Please. A simple guide to WINNING the Election, please read?

Listen, we now have ALL the advantage. We HAVE been handed this election on a silver platter, and, if you follow these simple, effective strategies, we can win this election, fair and square.

First, we must champion Kerry. We have to verbally pin him up as the man who can pull the USA out of the shame bush has buried us in. If we constantly remind everyone that he CAN redeem the US, and we Americans from the savage crimes of the bush regime, we start winning this.

Second, we must ignore and pass over ALL the rovian lies about kerry, and rather than respond directly to them, simply ask the same of bush. For each kerry lie, there is an automatic response condemning bush... and never EVER respond to slams on clinton. Simply turn each anti-kerry/clinton statement into one of the truths about BUSH. It's VERY easy and effective.

Third, we have to consider and promote that backing Kerry is the BEST thing to do for our nation. This is called MARKETING. We have the perfect opportunity to use the truths about the bush regime against them while gunning for Kerry. We'd be FOOLS NOT TO use this to literally restore the White House to "We, the people..."

Kerry IS a good man, and I honestly believe that if given the chance to lead this nation, he can and will do a great job of restoring our integrity, honesty and dignity. We, as Democrats, really should try to rally together to achieve this end for the good of ALL.

Use the buzz words, use only POSITIVE words about kerry, and negative words about bush in every conversation.

Talk about how bush shames us, degrades us, has torn this nation asunder.

Talk about how Kerry is decent, and honest, and has devoted his life to service of his country and community.

Talk about how bush is dishonest and sneaky.

SELL IT.

NOW IS THE TIME TO make the mark!

I would LOVE to hear other's opinions on how we MUST use this horrible, horrible series of events in OUR FAVOR... and only to do GOOD WORK, again, for the good of ALL of us, and this Country.

...but I agree with every single syllable you said!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

A rallying cry for volunteers, perhaps?

:D

n/t

who aren't as adept regarding your second strategy? Specific rovian talking points and specific ways to turn the framing around? (By the way, can we come up with a list of rove points?)

"Second, we must ignore and pass over ALL the rovian lies about kerry, and rather than respond directly to them, simply ask the same of bush. For each kerry lie, there is an automatic response condemning bush... and never EVER respond to slams on clinton. Simply turn each anti-kerry/clinton statement into one of the truths about BUSH. It's VERY easy and effective."

Thanks so much - your strategies are right on the mark!

IS a rovian lie. Dismiss EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING negative about kerry is a LIE. Don't tell anyone to prove it, just laugh, dismiss each statement without a defense....

"Kerry threw his medals over the fence." "Oh he did not. that's just more lies from the freepers. What medals did bush get when he served?"

"Kerry's wife is rich, he married her for her money." "Kerry is a forbes, he earned his personal wealth the old fashioned way, he inherited it." (NEVER be ashamed or denigrating of kerry's wealth, there is NOTHING wrong with being rich!) "Bush just stole all his personal wealth from the taxpayers, since he's never had anything but a government job his daddy got him in his whole life!"

"Kerry betrayed our military." "Oh he did not, unless some 30,000 OTHER viet nam vet ALSO did. And what's WRONG with protesting the Viet Nam war? Didn't MOST of America???? Heck bush's entire service boils down to showing up at the dentist and learning to fly an obsolete airplane... Then he went and stole our election!"

"Kerry owns SUV's." "More rovian lies. Why do you people listen and repeat rumor and gossip? Bush's military just got busted TORTURING people and you care about a CAR???? Let's talk about REAL issues. Bush is plainly just BAD for America..."

See?

And lastly, repeat this to everyone!

"In spite of his vast wealth, Kerry has devoted his life to public and community service. We NEED a good man like this to restore the nation's dignity and compassion..."

That grandaddy Prescott helped launder in the 40's even after the US govt. told bankers to stop doing business with Nazis. All of the Bush's wealth is tainted by the blood of the victims.

Choosing between money covered in blood and money covered in catsup is easy.

The Fair Deal. You got to hit the Fair Deal in every speech. It should be the blanket term for all the policies and new programs he has been talking about. I see it mentioned from Kerry but the term invokes FDR and Truman Dems everyone nowadays have admitted they admire. Use this.

