Reply #186: You're making a degree of sense.

[FubarFly]

I do believe the terminology should be changed.

I do believe we should appeal to JoeSixPack on a visceral level.

I do believe we have to maintain our progressive values regardless.

Bush is an extremist yet his language appeals to moderates. He has code words to reassure his base. Got it.

However, if you truly want this to to work, you have to initially win over the base before you appeal to moderates. It's time to let our activists out of the closet. In addition to politicians coaching their language, we need no holds barred LIBERALS on television, and in the spotlight, talking directly to the people. People who entertain the base and say all of the things that the candidate is thinking, but never can say. People who aren't afraid to call a whackjob a whackjob and a bigot a bigot. It's time to stop hiding our passionate voices. Get them out there. Counter the damaging rhetoric directly. When election time rolls around, The unabashed LIBERAL will endorse the candidate, and the candidate doesn't even have to acknowlege this. The parts of the base the advocates represent will be on board, even while the candidate appeals to the middle.

The issues should stay relatively the same. Our values are fine.
The terminology can move to the center.
But the debate should be forced to the left.