Democrats show surprising strength in a red state.

[MsUSA]

Mr. Schweitzer upbraided both President Bush and Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. He likened the president to a bad cattle auctioneer and Mr. Leavitt to a cowpoke "riding for the brand." National Democrats swooned at the audacity of the freshman governor from the Mountain West. And some even started to whisper a number: 2008. http://www.opinionjournal.com/cc/?id=110006524

[Clark Bayh 2008]

1. Again, the message needs to shift to libertarianism...

Freedom from government intrusion & intervention in personal matters.
Avoid taxes & guns.
Focus on keeping the government out of my house, my bedroom, my hospital room...

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. Exactly, exactly, exactly.

Forget the South - we're not going to win there. Shift the argument to state's rights, civil liberties, and fiscal responsibility, you'll see true conservatives in the west and midwest come rolling on in.

[RubyDuby in GA]

3. Forget the South......forget the South......we're not going to win there

Sounds like a broken record on these boards. Y'all have your reasons for saying these things and sometimes they're valid, but when it actually does happen and red states start to go blue, yous guys can kiss our grits :)

In all seriousness, stupid rednecks will get tired of watching family members die in Iraq while they can't feed their families because they have to have gas money to make it to the factory so they don't lose their job.

I guess I'm just feeling a little inspired because of my visit to Warm Springs on Tuesday and seeing what FDR accomplished for this country. It might take some serious suffering over the next four years, but I think things will change pretty drastically here in red GA and all over the South.

[Melodybe]

4. Right on, don't forget red states are the poorest

people here are hurting the most, and with the repubs in power of everything the blame lays squarely on their shoulders.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. I'd love to see it happen, but I'm not bettting even a dollar on it.

And please, I mean this with the utmost sincerity, when we talk about the South and red states in these terms, we're not even coming CLOSE to disavowing the fact that we do have many allies there and that all southerners AREN'T Republican/rednecks/bigots/any other term. Personally, I think southern Democrats are the highest commodity that we have, and I admire the hell out of them for putting up with everything you do. But none of it changes the facts that it would really take a major revelation for us to win in most of these southern states. I would give us a chance to win on a national level in Missouri, Arkansas, Virginia, and Florida. And while we might pull out victories in Governor, Senate, and/or Congressional races in ANY state, we have a severely uphill climb in the South.

For right now, at least, I think we should focus our national efforts and resources on the West and Midwest. I think we have some real potential in places like Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, the Dakotas, Iowa, and Ohio, mostly because it wouldn't require a drastic change in our core values, only the way in which we package our messages. The problem with the south is that I think there's a fundamental difference in beliefs and values with at least a simple majority of the people and it would require us to change our positions, which is something I don't think we need to or should do.

Again, though, being the big tent party that we absolutely are, none of this is to say that Democrats CAN'T win in the South on state levels. What we're going to have to do, however, is give a little more slack to these congressmen and senators when they dissent from the National platform. I see a lot of people here who would have tarred and feathered Senators like Mary Landrieu for her ANWR vote, ignoring the fact that her state has a large oil industry and she was most likely respecting the wishes of her constituency with her vote. We can't have it both ways. We have to back off on Congressmen and Senators from red states when they make votes out of step with our national party, or else we will lose those seats, plain and simple. I would, however, appreciate it if those Congressmen and Senators weren't especially outspoken in their opposition to our party. That'd be nice and I don't think that's too much to ask, but keeping with the example of Mary Landrieu, I don't think she was particularly loud on the ANWR issue.

I just want to say one more time, and I think I speak for all of us here, that we love our Democratic brethren in the South and we have nothing but the utmost respect for you. But calling it as I see it, I just don't like our prospects down there. I'm sorry, but I don't see many signs for hope on a National level.

[RubyDuby in GA]

10. I agree with everything you said

Except that I do think we can pull out a victory here. I am only speaking for Georgia right now as that is what I intimately know. Our legislative session just finished up and everyone in the state, Dems, Repubs and everyone in between is completely taken aback by the absolute naked power grab of the Republicans this session (this is the first time in over 130 years - since Reconstruction - that they have controlled the House, the Senate and the Governor's mansion). Even the true conservatives where I live (outside the metro Atlanta area) are shocked by the secrecy and underhandedness of what has transpired. Even more locally, in my county, 4 out of my 5 county commissioners are Republican. Our local paper (a republican rag) has slammed them on a weekly basis for their underhanded dealings and we have people writing in saying they've been Republicans all their lives and they can't wait to vote these people out.

I knew in November that all we needed to do was give the Republicans enough rope (and I know that is a tacky thing to say here in GA) and they'd hang themselves. I just had no idea it would be so soon.

Thanks for the kind words! It is very hard to be a Southern Democrat these days. But we are a proud lot and we'll take on whoever we need to to get the job done and get a Dem in the White House, the Governor's Mansion of every state, and controlling Congress on Federal and State levels!

[blm]

9. Yep. And if the GOP was certain of the south, then why did they push BBV

machines into so many regions? I don't believe their majorities are based on legitimate numbers, AT ALL!

Georgia vote was stolen in 2002 and 2004. In NC there is no way that Bush won. I am quite certain it was stolen, too. There were way too many shenanigans here with the voting machines.

The GOP spreads the southern dominance perception in the press so the average person buys their thievery as legitimate.

[dhinojosa]

6. Forget the south? ........mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.no

If we are to win the presidency, house, senate, and ultimately the supreme court. We need them, anything else is an illusion.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. Not exactly.

See this post: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1710287&mesg_id=1710358&page=

[dhinojosa]

14. Yeah, I guess I was considering all red states "the south"

But we can beat down some south states. New Mexico, Nevada, etc. can easily move democratic.

[ClassWarrior]

7. There is no red. Only shades of purple.

"Red State/Blue State" is a Radical RW frame, meant to keep us divided. Remember, they can't win fairly, so they have to create wars amongst us.

NGU.

[mrgorth]

11. I like it

It would get us the whole mountain west.

[July]

12. Doesn't matter until we have fair, reliable, transparent elections. nt

[Selteri]

13. I fully agree.

Without transparent elections with real oversight and reform we will be bogged down in this bullcrap and have not a cemocracy, but a terrorist controlled state.

[Leilani]

15. If the Dems want to win the West

knock off the gun control.

If Boston & NYC want gun control, that's fine & understandable.

If you live in Montana or Wyoming, forget it.