Thank You

[demsformd]

I want to thank everyone here for participating in the forums with me and I want to thank the administrators of this forum. I have had a lot of fun discussing the issues with you guys. We disagree on almost everything (except gun control) but it is pointless to hear the echo of your own voice if you ask me. We have exchanged opinions, names (some were pretty funny), and ideas for society. Your ideas and points are tremendously valid and this forum is the best example of American free speech. On Tuesday this week, my party was rejected at the polls(albeit by a slim margin) and I congratulate all of the Republicans here on their victory. Frankly, you guys whipped our a$$es in terms of strategy. We just did not present a good message this time around in contrast to what we did in 1998 and other election years. Great strategy on your part and more people accept your point-of-view this year. Liberals, like me, however are still a respectable minority, we have some great idealistic thoughts. We will win again, its part of the cycle, but this time we were on the bottom.
Thank you so much for arguing with me and presenting a different side. I appreciate it and I will be here for the next two years waiting for the 2004 Election.

Does this mean that your leaving for two years? Gosh Demsformd, you can't! If you go all the wind will be sucked out of my sails and I will have no one at all to hate!

Stay Demsformd Stay! I love to hate you! Puhlease don't leave me with only level headed Republicans!

[smcdem]

Don't worry I'll still be around!

[vraiblonde]

Dems, remember to tell your party to go left next time! As liberal as they can possibly get! Nancy Pelosi for President!

[demsformd]

If Pelosi was the nominee, I would change parties. That woman is just too liberal for even me. Yeah we really need to go more liberal. We did once, in 1972, and well that didn't work very well. The party needs to be stronger and actually have a mesage. We need to find another Clinton without the scandals and intern affairs. Daschle is too soft-spoken and Pelosi is just crazy so we need to find the happy medium.
And of course I'm staying. I love reading all of your opinions.

[smcdem]

What the party needs to do is take a hard left turn. The DLC is outdated and overrated.

[vraiblonde]

Dems, I'm glad you're sticking around. Without dissenting views, these forums get very boring.

SMC, you either want to win or you want to stick by your principles. If the Democrats take a hard left, they won't win.

[Oz]

Originally posted by smcdem
What the party needs to do is take a hard left turn. The DLC is outdated and overrated.

I'd say you're wrong. The Democrats need to take a lesson from Clinton, and move towards the center. Clinton was a master at appearing more moderate than he really was, and people loved him! Moderates ruled this election. Just as the Republicans have minimized the religious right wing, the Democrats need to do the same with their left wingers. That will swing things back towards the donkeys.

I wonder what it would take to beat Stenny Hoyer? Everyone says he's untouchable, but that is only as current as the last election. Could a young man (or woman) with some fresh ideas, (like when Roy Dyson went to Congress in 1980 (?)) knock Hoyer out of Congress? Could Roy himself beat Hoyer if he changed parties?

Do people really believe the base lives and dies by Hoyer? I mean, the place did well when Wayne Gilchrist was our (rookie) congressman during the beginning BRAC's before redistricting...

Strategy would be interesting to hear...??? What would it take?

[demsformd]

It would take well an act of God or serious scandal to beat him. Dyson was elected to Congress because the Republican incumbent (cannot remember his name) was reported as being gay. Dyson merely put his name in the race as token opposition but this report made his campaign take hold and he was elected. Anyway, much of this district is still in Prince George's and its liberal black voters would never turn Steny away.
A winning strategy here for a Republican would be that he or she would have to be from PG, have moderate views, and blast Hoyer in Southern MD for his more liberal votes such as his stance on partial-birth abortion. Dyson would never switch parties (he is a personal friend and while he votes conservative, he may not neccessarily believe in all of his votes). Hoyer has this seat as long as he wants it.

[demsformd]

It would take well an act of God or serious scandal to beat him. Dyson was elected to Congress because the Republican incumbent (cannot remember his name) was reported as being gay. Dyson merely put his name in the race as token opposition but this report made his campaign take hold and he was elected. Anyway, much of this district is still in Prince George's and its liberal black voters would never turn Steny away.
A winning strategy here for a Republican would be that he or she would have to be from PG, have moderate views, and blast Hoyer in Southern MD for his more liberal votes such as his stance on partial-birth abortion. Dyson would never switch parties (he is a personal friend and while he votes conservative, he may not neccessarily believe in all of his votes). Hoyer has this seat as long as he wants it.
To my Democratic friend, there is no reason for us to take a hard left turn. We did in 1972 (McGovern lost with only 17 electoral votes out of 538) and the entire reason for Reagan's and Bush's victories in the 1980s was because they successfully portrayed the Democrats as too liberal. Trust me, New Democrats are the only ones who can lead us to the Promised Land.