There is consensus growing, not just among progressives, but among everyday Americans, that Bush is
a bad President. That Bush is
bad for America. The time for congratulating ourselves on the growing awareness of our fellow citizens has passed. Now is the time for connecting the dots, to show that Bush is a Republican, and that Democrats offer an attractive alternative, an alternative that stands for a very real Christian compassion for those least among us, and for restrained fiscal policy that supports individuals and businesses.
We need two sea changes to come about simultaneously in the next year: we need to make the connection for everyday folks that Bush is not an outlier, and we need to show everyday folks that Democrats are the original compassionate leaders, that Democrats are the original education proponents, that Democrats are the ones who balance budgets and burnish America's image abroad.
Jump with me...
Bush is the epitome of the Republican Machine, and the terrible destruction it wreaks as it plunders the American taxpayer. Bush is a pirate. Please, leave the Jeff Gannon ass pirate comments at home, despite the relevance of what Jeff Gannon means in the bigger picture.
Democrats, when it comes down to it, are all about the important Christian values of loving your neighbor and giving aid to those less fortunate. We live in a global age, where our neighbors aren't just those living next door to us, but those with him we share a country and a world. What happens here affects what happens abroad, and vice-versa. Democrats understand the meaning of being a global citizen, even if we aren't all perfect or even good examples of the mythical global citizen.
If you read this, please do me a favor. Next time you talk to people about Katrina, give Bush a rest. People get it now - we don't need the 40 percent of Americans who still support him. They'll come over from the dark side with time, once we recover Congress and show them what government should be. What America should be. What the world should be.
Instead, talk to people about relative issues. "I think if Democrats were in charge, there wouldn't be a 2 billion dollar bridge to nowhere in Alaska in the new highway budget, I think that the poor people of New Orleans would get compassionate help without people questioning whether or not they deserve it." "If Democrats were in charge, we wouldn't be mired in Iraq, and we might have had a prompt national guard response to the hurricane." "If Democrats were in charge, we might still have a good FEMA chief like we had under Clinton." Get it? People understand corruption and greed viscerally - even five year olds understand. They can make that connection themselves - the connection we must make for them is that Democrats are not only an alternative, but that Democrats are the right choice.