Republican Lessons

[RandomUser]

I read this in a news article some months ago(I think it was in the Washington post. Not sure.)

I know most of us here hate republicans and Bush. And no want wants to be a republican light. But we can learn from them.

What's the lesson? We can have our cake and eat it too.

The current debate here is split over energizing the liberal base (Dean, Kucinich) vs. reaching out to moderates and independents (Lieberman, Graham).

This is the wrong debate. We can do both. That was how Bush won. He was able to unite the moderate republicans and the radical right. To win, we need to do the same thing.

We need a candidate who can do both. If we get the moderates and not the liberals, we lose (like Bush Sr during relection when he lost the conservatives). If we get the liberal extremists and not the moderate centrists, we lose (like McGovern). Bush and Karl Rove found the winning formula. This is the formula we need. I don't mean become republican lite...I mean unite the both wings of the party. I mean fight fire with fire, use the strategy that will win. It's not an either/or scenario where we can either have the party extremist or the moderate centrists. We need both to win. This was the lesson the Republicans learned, and this is the lesson we need to learn. We can have our cake and eat it too. Or we can lose it all but not realizing that.

I don't see the liberal extremists voting for Lieberman. And I don't see the moderate centrists voting for Kucinich.

I think the person with the best chance of uniting both and being palatable to both is Clark. We need to satisfy and energize the liberal party base and reach out to moderate republicans and independents at the same time. If not Clark, whoever wins the nomination, Dean or Kerry or whoever, must follow this formula the republicans found.

Bush didn't campaign as a conservative christian right activist (although he turned out to be), nor as a moderate pro-choice republican. He fused the two into "compassionate conservatism" (What an oxymoron!). He gave something for every one. He gave the conservatives Ashcroft and judges. He gave the moderate rep/dem/ind the "no child left behind" social programs promise (what a sorry program).

To win, we need to do the same and have "responsible liberalism" or something. The dem nominee, whoever he ends up being must have something for everyone. We need to energize the liberal base and get the moderates dem/rep/indep at the same time. Doing one or the other (like most of the candidates right now) is following an old paradigm and losing formula. Becoming moderate centrist republican-lite cost us 2002. Becoming liberal extremist cost us McGovern. We need to learn this republican lesson if we wish to win.

[Booberdawg]

1. Well stated

Welcome to DU:hi:

[RandomUser]

2. Responsible Liberalism

Ok, I'm tired of all the candidate bashing and want to discuss something intelligent and less controversial and possibly productive.

So, how do we create "responsible liberalism"? What type of program can we suggest to our eventual nominee, whoever he is, that would bring in everyone in the party? Something that will bring in the liberal extremists, the republican lites, the anti-globalization, the socialists, the green-wannabes, the greens, the Blue Dog democrats, Yellow Dog democrats, the independents, moderate republicans, and yes, the left-wing militants, and yes even the DLC?

How do we craft our version of "compassionate conservatism" image for the campaign? Come on guys, let's hear it. How do we create "repsonsible liberalism"? What figleaves and compromises can we offer to everyone?

Bush did it by promising the radical christians to appoint Ashcroft and the judges, and by promising the moderates/liberal republicans that he would increase social spending programs for "no child left behind."

What can we use for our figleaves and carrots to bind this mess in our party together and unite everyone as well as expand our base in both (liberal and conservative) directions?

[RandomUser]

3. Ignore all Candidates

For the purpose of this discussion and to keep it from being a candidate bashing thread (too many of those), ignore all candidates. Let's work on crafting a "responsible liberalism" platform for the eventual nominee, whoever he turns out to be.

[RandomUser]

4. Kick

Maybe People would actually look at this if I had a different thread name than Republican Lessons. *Shrug*

[ronzo]

5. Yeah...

you forgot to say the magic word.