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Blue staters for Bush
I'm one of those nameless people in Massachusetts with a full set of teeth and lots of education who voted for Bush and won't tell anyone. Not even my best friend who lives 2,000 miles away. Just last week, she called and asked not once, but twice: `Did you vote for Bush? Tell me the truth.' Tell her the truth? I wasn't going to confess that I had scorned the Native Son, the Vietnam war hero, the Democrat.
Anonymous said she disagrees with Bush on the hot button social issues: gay marriage, stem cell research and privatizing social security. She even sees invading Iraq as a tragic mistake. So why did she vote for the former governor of Texas?"Long ago, I gave up the idea that presidents actually do anything to make public schools better or healthcare more affordable. For me, this election was all about homeland security and the war in Iraq. Kerry never sold me on how he would do a better job with either one. To this day, I don't understand his positions on the war, or what his plan was to bring home the troops. Kerry didn't understand that I was a long way from seeing terrorism as a `nuisance' and that I needed reassurance that if we were attacked again, he would strike back. I wanted plain speak, and he gave me nuanced rhetoric.
If Democrats have any hope of being shut out of power for the next 16 generations, our candidates have to be more than just "not George W. Bush". Anonymous basically voted for Bush because he's "not John Kerry." It seems that hatred and disgust have a way of cancellling each other out. And it's not even enough to be right. Anonymous probably agreed with Kerry on more issues that Bush.
"Not so with Bush. I always felt I knew where he stood, what he believed in, and the direction he wanted to take the country. Even though we didn't see eye-to-eye on most things, I liked the clarity of Bush's convictions and willingness to stand up for them. So, I did the `dirty' deed and voted Bush. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll do a better job in his second term. And for the foreseeable future, I'm keeping my mouth shut that I voted for him."
Democrats, as I've written before, need their own narrative of world events. It needs to be short, sweet, and to the point. Fitting on a bumper sticker earns extra points.This isn't dumbing down. It's marketing 101. It's communicating. It's coalition building. The Merlot and brie crowd won't get everything they want, and the social conservatives we attract won't be thrilled 24/7 either. But at least everyone will know the score, and not just the libretto.
Teen sex! XXX! We have it right here!
In the red states, that is. Check out this graphic from Kos:
In practical terms, this means Rob Lowe is three times more likely to get lucky in Mississippi than New Hampshire.
My homestate of Wisconsin is ranked number 40, due no doubt to the prevalence of dairy products and league softball. The hedonistic Bay State, Massachusetts, is number 49. I blame it on gay marriage.
Are superheroes supposed to look this gay?
Maybe some things are best left to the pros. Or maybe not.
7.12.04 22:58