Here’s the political money question.
As a national party, how can the Democrats win upcoming elections and sweep the Republicans out of office?
This debate has raged here and elsewhere through countless diaries, articles, symposiums, C-Span discussions and blabber head cable news gab-a-thons. The conclusions?
- “Message. We need a strong, national defense message.”
- “Democratic economic values.”
- “Progressive social agenda.”
- “Fight dirty and don’t let them frame the argument.”
I’ve heard and read them all. I’m sure as a dkos denizen, you have as well. All valid points, these, but an effective campaign theme is short and to the point…one sentence…better yet, one phrase…best of all, one word. An effective campaign theme has the potential to slam everyone in this country right in the gut. It hits hard, logically and emotionally.
Recently, that theme has screamed out at us from all fronts, and, I believe, it is THE winner…and it’s the theme Democrats can run on and win with on the local, state and national level.
May I have the envelope, please? The winner is:
It’s the CORRUPTION, Stupid.
To quote Merriam-Webster’s on-line dictionary:
CORRUPTION
Pronunciation: k&-‘r&p-sh&n
Function: noun
1 a : impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle : DEPRAVITY b : DECAY, DECOMPOSITION c : inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (as bribery) d : a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct
2 archaic : an agency or influence that corrupts
3 chiefly dialect : PUS
Sounds to me like a solid definition of today’s Republican Party. Everywhere that there exists a Republican majority, it seems there also exists Republican Corruption…Washington, Ohio, Florida, Texas, California…and it’s on the local level, as well. Just this morning, Jeff Seeman points out a great case in the Stark County Auditor’s office. It’s how this latest version of the Republican Party governs.
If you want to see it at work, look at the details of the Energy Bill…or Texas redistricting legislation…or any EPA report…or the Iraqi War no-bid contract process…or the smearing of Paul O’Neill, Richard Clarke, Joe Wilson, Valerie Plame…or the SOTU’s 16 words…or the paid journalists to push propaganda….or…or…or….
All of it screams CORRUPTION. When Republican controlled government is this corrupt, the Democrats lose. If the label of corruption sticks at election time, the Democrats will win.
.
END CORRUPT LEADERSHIP
Only possible with a viable outside DC candidate, IMO someone like Bill Richardson (Gov-AZ). Bill is still well known, has clean hands and more important, has not resided these past years in the DC fishbowl. Most Dem senators have a Congressional voting record cuddling too close to the Repugs policies, e.g. the Iraq war.
The Democrats will have to break away and make a clear distinction to be recognized by the mainstream voters who will be fed up after six and eight Bushit years. The voter dissatisfaction will be equally spread over the White House and poor leadership in Congress: the Senate and the House.
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Apologizing for the vote on the Authorization to use Force is required. (vote was 77-23).
I agree that we should run a Dem Governor, but still unsure of how I feel about Gov. Richardson. (he’s the Gov of New Mexico btw) We have Janet Napolitano in Arizona, she has held strong and vetoed alot of the horrid bills the conservative state legislature has sent to her desk.
I’d add “amoral”.
That’s been Boo’s real life, f2f-world political mantra for some time. It works too, although the GOP is quite aware of a highly effective rebuttal:
We cheat everyone and pass the savings on to you!
I have been working on a “Target the Corrupt Republican” campaign for months. Recently this was turned into a Target the Corrupt Republican Blog. This is an ongoing project and one that I strongly urge us all to participate in. The idea is to get informed about Republican Corruption from California to Kentucky, and then complain FREQUENTLY to the media about it. Write letters to the editor as often as you can complaining about Republican Corruption. PLease visit my blog to get informed and to fight back.
Yes, all true and that’s the negative, anti-message.
Unfortunately, at a national level, incumbant Dems can’t get much traction on a “Less Corruption, brought to you by Congressional Democrats”. When trust is at low tide, the “corruption message” is already there and it cuts both ways.
Are we really at a “we’re not as bad as the other guys” point or are people ready for hope and inspiration after years of fear and mistrust?
A useful term to use to describe the Republicans and their policies might be RECKLESS; we could then contrast it by describing Democrats as RESPONSIBLE. We could also work the theme of Republican CONTEMPT for the law, our veterans, national security, the environment, etc., and contrast it with Democratic RESPECT for those things. And we can stress that Democrats stand for HOMETOWN or MAINSTREAM values, while the Republicans have abandoned those and now stand for BELTWAY or WASHINGTON values.