Talk about revoking the tax break for corps shipping jobs overseas all the time. This is a great progressive populist idea. Smack them down on this one.

Ok, this is the deal.

Talk about the National Healthcare Plan but be very clear you are open to options as long as they lower the healthcare costs and cover the uninsured.

The Iraq war is Bush's greatest folly. Kerry should say, "I voted to give him the option but I never suspected he would screw it up like this." A paraphrase of the Rolling Stones quote that hit the mark. Then he has to hit on internationalizing the effort and bringing in the UN and differentiate himself from Bush by only keying in on the differences. He has implied an exit strategy but I think Kerry feels it is too risky to talk about that in fear of looking weak. That is a mistake. Draw out the fact that there is light at the end of the tunnel and we should do the job, get elections going and get out. There are no good options in Iraq left. But he has to make sure to differentiate his message from Bush. This is where the anti-Kerry folks are right. He has not done enough to do this.

_

the ACKNOWLEDGED national debt is $7,132,915,305,077.

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

shrub et al want a 100% estate tax reduction.

Who will pay this country's debt if not the ones who flourished in a land once rich in resources, where they had a safe, friendly environment to do their business?? 100% estate tax reduction will return this nation to a feudal system. to even propose it shows their greed and lack of concern about WE the PEOPLE.

it does remind me of Newt Gingrich's words to describe his opponents that were used by hte Repubs to take control of the House and Senate in 1994...

Clinton taught us much as well.

We have to paint them as the radicals and extremists and idealogue dogs they are the way Clinton did Dole.

Wellstone taught us how to organize on the grassroots level.

Kerry already seems to be learning the Dean method of good fund raising through the use of new media and drives.

There are many places to get good campaigning ideas.

_

side, unlike the gop.

They have BAD things, we have GOOD things.

That is our mesage, one of redemption!

some sample replies concerning the issues?

Those of us lacking in writing skills will be grateful.

I, for one, fully believe in the positive effect of repetition. It may annoy some but the overall effect is definitely positive.

don't slander bush out right. i think he's far from capable of adequately filling the postition, yeah. hopefully kerry will run a nice, clean race and look presentable and sophisticated, the latter being quite difficult for his opponent. do the people of the united states want a spoiled, little lad to run the show? or an intelligent, worthy bloke? the best way to ensure kerry's victory, is to be active in your support of him, isn't it? do research, become informed, see both sides, talk about it with people. and if you see pro-bush propaganda...please take it down or cover it up . . .. B-)

Anybody see Keith Olbermann, a few days ago (maybe it was last week - it's quite recent), holding up several pages of what he said were emails sent to his office by the White House, because of his impending interview with former ambassador (and Mr. Valerie Plame) Joseph Wilson? They included talking points, suggested questions, and also a request - "please call me." Olbermann said he received three emails - THREE of 'em - with this stuff. Just further proof of what we've suspected for a LONG time - that most of these anchors and pundits and reporters are on a short leash to the White House "communications" people, being fed "the company line" and being manipulated all to hell.

Well... if they can do that, why can't we?

I'd suggest anybody on this thread who's posted brief advisories or talking points or sample rebuttals or script items (especially those that appear to fit on one page) TO FAX OR EMAIL THEM IN TO YOUR LOCAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS PERSON, OR YOUR SENATOR.

At the top of the page, CLEARLY label, or design a "letter head" of PRO-DEMOCRATIC, PRO-KERRY TALKING POINTS. Maybe label it "Of the people, by the people, and for the people - FROM THE PEOPLE!" Or some such thing. Send it. Write something else. Send that. Build a track record. After the Senate rummy hearing on Friday, I contacted a couple of the Democratic senators' offices and gave them suggested talking points that - if they found themselves facing a "clever" reporter or pundit with a "gotcha" question - here's how to respond: and gave them recommended wordings.

The wretched newt gingrich assembled a "bible" for his then-fledgling GOPAC machinery, that included exactly this kind of coaching and suggested strategies and talking points, complete with lists of suggested words - those with negative connotations to use when referring to all Democrats and liberals, those with positive connotations to use when referring to all republi-CONS and conservatives. This was deliberate, carefully thought out and just as carefully spelled out.

