Reply #57: one of the problems

[newdealer]

One of the major problems that faces the Democrats, and hasn't gone away, is that because the party embraces so many different views and different interests, it is hard to attack with a single-minded focus. The Republicans can, and have done this. They rally the religious left to vote on cultural issues, and they have it sewn up. We Democrats have failed to do that since we lost the white southern voters. The problem is who or what can we do to organize our party with the same effectiveness as the Republicans have.

I have part of an answer, a risky one. Look at the reaction Howard Dean created with his campaign. This is what I was trying to do with my post about F 9/11. We can't be a party whose only focus is get rid of Bush.

We have to define what this party stands for. My post essentially said that there are many people who were convinced that the film would motivate the populace to rise up and kick Bush out. My concern was what Democrat has a focused vision for the country. And meanwhile, the republicans are manipulating the legislative prosaic. I lived through the Reagan years, and I can't imagine the damage to our country that Bush will do if we Democrats have no way of countering him. So my statement was that in order to win this election really depends on mobilizing people by a focused vision for America.

i guess i felt that all the hype and focus on F 9/11 was diverting attention to more despicable actions that the Republicans are pulling right under our noses. So we have to be diligent in watching what they are trying to pass or block in the Congress, and provide the American people with a clear and better alternative to Bush. So I was trying to bring this issue up, and in a way try to formulate what that vision would be. But everybody just focused on my comments I made about the film, which just angered most people and it never progressed any further.