The Dem '06 "Contract with America" should come from the netroots

I was just thinking how I absolutely think its imperative for the '06 midterm campaign agenda to include a plank for Public Financing of all Federal elections...and how I think that probably the DLC types in the Congress will black ball it.

And then a thought occurred to me. Why don't the Congress critters ask US what we want them to do. They are OUR representatives. Why do we have to wait for them to tell us what they are going to pursue in our name?

It just seems to me like our dear leaders are formulating this in secret, and the pessimist in me says "oh boy this is going to be a big dissapointment."

If it dissapointes the netroots it's a bad thing for our 2006 chances. The dem congresional leadership ought to realize that it's the enthusiasm of the netroots and grassroots that will make or break 2006.

It'd be great if DailyKos or the Center for American Progress, or Democratic Underground would come up suggested versions of the 2006 agenda so that when the Reid-Pelosi agenda comes out we can compare and contrast.

...if it comes from within the Party's own grassroots.

NGU.

This is a national agenda.

All I'm saying is that the Congress has a good idea of what we are expecting.

I think it's far too easy for the Democratic leadership to play it safe. When they do they demotivate the activst base. If you look at the 94 Contract with America it was very ambitious. It was tailored to fire up thier base and get them excited about what a Republican congress could accomplish (but didn't)

The agenda should be tailored to exciting our base. Knowing how the consultants operate I fear it will be tailored to making nobody mad. Going for the swing voters and ignoring all the non-voters.

...you're working from within.

Just a suggestion. And I agree, the consultants ARE the problem. I think my state's Dem Party platform will be close to what you're envisioning, thanks to some very sharp activists on the committee that's drafting it.

NGU.

I think that it should come from a Netroots community. I dont have credibility but DU and DailyKos do.

Dean and the DNC have started a campaign that I like. Here's a link... http://www.democrats.org/doorhanger.

Personally, I like the phrase "Empowering America." Meaning that the Democratic Party stands for empowering individuals to make their own decisions, to empower the middle class, and to empower America by becoming energy independant.

create a forum where each post is an item that would be in the contract and the moderators pull the post together into categories that we further refine with other post within the thread.

The final list should have 10 items, an organizing principle and each should reflect a defining democratic party value.

Health-care reform with 100% coverage for every man, women and child that maintains the best of the existing health-care in America while capitalizing on market efficiencies associated with an economy of scale.

to run on the agenda. It's the candidates who do. Perhaps they should be the ones setting the agenda.

Who do the candidates need to appeal to ?

Who works for the candidates?

Candidates serve us. They get elected because they appeal to us. They should answer to us. They should push our agenda, and they should makes sure they know what our agenda is. I think we should tell them.

When the people lead the leaders follow.