I hate to be a party-pooper but let's get real...the Democrats are pissing away the best chance we've had to win big in an election cycle in a decade.
Cocky over-confidence, in-fighting, lack luster fund raising and extremism has gotten us into a real jam that may cost us dearly in November.
I cannot believe all the hip-hip-hoorah crap I keep hearing from this and other Democratic sites as if we've already won and all that's left is to do count the seats. We haven't won a damn thing and if we keep this up we won't carry even the House.
I am going to take heat for this diary (as usual) but frankly I'm tired of hearing from DKos and other blog sites how great Democrats are doing. We had enjoyed what looked like a nice cushion in the polls but those numbers weren't real and the current numbers, as they creep back to show a much closer set of races, prove we've got a lot of heavy lifting left to do. See a quote from the LAT that indicates the softening of our advantage(IMO it's actually a reflection of reality, I don't believe there ever was that big a cushion).
Democrats hold a lead in the poll, 49% to 39%, when registered voters are asked which party they intend to support for Congress this year. But that advantage may rest on softening ground: On virtually every comparison between the parties measured in the survey, Republicans have improved their position since early summer.In particular, Republicans have nearly doubled their advantage when voters are asked which party they trust most to protect the nation against terrorism -- the thrust of Bush's public relations blitz in recent weeks.
So get real folks, we need to stop crowing and get to work!
1. STOP talking about definitely winning the House and maybe the Senate. It's stupid and it appears we're more interested in winning than what we'll actually DO when we win.
2. STOP being all about Bush bashing (I know it's fun and I enjoy it too) but Bush is not up for re-election this cycle.
3. STOP calling for a date certain or even giving too many details about Iraq, it's too complicated to easily boil down into a campaign ad so simply show support for our troops and a desire to get them home, period...that will be enough to keep the GOP on the ropes without saying EXACTLY what we will do. We give the Republicans too easy a target when we get down to the details because there is NO good move at this point. The GOP has been winning and beating our ass and they have never been more specific than "stay the course".
4. STOP taking extreme positions at all! We need to maintain a moderate stance to keep attracting Independent voters who historically are made uncomfortable with anything that's extreme. And believe me we're going to NEED Independents a lot more than you'd think once the GOP mobilize the their voters.
5. START writing to the newspapers, not just blogs! We are all Progressive Democrats here...we won't pick up a single new vote from here. Talk to your friends, CONTRIBUTE TO DEMOCRATS, attend local get-out-the-vote operations , canvass the neighborhood, put up signs on your lawns, etc...do whatever you can except relax because we are not in as good a shape going into this November as it seems from this website regardless what the talking heads say!
6 START raising MONEY!!! This is probably the biggest failure the Democrats have historically faced, the incredibly lopsided advantage Republicans have over Democrats when it comes to raising cash. Where are the big donors from 2004? Soros hasn't been a big player, 527's now evenly represent the GOP and Dems, we're way behind the RNC in cash on hand which is crucial (and that means TV time, the single most powerful mover of public opinion and the Republicans are lethal with it) We still have the Labor Unions behind us but they aren't the powerhouses they once were.
The Democrats' House and Senate campaign committees have been unusually successful raising money compared with past election cycles. House Democrats have nearly as much as Republicans, while Senate Democrats have $10 million more than their Republican counterparts.But that edge is being offset by the fund-raising of the Republican National Committee, which has said it would spend more than $60 million to make up for any shortcoming by the party's Congressional committees.The cash-on-hand figures, revealed in reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, are critical indicators of the resources the parties can draw upon during the intense days ahead. The money is primarily devoted to television advertisements in districts that are -- or will become -- competitive, as well as to help finance get-out-the-vote operations.The new fund-raising reports show that at the beginning of September, Republicans had $39 million in the bank, compared with $11 million for Democrats.
So lets try not to blow this one like we did in 2004. I don't think I can take another 2 years of these idiots running Congress without losing what little sanity I have left.
We need to stay humble and shut up, be smart as well as right, stay moderate in our rhetoric, RAISE MONEY(this is a biggie!) and not be the hare to the GOP tortoise so lets keep going until we've actually won!