In an AP article, several Dems were asked to sum up their party's message, but found it difficult to do so. Probably because they have no "message".
"Ask Democratic leaders to identify their party's election-year message and you get everything but consensus." It's because they have no "message".
"Ahead in polls, Democrats are divided over whether they already have _ or even need _ a national theme that tells voters exactly where the party stands." Polls heavily slanted to asking the opinions of Dems, of course.
"One message? Hmmm. I don't know. Let me think about it," Alvaro Cifuentes said after a long pause. Several minutes later, the head of the Democratic National Committee's Hispanic Caucus said, "You can't try to simplify your politics with a slogan. You can't." You could if you tried hard enough.
"It's not that we don't stand for anything, it's that sometimes we stand for everything," said Barry Rubin, executive director of the Nebraska Democratic Party. Rubin said the stand-for-everything approach invites GOP criticism." Standing for "everything"? And you people are still wondering why you are no longer the party in power?
"Hoping to make their election-year message clear to voters, Democrats leaders have launched a series of six policy statements. "Honest Leadership & Open Government" and "Real Security" came first, soon to be followed by positions on energy, the economy, health care and retirement." "Honest Leadership & Open Government"? Go here to see how "honest" and "open" the Dems are, and here to see what their "Real Security" "plan" is.
"Democrats say their message is not as muddled as it sometimes sounds." Oh, really? Their message seems as clear as mud to me!
"We may talk about it in different ways but there's still the same goal," DNC spokeswoman Karen Finney said." The only goal I have seen of the Dems is to discredit President Bush in any way possible - a "goal" they have had since 2000 - including the use of lies and innuendo, and the usual demagoguery.
"We offer an alternative to the corruption that has been blatant in Washington. We offer an alternative to tax cuts for the rich," said Melissa Schroeder, a DNC member from Wisconsin." Conveniently ignoring their own problems.
"Linda Chavez-Thompson, the AFL-CIO's executive vice president, said one Democratic message will come together. "We're formulating it now, and that is, we are going to change things in Washington and the Democratic Party has the answer," she said." And that will be when, exactly?
"Janice Brunson, a DNC member from Arizona, said the Democratic Party has a clear message for 2006, but she struggled to explain it. "The problem is we don't have a two- or three-word slogan that pops out," she said." The reason Ms. Brunson struggled to explain it is that the Dems simply do not have a "clear message" other than "Bush is bad/America is bad." You won't get as many people to vote for you as you want by staying on that message.
"In recent years, the Democratic Party has struggled to explain what it stands for in clear, succinct language that is repeated often enough to resonate with voters. Strategists in both parties agree that Republicans are better at political "branding."" The reasons for that, of course, as this article clearly points out, is that the Dems don't have a clue what the American people really want, while the Reps have a better grasp on that (for the most part, anyway).
"In his 2004 re-election campaign, President Bush's message was strong and principled leadership.", while Sen. Kerry's message was ... was ... gee, I can't remember what Sen. Kerry's message was exactly ... oh, wait! I remember now! It was, "I have a plan!". Yeah, that's it! A "plan"! What the "plan" was, however, was never - not one time - ever revealed to the American voters. And Sen. Kerry still wonders why President Bush was re-elected? (Oh, and Sen. Kerry is "seriously" thinking about running again in 2008. Got a "plan" that you're willing to share with the rest of us yet, pal? If not, I hope you do get nominated again, and keep spouting off about some vague "plan" - without letting us in on it, again - as that will virtually gaurantee that you'll lose - again.)
"A decade earlier, the GOP's Contract with America, a set of unifying GOP policy initiatives, was credited with helping Republicans win congressional seats _ although some Democrats say the sour mood of the country had more to do with the power change." Ten years ago, the Reps articulated what was on the minds of the American voters, and pushed through reforms that we wanted. The "sour mood" of the country was caused by the party that was in power at the time, which had stopped listening to the people who had elected them to do the people's business. And the party in power at that time was? I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count. I'll even give you a hint - the minority party at the time was not the Dems.
"Democrats hold a wide lead over Republicans when voters are asked which party they want to control Congress." Of course, it helps your "poll" come up with what you want it to by having the majority of respondents be Dems.
"Some Democrats said emphasizing GOP woes will be enough to win on Election Day." Dream on. Emphasizing "GOP woes", without articulating "a plan" is what got you to minority status in the first place. Go ahead - keep it up. Make my day.
"If your opponent is self-destructing, let them do it," said Mike Edmondson, executive director of the Indiana Democratic Party." This sounds like a case of the kettle calling the pot black. The Dems have been self-destructing for years now, and I don't see that stopping anytime soon.
"Others said the party must do more." Gee, you think?
"Judy Olson Duhamel, chairwoman of the South Dakota Democratic Party: "We are obligated to work hard and really work on message and information," she said. If Democrats don't do so, she said, "we don't deserve to win."" Yes, Judy, you are obligated to work hard, but during all of your hard work, at least try to put the truth in your message, ok? To do anything less than speak the truth, and let the American voter decide ... well, you won't deserve to win this year, either.
November is only six and half months away, and the Dems have not been able to have a coherent message in years - at least not one that is the truth - and time is running out on them.
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