What the hell difference does it make what we think/want? That hasn't mattered for around 12 years now.

Someone needs to change, alright. It's not the base, though.

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

Thinking like that is not going to get anything done. I'm not saying the base should change or anything like that, I am just saying that if we don't try, we have no one but ourselves to blame.

Gideon is very correct in his breakdown of who we should be looking for in voters. Although, there are a lot of working class people that do not fit the Union mold of working folks, such as the entry level people, retail employees, etc. If we can convince the 8 dollar an hour crowd that economically, the Democrats are looking out for them, we can get a lot of new voters, many of which are young and will be Democrats for decades to come.

All the party has to do is to return to its values. There is no need for progressives to change a bit. It is deviation from our values, helped along by some corporate love affair the 'moderates' have going that caused the base to stop voting. No one is looking out for the people. Not the republicans and not the democrats.

Yes, I know. I'm going to hear that our party can't fund campaigns without the corporate crutch. That argument worked before Howard Dean. It's not going to work now.

If the party starts listening to the base and we're allowed to nominate who WE want, the base will support the nominee with their money and with their time.

All this talk that it's time for the base to reach out to the moderates, is only going to keep the base home.

And, no - the old hook and line about 'liberals' being tree hugging, hippies only sells in republicanazi circles. Anyone who opposed the Iraq War is considered 'liberal' now. And yes, that includes republicans.

I reiterate, if there is to be a change made, it's not a change that needs to come from the base. The base sits at home for a reason, and their ideology is not what has been causing us to lose. No one even hears them, anymore.

So, please...if you're going to start threads about reform on this progressive board, at least focus on the wing of the party that needs reform. That would be the one that has been running things (including the nomination process) for about 12 years now.

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

A good way to reach out to the cashier crowd (that's not an insult, I consider myself to be in this crowd until I get a real job) is to have people who can connect with them help convince them. I know there are a lot of people who are employed in hourly wage/retail type jobs who are Democrats, and who are very passionate about the party and it's real platform. All it takes is to have people like them talk to them. This is definitely a place where the younger Dems can make a huge difference; I know because I've done it.
Another good way is to encourage (where possible) businesses and managers of said businesses to display voter registration forms. It isn't partisan, but it is a good way for people who work and shop at places like that to see the forms, and at least register or remember to vote, even in election-free times.
Another way to reach out to the younger voters is to show them how the War on Drugs is destroying their generation. I know that I convinced one potential Bush voter to decide on the spot to vote for Kerry due to my informing him of the differences in their views. He changed his mind immediately.

The mass organization is the hard part. I think that individually, getting a voter here and there is a start, and over the next few months the party should figure out a way to make a connection with the hourly wage workers. One way to start would possibly be through the internet, by getting people in that age group organized enough to take a stand in their own interests, such as raising the minimum wage, or things of that nature. Another way would be to try to find people that are Democrats and work at a particular industry or business and have them recruit people onto the Democratic team (Fast Food Workers for whoever, for example). One good aspect of that is that due to the high turnover rates of these jobs, there would be a lot of cross over between different types of employees, so people in the fast food industry may end up working at the mall, and being able to spread the word.
As far as networking the way the Republicans do, it's hard. We don't necessarily have the church pipeline, but I know that it is only a matter of finding the means.

I believe that you've started this thread on the wrong board. What you are looking for is a couple of aisles over -- the DLC and their New Democrats. This is a progressive liberal board. We're not looking for reform, we want to regain control of the party and OUR values.

We outdid the Repugs in getting new registrations...but the problem lies in getting the votes counted honestly and fairly.

Liberals will compromise neither our values nor our goals. It is the responsibility of the centrists and right wingers in our party to move back to where these values and goals are. To do otherwise would be sheer folly--the DLC/DNC just lost the 3rd election in a row...because they have moved so far to the right.

The only reform we need to do is to work to ensure that every vote is counted, everywhere, in every state, in every race. Also, we need to match the Republicans' intensity. We need to stand up for what we believe in, in Congress, and on the street.

