Man, I just got a kick out of this pro-Democratic Party marketing guy! Love it, and just had to share this:

How can we get through to the low information electorate quickly and simply? There's so much to cover.

The contaminated pet food and toys that strikes the most vulnerable of those we love?

The senseless war that has killed, damaged, and endangered the least vulnerable element of our society, the military, and left it unable to do its job?

The ridiculous tax cut and deregulation policies which crumble the foundations of our roads and bridges, our education and our skills, our business and our dollars?

It's everywhere. It's huge. How do we sum up ALL the cronyism, corruption, and callousness?

Republican.

They bought it, they broke it, and now they own it.

Republican.

They've been whining about it, flooding our airwaves with it, and screaming about it for long enough. Let's hang it around their necks.

Republican.

For thirty years the Republican party has been defining our brand for us. We are the "tax and spend" party, the "wimpy on National Defense" party, the "elitist, latte drinking, Volvo driving," party. The fearsome, horrible, ineffectual, nanny state people who have been damned with the label "liberals."

Okay. So we're Progressives. It even sounds better. As Democrats, we will differentiate ourselves from the Republicans by advancing Progressive ideals and policy.

Democrats want to fix all the stuff the Republicans broke.

No more of this sidling over to the Republicans. No more of this "me too" campaigning. What distinguishes the different dish soaps, laundry detergents, and other cleaning products that fill the aisle in the supermarket? Not much, frankly. And they know that. So they hammer at Their Brand. They never, never, never say their dish soap is in any way like another dish soap.

Because that's not how you capture the market. The way to capture the market is to say, loudly and clearly and constantly, that their brand is Different! and thus... Better!

So we must do the same.

The Republicans have destroyed their brand. They hope the electorate will not notice. That's why McCain is campaigning as an American's American in America for Americans who are proud of being Americans.

McCain, the Republican, isn't campaigning as a Republican. They know their brand is screwed. They're hoping the voters won't notice. They're hoping we won't notice.

We can't make this just another stunt they get away with.

They bought it, they broke it, they own it.

Republican.

End this talk of "Bush administration," and "the conservative mindset" and the "Neocons," and the "religious right." These are holes, ingredients they can label as something their brand no longer has. Of course, it's lies. That's why they say it. But unless and until they change the name of their party, they can't take the Republican out of the party. That's what they are. That's what they all are.

All the lies, betrayals, treason, secrecy, mayhem, and bloodshed they have perpetrated is Republican.

It's ALL Republican.

The falling dollar, bleak economic picture, and high prices at the pumps and produce counter?

Republican.

The malfeasance and bribery and contempt for our press, our government, and our freedoms?

Republican.

The ruthless destruction of our homes, our children, and our lives?

Republican.

Make that word the horror it is. Create in the electorate the same revulsion the word has come to mean for us, who understand it, who realize what's going on, who know how important it is that we break the linkage between what people think they are getting, and what they actually get when they vote:

Republican.

All of them. Bush, Cheney, Rice, Gonzales, Ashcroft, and Rumsfeld. The Iraq war, the wrecked economy, the dangerous goods they let into our country and the dangerous ideas they have lulled and lured the electorate with.

Sum it all up in who they are running for President, for Senator, for Representatives, for National, for State, for Local.

These are Republicans.

Now we know what happens when we vote for Republicans, don't we?

Every complaint on the street or at the checkout counter, every political discussion, every cry of disillusionment and despair, must be countered with their Brand.

Republican. That's the problem.

We can't let McCain run away from it. He's gone along with everything they did. He's sucking up to their movers and shakers. He's literally embraced Bush.

He's a Republican.

All this maverick stuff is just talk. Maverick started as a designation for unbranded calves, which anyone could pick up. But, of course, calling him a maverick is a lie. He's sooooo branded.

Republican.

It's not just Bush, or imperialism, or deregulation, or Katrina or Iraq. It's all of it; every looted dollar and dead soldier.

They bought it, they broke it, and they own it.

Republican.

Let no one forget.

I know this is just brutal, but hey the world is a brutal place with brutal Republicans in it.

Heh... (gonna send that guy a warm fuzzy e-mail this morning.)

Also going to have to quit writing GOP too. Branding is everything, right Republicans?

Who you trying to convince? The three republicans that post here?

Well, there are more than three, and there are far more regular readers too, but that's all not the main point.

Really, this is meta --discussion about discussion. It's also about some advocacy empowerment too. Same as the dodge list thing. It's often helpful to understand how some things work. It's very helpful to put that into some context.

This bit is informative, even if you don't agree with the specific intent; namely, branding McCain a Republican. How it works, what that frame means, the implications, etc... are all useful elements of advocacy and conversation in general.

Maybe it's a good idea to try using the idea or technique for some other message. Maybe it's good to be able to see it being worked as well.

For me personally, I have a running, longer term interest in all the bizzare things we, as people, do to avoid reality conflicts.

