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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=st...nghardquestionsQuote:
By Mike Dorning Washington Bureau
Even before John Kerry conceded defeat Wednesday, Democratic strategists, activists and party leaders already were beginning a difficult self-examination of the party's failure to connect with voters, spurred on by a deeply disappointing performance in the election.
The debate over the future of the Democrats will play out in the weeks and months ahead, probably continuing until the party has settled on a new presidential nominee four years hence. And the parameters of the discourse are still emerging.
"This will be an important choice," said former Bill Clinton aide Paul Begala. "The Democrats will ask hard questions about our party and our future."
Some themes already were clear Wednesday, as party insiders traded condolences and activists took to Web logs to express their frustration.
Some in the liberal wing of the party suggested that John Kerry had failed to present a sufficiently coherent and clear alternative to President Bush and the Republican Party's policies. In particular, they criticized him for sounding an uncertain trumpet against the war in Iraq, which Kerry voted to authorize.
But, in the initial hours after the defeat, much of the discussion among political professionals touched on how the Democratic Party could draw a closer connection to moderate and rural voters on issues of values and culture.
"If we don't step back, take a good hard look and address these issues, we're going to be in the back seat for many years to come," Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) told CNN.
Exit polls showed 22 percent of voters were most concerned about "moral issues," ahead of any other concerns, including Iraq, terrorism or the economy. President Bush, a born-again Christian who embraced religion in a midlife struggle against alcohol, comfortably includes regular references to faith in his political speech.
Spreading the word
On Wednesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was citing the the Bible, particularly the Gospel of St. Matthew, as inspiration for her political beliefs during a CNN interview.
"On some of the social issues, the Democrats did not connect well enough with the country. Certainly, we are faith-filled. We love our country," Pelosi said.
Not only did the Democrats lose the race for the White House but Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) suffered a humiliating defeat and the party lost seats in both chambers of Congress. Democratic candidates lost every contested Senate election in the South.
And, unlike the presidential election four years ago, when the political significance of the Democratic loss was clouded because Al Gore won the popular vote and Florida's pivotal electoral votes were disputed, the election results Tuesday showed a clear victory for President Bush.
1st majority vote since '88
Though Bush's 51 percent majority is not overwhelming, it is the first time a presidential candidate has gained a majority of the vote since 1988. And the results in the congressional contests strengthened the sense that Democrats are becoming uncompetitive in places like the South and rural America.
"One thing's very clear: What Democrats are selling, people aren't buying in large parts of the country," said Jim Kessler, a Democratic strategist who recently joined the staff of a centrist party organization, The Third Way.
The struggle over the future of the party will play out as a new leadership emerges. Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe is almost certainly out of a job, said party strategists and office-holders.
For the time being, Kerry remains the Democrats' most prominent spokesman. But vice presidential nominee Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton (news - web sites), now a senator from New York, may become increasingly prominent as they consider potential presidential bids.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson also may take on a larger public role as the party fights to retain its appeal to Hispanic voters, which defected to Bush in significant numbers Tuesday. And Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) could have a larger role as Democrats wrestle with how to become more competitive in rural America.
Sen.-elect Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is expected to be one of the party's new stars as the Senate's only African-American and a charismatic and articulate speaker who even before his election was tapped to give a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.
Senate Whip Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is widely considered the most likely replacement for Daschle as Democratic leader. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin is considered a potential successor to Reid.
whomod said: I generally don't like it when people decide to play by the rules against people who don't play by the rules. It tends to put you immediately at a disadvantage and IMO is a sign of true weakness. This is true both in politics and on the internet." Our Friendly Neighborhood Ray-man said: "no, the doctor's right. besides, he has seniority."
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Quote:
Exit polls showed 22 percent of voters were most concerned about "moral issues," ahead of any other concerns, including Iraq, terrorism or the economy.
Didn't these same exit polls show Kerry ahead by seventeen points? Why are these idiots still listening to them?
Wait, let them think what they want...heh heh heh... 
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I think abortion & the gay marriage issues gave the President those couple of extra percentage points this election. Being born again sealed the deal.
Those voters will expect the President to follow through on Supreme Court appointments & get Roe VS. Wade overturned.
Fair play!
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Quote:
Matter-eater Man said:
I think abortion & the gay marriage issues gave the President those couple of extra percentage points this election. Being born again sealed the deal.
Those voters will expect the President to follow through on Supreme Court appointments & get Roe VS. Wade overturned.
I'm giddy just thinking about it.
Putting the "fun" back in Fundamentalist Christian Dogma.
" I know God exists because WBAM told me so. " - theory9
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Quote:
wannabuyamonkey said:
Quote:
Matter-eater Man said:
I think abortion & the gay marriage issues gave the President those couple of extra percentage points this election. Being born again sealed the deal.
Those voters will expect the President to follow through on Supreme Court appointments & get Roe VS. Wade overturned.
I'm giddy just thinking about it.
I doubt it will happen though. Many people I know vote Republican because of that one issue. Your party is going to hedge on this & keep the status quo.
Fair play!
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Quote:
Matter-eater Man said:
Quote:
wannabuyamonkey said:
Quote:
Matter-eater Man said:
I think abortion & the gay marriage issues gave the President those couple of extra percentage points this election. Being born again sealed the deal.
Those voters will expect the President to follow through on Supreme Court appointments & get Roe VS. Wade overturned.
I'm giddy just thinking about it.
I doubt it will happen though. Many people I know vote Republican because of that one issue. Your party is going to hedge on this & keep the status quo.
I don't think it'll happen, but for much less consperitorial reasons.
