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Why Did The Democrats Lose?
NA | Yooper

Posted on 11/07/2002 4:03:04 PM PST by yooper

We've spent two days now listening to various theories as to why the Democrats were taken to the woodshed on Tuesday night; none that I've heard have really explained the defeat in total. Poor liberal turnout, the despicable Wellstone pep rally, a lack of focus and message by the liberal party, and other various theories, have been bandied about ad nauseum. Now it's time for the most intellectual board on the web, Free Republic, to weigh in.


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
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To: TLBSHOW
Well, I'll tell you what did it for me personally. Earlier this past summer a guy walked into my office. I work for a municipality, and people frequently walk in to ask for help with some problem, vent, etc. So I got up from my desk as I do with all visitors, extended my hand and shook hands with the guy, and said, "Hello, what can I do for you." He replied, "Hi, I'm David Bonior and I'm running for the Michigan Governor's seat. I'd appreciate your vote in the upcoming primary."

I made polite small talk, thanked him for dropping by, walked him out of City Hall, and then washed my hands in the bathroom. He ultimately lost the primary to Jennifer Granholm, now the governor-elect here in Michigan.

A few months later I see this guy Bonior on TV, denouncing the United States while on enemy territory in Iraq.

I normally split my ticket when voting because I know certain people who are democrats running for local office. They are nominal democrats who have intensely conservative values, a common happenstance where I live. After Bonior committed treason I decided enough was enough and voted the straight Republican ticket on my ballot.....

21 posted on 11/07/2002 4:31:24 PM PST by yooper
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To: yooper
They lost because they didn't tell anyone where they stood on the issues-they only mounted foolish personal attacks against GOP leaders.

Of course, if they had told voters where they stood on the issues, they would have lost bigger.

Their usual choice, the third option-lie about it-has been made much more difficult by the internet, which allows real-time exposure of the lies at virtually no cost.

Basically, they're screwed. Intellectual enough for ya?

22 posted on 11/07/2002 4:34:29 PM PST by Jim Noble
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To: cardinal4
I bet this Donkey Shoot can also be correlated with Fox News eating CNN's lunch. That was the first hint we had that the Ministry of Propaganda was losing its grip on The People.
23 posted on 11/07/2002 4:34:46 PM PST by Gorzaloon
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To: yooper
For as long I can remember Liberals have had a kind of conditioned response built up in America, where if you did not give thier ideas/dogma every benefit of any real or imagined doubt--you were being unfair--and if you went any further and voiced disagreement, then you're opinion was not suitable for polite company. This control over speach and thought has been cracking open by the sheer weight of the growing absurdity of the Left. Then 9-11 hit, and it woke enough people out of the psychosis to shift the idealogical make up of the nation a few points to the Right. A lot of us sensed this shift, and on the first national election after 9-11 it was evident. Ofcoarse the media is still wrestling with the psychosis, looking for another explination...giving the Left every conceivible real or imagined benefit of the doubt.

Earth to Rats: Go back to the "West Wing" TV show, the real world is taking you less and less seriously every day!

24 posted on 11/07/2002 4:39:11 PM PST by AndyTheBear
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To: Gorzaloon
Ministry of Propaganda

Thats exactly what CNN is. During the Clinton Occupation, the network disseminated all of the spin that allowed the corrupt,traitor,rapist to get away with his immoral, illegal, contemptible, dirty, crooked, sleazy, shenaningans.

25 posted on 11/07/2002 4:39:23 PM PST by cardinal4
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To: pbear8
2)The Wellstone Fune-rally - Yucking it up at a memorial service is too much for any normal person to take.

The straw that broke the voters back.
26 posted on 11/07/2002 4:39:41 PM PST by RANDomScout
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To: yooper
Okay, here's mine. I'm sure others can add lots more than I could remember:

The 'War On Terror':

1. Sending three Democratic US Senators to Iraq to kiss Saddam's ass. Bad idea, especially a month before the election. It's un-American, and cost the Democrats plenty.

