Pushing Back

Bullmoose says that Democrats need to fight the Republicans for the hearts of Joe and Jane America. He's right. Living in the South, I can testify that many around here have been hoodwinked by the Repubs into thinking Dems are the party of athiests, the anti-god party, as well as soft on crime and defense. This is not acceptable. It's going to take a long time and persistent effort to undo the damage done to Dems in the South among average voters, and it should begin now by recruting energetic candidates willing and able to challenge Repubs on these issues.

I'm convinced that trying to play the edges and scrape electoral votes together is not a viable long-term strategy, it's time to reform parts of the platform. Democrats can't simply pretend all the victories of the Right over the past few years are the result of Rovian manipulation or bad messengers. Mainstream America I believe doesn't want a Moorish worker utopia or a Santorumesque homophobic playground for the rich, it wants equality and social fairness on one hand, national pride and law and order on the other. This country is not drifting to the left, and to stay in the game Dems must face up to it and change tact to co-opt Republican issues so as to win back the South/Southwest and thereby the nation. Talking heads will react to policy shifts with "If I want a Republican I'll vote for the real thing", "They're flip-flopping!" but mainstream American thought isn't molded by television talking heads, and electoral benefits back in the provinces will slowly be reaped. Push them back in the center, turning the flanks is not going to work on this one.