana (as was privacy, in the form of gun rights). And it's clearly going to be one of the key weapons for 2006 as we run against DeLay and Co. People are naturally repelled by corruption -- it cost us control of Congress last decade -- and the ruling GOP trifecta is falling into the same pattern of corruption that bedevils any long-ruling party.
Opportunity includes most of the traditional Democratic laundry list items, so nothing revolutionary there.
American Leadership plays to our need, as a country, to be NUMBER ONE at everything. Truth be told, I was pissed that the South Koreans blew past us on stem cell research. It was a blow to my national pride. Same thing when I see surveys which show our students lag the rest of the developed world in math and science. Just as this country's go-it-alone foreign policy has cost us our leadership role in the world. We no longer are an example to other nations in areas like human rights and the pursuit of democracy.
Again, feel free to disagree or quibble or whatever. Thankfully, I'm not looking for concensus on this issue, since frankly, I don't have the power to impose this thing on the party. But hopefully people who CAN make these sorts of decisions are poring over these threads. 'Cause really, someone needs to be doing this sort of thing at the party level and there's lots of great discussion taking place.