To Democratic candidates who want to win in '06 and '08,

[Just-plain-Kathy]

From an average middle class voter,
To Democratic candidates who want to win in '06 and '08,

I have been wanting to get a point across to our democratic leaders. I don’t have a clue if any of them actually read any of my e-mails. My guess is that many Democratic candidates or political advisers read this message board daily.

During the ‘04 elections I charged on my credit card $100 towards Dean’s primary campaign. He dropped out of the race three days later. ...I donated to Mother’s Opposing Bush because they promised to hold Bush accountable. I donated to Kerry only to find he had a surplus of donated money after the elections.

This is what I want to say... Candidates, There are a lot of people who want to believe in you. We’re not all rich, but we’re willing to go into debt in order to hold Bush accountable. Please don’t waste our hard earned money on campaigns showing ostriches with their heads in the sand, --don’t try to be artistic. You’d be surprised how many clueless voters there are.

Recently I saw a preview of a Democratic commercial on RNN’s Richard French Live. The commercial had beautiful music, but I couldn’t tell you what the message was -I wasn‘t wearing my glasses. The whole ad was in written words. ...Wouldn't we get more bang for the buck -if actual words were spoken? This way anyone within hearing range can hear the message.

I speak with a lot of busy young voters. Recently a nephew of mine told me, “We have to get rid of the democrats”. I was shocked, I asked him “why?”. He said, “because they’re worthless”. My nephew is twenty-five years old. He wasn't aware of the importance of these up-coming elections. I had to explain to him that Republicans hold the majority in every branch of our government. America lost all its Checks and Balances. I told him democrats have to win the majority in order to obtain subpoena power to hold this White House accountable. He was riveted. He wanted to know more.

I wish democratic candidates would just look straight into the camera and tell the truth; explain to America what I explained to my nephew. ...Plus, we can’t use any voice-over ads. Voice-over ads have been spoofed so many times on political satire shows, they come across phony.

We would win this election and ‘08’s if we had an ad campaign with this simple theme, *We always had the ideas, now we need your votes*...Then (in a very Daily Show kind of way) show clips of Gore saying (over and over again) how he wanted to put the surplus of Social Security in a “Lock-Box”; remember how many times he said, “pay-as-you-go”? Show clips of Gore and Kerry warning us that Bush’s tax cuts were only for the wealthiest. ..How about dated clips of Kennedy on the Senate floor fighting for minimum wage increases? Let people see with their own two eyes...the truth!!

You know what I would love to see? ...The clip of Kerry saying the now infamous “I voted for the $80 million before I voted against it”, but this time, show his next sentence. ...I already saw a FOX news puppet say, “The worst thing the Democrats could do, is to do an “I told you so campaign”. I think that’s exactly what we have to do. ...We just have to be careful of how we word it. ...If FOX is already belittling the idea, they must be afraid of it.

Good Luck and I hope you win!!

Kathy

NOTE: Please if this letter doesn’t make it to the front page, if any of you have connections to someone who has connections :) please pass my letter on. Thank you. Peace.

[patricia92243]

1. I have a tendency not to watch foreign films that subtitles only. It means

that I have to stay glued right to the TV or I'll miss something.

I do a LOT of just listening to the tv - while I load my dishwasher, make the bed, etc. Having ads that are mostly in writing is silly. Why on earth would do both - if the writing part is deemed necessary. This way more people could be reached - not less.

[Parisle]

2. Nicely Said, Kathy

---- Democratic candidates would do well to take more of their public speaking and oratorical lessons from Garrison Keillor and Andy of Maybury. And I like the idea of the clip anthology of some of Gore's statements from the 2000 campaign, too,... Before America can answer the question, "Where do we go from here?" ... it must first honestly face up to the question of, "Where did we go wrong?"

[DeeDeeNY]

3. We all have good ideas

but the Democratic party needs to be more receptive to getting suggestions from the electorate. Your suggestions are right on target.

Maybe instead of just using the "internets" for mostly fundraising, there should be more of an interactive voice -- taking suggestions from their supporters and responding to them, keeping open a dialogue during the campaign.

My own suggestion would be to get the picture of Bush sitting there in the elementary school with that dumbfounded look on his face after being told the news about the second plane, and making sure it appears in Democratic ads. The only place I ever saw it was in Fahrenheit 911, and I'm sure the people that need to have seen that facial expression have never seen it.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

4. DeeDee...you're right...

...Our democratic leaders should be more open to our suggestions. Sometimes I think the problem is that members of our House and Senate are too close to the situation, they don't get to see the big picture.

There must be a time when being a government official becomes just a job to most of them. They wake up in the morning and go to work like we all do. They pick up their coffee, only skim through their notes and talking points -because there's just too much information to humanly read. -They make their five minute speeches and head home to their families. ...Like I said, it's just the impression I get.

I notice you're new here too. I joined a couple a days ago. I was hoping my letter would get featured here, I have been feeling very frustrated for a long time now. I don't think democrats are doing a good job at voicing our concerns, and our commitment to change and accountability.

Well , welcome to the both of us! :pals:

[DeeDeeNY]

5. Welcome to you too!

Thanks Kathy. DU is great, and I now have it as my home page.

I agree it's been frustrating with getting Democratic politicans to wake up. But there are a lot of progressive Dems running in November, and I'm optimistic that things may change - assuming that the vote is honestly counted.

:dem: