Reservation is for the weak, and "can" is a very reserved word.

Americans want strength, stability, and the knowledge that tomorrow will be today only shinier.

"Together, America WILL do better."

It's a promise.  It projects strength.

Christ.  Can't the Dem leadership cut the bullshit and the hemming and hawwing long enough to use a direct, active word in a sentence?

This one has been around for a while.

we need a real message- not this canned stuff.

Lakoff's idea- or just the product of too many cooks?

It can convey that America hasn't done better under the Republicans. It also allows Democrats to flesh the message out by reminding people that the 1990s rocked, when the Big Dog was pres, and many Democratic criticisms of the GOP and Dubya fall in nicely under that slogan (e.g. corruption, federal deficit, etc.) The proposed slogans look forward without forgetting where we have been and where we are now.

It's short, simple, and sounds like a really good tag line at the end of an ad. It's something that every Dem candidate can put in ther campaign lit. It'll unify the Dems in a very broad way, but with the Dems, this might actually be an improvement, lol.

When voters hear "we can do better," they'll think, "well, okay. IA that we can do better, but how?" That's where the Dem platform comes in.

"Together" also allows down the ticket candidates to use that slogan, too. I can see this being used down the ticket to the office of dog catcher. We'll get lots of repetition, which is crucial in an environment with such diversified media.

The slogan also works, because the vast majority thinks that America is going in the wrong direction. It taps into what Americans are feeling about the GOP-controlled government.

Now, I'm not saying that this is the best slogan that the Dems could come up with, but there are many reasons to be for it. Don't just look at the slogan at face value. Think about what concepts it communicates and how it taps into the American psyche.

I have no idea why we need a slogan this early. The dynamics of fall 2006 are still unclear. Criticizing the GOP will never get us anywhere. I hoped we learned that last fall. The opinions of this president and administration are locked in and no one is thrilled. But until we present a definitive alternative our election results will never match the unease with Bush, or the generic Democratic/Republican congressional percentages.

The consistently overwhelming and significant number is the right track/wrong track percentage. I would have thought an early slogan would try to focus and capitalize on that, using the specific terms.

i just posted something similar, here. but here's what i'm thinking. yea, comparing us to republicans is dumb. it's the whole republican-lite thing again. we should show that we don't NEED republicans anymore to run this country, because we do it so freakin well.

a better slogan would IMPLY how republicans love their power and politics, while democrats want solutions. efficient government. smart government. it would stress our independence from politics -- and its corruption -- by emphasizing how dems want answers, statistics, information, etc to find the best solutions out there. republicans, on the other hand, want power and all its trappings.

something like "a brighter future??" could stress a "better" future and a smarter gov. the best and the brightest, rather than the worst and the wealthiest.

i dunno ... something like that at least???

http://www.politicalstrategy.org/archives/001185.php#1185

http://realitique.blogspot.com/2005/03/luntzing-toward-bethlehem.html

I hate the two proposed slogans. Together, we can do better sounds like we weren't doing so well before but we'll do better next time.

America can do better sounds like when you don't like your daughter's boyfriend and you tell her that she can do better. Thus the slogan implies that America can do better than the Dems.

or something like that....

The sense of relief after 12 years of Reagan/Bush would have to be as great now...and the message about putting people first has to ring as true, IMHO.

http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical/ClintonPuttingPeopleFirst92.jpg

"Republicans can't govern"

it is a perfect frame for EVERYTHING-
from Failures of economy , iraq to Karina and Plame affair.

it flies in the face of the Republican frame that
"Democrats have no ideas"

the subtext is that we have been listening to Repubican 'ideas" for the last few years and ideas are not worth the paper they are written on if you aren't capable of governing . of actually making the government work or making sure that we don't get into a war because of lies.. that we can actually make government protect and serve people.

"Putting people first"

"The Democratic Party - the party of the people"

But, I prefer slogans that draw on two metaphors: [unity] as [standing together] and [time] as [money].  Something like

America can't afford to waste any more time.
For our children.
For our future:
It's time to Stand Together Again

It is somewhat reminiscent of Labor's message during Blair's first campaign.

Making government work for all Americans

The Democratic Party: Making work work for working Americans

(not inclusive enough, but still catchy)

My humble suggestions:

Republicans can't govern. Together, we can get back on the right track.

This brings uo the point that over two thirds of this country thinks we are on the wrong track, and that we are in this together while mixing in all the cronyism, incompetence and lying that are going on.

I really don't like either one but if they replaced can with will, it is at least tolerable

What part of our world is being hijacked by a cabal of lunatic end-timers don't these Democrats understand?

Together, we can do better.

Better than what? We who? Together - does that mean you talk I shut up? Does that mean you lead I follow?

I am going 100% GREEN if this is the best the "opposition party" can come up with.

Sheesh!

Can't you just see Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid saying things like:

"Iraq.  What the hell was that?"

"The Bush economy.  What the hell was that?"

"Misuse of intelligence to lead us into a quagmire?  What the hell was that?"

It sort of like an updated "Where's the Beef?"  Not only can we criticize their record with the phrase, but we can say it every time they issue an attack ad or may some bogus claim on TV or on the stump.  The only response necessary would be "What the Hell Was That?"

Think about it.

I'd like to see progressives own as much patriotims as possible.  The tech side of bloggers can be a put off.  For example during the Kerry Campaign the Kerry Blog kept saying bloggers, bloggers, bloggers, instead of Americans, citizens, fellow countrymen, etc.

So half of America thought that Kerry's Campaign was only speaking to bloggers and instantly walked away.

*improving what's been going on
*working together as a community is what makes improvements possible
*defining the community as everyone in the U.S. (not just the rich folks and 'insiders')
*takes everyone's needs into consideration
*would apply in every arena -- health care, foreign policy, education, military policy, FEMA

BREAK THE MONOTONY - BUST THE CORPORATOCRACY!

• Say "NO" to tax-breaks to corporations. Period. If corporations say they'll provide American jobs as long as we'll provide the tax breaks and other government handouts, tell them payment will not happen unless the services have been rendered. No exceptions. It's provide FIRST and maybe we'll consider a tax-break or hand out. Without exploiting the freedom of America, these corporations would be nothing. But the inverse cost of freedom is responsibility and if they don't want the responsibility and just use America and her people for exploitation in exchange for exhorbant windfall profits then why grease our squeaky wheels when we can replace them? If American labor is too expensive for them, they are too expensive for America to keep around.

• Say "NO" to the corporate media by correcting two of the biggest mistakes we've seen in over 20 years (1) the repealing of "The Fairness Doctrine" and the passing of the Deregulation Act of 1996. The results of these have allowed the CEOs of Viacom, NBC/General Electric, Disney, Turner/Time Warner, News Corp, and Clear Channel to dictate all aspects of our information. If doing so means they have to sell stations and fire some lobbiests ....... Good!

• Say "NO" to religious organizations that violate their tax-free status by getting too involved in politics. Our forefathers didn't mind religion influencing government but they drew a thick line in the sand at religion permeating government. It's why our forefathers voted with their feet and founded America in the first place.

We wouldn't want to impose an ideological hegemony on Southern voters, so they should be allowed to use "I like Pecan Pie."

In the Midwest "I like Cherry Cobbler." would lock in Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois.

We could get the Italian vote with "I like pizza pie."

We could shore up California with "I like quiche."

How about "I like mud pies." for Generation X?