I think the current democratic slogan, "together we can do better," is complete trash. Im sure the kerry campaign came up with it, the idiots over there are the best for all things uncommital, bland, and completely whitewash.

We need a message focusing on the common good and specifically on class issues. "Democrats: Fighting for Billions of People, not Billions of Dollars."

dems are the party of the people, republicans are the party of business, why is that so hard for the consultants down in dc to understand? 99.9% of voters are people, .1% are business--put the election in the bag.

Francine lost because of the stupid comment made about not having to have papers to vote. Yes, she meant "to help" but the damage was done and the 4% loss otherwise could have been a victory.

How about...the Democrats may be called the party of "Cut and Run", but are the Republicans the party of "Stay and Die"?

Last thursday after the debate about the iraq war, immediately the republicans put emails out to their constituents that dems don't support the troops.  The dems need to be able to answer these kind of charges hard and fast with the truth....(because the truth will set you free....don't you know)

We may not be an "organized" party...but we are an "inclusive" party!

LOL - "Stay and Die"

You Are the Democratic Party!

Diversity, Independence, Strength

Letting Government Do Its Job

Democrats Educate, Republicans Obfuscate

Health Care, Education, Environment

Value Health, Embrace Independence, Imagine the Future

--------------

You might also look back into all the branding stuff Oliver Willis was doing a year ago.

-Who do you think did a better job addressing local issues, Bilbray or Busby (rotate)?

-On a scale of 1 to 5, how much do you think recent allegations of corruption in Congress impact your daily life?

-When casting your vote in November, are you more interested in local or national (rotate) issues?

-Do you think that a freshman member of congress can really make that much of a difference?

-Do you feel that your representatives have generally been trying to lead this country in the right or wrong direction?

-Are you concerned about the influence of lobbyists in Congress?

-What issue would you like to hear candidates talk more about leading up to this November's election? What issue would you like to hear less about?

-Do you feel as though the media is biased towards Republicans, Democrats, or shows no preference (rotate)?

-Do you think that oil companies have been charging a fair amount for gas?

-Do you think the war in Iraq has made the world safer from terrorism or not?

-Do you think that you personally are better off since the current Bush administration took office in 2001?

-Are you worried that illegal immigrants might cost you your job or lower your pay?

-What, do you think, is Congress' most noteworthy accomplishment since the last election in 2004?

-Do you feel that your current member of Congress is, generally, part of the problem in Washington or part of the solution?

That's a fun start. Towards the end, the questions have less applicability to CA-50 in particular, but I think would be good questions elsewhere.  Have at it.

The post about the current Democratic slogan, "Together, we can do better", being trash is absolutely dead on. It is the blandest, most meaningless phrase tried yet by a party particularly adept at the use of bland, meaningless phrases. A populist, fighting take on an old Clintonian theme (opportunity, responsibility, community) would probably be the best message the party could put out. This reinforces the idea of Democrats as being the party of the common good (hence the opportunity, responsibility, community) while driving home a message capable of stirring the party's base (thus the fighting, populist portion). Not being much of a sloganeer the exact words for this completely escape me. Maybe someone more crafty could give it a try. Maybe something as simple as "Fighting for the Common Good"...not particularly novel but it's a start.  

"Government of the People, by the People, and for the People, instead of Government of the Cronies, by the Lobbyists and for the Wealthy."

Just an idea, but I like combining something historic (Lincoln) with something topical (Cronyism, Lobbyist corruption, tax cuts for the rich).

enlightened self intest

How about --

 That's Enough!
    Enough lies
    Enough corruption
    Enough incompetence
    Enough bigotry
    Enough reckless spending
  Help end Republican domination,

 Vote for __!

[Gingrich ought to be good for something.]

Bilbray won by promising to end illegal immigration by building a wall from the Pacific to the Gulf.

Republicans don't run on nuance or philosophy - they run on Hot Buttons.

According to a recent Gallup Poll, immigration is the #3 issue  for Americans.

So how do we beat #3? With #1 and #2!

#1: 42% Situation in Iraq/war
#2 29% Fuel/oil prices/lack of energy sources/the energy crisis
#3: 23% Immigration/illegal aliens

I believe we win #1 with this message: Get Out of Iraq - NOW.

I believe we win #2 with this message: Reduce Gas Prices - NOW.

For the details behind these slogans, click here.

The core of Democratic beliefs (at least for me) is that in America EVERYONE can achieve. Everyone can increase their standard of living, get ahead, go to school, start a business, have a family and achieve what ever their individual idea of the American dream is.

