According to a recent Pew Center poll, support for the Democratic Party hasn’t grown even though Republican approval ratings are plummeting. The problem? People think Republicans at least are clear about what they want: lower taxes, less government, strong defense. Democrats have “a hundred answers and it’s ten minutes before the first sentence ends,” says Peter Cunningham, president of the Bread and Butter Forum. For the Dems to win in 2008, they have to learn to keep it short and simple.
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To that end the BBF–a local organization of progressive activists–last week hosted its inaugural Voter Slam, an entertaining if only vaguely practical public brainstorming session at Second City. Hoping to trade righteous anger for irreverent humor and negativity for problem solving on bread-and-butter issues like jobs, health care, retirement, housing, education, and energy, the group invited more than a dozen people to spend 90 seconds apiece telling an audience of like-minded friends and acquaintances what they vote for when they vote Democratic.
Former state rep Lauren Beth Gash momentarily brought the focus back when she proclaimed, “No one who works should be poor.” Dan Seals, who ran a strong 2006 race against North Shore Republican congressman Mark Kirk, said Americans long for “competent government.” Moraine Township trustee Margoth Moreno queried, “What are we going to do about immigration?”
Lights down and some of the evening’s loudest applause. Maybe people can rally behind plain old negativity after all.
