If I had a nickel for every time last year that some self-identified Republican friend came to me, their token “liberal friend,” to say how badly they wished for socially liberal, fiscally conservative moderates to vote for, I’d be a wealthy woman – maybe even well-off enough to run for office.
As it stood, I just told them to vote for Tennessee Democrats.
These are people who don’t care if gays marry, who believe in choice even when they find the choice distasteful, who believe that government does have a role in helping people back on their feet, who believe that good public education is a foundation for the state’s entire economy, who find the current health care system fundamentally flawed. They are Blue Dog Democrats who don’t know it, because we as a party – in our rush nationally to take back Congress and the White House – have forgotten that we are a “big tent party,” an inclusive party, a party united toward improving the lives of the people and setting a trajectory toward the kind of future we want to hand off subsequent generations.
We have failed these voters and ourselves by not stepping up and re-framing the debate away from the straw men put forth by the TN GOP. Instead of going on the offensive, we play defense. We remind Joe Q. Voter of what we don’t stand for, as opposed to what we do, and wonder why Tennessee gets redder every year.
Stop engaging the other side on their terms and stop using their language to frame the argument. Stop following their lead. And when they get unavoidably in your face with third-tier wedge issues, repeat after me: “Is that really what you want to talk about today, with unemployment over 10%, our educational system ranking 41st in the nation, and infant mortality in Shelby County being higher than it is in Vietnam, El Salvador, or Iran?”
faintgraylines
Opening Salvo
by faintgraylines | January 2nd, 2010 | View Comments
If I had a nickel for every time last year that some self-identified Republican friend came to me, their token “liberal friend,” to say how badly they wished for socially liberal, fiscally conservative moderates to vote for, I’d be a wealthy woman – maybe even well-off enough to run for office.
As it stood, I just told them to vote for Tennessee Democrats.
These are people who don’t care if gays marry, who believe in choice even when they find the choice distasteful, who believe that government does have a role in helping people back on their feet, who believe that good public education is a foundation for the state’s entire economy, who find the current health care system fundamentally flawed. They are Blue Dog Democrats who don’t know it, because we as a party – in our rush nationally to take back Congress and the White House – have forgotten that we are a “big tent party,” an inclusive party, a party united toward improving the lives of the people and setting a trajectory toward the kind of future we want to hand off subsequent generations.
We have failed these voters and ourselves by not stepping up and re-framing the debate away from the straw men put forth by the TN GOP. Instead of going on the offensive, we play defense. We remind Joe Q. Voter of what we don’t stand for, as opposed to what we do, and wonder why Tennessee gets redder every year.
Stop engaging the other side on their terms and stop using their language to frame the argument. Stop following their lead. And when they get unavoidably in your face with third-tier wedge issues, repeat after me: “Is that really what you want to talk about today, with unemployment over 10%, our educational system ranking 41st in the nation, and infant mortality in Shelby County being higher than it is in Vietnam, El Salvador, or Iran?”
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