I'm not big on "slogans" as much as talking about values that lead to issues. Values are flexible, open, adaptable, whereas issues are specific and change based on point of view.  For example, the Internet benefits everyone, from corporations to individuals. It provides equality of opportunity for everyone to achieve, share information, and connect with an audience specific to the needs of the corporation or individual. The value is equality and fair play which come into play in everyone's life, the issue is access to the Internet, which is a very complex issue few will be bothered or have the time to understand.

Democrats believe everyone can achieve in America because of the common good - equality, fairness, rule of law - inherent in the foundations of our country.  What ever our elevator pitch is, it needs to speak to this core belief that we all share, and appeal to our common strength as a country. It should speak to our greatness as a nation that has been common throughout our history, not harkin back to a glorified yesterday. It should be inherantly uplifting, not just "positive."

"Together, we can do better" is indeed positive. It's also scolding and not uplifting, nor does it create and affiliation with the greatness of our nation. Do better than what? Work together for what?  These questions are easily answered and self serving to the Democratic party, hence the easy spin by the GOP.

At it's core, America is a great nation. When we as a nation function from our core values, there is nothing that can stand in our way as a nation or as individuals.

The Democratic Party is going to help "We, the People" save our democracy from the aristocrats who want to drain everyone else of their dignity and power.

If the Democrats had shown up, Busby would have won.  So many voters have been disenfranchised by six years of bully politics and shady elections and a lack of Democratic Leadership.

There's a split in the Democratic party - those who want to win and those who don't think it matters anymore.

Although I'm sitting up here in LA, there are a couple of things that seemed obvious to me about the 50th race.

First, Bilbray's more seasoned. He's been a congressman before so he's a lot more of a heavyweight and more incumbent-like than Busby, a school board member from a small suburb.

Second, the hot button, get-people-to-the-polls issue was immigration, and in this Republican dominated district, that gaffe was no good. In the minds of alarmists, even after the explanation, Busby was making a direct appeal to illegal immigrants to help on her campaign. We're talking about a rich, conservative district less than an hour -with traffic- from Tijuana.

Immigration was the biggest factor in this race. If it had been "culture of corruption" Busby would have won.

As to the low turnout, it's generally accepted that mudslinging depresses turnout and there were some slimy ads going back and forth in this race (see http://www.factcheck.org/article392.html ). The mudfest in the Democratic primary for Governor was also particularly nasty and might have disgusted casual Democrats.

So I would ask people who voted:

1. Did you hear Busby's gaffe? Do you accept her explanation? Did either the gaffe or the explanation affect your vote?

2. Do you know about the candidates' experience in government? Did that affect your vote?

3. Do you think one party is more prone to corruption than the other?

4. How would you characterize the problem of corruption in the federal government?

And I would ask those who stayed home:

1) Did negative campaigning have an affect on your decision not to vote?

2) Did the immigration issue affect your decision not to vote?

"Support the troops by supporting democratic thought, and democratic change."

"Let's take our democracy back."

"Let's make America red, white, and blue again, not just blue and red."

"The Republicans' politics of division has not worked."

"Progressive democrats will bring real political discourse back into the politics of America."

I hate these slogan fests, but I'm always sucked in.

The "Together we can do better" slogan, which was on my goodie bag at the CA Democratic Convention, reminds me of the slogan that SEPTA used in the '80s. SEPTA is Philadelphia's public transportation authority and they had an awful reputation.

"We're getting there..."

I can't remember if it was an exclamation point or an ellipses at the end, but whatever. Lame.

Does anyone talk about using one word or two word slogans? Imagine a commercial about how NATO brought peace to Bosnia and Clinton and Wesley Clark saved all these lives. Then at the end some retired general says things were better when the Democrats were in charge and the slogan comes up: "Saving lives."

You could do an environmental ad, a healthcare ad, an education ad that links dropout rates to crime, a social security ad. Find a signature Democratic initiative for each issue so that the ads are concrete, be sure to say the word Democrat, and then end each ad with, "Saving lives."

Over the top? I don't know. It has impact. Not bad for 11 pm.

This one's been rattling around in my head since YearlyKos:

We believe in science
     that means health care for all
     that means energy self-sufficiency
     that means the best education in the world
     that means a world for our grandchildren better than the one our grandparents left us

and

Democrats: The reality-based party

What the fuck are the rest of you talking about?

