How Democrats Can Take Back Congress [Paperback]

"Tom Paine" (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

Currently, the Republican Congress has some of the lowest approval ratings ever measured. Voters from Seattle to New Orleans are beginning to hope and to ask: Can Democrats successfully take advantage of this situation? Can the Democrats take back Congress this year? The answer is a resounding YES! According to the exciting new book How Democrats Can Take Back Congress the task would be easy, if they could only agree on a cohesive message AND speak with one voice. With an inclusive strategy for Democrats to win voters in both "red" and "blue" states, complete with fifteen persuasive policy ideas, this book is inspiring Congressional leaders and the voting public to set a new direction for America. To date every Democratic member of Congress has received a copy and, as one House member and Senate candidate put it, "All in all, a good book with provocative ideas and a thoughtful roadmap for Democratic candidates." How Democrats Can Take Back Congress was written under the pseudonym "Tom Paine" as an experiment conducted by a concerned citizen to see whether pamphleteering party leaders is still a viable option in a modern Democracy. Are those in the corridors of power still open to the voice of reason from the public? From policymakers to media analysts, the reaction has been unanimous: this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of the Democratic Party! "TOM PAINE" ON: TAKING BACK CONGRESS What would happen if some well-targeted policies were offered to working Americans in all states? What if these changes improved their lives so much that they wouldn't just grudgingly vote for whoever champions them, but enthusiastically donate to the cause as well? What if these ideas were so simple that anyone could understand them, even mainstream media talking heads? What if these ideas were so free of any ideology that a devout churchgoer in the Deep South would just as readily support them as some pinko tree-hugging atheist from San Francisco? The answer is the electoral map would change color overnight. No matter how the opposition would try to demonize these ideas as being anti-this or anti-that, the average guy or gal would weigh such rants against the common sense of: "This will make my life better." SOCIAL SECURITY My plan cuts payroll taxes both for businesses and for 94% of American workers and still "saves" Social Security. The remaining 6% would just be paying their fair share -- the same percentage everyone else pays. How can Republicans be against a tax cut for 94% of Americans? IDENTITY THEFT PREVENTION AND DATA PRIVACY The GOP is on the wrong side of an issue that polls stratospherically high, as high as 90% in favor of privacy. If the Democrats can't effectively exploit this, they don't deserve to be called a political party. TALKING TO THE VOTERS Sell it all with a huge dose of optimism: "Here's what we're going to do when we take back Congress. We see a bright future for America, and here are our ideas on how to get there. We love this country so much that you, the voter, should elect us so we can make our dream a reality together. The Republicans have had their chance to make a better country, and mostly they've forgotten the people who have to live in it. We have different priorities, and have ideas to help average Americans live better lives. Republicans have controlled every branch of government for too long, and most people aren't better off as a result. Elect us, and we promise to make life better for you. Or continue to support the failed Republican right-wing agenda and the oil men and spin doctors running it and... oh, by the way... have fun paying five bucks a gallon for gasoline in the near future."

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Pamphleteering Press (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977775909
• ISBN-13: 978-0977775903
• Product Dimensions: 0.2 x 5.4 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,604,512 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Back to Basics May 8, 2006

By F. Fowles

Brevity in the age of instant communication and instant distraction is sometimes a good thing. This small book makes some critical points that seem like common sense. But, for whatever reason, have not been well articulated recently by the Democratic leadership or rank and file. Instead of unwieldy plans with complex solutions, perhaps it is time to get back to sponsorship of fundamental concepts and let the details get worked out in the doing. Today, we seem to spend huge amounts of time on the minutia and lose the concepts to the lobbyists.

This is certainly not a panacea for the problems of the Democratic Party in the US. But it does cause one to ponder the possibilities of proposing a positive agenda versus reacting to the Republicans.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wake Up Democratic Party Leaders! March 20, 2006

By Optimist Here

Good medium, sound ideas and analyses abound. Excellent sense of humor lightens a heavy subject for easy reading and comprehension. An email or letters to our leaders pointing to this excellent resource material from every reader would have to put get Democrats back on top. We can put our emphasis first on food, clothing, housing, education, jobs and health care for everyone; respect and tolerance for all. (This is of course beyond the scope of the book, but with the proper working tools in place everything is probable.)

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide for pundits and candidates alike April 7, 2006

By Terry Schmitt

This isn't a long book, and that is but one of its many virtues. Long books are not necessarily more substantive books, and this one is both helpful and substantive. It's split into two parts: the first laying out why the upcoming elections pose a particular opportunity for Democratic candidates. That material is nice, but it recapitulates much that others have written. The real strength of this book is in part two, in which the author goes through more than a dozen specific issues in a neat, capsulated way, that gives candidates issues, statistics, both the advantages and possible disadvantages of each position, and then even a nice soundbite. Many of the ideas are good ones, and the whole setup is a perfect primer for anyone interested in helping end the Republican stranglehold on Congress. If you are tired of being ashamed of a leadership apoligizing for torture, squandering the nation's future, and starting wars for false reasons, then this is a great place to get ready to change things.