I have a profound respect for the level of courage, morality and intelligence of many of the persons on this blog and who participate in many of the top political blogs (of which I am hopelessly addicted).
On a one-to-one basis, persons from this community have been able to show those of the right that we really all want the same things, i.e., the same liberties, the same freedoms, and the same protections.
But, on a wide-scale basis, we have not been that successful. And, much of our population has fallen victim to the MSM and those sly PR folks. I don't believe for a minute that they possess more intelligence than we do. So, maybe we need to come up with something that short and sweet and will easily stick to anyone's vernacular.
The fact that it comes from a Republican strategist makes it that much more fun.
That is what I discovered when I visited John Avarosis'
AMERICAblog today. John detailed a link to a
Time Article that detailed questions and answers with Newt Gingrich.
This is what Newt had to say:
Q. So how do you see the strategies shaping up for the two parties? Do the Democrats need an agenda of their own, similar to the Contract with America that you ran on in 1994?
A. Here's the core thing for you to think about: The Republican challenge is to get back on offense as the reform party.
The Democrats' challenge is to do one of two things. What they are going to try to do, what they should do, is say nothing except "Had enough?" If they try to wear a mask and pretend to be moderates, Republicans will cheerfully take the mask off.
So the Republican challenge is, prove to the country that this is a choice, not a referendum. The Democratic problem is make this a referendum, not a choice.
This great photo from John says it all and John is right for so many reasons. He says:
Keep it simple, stupids.
"We can do better" is nice (that's the Democrats current slogan), but it's kind of whiny and doesn't really mean anything. And spare us the explanation that while it means nothing it really means EVERYTHING since each Democrat can tailor it to mean whatever he wants. That's tres John Kerry, standing for nothing and everything at the same time.
Newt is right. I've had enough. Have you?
Getting everyone to understand censure or Plamegate or wiretapping horrors just isn't going to happen. But, folks do understand lack of FEMA assistance during emergencies, more mining deaths, rising gasoline prices, a stagnating minimum wage, difficulty getting drugs for a reasonable price, fears due to our reliance on oil and the precariousness of its availability, fears due to looser envirnonmental controls, fears about the government not doing more NOW to help delay the effects of global warming, etc. And, I think many have had enough.
I have certainly had enough. But, I had enough the day Bush stole the honestly earned presidency from Al Gore. I already saw the writing on the wall then. As a school psychologist, it was that 'meanness' factor that got me. Those disturbing childhood behaviors in which he delighted in killing small animals. And, it was Al Franken's book which really painted the clear picture of where that meanness came from, as he detailed his interactions with Momma Bush one afternoon during a plane trip, that made me realize that there was no way our country would come out unscathed by his presidency.