2. America's memory of 3000+ people killed by terrorists on worldwide TV is still fresh in their minds. When we retaliate against their leaders with missile-launching Predator drones, it's a bad idea to insist that they should have had defense lawyers and a jury of their peers. Sorry Liberals, but out there in the 'War On Terror' due process is a laser-guided missile.

3. Hundreds of thousands of US troops weren't killed in Afghanistan fighting the 'deadly and undefeated Mujahedin' who supposedly were the worlds fiercest warriors that lived in caves and ate dirt for supper. In fact, they got eaten alive by flying robot bombs and 40-year old US B-52s. The Green Berets even conquered them in a cavalry charge, which is the Mujaheddin's own game. Utter humiliation for the Taliban.

4. Hundreds of thousands of Afghani civilians weren't killed by US bombing. In fact, very few collateral deaths were suffered. The truth is that now girls can smile openly and go to school while the savages that once ruled over them are dodging US-made robot bombs.

In both cases 3 & 4, projecting doom and gloom about the outcome before the results were known was a bad idea. It shows Liberals have neither faith in America nor providence, and are completely full of B.S.

5. Instructing former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to obstruct the wildly-popular president (77% approval as of November 6th, 2002) at every turn in the War On Terror: Bad idea.

6. America is not Germany, Canada, France, Holland, or any of the other countries where sissies rule the day (Apologies to our Canuck pals). America is for Americans, and we don't pause a moment to consider what a sad childhood any Muslim terrorist may have had. We are only interested in killing them or capturing them if they surrender fast enough when a TV camera is around. Sending Liberals to appear on TV as an advocate for the defense was a bad idea.

The War at Home:

7. Messing with the National Rifle Association. Notice how 14 of the (Sarah) Brady Campaign's 'Dangerous Dozen' all won re-election? The amount of anti-gun Democrat Senators and Congressmen that have gone down to the NRA's election year efforts since 1990 is close to one hundred. Running against the NRA is always a bad idea.

8. Proposing to raise taxes in both a sour economy AND an election year? You mean to tell us that your whole economic plan was 'Tax The Unemployed'? Bad idea.

Poor Taste:

9. A funeral for a Democratic US Senator that died with his family in a tragic plane crash is not an occasion to invite 10,000 U of Minn college students and ply them with free beer. It's not a place for Bill Clinton to sign the thighs of college coeds with a felt-tip pen, to blow horns, drop confetti, or release balloons. It's not a campaign stop. It should look like a memorial service. When eight people die, it's not the time to play Fleetwood Mac's 'Don't Stop Thinkin' About Tomorrow'. Americans don't like it, and were shocked to consider that the Liberals would have acted the same way even if Paul Wellstone's body would have been in the same room. By contrast, Norm Coleman's acceptance speech looked more like a fitting memorial to Paul Wellstone. Admit it, you Liberals aren't from this world, are you? Wellstone's 'memorial service', covered by the network TV cameras, was a very bad idea.

10. 'Building The Bridge To The Twenty-First Century' should not include washed-up old has-beens like Walter Mondale who's been wearing sweaters that smell like mothballs for twenty years. Mondale is the man that tried with all his might to kill the NASA Apollo program in the mid-1960s after three brave men died in an accident. With pussies like him in charge, America would never have gone to the Moon. That's the man Democrats had in mind for leading America into the 21st Century? Fitting and expected coming from Liberals, but a very bad idea.

11. On the subject of failed politicians, it's time to tell the Democrats that Bill Clinton is the kiss of death. Every candidate he's flown in to campaign for since the year 2000 loses in a landslide. Face it Dems, the Clinton Era is over. Most Americans think 'Clinton' and want to barf. Don't believe me? Look at the scoreboard. Having Clinton campaign for you is a bad idea.

12. Attack campaigning is a loser idea, especially when your candidate is dirtier than their opponent to begin with. There's a special place in Hell for those who accuse their enemies of their own worst crimes. Attack campaigning is a bad idea.

