“Touchstone” issues will determine who wins future elections (IMHO).

[Poet Lariat]

(This of course stipulates to the fact that we have to eliminate BBV before any of this is possible. With that in mind…).

I saw a post by PDittie a couple of weeks ago in the Texas forum after Texas Proposition 2 (state ban on gay marriage) passed with a huge margin of 76% of the vote. See his post here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=180x22924

It brought to light an interesting phenomenon with voters that seems to cross all party lines..."Touchstone" issues. Issues that go right to the hearts and minds of the voters. Issues that directly affect the lives of the voters. Issues that won't be ignored by the voters…if they are aware of them.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/topstory/3451194.html
Chron.com
Nov. 10, 2005, 8:19AM
ELECTION 2005
Gay marriage ban crossed political lines, analysts say
By POLLY ROSS HUGHES and R.G. RATCLIFFE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - Blacks and Hispanics who traditionally vote Democratic strongly backed the state's gay marriage ban at the ballot box this week, sometimes outpolling Republicans, analysts said Wednesday.

That broad interest across political lines contributed to the highest participation in a constitutional amendment election since 1991, with roughly 18 percent of registered voters turning out for Tuesday's election.

Republican Gov. Rick Perry rallied his evangelical, socially conservative base on the issue, but political analysts said Proposition 2's success doesn't necessarily predict future success for individual politicians.

"I don't see how it can be useful for a party or a candidate because this so transcends all the political parties and the typical categorizations," said Kelly Shackelford, president of the conservative Free Market Foundation, which backed the amendment.
>snip<

Apparently, in Texas anyway, gay marriage is a “Touchstone” issue. This is how the Republican’s did it with the help of some Democrats. I’m not suggesting that we sell our souls to fight on the wrong side of any argument but I sense that there are enough viable Hot Button issues out there that would certainly lend themselves to “crossing party lines”. I posted this on another page and would like to add here that this is not about using Gay marriage as an issue in any way, shape or form. It is only used to illustrate how powerful emotions can be channeled into the voting booth. What happened in Texas was a travesty for many couples who deserve better from the people in our state. We have a lot more work to do here, but it takes time.

What touchstone issues come to mind when you read this that could mobilize not only the left but possibly a few from the right? I suggest that a few of them exist and are waiting for someone to capitalize on. I suggest that a populist voter uprising combined with a few Touchstone issues could win. Take for example our Elections process.

Do you think that if the majority of Republicans and Democrats alike were aware of the full scale of how our voting system is currently "rigged" that they would stand for it?

Do you think that if Americans were truly aware of how the Bush Administrations tax cuts over the last several years were taking directly from the poor and working in America and giving directly to the rich, that they would put up with it?

Many could argue (with justification) that these issues are known by the public and they simply don’t care or do not feel strongly enough about them to fight for them. I think, however, that if enough people really new, they simply wouldn't stand for any of this. I may be wrong. This may be a naïve approach. Remember, I’m new here. Many of you who have been here longer than I probably have their own ideas about what might work and what potential “Touchstone” issues are out there.

David Van Os is running for Attorney General in Texas. In his recent post “Dare to Fight. Dare to Win” he discusses an idea that could make an impact in Texas. This and his re-post “Texas as a microcosm – Dare to Fight Dare to Win” both made the greatest page. Could this possibly translate into a larger national movement?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=180x23136
>snip<
I am convinced that strong populist Democratic campaigns appealing directly to the Texas Democratic base will wake the slumbering parts of our base from the sleep they have been in since at least 1994.

You cannot show me that a hard-hitting, statewide Democratic populist campaign aimed at the base will not expand the Democratic vote statewide into a majority, when it hasn't even been attempted in such a long time. How could one know it won't make a difference if it is not given a chance? We've been using the "take no risks" warm fuzzy platitude messages over and over. Now it is time to do it the other way. It is time for the Texas Democratic Party to reclaim the political legacy of James Stephen Hogg, James V. Allred, Ralph Yarborough, and Jim Hightower.

It is time to discard the "avoid polarization at all costs" strategy, the "take no risks" strategy, the "appeal to everybody" strategy, and the "chase the middle" strategy. It is time to remember what Jim Hightower told us 20 years ago, "there's nothin' in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos." It is time to cease the followership strategies of scripting campaigns on the basis of what people thought yesterday in polls, and assert the leadership strategies of campaigning for what we know to be right based on our deepest convictions of what we want for tomorrow. It is time to stop worrying about whom we might offend if we speak truth to power, and start worrying about what value are our lives if we don't speak truth to power. It is time to cherish partisan Democrats and reject nonpartisan Nothingcrats. It is time to forget "right-left" analysis and install "right-wrong" analysis. It is time to replace the "liberal-conservative" spectrum with the "liberty-tyranny" spectrum. It is time to stop worrying about how to get money from big donors and start worrying about how to get more money into working people's paychecks. It is time to fight for better lives for voters instead of peddle promises to voters. It is time to treat public office as a duty, not a promotion. We must fight for the people, not in order to win their votes, but in order to win them justice. >snip<

These are not my ideas but I stand behind them. Thanks to PDittie and David Van Os for providing the meat of my argument. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

Edit to add that this is a re-post from GD Politics where it has 4 votes currently.

[MuseRider]

1. I think this is

right on and we fight this by figuring out what they are going to use and start educating people.

[Poet Lariat]

2. Thanks MuseRider

I didn't originate these ideas, I just feel that a fight for the large majority of Americans who have suffered under the policies of this administration is a fight worth getting into. Do any of these ideas hold water? We will see.
Edit for typo

[MuseRider]

3. I know that we

here in Kansas are starting to think about what is ahead and being prepared so they can stop jerking our chains. We are always on the backside of this since we don't actually think in these terms and they jerk us all over the place while we get our act together. We are trying to get ahead of it all but it is darned hard when they come out with them one on top of the other. It is like being hit with a sledge hammer, by the time you get up they are ready to hit you again. We have to get ahead of this and educate people before they start in.

[Poet Lariat]

4. I agree, it's difficult to fight against such a well oiled machine

Although, the wheels have been coming off of their machine lately. My plan is to get back up every time I get knocked down. Thanks MuseRider.

[MuseRider]

5. Good plan.

Me either, fight to the death!!!