Ask the folks what they think about progressive ideas like universal health care, more grants and less loans for college, the minimum wage, federally funded elections, joining unions, and any other progressive ideas. Once we have an idea where people stand we can see how much selling of each idea we have to do. I would like to see the polling used in reverse, why cater the message to the belief? Instead, use the knowledge you have gained polling to see where you need to sell your ideas more.

I blogged a similar slogan to this here (http://thegreatsociety.blogsome.com/2006 04/26/its-time-for-america-to-get-real )

Feel free to play around with it.

It's time for America to get real.


<u>Real<u> national security.
<u>Real</u> healthcare.
<u>Real</u> oversight.
<u>Real</u> leadership.

Christy Hardin Smith, a.k.a. ReddHedd at firedoglake picked up on the slogan recently at FDL. (http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/06/15/wi th-debate-in-the-house-thoughts-on-iraq- and-the-so-called-wot)

My sense is that the key to framing a message campaign for Dems in '06 and '08 is a very basic idea:  participation.

Everything loathsome and dangerous about the Bush regime has come via the exclusion of popular participation in government.  

What we stand for as a party is the return of popular participation in the American system, which...incidentally...is also what The Constitution stood for.

As for the message...

2006: "Congress is back."
2008: "America has no more time to waste."

Government stops at your front door, which means they don't come in to take your guns, tap your phones, regulate your sex life, or make medical decisions for you.

The working class is paying too much of this country's taxes.

Republicans like to talk about "Cut and Run" Democrats, but Republicans have run away from Social Security, Health Care, Bin Laden, Katrina, and Immigration.  No leadership, no ideas, no solutions.

1. Open hearts, open minds, open eyes.

2. Fight trickle-down stupidity

3. Democrats. We're not fucking around.

I also really dig the the "Get Real" line by Matt O.

People helping people.

Neighbors helping neighbors.

I got some interesting answers when I asked a couple of months ago about possible slogans:

----------------------------

Democrats...A party of the people and for the people  

----------------------------

Here are couple of my ideas for helping the Dems that we could possibly do here.  The easiest one is to download the "had enough" logo over at IL DEM NET.  The other one is a bit more problematic.  We could provide an avenue for unfiltered podcasts by Democratic candidates like is down with Al Gore's speeches or as is listed at http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/0 4/03/campaigns_turn_to_online_video.html  This step would have to be debated by the entire community.

----------------------------

Make them sweat.

Also, let the Diebolds of the world know you're watching them and you're coming after them with law suits if they screw up.

ENOUGH OF THE BULL SHIT. VOTING RIGHTS IS OUR ISSUE SINCE THE 60'S. BE PROUD AND BE AGGRESSIVE.

----------------------------

Labor. Good jobs. Good wages. Universal health care. No wars. Right to privacy. Republicans suck. Democrats suck. Godammit we need a Third Party.

----------------------------

Global Warming is real.

Peak Oil is real.

Military Industrial Complex is real.

----------------------------
*    Bring back Congressional Oversight,
    Vote Democratic in 2006
Bring Responsibility Back to Government, Vote Democratic
Borrow and Spend Republicans
Republicans don't want to Govern, they want to Rule
----------------------------

Bush and the Republicans have made USA stand for: UNACCOUNTABLE SECRET
ADMINISTRATION.

----------------------------

How about FDR.  Fair Democratic Reform.

----------------------------

Caro,
Some thoughts on possible campaign themes... (I'm a Political Scientist; I've spent the past 25 years studying presidential campaigns).

We want what's best for all Americans, not just a chosen few.
We want better, not bigger, government.
Everyone should pay their fair share.  Nobody likes to, but everybody has to.
Are you better off than you were six years ago?

The first two are good. I think people will react negatively to the the third one; no one wants to pay taxes so the Democrats shouldn't tell them they have to. The fourth one is a good message but too vague. (You and I know exactly what happened 6 years ago but many people won't make the connection.) Maybe something like this would be better: "The Republicans have been running the government for six years. It's time for a change." And here's another (partly thanks to Newt Gingrich):

"Iraq, Katrina, torture, spying on Americans, record deficits, gas prices, corruption... Had Enough?"

Paul G

--------------------------
Try this on for size: Good government.  Ahhhh! What is good government? Balancing the budget. Energy independence. Ending corporate wellfare. Not wiretapping American citizens without warrants. Fill it in. It changes the frame.

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

After 9-11, the Bush administration "dismantled our security apparatus" to create DHS, and did a clean sweep of the CIA to fill it with toadies.

That's a tough one to explain....