The Future:

13. Turning further politically Left is a recipe for disaster. Ignoring my kind advice is a bad idea.

14. Believing George W. Bush to be an idiot dunce who cheated his way into the White House with the help of his daddy's money is self-prescribed BS that Democrats should have gotten over before New Years Day 2001. He's outsmarted every single Democrat in the nation fair and square, as well as most pundits. Running a campaign as the 'Anti-Bush' is a bad idea.at your own peril.

27 posted on 11/07/2002 4:39:48 PM PST by The KG9 Kid
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To: yooper
The Dems lost because the Republicans are better. I don't think the country sees them as trustworthy. If they hadn't cheated we would probably have more Republicans in the Senate.
28 posted on 11/07/2002 4:40:38 PM PST by dalebert
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Bingo. Amazing how so few words are necessary.

As examples, I need only mention the people or the event for anybody to know immediately what the particular outrage is: Barbara Lee, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Cynthia McKinney, Baghdad Jim McDermott. Note that they are being unmasked and expelled at an unprecedented rate.

29 posted on 11/07/2002 4:40:49 PM PST by jiggyboy
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To: cardinal4
Thats exactly what CNN is. During the Clinton Occupation, LOVE THAT TERM!

the network disseminated all of the spin that allowed the corrupt,traitor,rapist to get away with his immoral, illegal, contemptible, dirty, crooked, sleazy, shenaningans.

Let's not forget Reuters while we are at it. Reuters "rooted" and snouted at Clinton's hindquarters for eight LONG years.

They are not forgiven.

30 posted on 11/07/2002 4:44:59 PM PST by Gorzaloon
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity
There is not a single simple answer. There are many reasons.

Elections are sales events. Candidates and parties try to sell voters. You make a sale when a voter votes for your candidate. The candidates with the most votes wins.

All campaings are local. All campaigns are national. That is both local and national events effect the sale. It helps to align with the local view on national issues. It is mandatory to align yourself with local views on all local issues.

The situation going in was as followes. This nation is and was evenly divided. But the states are not. The Senate races are a one day sale in every state that is electing a Senator. Each state must have a Senate candidate that voters will buy at the polls.

When a party sets out to win a senate seat the first thing it must do is figure out who are the voters and what will they vote for. The first question is is the state a left, right, or center state. The candidate will have to match the state's make up so that just a bit more than half the voters will be attracted to the candidate. In nearly all races the candidate will have to win just a bit more than half the center to win. The center line in one state is not the same as the center line in another state.

There are just two factors required to win. A party must get a candidate that can appeal to enough voters to win. Then get all the voters that will vote for that candidate to the polls to vote.

Lets look at New Hampshire. It is typical of this year. A heck of a lot of Mass. Democrats have moved to New Hampshire. That means a far right candidate like Bob Smith can no longer win. That means the Republicans need a candidate that can take the right and more than half the middle. That candidate must be articulate and be skilled in working with the media. It is nice to have someone who grew up in a political household so you don't have to teach him or her everything. Bingo!!! Bush and Rowe decide Sununu is our man. He is centrist enough to defeat an attractive Democrat and he grew up in politics. He has name recognition. We will not have to build a brand name.

Next there is polling research. What do the voters in New Hamshire want and when do they want it.Structure the campaign into positive and negative campaigns. A negative portion to drive some of the centerist voters that lean left away from the opponent. A positive spot campaign to attract the center and right of center to Sununu.

Bring in big names. The big names attract the media. When Bush, Cheney, and the nation's mayor show up use them to get on TV. Be sure the candidate makes the pitch that the tracking polls say is working.

Get the voters out. Organize voluneteers to go door to door. Bring in Dubya and put these volunteers in the front row. Let a lot of them get their pictures taken with Dubya. Talk to them all. Learn a lot of their names. Have staff train them on how to get out the vote. Get them pumped and working to get out the vote.

