Day Zero
So, yesterday, November 3, 2004, I proclaim as Day Zero for Democrats, progressives and all who oppose the Bush administration. We just lost the election and are the farthest away we can be on the calendar from the next one. Things are fairly bleak, and it seems like there's no hope. Day Zero is a day for us to sulk, to bitch, moan, complain, scream, destroy things and hate everything about this lousy, miserable world. There are many, many people out there who are sad, deflated, demoralized, angry, and just want to leave the US of A. I don't blame you; I'm there with you right now. Not to diminish anyone's plight, but I feel like what a Jew must have felt like in 1933 Germany. But such dark, miserable times are what give rise to brighter days.
Here are some steps, I think, that we need to do to turn this thing around.
No rest. Despite what you might hear in the media, we did a great job mobilizing the party again. Let's keep it going right now. Sure, we all got the post-election doldrums. But it's common for us to tune out and let things go after such a defeat. Despite getting screwed in 2000, Al Gore disappeared from the public eye for a year or two when he should've stayed engaged. We can't afford to have that happen again. Just remember that, despite how it looks, it was a close election and not much different from 2000. Consider that we got 55 million votes against the Republican machine, a machine that has been building their strength for 30 years and has been tightening their grip exponentially on this country and the world the last four years (and especially so after 9/11). Despite what you might hear, we were not on equal footing with them and were the underdogs.
Make Howard Dean the leader of this party. Terry McAuliffe has to go, and Dean is the perfect guy to replace him. He's a pit bull and he organized people like no one ever has before. He should be out there the next 2-4 years working the talk shows and telling it like it is.
Make a place for John Kerry in this party. Sure, the man didn't win. But he got 55 million votes and a lot of money came in his name. Senate Minority leader, anyone? I think it would be a great fit and am not sure why I'm not hearing more talk about this (perhaps we need someone not from the Northeast?). Despite the outcome of this election, we cannot allow him to be cast aside, or go into hiding like Al Gore did.
Appeal to conservative Christians. I will never be convinced that religion is what truly makes them "conservative." Religious matters like abortion and gay marriage have to have equal footing with peace, fighting poverty and destitution, and justice for all people. This party has a big umbrella--we had the religious vote for years--and God, the biggest umbrella of all, is neither a Democrat nor a Republican. We need to appeal to them, and not call out hypocrisies we might see, because we're all hypocrites. They're a sizeable voting bloc, and we can't just dismiss a constituency so large. We have to let them know that they fit into our party and our party fits in with them. It's going to be hard to break through, yes, but we have to try and do so.
Appeal to libertarian Republicans. Become the party of deficit reduction, smaller government, and limited government involvement in our lives--what the Republicans used to be. Back in the 90s, they beat us over the head with these things and now they've violated these libertarian principles tremendously and everyone seems to have developed amnesia about it. Remind them that Americans are generally a fearless, independent people who distrust government and want to private lives without the government interfering. Show them that they don't need a surrogate like Bush that'll keep them safe and tell them how to behave.
Continue to build a new media. Air America Radio is a great start. Who would've thought just a few years ago this could be possible? Build this and push for more. The internet has big potential for media growth. The bloggers are fantastic and are a new form of journalism. Use what we have and expand and keep going without ever stopping.
Make liberal a good word again. Liberal has been made a dirty word by Reagan, the Bushes, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, and every other conservative who has expelled a breath in the last 20 years. Don't let them define us; let us define ourselves. Liberal should mean justice, fairness, help for those in need, and inclusiveness. These things are what define the America we know.
Study the right and adopt their methods. Attack, attack, attack. Hit them where they are weak. Call them names. Come up with snappy nicknames, like "Texas conservatives," or "spend and spend and spend conservatives" (lame stuff, yes, but if you can do better, do so). Do not buy any post-election "reaching across the aisle" phony half-gestures that they are offering; say no, thanks. No compromise, much like their "Contract with America" in 1994.
Demonize Bush and make him the symbol of what's wrong with the Republican party. They've managed to do this to us with FDR, Ted Kennedy, Mike Dukakis and Bill Clinton. Do it to them. Bush gangsters, junta, thugs, brownshirts. Bush vote stealers. Do whatever it takes to make them look like the demons they are.
Be bold and daring. Do unprecedented things. Have high-profile meetings at odd, non-election centered times. Start the next presidential campaign in 2005. Make the talk show rounds. Use humor. Make it look like our entire side is campaigning for President. At this point, we've got nothing to lose.
Fight. Again--attack, attack, attack! Fight fire with fire. Hit them where they live, by all means necessary. I'm reminded of Sean Connery's Malone in The Untouchables, where he's bloodied and so shot up full of holes that he's a goner, grabbing Kevin Costner's Eliot Ness and asking, in a gurgling death voice, what are you prepared to do? Don't be afraid to fight the bastards. Violate your ethics if you have to. Do whatever it takes to fight them so you can sleep peacefully at night.
