Which is the most important demographic to get in 2004?

[JohnLocke]

And yes, this is an over-simplified poll. Bite me. :)

[Darkamber]

1. Fiscal conservatives

I think there is a real weakness to take advantage of by getting the GOP fiscal conservatives to look at Kerry. After what Bush did to the budget they are really finding it hard to stomach him.

If Kerry can prove that he can lower the deficit and save social security which is on a path to crash and burn real quick under Bush, we might have a real chance to get them this year.

[eridani]

2. Prior non-voters

[July]

13. Them, too, I second that. n/t

[Toby109]

3. Me

[JohnLocke]

4. LOL

Reflects the attitude of some here. :)

[blondeatlast]

16. Really--a concerted effort at every disgruntled DUer.

Sheesh.

:eyes:

[IronLionZion]

5. bring out the party base in full force

and we can win this thing. Get these people to get out and vote!

[King of New Orleans]

6. All of the above

I'm greedy

[Classical_Liberal]

7. Your polling answers aren't adequet

The antiwar movement is very important. They are motivated.

[blondeatlast]

17. But many can't be persuaded to vote ABB.

This is about concentrating the effort where it's most likely to bring down the ****its.

The numbers are in the middle--it doesn't make me happy, exactly, but winning is the goal. Restructuring the party can come when there is more time.

[napi21]

8. You're missing the seniors all over the country!

They are really pissed at this excuse for a prescription drug plan that the Pubs FORCED through in the middle of the night.

Along with them, a lot of Pugs are pissed too, but for a different reason.

[WhereIsMyFreedom]

9. The majority

But it must be a larger majority than last time.

[ACK]

10. It is crucial to retain the base

I am probably a centrist in these parts.

However, I understand it is vitally important to appeal to the liberal Democrats and energize that base.

If Nader gets over 1% in many states it can tip the balance.

People think too much in terms of extremes.

It is not about straddling the fence in the center or going "left of Mao".

It is about putting together a progressive but populist platform and (unfortunately) presenting that populist platform in a catchy way that way that can be digested by our soundbite driven culture.

That is the way to win over people in the center but still retain and energize the liberal base of the Democratic party.

_

[July]

14. Concerning Nader . . .

Is anyone monitoring what states' ballots he's going to be on, or how he's doing in the swing states? Won't that be very important in November?

[no name no slogan]

25. Hear, hear!

The liberal base are the ones who do the legwork for the campaign: door knocking, phone banking, etc. They are the most dedicated volunteers you could ask for in a campaign, and they do tremendous work for the "cost".

The big-money centrists, OTOH, are NOT the ones who'll volunteer to be precinct captains, organize rides to the polls, etc. They'll throw a couple grand at you to pay somebody to do it, or buy a couple TV ads, but they won't inspire their neighbors to take control of their destiny like a dedicated, grassroots supporter will.

Sure, we can sell out to big money like we have in the last twelve years, but look what it's gotten us as a party: a two-term RINO president, lost majorities in both houses of congress, and losses at the state and local levels, too.

You get the loyal, dedicated activist/volunteer base out, and you'll win. It's really that simple.

[R3dD0g]

38. You call industrial workers, middle class professionals, etc.

big money???

By what measure to you classify them as 'big money'? I'm a middle class professional and certainly wouldn't consider myself 'big money'!

Maybe if you think 'big money' means having a dry place to sleep every night then I guess I am big money.

[Awsi Dooger]

11. More white males is always the most important

If we sway a critical 1 to 3%, we win. Period.

Otherwise, it's absolutely critical we register and get as many African-Americans to the polls as possible, especially in the swing states. Just look at the mathematical reality: a 90-10 split brings +80 net votes among 100 voters. In a 55-45 category it takes 800 votes to manage +80 net.

Registering a new black voter, therefore, is theoretically 4 to 13 times more critical than registering someone who falls into a likely 53 to 60 percent category. Somehow, I doubt our registration priorities are taking that into account.

[sandnsea]

12. Single moms

That's a huge population that doesn't vote and is most likely to vote for Kerry if we can get them to the polls.

[blondeatlast]

15. This is bigger than all of us--the winning numbers aare in the middle.

I'm still a DK supporter, but ultimately a pragmatist.

The far, far, left will never vote ABB, we need to work on the swing votes.

[styersc]

18. No one has ever won without the "Gay Fly Fisherman" Vote

Gay fly-fishermen have been an accurate indicator of the presidential race since Woodrow Wilson (who was very popular with the gay angler set). I knew McGovern was washed up when Gay fly-fishermen were swayed by Nixon's liberal environmental and conservation policies. Kerry gets the Gay fly-fishermen and its a landslide.

[JohnLocke]

19. LOL

[leyton]

27. Not to mention the 11-17 age group.

They are important, and we could win them over with just a simple promise: "No homework."

[blindpig]

20. its the Environment, stupid(not you)

why is the party not hammering the bushistas on this, its a freebie!

[WitchWay]

22. maybe because its not a freebie

Maybe because Kerry voted for Fast Track which pretty much nullifies any pro-environment votes he might have cast.