Do constant tracking polls that tell how your media and earned media campaigns are doing. Alter your messages to react to the other sides attack and counter attack. Keep your positives growning my honing your message so it has an increasing appeal. Move with the mood of the voters.

Spend several hours a day on the phone asking for money. People who give you money will vote for you and get others to do so too. Get as many small contributions as possible.

If you have the candidate that can appeal to a bit over half the voters, and that candidate says what the voters want to hear, and the candidate gets exposure on earned media, and has the dough to buy paid meida, and doesn't say anything stupid, he or she can get elected.

Mulitply that by about 34 states and you will win 22 senate seats.

Elections are won they way sales are won. A party or a store finds merchandise the public wants to buy and sells it to them.

The problem with politics is anything less than a 50 percent market share is a business failure.

How was it done? George Bush and Karl Rowe found out what the public wanted to buy, found it, put it in pretty packages, and sold it to the voters.

It isn't hard to understand. It is just hard to do.


31 posted on 11/07/2002 4:45:21 PM PST by Common Tator
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To: yooper
9-11.
32 posted on 11/07/2002 4:45:28 PM PST by Johnny Shear
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity
http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/victims_list.htm


The democrats lost because they played politics with our National security. They laugh at death, it's a joke to them, as their mentor Clinton has taught them, death is a prop by which you can advance your "agenda". When they got the chance they politicized even the death of a colleague. They are a sickening bunch of people. Don't believe we are at war with evil? Go to the link and click on every single victim of 9-11 and you'll know this country lost a lot of really good people. We need to protect ourselves from it happening again but the democrats kept dragging their feet to work with the president and enough of our citizens now see the party of the Clinton's for what they are...unfeeling users and trash.
33 posted on 11/07/2002 4:47:02 PM PST by Chuck N
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To: Gorzaloon
Katie Couric, Dan Rather, and that buglike creature, Alan Colmes should be ostracized as well.
34 posted on 11/07/2002 4:49:09 PM PST by cardinal4
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To: yooper
Why Did The Democrats Lose?

Because they're losers.

35 posted on 11/07/2002 4:49:55 PM PST by South40
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To: The KG9 Kid
It's not a place for Bill Clinton to sign the thighs of college coeds with a felt-tip pen

Naw he di'nt!! Wellstone ought to come back and bit*h slap his sorry debauched a$$.

36 posted on 11/07/2002 4:50:40 PM PST by mafree
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To: yooper
my two cents:

The dems positions are old and not attractive to the public. Affirmative Action is over as is telling minority groups the government will take care of them.

The dems have no platform on the economy except to oppose specific repub initiatives. Don't have the vision thing.

The dems a corrupt. Many examples posted on FR.

The dems are not well manners. Running to court on every election issue is pissing off the public. The "memorial" service speaks for itsself. The constant calling Bush dumb and saying he's not really president is getting old even amonst some liberals.

lastly, we declared war about a year ago and Bush is into it. Some dems and demonstartors oppse this. Most of the country is worried about national defense and in my mind want more done. So many dems miss out here. People like Lieberman do themselves well when they back Bush on this stuff.

37 posted on 11/07/2002 4:50:48 PM PST by breakem
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To: yooper
The rats were/are wrong on every issue !!

GWB Is The Man !!

Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!

Let's Roll !!

Molon Labe !!

38 posted on 11/07/2002 4:51:56 PM PST by blackie
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To: yooper
Hmmm...could a factor have been: The presence of so many poll watchers and cops in the areas of certain voting sites actually SCARED AWAY certain "un-documented voters"???

Too Funny, too smart of them by a half....

GRRRRRollin for the USA!!

39 posted on 11/07/2002 4:52:29 PM PST by GRRRRR
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To: The KG9 Kid
The Green Berets even conquered them in a cavalry charge

Where can I learn more about this?

40 posted on 11/07/2002 4:52:37 PM PST by Johnny Shear
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