--->A reality conflict is simply a state where what we want to believe is true, just isn't true! Sometimes it's minor, like we thought something was more expensive than it really is. Usually, the bar for acceptance on that is low enough that people will just accept, grow somewhat and move on.

The more the reality differs from a persons own internal perception of it, and the more that person has defined their self image off of that difference, the harder it becomes to reach acceptance on something that would undo that.

It's there we see the bizzare behaviors, and I simply find those interesting on a lot of levels.

This all can work the other way too. The more personal investment somebody has in something, that is threatened by simple physical realities, the more aggressive they will be in promoting their own!

That's really another side of why I liked that piece so much. This guy is really into it huge, and it shows! I find that interesting, and often pretty funny, agree or not.

Democrats aren't going to fix the problem, either. They've been around almost as long, we've been voting "Republican vs. Democrat" or "Democrat vs. Republican" for years, and we're still in the mess we're in.
The biggest problem that I see is that, IMO, most Democrats want the war over now. Not after a "timeline" or a 'strategic' anything. Right f-ing now. Why is this a problem? Because if enough people who are elected on this platform win their respective states/districts/etc., then they have the rest of their term to do whatever they want, and we never questioned what else they would do.

As much as I want to believe that the Democrats will repair the failures of the past 8 years, I have to wonder about the deeper problems that will be confronting us in the years ahead.
Our economy is in middle of a huge realignment. In the process, the chasm between rich and poor is growing ever wider. Pretty soon, we’ll have a society of people, half living in gated communities and the other half living on public assistance in communities subsidized by government.

Maybe I’m being melodramatic, but I do feel that the problems we face are huge in scope. And unlike the days of yesteryear, change is going to be very expensive. I most worry about those among us who are poorly positioned to take on the challenges a new economy will bring us. Lack of education, coupled with dependence on government or quasi-government agencies will only worsen a person’s ability to function successfully in a new economy. Then factor the increasing problems associated with drug and alcohol addiction, spelling even deepening trouble.

We need to find a new way to confront these problems. The current configuration of our nation’s school system needs to be examined. We need to educate people over the course of a lifetime, not just ages 6 through 21. We need to find better ways to manage the less fortunate among us, not create a system which fosters long term dependence. Agencies charged with helping those confronted with chemical dependency issues need to look beyond the their current range of services and find systems that can increase the success rate of those seeking help. How we treat those facing mental health challenges needs to be thoroughly reviewed. Treatment today focuses almost entirely on medication management. More needs to be done.

Ronald Reagan used to speak of a city on a hill, with boundless opportunity entitled to all. We need to take this to heart, Republican or Democrat. It’s time people of goodwill reach across the aisle to find solutions, regardless of party, which can carry us through the changes we are most certainly positioned to face.

"It’s time people of goodwill reach across the aisle to find solutions, regardless of party, which can carry us through the changes we are most certainly positioned to face."

So, who is most capable of leading us through these changes?

Business as usual isn't going to solve anything....

If McCain is Bush 3rd term, Hillary is Clinton 3rd term, and Obama seems like a Mcgovern type liberal....

I think we are in for a rough go whoever gets the keys to the big house....

I think Obama is to the left of McGovern, as more an more about him becomes known, the Demos are going to be in for a shock.

Many think Obama is a slam dunk to be elected, but his radical liberal views have not been showcased yet. They will be. That along with his ties to criminals will change the dynamics of the November election. It ain't over till the fat lady sings.

Obama is not a "radical liberal". You can continue to repeat it over and over, hoping the term will sway people's way of thinking, but a good look at the facts shows Obama as a run of the mill, self made, educated liberal. He's just like me, and I can't wait to vote for him.

The most liberal voting record in the Senate. Thats average?

The most liberal voting record in the Illinois legislature. That's average?

"The most liberal voting record in the Illinois legislature."

Good, I like liberal. But it doesn't make him a "radical."

most = radical

OK, instead of radical, howabout extreme.

EXTREME would be McCain if he continues business as usual!

Most is not radical.

Really, that depends on the current state of things. If we are leaning hard right, then a series of moderate to left votes would seem "radical".

My point being, that's not really a qualifier. Not in the sense of "oooh.. he's a radical, better watch it." Too subjective.

What really needs to be the qualifier is do the votes, in and of themselves, make sense in the context in which they were made? Further, do those votes present as reasoned solutions and not some kind of agenda?

A closer examination of the hows and whys behind how Obama has voted is highly likely to pass the rational and reasoned test, and not the radical one.

Even if Obama is truly the most liberal Senator in the Senate, that still does not make him "extreme" or "radical".

roger sez: "I think we are in for a rough go whoever gets the keys to the big house...."

I don't think so. At least 2 of the choices (and neither of them is McCain) will result in a considerable smoother ride than we've had in the last 7 years.

No, it takes time to undo there is a whole underlying mentality that needs to change, and changing Presidents is but a tiny part of that.

As I said I like None of the above...... and I am not one to choose whom I dislike the least.......