Folks, it isn't about moving left or to the middle

[Hamlette]

it's about cynically "framing the issue" so America "gets it".

Right now we sound out of touch. Like Clinton said, we talk about a "culture of life" and what we mean is protecting the environment and not starting unjust wars.

We talk about "American values" and we mean tolerance, equality, compassion and charity.

We talk about "winning the war on terrorism" and we mean finding the root causes of terrorism and trying to stop it there.

We just gotta take a page from their playbook without splintering into a zillion different parts. Come on. Get with the program and stop sounding so damned stupid.

[meganmonkey]

1. I think you're on the right track, Hamlette

Think about the fact that 55 million or so people voted Democratic this election. That is a lot of people, and we don't all fit into one category, agree on all issues, or have the same priorities.
There is no simple platform that is suddenly going to boost our constituency without turning an equal number off.

I think you're right about 'framing the issue', instead of just rebutting all the crap the Repugs are spouting. Because that leads to complicated, deeper answers, and the message needs to be simple and obvious.
And our basic frame for the message needs to be 'Republicans are bad for you!'. Because they are, and we know they are. And it is such a SIMPLE FACT, that it shouldn't be so damn hard to convince people. And over the next 4 years, Bush will give us a hell of a lot of ammunition for this perspective.

[cheshire]

2. We are the diverse party. We love everyone and accept them. It is our

weakness because we go from Moderate to liberal to more of an extreme but it is also our strength. We need to stand as one. Not one issue but as all our isssues. WE are the enlightened, caring, accepting, frugal, enovative. Feel free. We are selling ourselves. What are our strengths. We need to do this together. A week has been enough time for sorrow.

[meow2u3]

3. Returning to our working-class roots

is the best way to regain a Democratic majority.

[abburdlen]

4. Frontline lastnight

"the persuders" - all about marketing. Had the marketing guy who came up with hits like, "it's not estate tax it's the death tax" & "it's not global warming, it's climate change" and "it's not a tax cut, it's tax relief."
It would be funny if the average american didn't eat it up.

The democratic party has the better ideas but since the mid 90's the GOP has better marketing. Forget changing our positions we just need a better sell.

[ConsAreLiars]

5. It is about moving the middle, not moving to or from it.

In a column discussed elsewhere on DU today, Ted Rall used the term "Christianists." This framing works because it focuses on the core strategy and tactics of what are sometimes called fundies or Talibornagains or Dominionists, etc. It immediately calls attention to the fact that they are different from ordinary Christians and that they are cultish ideologues rather than "moral" people.

A similar framing is to counter "faith-based" with "fact-based" since most people have no trouble reconciling their religious or ethical values with the facts of the world around us, and also underscores the essentially irrational nature of that movement. It does not accept the presumption that they represent religion.