I've seen nothing from Ann Lewis of the DNC in the past couple of months, and I've sent her LOTS of my own strategy notes and the most significant response I got, last, was one expressing great appreciation (it was a personal email) but some regret because they were still not off the starting block trying to get their "surrogate" program together (of people who can go out and talk up the Kerry campaign and Democratic objectives and candidates). And shit, they've had MONTHS! So I think we need to take this on, ourselves.

I read something about Monty Hall in TV Guide, once, wherein he was talking about how he got where he is in the industry. He started as a starving young Canadian, in the US hoping to make a name for himself in television. He knocked on every door. Nothing. So he started sending around a little note, on a regular basis, to all the producers and directors and agents and other movers/shakers he'd met, or who he thought could help him someday. He designed the look of the page and everything, and titled it "Memo from Monty." He did this - I forget - every week or every month, on some sort of really regular basis. He did it for awhile. Nothing seemed to come of it. He eventually got discouraged and gave up. Shortly thereafter, he was at some public function where he ran into one of these people. The guy said - "WHERE is my 'Memo from Monty?' What happened to it? I enjoyed getting it and all of a sudden, it stopped!" This person wound up hiring him, and his career took off from there.

I have kept this anecdote in mind for years and it's bucked me up whenever I thought I was knocking on doors in vain. You just GOTTA KEEP IT UP. Even if you think it isn't doing any good.

My husband is now telling me he's sure it was HIS letter to Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and Henry Waxman (our reps) concerning his fears about the Diebold election crisis that did it. We've seen some positive turns in that whole story, including here in California where things suddenly seemed to start moving, and all of a sudden we startd noticing more public discussion and coverage of it as a serious issue, and he's SURE it was HIS letter that did it. I know it was MANY letters, because I've seen and taken part in many of the BBV citizen lobbying campaigns. But how do we know that his letter MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, was the final straw that broke the camel's back, or that finally was enough to bore that little hole ALL THE WAY THROUGH to the other side of the wall of the dike, and spring a leak? How do we know his letter WASN'T the one that finally pushed the pile up to critical mass level, or added just that last tiny fraction of an ounce that was needed to tip the scale? HOW DO YOU KNOW IT COULDN'T BE YOUR EMAIL??????

Just don't give up. And, believe me, I'm saying this to myself to buck myself up as much as I'm running off at the mouth to anybody else here. You CAN'T give up. I can't give up. Nobody here can afford to give up. As down as we get.

ANY AND ALL QUICK-HIT, BRIEF, EASY-TO-READ stuff is good. Any clever wordings or buzz-phrases are good (who knows - somebody may turn it into the next big bumper sticker or campaign slogan!). ANYTHING catchy that sticks in the mind - ANYTHING is good.

Plant those seeds! I'm one of those who calls Capitol Hill TOLL FREE about as often as I urge others here to do it (which is - a LOT!) and when contradicta rice went before the 9/11 commission, I called numerous congressional offices about her. Planted that nickname everywhere I called. In EVERY Democratic congressperson's or senator's office, without fail, the reaction was the same: quite a few chuckles. Some with a delayed reaction. A few making written note of it, still chuckling. GREAT reaction all around - along with equally stony reaction from any and all republi-CONS. A few days later, I called about her again, and in some Democrat's office, the guy chucked again about "contradicta." I said - "Oh, you like that one, 'eh?" He said "Yeah. It's really funny!" I said "I made that up." He said - "Wow, you did?" I said yes. He said "wow, that's great! It's so funny. We've all been laughing about that one around here for days. Somebody called in with that one a few days ago. That was you?" I said "yes, glad you liked it!" He said "we sure do! It's ALL OVER THE HILL."

I called Chuck Hagel's office (republican from Nebraska - republican NOT republi-CON - he tends to be a reasonably decent sort - an anomaly, I know) a couple of times and as it would happen, got through to the same young lady - Elizabeth, who answered the phone. Talked only briefly, but still long enough to strike up a familiarity with her. She remembered me the second time I called. Nice chat, nice girl. Eventually, I get a personal note from Hagel, himself, thanking me for calling in. YOU do that, enough, and soon enough you'll have a connection in one or more of those offices, and THAT person will be that much more amenable to your ideas/input/suggestions. And you go from there.

PLANT THOSE SEEDS.