Putting the "fun" back in Fundamentalist Christian Dogma.
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Quote:
wannabuyamonkey said:
Quote:
Matter-eater Man said:
I think abortion & the gay marriage issues gave the President those couple of extra percentage points this election. Being born again sealed the deal.
Those voters will expect the President to follow through on Supreme Court appointments & get Roe VS. Wade overturned.
I'm giddy just thinking about it.
Don't hold your breath. I'm anti-abortion myself, but I just have a hard time seeing Roe v. Wade overturned.
We all wear a green carnation.
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To get back to the thread's topic, two major events went against the Democrats this time.
1: The Republicans ran President Bush as their nominee.
2: The Democrats countered with John Kerry as their nominee.
The rest is history.
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I do think the Democrats shot themselves in the foot with the anti-Bush/Republican angle. The Reps. used the same tactic, just not to the same degree. Nor did they do it for as long. The Dem. primaries were basically set up as being to outst Bush more than it was to put a responsible Dem. candidate in the White House. Kerry saying on national TV that he doesn't want science with ethics hurt him big time too. I think the Reps. have done a better job of painting the Dems. as being in the pockets of special interest groups than the Dems. have the Reps. Honestly, it boils down to the Dems. not being able to communicate their goals and platform in a way most of America can understand. They spent too much time reaching out to the special interests and not to the average American.
whomod said: I generally don't like it when people decide to play by the rules against people who don't play by the rules. It tends to put you immediately at a disadvantage and IMO is a sign of true weakness. This is true both in politics and on the internet." Our Friendly Neighborhood Ray-man said: "no, the doctor's right. besides, he has seniority."
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living in 1962 15000+ posts
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Quote:
MisterJLA said:
2: The Democrats countered with John Kerry as their nominee.
"If you want to remove a seated president, you don't send Boris fucking Karloff." Warren Ellis, on the election. DragonCon04.
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Warren Ellis wrote a wonderful story in his Live Journal about that. High-larious.
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"the candidate had bolts in his neck. . ."
yeah, that was great. lol
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I actually think Warren is a bit wrong here. I bet Frankenstein could kick George Bush's Yale®-attending arse.
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Frankentein is a monster. in a book everybody has read.f
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Frankenstein is a scientist who made a monster, actually.
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Quote:
JQ said:
Frankentein is a monster. in a book everybody has read.f
Go ahead, finish that post.
On second thought, don't.
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I think "retarded" is the safer bet.
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Quote:
Disco Steve said:
Frankenstein is a scientist who made a monster, actually.
what was the frankenstein monster called then? stupid
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I remember in movies and disney cartoons they used to call the frankenstein monster frankenstein. So what the fuck is your problem? Your being one of thse nitpicks?
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It's a huge misconception known only by people who have read the novel or know things that the monster's name is Frankenstein. In "reality," it has no name, and for good reason, which you'd know if you've read it.
In the novel, Frankenstein's Monster is referred to as "the creation." The book is named for its narrator/protagonist Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the being.
He didn't grunt and speak like an infant, either. He was quite eloquent.
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in that incarnation. there are several other versions where the monster was reffered to as Frankenstein. I actually believe the original book to be incorrect.
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how can the original book be incorrect?
that's like saying sean connery played james bond wrong.
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Sean Connery wasn't the first to play James Bond, actually. 
Barry Nelson played James "Jimmy" Bond in the episode of the anthology series "Climax!" that adapted the novel Casino Royale.
NOW I'm nitpicking.
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 and you're right.
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On both accounts, I'd say.
JQ is all "Gawd, Sir Ian Fleming totally got James Bond wrong."
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Quote:
JQ said:
Quote:
Disco Steve said:
Frankenstein is a scientist who made a monster, actually.
what was the frankenstein monster called then? stupid
Fred
"Well when I talk to people I don't have to worry about spelling." - wannabuyamonkey
"If Schumacher’s last effort was the final nail in the coffin then Year One would’ve been the crazy guy who stormed the graveyard, dug up the coffin and put a bullet through the franchise’s corpse just to make sure." -- From a review of Darren Aronofsky & Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One" script
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Quote:
Jim Jackson said:
Quote:
wannabuyamonkey said:
Quote:
Matter-eater Man said:
I think abortion & the gay marriage issues gave the President those couple of extra percentage points this election. Being born again sealed the deal.
Those voters will expect the President to follow through on Supreme Court appointments & get Roe VS. Wade overturned.
I'm giddy just thinking about it.
Don't hold your breath. I'm anti-abortion myself, but I just have a hard time seeing Roe v. Wade overturned.
Just out of curriosity and I have no intention of following this up with a debate, but would you favor the overturning of Roe v. Wade?
Putting the "fun" back in Fundamentalist Christian Dogma.
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Quote:
Darknight613 said:
Quote:
JQ said:
Quote:
Disco Steve said:
Frankenstein is a scientist who made a monster, actually.
what was the frankenstein monster called then? stupid
Fred
I don't get that.
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Quote:
Wednesday said:
how can the original book be incorrect?
that's like saying sean connery played james bond wrong.
it is. i looked it up.
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Quote:
Disco Steve said:
On both accounts, I'd say.
JQ is all "Gawd, Sir Ian Fleming totally got James Bond wrong."
JQ is MOTA?
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Bob Holness played Bond first in a radio adaption.
I rule you all, you sloppy bitches!
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Quote:
Steve T said:
Bob Holness played Bond first in a radio adaption.
I rule you all, you sloppy bitches!
Yeah, but that was in Britain, right? It's not the U.S. so it doesn't count. 
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Gah..
Dij...
Nya...
Whu..
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
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