Here's how we beat McCain.

[RBInMaine]

There is a lot being said about McCain and how scary an opponenet he would be. How does our candidate (Hillary or Barack) beat him? I f MccCain is the R candidate, we first must "frame" McCain with a narrative as "Bush's fraternal twin" which is exactly what he is. He has voted with the R's/Bush in his congressional votes 80+% or so of the time. He actively campaigned for Bush in 2004. He is vehemently anti-union. He recently went on record as wanting to keep permanent bases and combat troops in Iraq "for 100 years". His ideas on healthcare and the economy are right out of the traditional R playbook. No matter what has happened with "the surge", a very solid majority of the country wants us out of Iraq within a year.
It remains a "change" election, and the winds of change are with the Dems, and we are highly motivated. Once our nominee is decided, people take a fresh look.
MANY people don't know McCain's full and mostly right wing record, so we'll expose that and tear down McCain's "moderate" myth. Our candidate will talk about getting us out of Iraq, and that he or she she is MUCH better on the bread and butter issues that will decide the election. We must attract I's and even thoughtful R's on the bread and butter issues. (It will, again, be "The Economy Stupid"). If we run the right campaign, we can win. Challenging yes, but very doable. Also, and this is critical, the Democratic Party MUST make the election about NATIONAL CHANGE with a huge and compelling indictment narrative of the failures of the Bush/Republican years in Washington. The mantra must be, "We have tried it their way, and McCain is at least 4 more year of their way."
This election has to be about convincing the majority that real change will happen only with a new Democratic President and a larger Democratic majority in the Congress. The country is ready for a new more populist and progressive direction. We have to talk about values, and from the second our nominee is determined, we must FOCUS on framing the election and the weaknesses of the R opponent in OUR terms with no let-up.

The big narrative of this election is MAJOR CHANGE AWAY FROM THE DARK YEARS OF BUSH/CHENEY. Our candidate will offer a MUCH more pronounced change from this very dark era than does John McCain who has supported Bush time and time again on issue upon issue.

Finally, we will NEVER, EVER allow ourselves to be "Swiftboated" again. Make no mistake. The R's will attack relentlessly and this time we better not take a knife to a gunfight.

[ccpup]

1. he wont' be the Nominee

many of the remaining contests are Closed Primaries and the repuglican party detests McCain. He has yet to win the Repuglican vote -- his wins have been based on Independents -- and I don't see them voting for him on Super Tuesday or any other time.

[Flabbergasted]

2. So who is your guess? Romney?

[ccpup]

5. I fear it may be Huckabee

And we're going to have to push his own history -- conveniently written in his book for us -- of bigotry, racism, his beliefs that women should stay at home and be subservient to God first and their husbands second and his goal of changing the Constitution to reflect "God's Laws" into his face from Day One.

If we show him for the scary nut job koo-koo Christian psycho he is, America will vote for a ham sandwich before seeing him in the White House.

[maxsolomon]

3. also, he is OLD.

if obama winds the nod, i'd frame it that the torch needs to be passed to a new generation.

it can't be a direct attack, but pointing out that he'd be 72 at inaguration, and 80 if he serves 2 terms, must be done.

no more reagans.

[tekisui]

4. Bush's 3rd Term.

Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.Bush's 3rd Term.

[RBInMaine]

6. Much of the above applies to ANY R nominee.

Much of what I say above applies to how we approach ANY R nominee. But don't be too sure that it won't be McCain. True, many in the R base have problems with him, but they also want someone who has a chance to win in November. Admittedly, he, Romney, or Rudy are their three best chances. If they do go with McCain, he'll be the toughest for us to beat. But with the right campaign, built around the overarching narrative that we must fundamentally change the direction of the country, we can do it and that an R is essentially four more years of the same, then we can do it. We need to tough, focused like a lazer, clear, and very very smart.

[sufrommich]

7. We push the abject FAILURE of the republican party to

bring us anything but grief with their political ideals of voodoo economics and bathtub sized government as a good thing.Their ideology is loony tunes insane.It makes no difference which one is running,if they're running as a republican,they need to own what their party hath wrought..