Environmental protections don't mean shit when secret free trade tribunals are going to override them anyways. Global imperialism is NOT enivronmental -- and there's no way around that. Kerry is an imperialist.

Also, maybe its because Kerry's lifestyle is extremely environmentally destructive in and of itself. If he gave a shit about the environment, he'd be living like he gave a shit about it.
If kerry tried to stress the environment, they would rightfully accuse him of being a hypocrite.

It sucks that Kerry is so damn weak on everything that matters. He won't be able to speak out against anything that really matters. He's extremely compromised.

[blindpig]

24. I agree with you on the overview

Kerry's stance on trade is wrong. Concerning his lifestyle, well you have to condemn probably 95% of Americans on that account, which I do(myself included). But that's no way to get elected. Yet.
On the otherhand Kerry has one of the best environmental voting records in Congress and has a 93% rating from the LCV, which ain't chump change. Of course, mainstream environmentalism is only a stop gap at best, only a Deep Green concensus will save our biosphere from our idiocy. Nonetheless I can't just stand by while bu$h does all of the outrageous shit he's been up to. And Kerry would stop that.
His environmental record is (relatively speaking) the antithesis of bu$h's and is marketable to the masses.
Short of taking up arms and becoming uber ELFs or Trainites I don't see what other choice we have.
IMHO we're probably doomed, just hate to see us take the rest of the biosphere with us

[WitchWay]

34. My condemnation of Kerry's lifestyle

Is because Kerry and Theresa like to call themselves envrionmentalists -- so that is just dishonest of them. Also, they're not even trying to be sort of a BIT enviornmental. I don't think that 95% of Americans have at least 5 millions of dollar homes all over. Also, Kerry's not gonna Stop Bush from anything -- they have the same sort of corporate agenda and corporate loyalties. They're in the same corporate secret society.

Theresa is into "greenwashing" -- making corporatism seem like it is "envrionmental" when in actuality corporatism is envrionmentally destructive. She wants it to look like if corporations through a few crumbs here and there while totally destroying the environment, that that is enough. That's bullshit. That's nothing. That's just more corporate PR bullshit.

because of Kerry's trade votes...his environmental votes will be over-rode. With the Trade Votes, America loses its sovereignty -- and foreign tribunals can override Environmental legislation. Just like this MBTE suit that forced California into polluting the groundwater:

http://www.economicjustice.org/resources/media/collier061899.html

[blindpig]

39. so ok, what's the plan?

be that as it may, and be assured that I have No love for our Rulers, bu$h is so bad that in this case the choice of lesser of 2 evils will be significant. Even Chomsky is of this opinion.
Getting back to the point, Kerry's environmental voting record, hollow though it may be, stands in the sharpest contrast to the bu$h record. PR wise, it would be a turkey shoot.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

29. And had Kerry not been a passionate advocate for Kyoto which called

for international cooperation, your argument might just hold water.

[WitchWay]

32. My argument DOES HOLD WATER.

Because Kerry has about the same attitude to the Kyoto treaty that Bush has:

"Sens. John Kerry and Joe Lieberman were among the 95 senators who voted in favor of a pre-Kyoto resolution that directed the administration not to agree to a treaty that would hurt the U.S. economy by exempting developing nations."

http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/relatedarticles/7024.php

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

33. Except Kerry was FOR Kyoto and Bush shit canned it.

And the reason to avoid EXEMPTING developing nations is that multinationals would simply go there to skirt the rules...

your argument is leaking again

[WI_DEM]

21. I said the Naderites

everyone here believes he cost Gore the last election when he got 2.7 million votes so I guess the people who supported him need to be courted and assured that Kerry will be an improvement over Bush.

[sangh0]

23. Other - Americans that vote

.

[tom_paine]

26. Hey JL, what happened to your previous avatar

It not only kicked ass but inspired the hell out of me!

[SendTheGOPPacking]

28. The centrists, unions, women, ... ARE the base!

The far leftists are NOT the base. Hell, they are not even sure who they are going to vote for yet!

[Rich Hunt]

31. so...

unions and women can't fit into what you perceive to be the 'far left'? (personally, I don't think Kucinich is 'far left' - maybe far to the left inside the party, but...)

Many people don't fit into these neat political categories.

[Rich Hunt]

30. centrists?

People in that 'centrist' category aren't necessarily 'centrist'. Many professionals are liberal to very liberal to downright left (depends on the profession). Industrial workers, too, are often left of center - depends on how secure their work is and how well it's compensated.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

35. First of all this is a push poll...there's really no relevence to the

topics...


after all..unions are against Gatt and Nafta as are far leftists...unions are for living wages as are socialists

Try coming up with a poll that is a more accurate reflection of the interest groups at stake...

of course...your intent is obvious in your commentary.

[dogman]

36. Former Bush supporters.

People like R. Clarke who voted for B*** and are sick of seeing the Grand Old Party turned into the Global Oil Project. Again it's the math. Take one from B*** and give one to Kerry you net two. If the B***ie sits out it's still one less for B***. Of course Kerry still needs the Dem base.

[CalebHayes]

37. Middle Class... AKA the state of OHIO

Flex our labor muscle.