Sure, things look bleak and impossible to overcome. But we can do it. We're Americans, and we have a proud history of overcoming adversity. This is what we do. The bastards may have won this time. But our day will come.
Here are some steps, I think, that we need to do to turn this thing around.
No rest. Despite what you might hear in the media, we did a great job mobilizing the party again. Let's keep it going right now. Sure, we all got the post-election doldrums. But it's common for us to tune out and let things go after such a defeat. Despite getting screwed in 2000, Al Gore disappeared from the public eye for a year or two when he should've stayed engaged. We can't afford to have that happen again. Just remember that, despite how it looks, it was a close election and not much different from 2000. Consider that we got 55 million votes against the Republican machine, a machine that has been building their strength for 30 years and has been tightening their grip exponentially on this country and the world the last four years (and especially so after 9/11). Despite what you might hear, we were not on equal footing with them and were the underdogs.
Make Howard Dean the leader of this party. Terry McAuliffe has to go, and Dean is the perfect guy to replace him. He's a pit bull and he organized people like no one ever has before. He should be out there the next 2-4 years working the talk shows and telling it like it is.
Make a place for John Kerry in this party. Sure, the man didn't win. But he got 55 million votes and a lot of money came in his name. Senate Minority leader, anyone? I think it would be a great fit and am not sure why I'm not hearing more talk about this (perhaps we need someone not from the Northeast?). Despite the outcome of this election, we cannot allow him to be cast aside, or go into hiding like Al Gore did.
Appeal to conservative Christians. I will never be convinced that religion is what truly makes them "conservative." Religious matters like abortion and gay marriage have to have equal footing with peace, fighting poverty and destitution, and justice for all people. This party has a big umbrella--we had the religious vote for years--and God, the biggest umbrella of all, is neither a Democrat nor a Republican. We need to appeal to them, and not call out hypocrisies we might see, because we're all hypocrites. They're a sizeable voting bloc, and we can't just dismiss a constituency so large. We have to let them know that they fit into our party and our party fits in with them. It's going to be hard to break through, yes, but we have to try and do so.
Appeal to libertarian Republicans. Become the party of deficit reduction, smaller government, and limited government involvement in our lives--what the Republicans used to be. Back in the 90s, they beat us over the head with these things and now they've violated these libertarian principles tremendously and everyone seems to have developed amnesia about it. Remind them that Americans are generally a fearless, independent people who distrust government and want to private lives without the government interfering. Show them that they don't need a surrogate like Bush that'll keep them safe and tell them how to behave.
Continue to build a new media. Air America Radio is a great start. Who would've thought just a few years ago this could be possible? Build this and push for more. The internet has big potential for media growth. The bloggers are fantastic and are a new form of journalism. Use what we have and expand and keep going without ever stopping.
Make liberal a good word again. Liberal has been made a dirty word by Reagan, the Bushes, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, and every other conservative who has expelled a breath in the last 20 years. Don't let them define us; let us define ourselves. Liberal should mean justice, fairness, help for those in need, and inclusiveness. These things are what define the America we know.
Study the right and adopt their methods. Attack, attack, attack. Hit them where they are weak. Call them names. Come up with snappy nicknames, like "Texas conservatives," or "spend and spend and spend conservatives" (lame stuff, yes, but if you can do better, do so). Do not buy any post-election "reaching across the aisle" phony half-gestures that they are offering; say no, thanks. No compromise, much like their "Contract with America" in 1994.
Demonize Bush and make him the symbol of what's wrong with the Republican party. They've managed to do this to us with FDR, Ted Kennedy, Mike Dukakis and Bill Clinton. Do it to them. Bush gangsters, junta, thugs, brownshirts. Bush vote stealers. Do whatever it takes to make them look like the demons they are.
Be bold and daring. Do unprecedented things. Have high-profile meetings at odd, non-election centered times. Start the next presidential campaign in 2005. Make the talk show rounds. Use humor. Make it look like our entire side is campaigning for President. At this point, we've got nothing to lose.
Fight. Again--attack, attack, attack! Fight fire with fire. Hit them where they live, by all means necessary. I'm reminded of Sean Connery's Malone in The Untouchables, where he's bloodied and so shot up full of holes that he's a goner, grabbing Kevin Costner's Eliot Ness and asking, in a gurgling death voice, what are you prepared to do? Don't be afraid to fight the bastards. Violate your ethics if you have to. Do whatever it takes to fight them so you can sleep peacefully at night.
Sure, things look bleak and impossible to overcome. But we can do it. We're Americans, and we have a proud history of overcoming adversity. This is what we do. The bastards may have won this time. But our day will come.
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