[Dialogue] Fwd: An article from a friend

[KroegerD at aol.com]

It’s  Not the Economy.  Smart People Know  It’s Our Values.

It’s not the  economy, stupid.  It wasn’t the  economy, stupid in 1992.  It’
s our  values.  It’s always been our  values.  Our primary value is  providing 
freedom and opportunity to everyone.  A crucial means to providing freedom  
and opportunity is a good economy.   An economy which provides jobs, income and 
necessary goods and services  for everyone.    
Our economy has  usually improved when Democrats controlled our government.  
An exception was the Carter years,  when our oil shock produced rampant 
stagflation.  When Republicans control our  government, they kill the goose that 
lays our golden eggs.  They divert our public revenues into  the hands of their 
non-productive wealthy and powerful cronies.  They reduce public investment.  
Our physical and social infrastructure  decays.  Economic inefficiency  
results.    Our economy  becomes unfair.  Productivity goes  unrewarded.  Our economy 
 falters.  It becomes time to  return to Democratic control to restore the 
goose that lays our golden  eggs. 
Our values include  much more than a good economy.  We  also believe in the 
worth of every person.  We believe in fairness and  compassion.  Unlike 
Conservatives  who promote unfairness and cynically oppose compassion.   
Our values include  our natural and social environment.   We support our 
environment which supports us both spiritually and  physically.  We support our  
fellows who support us both spiritually and physically.  Conservatives regard 
our environment  as resources to be despoiled for personal gain.  Conservatives 
promote a competitive  (and coercive) individualism which destroys community. 
 They don’t agree that it takes a  community to raise a child and sustain an 
adult.  They regard themselves as self-made  and self-sustaining.  They are  
terribly wrong. 
To win elections, we  must proclaim our values.  We must  then attack our 
Conservative opponents for opposing our values.  We must attack them for 
obstructing  the realization of our values.  We  must throw them on the defensive.   
We must force them to defend the indefensible.  Then they lose.  We win.  We 
build a productive and fair  economy.  We also build a  sustaining natural and 
social environment, in which we can all get ahead  together.  We seek to leave 
none  of us behind.    
These are our  values, which we have struggled to realize for centuries.  We 
must be clear about our values and  our struggle.  We must be clear  about 
those who oppose us.  We  must be strategic and tactical to convert or defeat our 
Conservative  enemies.  Our values are too  important, to be left unexpressed 
and unfought for.  Now is the time.  We are the people.  Yes, we  can.
 
Putting  Conservatives on the Defensive 
The largest weakness  of our recent Democratic presidential campaigns have 
been the unwillingness to  go on the offense.  An untrue myth  emerged that 
offense is counter-productive.  Even though offense was obviously  working very 
well for Conservatives.   
It was erroneously  thought that offense would offend Independents.  In fact, 
only a fourth of Independents  are truly independent.  Half  consistently 
support Democratic candidates.  A fourth support Republican candidates.  The 
other quarter (only 8% of all  voters) pick and choose candidates among both 
parties.  The half of Independents who  consistently support Democratic candidates 
have often abstained from becoming  Democrats, because they believe Democrats 
are not aggressive enough.  They are attracted by a good  offense. 
Another myth (which  pundits continually repeat) is that Barack Obama and 
John McCain will compete  for Independents.  No.  Liberal Independents who are 
half of all  Independents (16% of all voters) will not vote for John McCain.  
They will vote for Barack Obama, a  candidate of a smaller Liberal party or not 
vote.  Conservative Independents who are a  quarter of all Independents (8% of 
all voters will not vote for Barack  Obama.  They will vote for John  McCain, 
vote for a candidate of a smaller Conservative party or not vote.  Only the 
remaining truly Independent  voters (8% of all voters) will vote for either of 
the candidates or not  vote. 
It was erroneously  thought that offense would offend wealthy contributors, 
who are necessary to  winning campaigns.  In fact, we are  better off if we get 
most of our campaign contributions from numerous donors of  small amounts.  
Barack Obama, other  Democratic candidates, and groups who support Democratic 
candidates are now  raising enormous amounts of money from many small 
contributors.  Barack Obama’s campaign recently  announced that they now have 1 million 
contributors.  Small contributors are less likely to  push their special 
interests, to corrupt the candidates they support.  Making small contributions 
typically  solidifies the contributors support and leads to other contributions 
of time and  effort.  Such contributors of small  amounts are fired up by 
offense.   
After stating our  values, we must go on the offense against our conservative 
enemies.  Hit them again and again for destroying  our American Dream.  For 
imposing a  National Nightmare.  For obstructing  the realization of our 
Liberal values.   
In football parlance,  we must hit them high.  Hit them  low.  Gang tackle 
them.  Wear down their defense.  Force them to make mistakes.  To fumble.  To 
throw interceptions.  To drop passes.  To jump  offside.  To incur holding, 
facemask, interference  and other penalties.  We must spend  push their line back. 
 Penetrate  their line.  Spend our time in their  backfield.  We must sack 
their  quarterback.  We must throw them off  their game plan.  You get the  
idea.  Yes, we  can.



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