We assume that, at least through summer (“you don’t introduce new products in August”), D candidates will concentrate on reinforcing the D message generically, while fundraising for their own causes. We assume the real dog-eat-dog “pick me, not them” part of the battle waits till Labor Day and beyond.
Our little blogging community has also seen a couple of recent examples of the power of shared effort. Our muscles are being flexed, and it feels pretty good.
We have an entire summer ahead of us, and potential power to direct.
So I have a suggestion: why don’t we spend some time over the next few months, each of us, personally, visiting the internet towns and villages where Rs gather. Let’s politely introduce ourselves, let’s respectfully address issues of concern, where we find them; and let’s start the process of reminding purple voters we find there that reason, common sense, and good government are more likely to be achieved by choosing a D candidate over any likely R candidate.
To put it another way, rather than waiting for our candidates to begin rustling up votes for the D side, let’s do it ourselves.
This may not be as impossible an idea as you might think. There is a huge sense of Republican concern that the Party does not have what it takes to win in ’08, and this is our chance to take advantage of it.
Unlike Dick Cheney, I will not tell you that we will be greeted as liberators.
Instead, don’t be surprised if you encounter something more like this...
“I feel that ‘fake consultant’ s concerns are shared by a lot of people. I live in California where we have a large amount of illegals. It sounds like a bad idea to deny schooling to the children. In reality over fifty percent of the Hispanic kids drop out of school by the ninth grade here in California. Girls become pregant quite frequently at twelve or thirteen years old. The males are usually members of a gang by the time they’re fifteen. As ‘fake consultant’ mentions “idle hands are the Devils’ playground” and yes — these idle layaround Mexican kids love to kill people and rape and drive drunk and kill innocent people. They’ll have three generations of off spring going while a normal White couple is still contemplating their first child.
If the illegal parents were rounded up and deported back to Mexico or Central America where they came from, they would probably take their children with them — although there is a big market now on having teenage girls in Central America ‘make’ babies so their pimps (for lack of a better word) can sell the baby to parentless Whites here in America. Possibly some of the deportees would raise extra cash by selling their ‘ninos’ before they were deported.”
...which was a response from a comment I made on Buchanan.org.
When something like this is posted on TPMCafe, or Kos, or (insert your favorite community here), it’s considered trollism, and is quickly removed.
You will, if you decide to visit the neighbors, have to adjust to a different definition of polite behavior. Don’t despair. There is also an opportunity to engage with more moderate citizens of the villages as well.
That engagement, and the opinions of those who read but don’t post-there is the value of making the social effort.
We are in a battle for purple voters in this cycle, and every one will matter.
Let us now begin to visit those voters where they collect, and let’s-again, politely and with respect-start a conversation about what makes more sense for our shared country.
If we are met with responses like the one above, it’s a bonus. Purple voters who see this are more likely to consider our reasoned response. If we instead, are met with more calm responses, let’s tell our story, let them tell theirs, and let the purple voters decide.
Again, this too can help to move more purple voters into looking at any D candidate in a better light.
So where are these Conservative-leaning purple voters?
Redstate is important enough that it has become the...well, the Redstate of Conservative communities. Just like your home village, there are diarists who bring attention to the news as they see it. You’ll find interesting articles and links, just as you would expect, and a full recitation of the R talking points.
I posted and responded here in ’06, and at the time I was surprised at how often moderate voices would appear. I was not all that surprised at how often immoderate voices would appear, however. Questioning the patriotism of dissenters is a common practice. So consider yourself warned.
Visit Buchahan.org. You will be surprised with the strident disagreement these Conservatives have with this Administration. The site is not enormously active, but it is highly informative in showing not all Rs move in lockstep.
I have not become a member here or really visited, but if you wish to reach deep within the beast, here’s the Ann Coulter chat room. I anticipate few real purple voters here, but I’m often wrong, and this could be another example.
In an effort to induce audience participation, I’ll leave this list incomplete, and give you reader/participants the chance to fill it in a bit.
You might be surprised, should you wander in the Republican woods, not only how diverse opinions can be, but how much of what I perceive as a sense of desperation you’ll note in your interactions over there.
If you don’t have a good feeling about ‘08 now, it’s likely that after a few visits, you will.
So let’s sum up.
We have power, we have a summer to kill, and we have the ability to lay the groundwork for the ’08 election, so that any D candidate can hit the ground with a running start.
We can gain education, inspiration, and maybe even some of those highly desirable purple votes by taking a trip to the home of the neighbors.
Here’s the best part-by comparing our experiences, we gain a roadmap for the time ahead.
So go meet the neighbors-it’s good for us, and good for them, too.
Then let’s all get together and talk about it.
Now get out of here-and we’ll see you back with a report real soon.
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