November 3rd

You may have seen this already; if not, the below are points that we, Democrats, should be thinking about very seriously — especially as the party’s leadership is apparently considering doing more of the same, that is, being “more moderate”.

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Insanity is continuing to do the same things over and over again and expecting a different result.

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XI
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Conservatives have spent the last 40 years getting clear about the values they represent. They have even developed a “family values” brand to represent a framework that coheres traditional prejudices around prayer in school, gun rights, restricting abortion, and restricting gay rights.

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XII
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By contrast, liberal or “progressive” groups and Democrats have spent the same period of time defining themselves against conservative values, even “morality” in general.

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XV
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Candidates who intend to win should no longer hire consultants who repeatedly lose. Those who counsel caution when dealing with the indifferent, the disaffected, and the undecided do not understand American history. Consultants who advise their clients against offering a clear and compelling vision in fear that it will be attacked should find themselves without a home in the Democratic Party. The sooner they retire, the better.

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XV
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Democrats serious about returning to majority status must:

• Retire any leader who believes that we are currently on a winning path that simply needs more money and effort.
• Define and articulate a coherent set of values of our base, and be willing to lose those allies who do not share these values.
• Fight battles, win or lose, that define and advance our values and expand our political base.

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Dear Friends, Once More!

I did not write the following, but I think that it expresses precisely what Democrats, Progressives, and all Americans that believe in Hope over Fear and, too, that Tolerance is a Family Value, need to keep in mind as We take the fight to the next stage:

“In 1964, Lyndon Johnson (Democrat) beat Barry Goldwater (Republican) by 23% points. Goldwater managed to carry just 6 states and Johnson won the electoral college 486-52. But the conservatives didn’t give up. They didn’t spend a lot of time wringing their hands. They regrouped and fought back. By 1968, Nixon (Republican) crushed Humphrey (Democrat) in the electoral college 301-191 and won the popular vote by a million votes. If you oppose Bush, now isn’t the time to feel sorry for yourself. Now is the time to get to work.”

Now, our democracy is bigger than one election or one candidate; there’s a lot that’s still at stake, and there’ll be plenty of opportunities to get involved. So, while the final results of the 2004 presidential election may be disappointing, don’t be dishearten; because, We did do a lot of good, and this is not the time to give the Right any quarter nor any satisfaction.

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“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!”
- William Shakespeare, Henry V