Revolution Is My Name

I think democrats should stand for values such as honesty and openess in government, helping the poor and handicapped, preventing war and peacemaking, protecting nature and preventing pollution, free and fair elections where every vote is counted, equal rights for all under the law, civil rights and freedom of speech, fair taxation not the present system in which the very rich and large corporations pay little or nothing and working people are taxed to death, defense of the U.S. Constitution and interantional laws such as the Geneva Convention ( and never ever using torture on anyone ), promoting democracy and freedom (not the fascism that is promoted by Bush now), ending the arming of foreign terrorists and dictators (which republicans always support), national health care similar to Canada, an end to corporate welfare, bringing criminals to justice ( this includes the executives of corporations like Enron and Haliburton) and an end to the fascist monopoly of the media and an end to corporate funding (pay offs to politicians ) of elections.

The democrats should continue to stand for morality and values - and if the majority of people would instead prefer an immoral, anti-Christian, anti-American, anti-liberal, satanic agenda proposed by money loving, greedy, selfish, torture supporting, dictatorial, freedom hating, unAmerican republican fascist neo-nazi's - then that is their choice. People who choose evil over good can and will go to hell. And we will have done what we could to promote truth, goodness and common decency.

That pretty much puts a wrap on my outlook also, I am with Apache.

I would add that the U.S. needs to retract it's military bases from foreign soil. This has caused immense problems socially,politically and economically.

And don't call me dude

I just noticed that the user profiles for galen and democrat1 aren't around anymore...I wonder why.

Here is reform without lectures and preaching, thank you.
My method to reach out to all is through country music -- this one's based on a commercial song I just heard:
We're doing our best..
doing our best.
We're doing our best...
doing our best.

We're doing our best and their ain't nobody better,
We're doing our best for the little big man
We're democrats and we're lookin' out for you
We're doing our best for every body man...

It's cool to be progressive....;-)

Below are my list of ideas.

1) Whoever runs has to be charasmatic. People will always forgive someone major faults if they like him/her. It is the most important thing in a candidate.

2) I do believe the candidate should be from the south or atleast have a lovely southern accent. On this one I didn't make the rule, it's just one I believe is true.

3) Time and time again I hear people I would expect to vote Dem vote Rep (even people in terrible financial positions) because they believe the Dems give money to undeserving people. Whether it be in government services, tax breaks, social security, etc. I believe this is a real issue in the down the middle red states of the US. People in poor communities know someone that has taken advantage of the system and that makes them angry. I believe we must push an agenda of 'The Self Sufficient.' We could take the term and call it the 'Self' agenda. Each person is responsible for taking care of themself. I know it sounds harsh but that is the end goal and we must show we get it. We must show we are not trying to enable people who would otherwise find a way of making it themself. Someone needs to look at the system and find a way to make it less desirable and make specific suggestions. I can't live in TX and see Mexicans come over and work so hard, send money to family in Mexico and then it not appear as though the Americans on programs aren't lazy. Even people I know who take advantage of the system vote republican and tell me that is why.

4) Please don't throw eggs at me. I know this will turn stomachs, but one person can't work, the other not work, then both take Social Security. Social Security has to be changed. And while I do believe privatizing might make it go away I trust a Dem to privatize it and keep it, whereas a Rep is going to make it go away. The same people who need it badly are the ones at higher risk of messing it up, but the returns on investments are much better. But we must keep in mind it will create an inflated economy initially (heck, maybe for a decade). And in the end people might mess up their retirement. But guys, it is theirs to mess up. And they want more control in their lives. If we will update our view on this I believe we can win and not take it away permentally.

5) I have Rep friends who couldn't care less about gay marriage so they sure didn't vote against it and even Arnie knows to embrace it. The number of people accepting it only goes up over time not down. Even Wisconsin voted for it 49%. So I don't think it's a ghost we have to run from rather the Reps will redefine themselves in the next 10-15 years and decide to embrace it. The religous right is loud now, but their numbers go down not up over time.

6) We must spend some serious money on media. The Reps now own it and set the verbage, tone, and even chose what we hear about and what gets swept under the rug. That has to stop or we'll never get ahead.

7) We must put money into companies that will work on marketing. Sell our ideas, give our ideas terms, and put these terms in context and get them in our daily media. That is an investment we can't afford to skip.

If a Dem presidental candidate runs on decreasing government benefits and give people more control over their retirement we can say we're running on smaller government and giving the people control. The Reps have made goverment larger the past couple of years and have sent spending over the limit and have made terrible international defense blunders. We can stay the party we are just get in touch with the middle voter. These are my simple ideas. I didn't read what all everyone else said though I will go back and do it. I don't know if you are receptive to my ideas. It's all about getting the middle.