The Dem IM

To:	SOH CAH TOA
X	The Dem IM: Can you hear me now? DAMN!

If we don't screw this up, 2006 will be for Democrats what 1994 was for Republicans. The country finds itself tired of the same, old corrupt politicians and thirsts for hope, vision, and change. We'll probably screw it up. I try to remain optimistic for the future but we have been so incompetent so many times in the past that I often find myself resigned to inevitable defeat. This is especially frustrating since we have such great opportunities available to us only to snatch defeat from the hands of victory.

But what if we weren't to screw it up? What would our battleplan look like and how would we win? Let's get to work.

As many of you know, Peter Daou, Kerry's former blogger, has written about "The Triangle" of bloggers, party establishment, and traditional media that must come together to move an idea from a "talking point" to "common knowledge." The Republicans have mastered this. We suck at it. Daou details our broken triangle during the illegal spying scandal, and in the recent flap about Matthews, Moore, and Murtha.

It's not just about the message though. The message must fit into a narrative or frame. From George Lakoff's Don't Think of An Elephant:

“To be accepted, the truth must fit people’s frames. If the facts do not fit a frame, the frame stays and the facts bounce off… People do not necessarily vote their self-interest. They vote their identity. They vote their values. They vote for who they identify with… It is a serious mistake to assume that people are simply always voting in their self-interest.”

So with that in mind, this is how we would win:

1. Organize the Blogosphere
   
   • Create a central directory for all of the major blogs
   • Split blogs into specialized categories and sub-categories by specialty
     
     1. Framing - develop our narrative and language (TheDemIM, DemSpeak, Rockridge...)
        
     2. Media Watchers - hold media accountable (Media Matters, Crooks & Liars...)
        
     3. Daily Digests - regularly comment on current events (DailyKos, Atrios...)
     4. Electoral Strategy - report electoral opportunities (MyDD, OurCongress...)
     5. Grassroots Activism - petition, protest, get out the vote (MoveOn, America Votes...)
        
2. Develop a Message on Why Their Bad and Why We're Better
   
   • Develop a language/narrative that speaks to our values and our voters (Framing)
     
3. Hold the Media Accountable to our Message
   
   • Repeat our narrative and language in context (Daily Digests) and demand media do the same (Media Watchers)
     
4. Hammer the Republicans on What They Do Wrong
   
   • Use the system to make Republican re-election untenable
     
5. Introduce Our Own Plan
• Introduce our own "Contract with America" type document that sets out our values and specific policies
  
6. Get Boots on The Ground
   
   • Use activists/volunteers from netroots, meetups, DNC, etc. to get votes one-by-one
     
7. Win

Let's get to work.

TAGS: Heart, Muscle, Gut, Framing, Democratic Message, Strategy, Platform, Blogosphere, Triangle, 2006 Elections