Look it think that in the majority Chris IS right, the Christina conservatives are increasing in number and it is actually spilling over to Catholics, to Hispanics and to regular church going folk. Of course that by the agenda of fear or the much-touted "Moral Values" issues.

But I don't actually think that we have to go and change the ideas of people, we just need to sell OUR AGENDA BETTER, we need to clarify, simplify our ideas to the general public, and if that means that we have to bring down the fear tactics by Rove so be it, it is not a war but it is a big cultural divide. And I don't propose a war on Limbaugh or O'Really or even Rove or Bush.

We need to come to terms that we need to be firm in what we believe and actually make our leaders stand up to our "values and issues", Kerry is an extremely honorable and moral human being but lets just come out and say it, HE IS NOT A LEADER. Non of the candidates for Dems were leaders, we need leaders in all aspects of the movement. For Prez, VP, leaders of the house and senate, leaders of the DNC and especially brains, thinkers, people with fresh new ideas to invigorate and SELL our ideas, sell in the sense of making America understand what a DEMOCRAT IS, what a liberal really means.

We need to stop attacking the Rethugs to the fanatical extent that we have done, we are only validating their movement every day more and more, and we need to start defending ourselves like MEN.

I am actually glad that Daschel was defeated, remember how ineffective and spineless he was when the Rethugs did steal the election from us, their was no collective and organized voice and outcry form any leader of the democratic party, the people in Florida did move (just see F 9-11 when the people were protesting in the Senate) no senator was brave enough to defend Gore! And this is how we want to win the hearts and mind of the American people? Come on, that is why all the illogical religious reasons of the Repubs are working, because they have thinkers and leaders. The are extremely organized, maybe the actually do believe in what they are preaching and that is why the will defend it to the end. So what is wrong with all of us, when are we going to start defending and yelling what we stand for, when???

Lets not forget that the "Dean Machine" is and was Joe Trippi, he created the internet fund rasing monster and his strategies and fresh and new ideas is what actually brought the young crowd to Dean.

Maybe Trippi should be the one to run the DNC, the Democratic party is stuck in the 60's with it's social ideas. We need fresh and new ideas.

You are right, we need to change the "L" word from bad to good again, if not they are going to pin us with it like it was a scarlet letter of yore.

Patriot thanks for this useful information, I am going to use it to write an email and send it right now!

Thanks!

First, I personally don't agree with Roy, and simply because the success of the Repubs is not because they trashed or destroyed the democratic side or someone in specific, is because (since Gingrich and now Rove) they know how to manipulate and deliver the "Republican Agenda" social and cultural conservatism, religious and moral values and last but not least "Patriotic values", all based in FEAR!

Fear in being attacked by foreigners (notice how Oklahoma faded, done by a good ol' white boy).

Fear of immigrants taking your job (but notice how people don't notice or care that much about outsourcing and free trade).

Fear of losing Medicare of medical insurance (notice how insurance premiums have gone way up in this administration)

Fear of imported pharmaceuticals that can harm or kill us (notice that flu vaccine was being made in England and now looking to Canada to supply for shortfall)

Fear of your children lagging behind in school (notice no actual support to schools and lets not forget the "Texas miracle" a total sham)

Fear of  marriage being dissolved, fear of killing unborn fetuses or even now steam cells but notice the lack of protection for automatic weapons or the death penalty (why can't democrats appeal to Catholics in the death penalty issue just like repubs did on the abortion???)

And I can keep going on and on with it, fear is at the core of the agenda of the repubs, we have to admit it and clearly state that Karl Rove is a Genius and we need the equal but inverse of him in the democratic party, cold, visceral, smart, firm, confident, etc...

Now I almost agree totally with BillyLA, I don't know if we need a method like Carville-Clinton, Carville has become a caricature of himself (ever saw K Street on HBO, rest my case). But we do need someone that can understand rural America, religious America, moderate America, not only the south but the Midwest, if we are not careful we are going to lose the upper Midwest by the next elections. And I think that even if the 18-29 crowd did not perform to the hype we still need them and we need to continue especially to attack in the Internets (jajaja) but seriously we should not drop the advantage that we have on the internet, I think that it is a good counterbalance to Talk Radio and honestly we middleagers are going to continue using it and the kids are going to use it even more and more, so we need a Trippi like person behind the curtains, and so much more.

And what about the losing ground with women and minorities? We are losing connection with women very fast and that would be fatal! And what about first time Hispanic voters, split between dems and repubs? Why are we losing ground in the Hispanic vote? This is also fatal, fast Hispanic growth in this country is a fact not fiction, by 2050 or even earlier 1 out of every 4 Americans is going to be Hispanic (25% of the population) and it is only going to keep growing and growing; and we are losing them because of moral issues, religious issues (sorry but again with religion, I don't like it but is a fact), we are losing them because we lack a clear plan for education and immigration. They don't see a clear picture with us so they turn to the clear picture of the repubs even when some in that party have almost xenophobic ideas on immigration (Davis and Arnold in CA, etc).

How can immigrants, women, the middle class vote against their own economic and personal interests? Because they don't see a clear alternative in the Dems.

I personally feel that we are in the midst of a major shift in the USA, a real almost tangible but out of reach cultural and racial change. I feel that this is like the last great stand of Conservative White America, and it is going to end but if we are not careful they are going to transcend to the rest of the nation THEIR AGENDA and we can not let them achieve it.

Look at the voices and leaders of this country reflect the majority of the nation. A leader of the House that bribes and lies and who knows what else (Delay), the previous leader of the Senate that is a racist cheating man (Lott), the leader of the law enforcement is a xenophobic ultra religious man (Ashcroft), a possible ultra conservative chief justice that was involved in a sexual harassment case (Thomas), the leader of the conservative airwaves that is a known pharmaceutical dependent and possibly reseller (Limbahug), the leader of the conservative media that was involved in a sexual harassment case (O'Really), and last but not least, the leader of the free world that is an alcoholic, known drug user, born again Christian (Bush). See a pattern here, all hypocrites disguise as conservative, role model, almost holy figures.

AND WE LOST 2004 BECAUSE 22% OF THE NATION SAID THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IS MORAL VALUES???