Sunday Open Thread
As I mentioned in a previous post, this week I will be posting Open Threads like this in the hopes that they engender some discussion. For those who do not know, an Open Thread is a place for the users to discuss what they think is important. So if you have something relevant to say, post it in the comments section. You can use these threads to pitch story ideas for Say No to Pombo, to comment on relevant media articles, to report on any experience you had with the candidates or their campaigns, or to discuss this blog itself. And feel free to ask questions of your fellow readers and the Say No to Pombo bloggers. It’s your space. Just try to keep it germane to the topic of the blog and more or less respectful of the Say No to Pombo community members.
posted by Matt @ 9:49 AM
3 Comments:
I haven't posted in awhile because I felt the tone of this blog was becoming bleak. I admit, I was part of the problem. I felt this blog was blatent in its support of one candidate, therefore betraying the very title of the blog. But I understand that progress can't be made unless we all admit our wrongs and move on.
VPO, Delta, and to some extent Matt, have asked everyone to take a step back, breath and talk about how we can all come together and reach the voters Filson or McNerney will need to win the election.
I'm in. Lets put together some ideas that we can forward to the campaigns that are productive, agressive, and win votes.
I'll try and start. How do we, as Democrats who want to defeat Pombo, begin the process of framing the dude? Trapping him in a box of his own making. What kind of message do we want to send to our friends and families who may have voted for him in the past?
Let's come up with a theme, not a set of issues, but a theme we can use to turn those moderate voters, especially in the valley (Tracy, Lodi, Ripon, Manteca). What do we want, how can we do things better than Pombo has done?
I saw a good post on MyDD noting that the current majority party in Congress has become the party of "ineffective big government." That's not bad!
I also think it's going to be important (if even possible) to talk to the Democrats in Tracy, who go to church with Pombo, who won't even talk about getting a Democrat to take his place.
Are these people just lost to us? Do we just suck it up and accept the fact that certain Democrats will vote for the worst possible type of Republican just because they know him?
That's a little disheartening, isn't it?
Folks here might be interested in this post about Pombo at Wampum. I do not entirely understand it, except that I know that a theme there is that the crookedness of Abramoff/Pombo should not rub off on the tribes that were just trying to do what every group does -- take care of their folks.
In general about the CA-11 race, I just hope one of the Dem candidates will really prove able to identify with the people of the district, find a way to communicate that he'll be there for them. It ought to be possible to stick Pombo with the "gone off the Washington and doesn't care about the home folks" label, but I haven't seen it yet.
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