Talking to my father-in-law...

[ProgressiveDepot.com]

He voted for Bush last time around but admits he doesn't think Bush is a good president. But he says Democrats have nothing more to offer.

Although fighting the Bush regime takes up ample time and I generally fight this argument of "what do the Democrats have to offer" because the Dems have a pretty solid agenda, I have to admit that Dems need to come up with very specific proposals that can capture the imagination and be the agenda setters. The GOP decides what we'll talk about and even if it's bad, it makes it easier for them to say "well what are Dems ideas?" and people buy this argument of Dems having no ideas. Yes, I know it's B.S., but I've talked to enough people personally who make this argument, that I know it is working to a certain extent.

So what do you think are specific proposals that Dems should talk about across the board at every opportunity. Not general things like health care and education, but specifics like Wall Street reforms to protect individual and mutual fund investors, or hiking minimum wage?

[Nite Owl]

1. I have heard that too

and also they are very effective at 'well they are all the same' line. Sure Dems are not perfect but dems are not at all'the same'. There was talk early on about some kind of newspaper that would be distributed in coffee shops and places like that. Even ads in newspapers, not necesssarily the big ones but local papers would spread the word. Healthcare is a huge issue and should be top on the list as well as minimum wage. What about buying blocks of time on late night tv? There are a lot of people not able to sleep at 4am!

[losdiablosgato]

2. If I had a dollar for everytime I heard that I could retire

We need to drop gun control, and got hard pro labor and anti outsourcing for a start. We need the middle class to support us and that will take bread and butter issues.

[old blue]

3. Yep, the Dems don't have much to offer, so I think I'll vote for...

a modern fascist. What can it hurt?

[ProgressiveDepot.com]

4. true, of course

but he gets a vote just like you & I. I'd like to see people who aren't enamored of the GOP feel like the Dems are an alternative that has real ideas. Polls and my anecdotal personal conversations lead me to believe this is a major sticking point for the Dems right now.

We need to fight, but we also need to offer ideas that have nothing to do with the GOP agenda items -- and force them to respond, instead of the other way around.