| Finally I've gotten some free time to write this very important diary. This is about 7 very very important "values issues" we Democrats MUST - and I mean MUST - address for us Democrats to have any shot at carrying our home state West Virginia; our neighbors Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia; and similar tossup states like Arkansas and Missouri; and states we've been sort of competitive with in the past like North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. These 7 "values" issues were very crucial to Bush's win in 2000 because sadly of our evangelical and Pentecostal friends here in West Virginia and even more so in 2004 where for the very first election ever in the history of the United States "values" issues were ranked no. 1 in most polls as to why Bush was re-elected. But most evangelicals and Pentecostals say they've been disappointed big time by the Bush administration mainly because the president's Iraqi occupation has taken center stage since the Nov. 2004 election. But still we have to balance these states out with our western swing states like Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico where "values" issues are not that important and actually could hurt us there instead of helping us. I still think as of right now the three swing states that will determine who our next president are Ohio, Colorado, and Nevada. And must take back Iowa and hold on to Wisconsin as well but I think we will keep Wisconsin is because of Democratic Senator Russell Feingold who has opposed the Iraqi occupation from the very start and is loved out there. And New Mexico is just about in the bag for us right now because of popular gov. Bill Richardson who is no doubt the frontrunner for Dem VP nominee in my honest opinion. Well, here goes nothing: actually these are in REVERSE order of importance. And I have my reasons for doing that as you'll see later: 7. prayer in public schools; this is an issue that Republicans and even the vast majority of Dems agree on for the most part. But the Dems in Congress have really decided that this is not a major issue. Try telling that to my fellow evangelicals and Pentecostals though who say that things in this nation's public schools have gone downhill fast because of the landmark 1973 decision restricting mandatory prayer in public schools. And they have proof - at least they say - to back them up. I do agree with my fellow Dems though that this is the least important "values" issue there is for us at least at the present time. But still enough votes can be swayed by this issue that we Dems still have to address it and take it seriously at the present time. 6. ATVs; OK laugh if you will but strangely enough this is a very huge issue here in West Virginia especially in the coalfields where I live. ATV owners have been very very critical of us Democrats for placing health and safety restrictions above their "freedom to ride" wherever they want to. Most people here in West Virginia esp. in my neck of the woods have vehemently opposed ALL restrictions on them even though there is clear evidence that most people who have died in ATV accidents died unnecessarily because of the lack of these restrictions being enforced in the past. But don't tell ATV owners that. They actually say that these restrictions have caused these unnecessary deaths because people "have to take chances more" because of these resttictions. And it's a proven fact that these ATV owners believe very much that is a very serious "values" issue. Sadly I would have to say that at least 2/3 of these riders vote Republican. And it has swayed election resulte here before believe it or not to continue to be a cause of concern 5. gay and homosexual rights: this is a tough issue for us Dems to win on especially here in Appalachia and in the Deep South. Most of the people in the dark blue Democratic Northern, Great Lakes, and Western states actually support gay rights now or have decided this is a non-issue. It's not that way in West Virginia and the rest of the Red states especially the pro-evangelical states I mentioned above and the Deep South as well. Most West Virginians I know in the coalfields actually call themselves "the Deep South." In my neighbor to the West Democratic County Buchanan County Virginia they voted 90 to 10 percent in the 2006 election in favor of BANNING same-sex marriage. Yes they voted that way in a solidly Democratic county while at the same time backing Dem. Sen. candidate Jim Webb I think by a 60-40 margin. And Southern West Virginians esp. evangelicals feel exactly the same way. My mom has tried to keep me from talking to my gay friend at the mall constantly. It really doesn't affect that many votes but still enough for us Dems to be very concerned.... Now the next 4 "values" are really REALLY critical for us Dems; for the first three listed above we could at least "wing it" as they say. But for the next 4 we cannot do that at all or else the Reps will win in 2008 even with Bush as unpopular as he is. Actually I think these next 4 "values" issues are of equal importance. I'm putting them in my order of importance but that is just me saying that. In reality though they are of equal importance. 4. gun control or more truthfully "the lack of gun control": no candidate I don't care what background they come from Democratic or Republican small town or big city can even think about winning in West Virginia, the Deep South, or any Red state for that matter if you support gun control. Everyone of the people I talk to sportsman or non-sportsman except perhaps for one of my non-hunting friends in Mingo County 100 percent Democratic or Republican is OPPOSED TO ANY GUN CONTROL AT ALL. If you support gun control mark it down you will lose in West Virginia Democratic or Republican 100 percent chance of that happening. The best way I think for us Dems to handle this issue is simply this: DO NOT bring up the issue at all or if you have to just say in a debate that you are opposed to semi-automatic rifles and guns and THAT'S IT. I myself hate shotguns with a passion because in my honest opinion they literally blow up their game and they suffer from it big time. But even mention BANNING shotguns and people will HATE YOU FOREVER for saying and believing that! This "values" issue was I believe the 2nd most important reason Bush carried W. Virginia in 2000 and 2004. I personally believe that guns do more harm than good - look at the US crime rate it's NO COMPETITON WE HAVE BY FAR THE HIGHEST CRIME RATE IN THE WORLD but when I told my mom that she literally HIT THE ROOF! My step-dad has 10 to 20 guns in his house. You try to even take away one of his or any of his fellow sportsman's guns and he will absolutely DECLARE WAR ON YOU! Don't try the "all you need is one gun" comment either or they will do the exact same thing and DECLARE WAR ON YOU. We have to steer 100 percent clear of this issue except in debates where all we can really say is that we oppose semi-automatics. And many if not most people don't even like that answer. The 2nd amendment only says "we have a right to keep a highly trained militia" or similar to that but don't tell these hunters that if you want to live another day. 3. coal mining and the environment: this is the BIGGEST REASON in my opinion that Al Gore didn't carry West Virginia in 2000 because I still think even with the other 6 issues we still would have carried the Mountain State. Gore was considered a "tree hugger" then and sadly even in June 2007 W. Virginians still believe that's the case today. I HATE MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL WITH A PASSION! But many folks here a pretty significant number of them will tell pro-enviromentalists like me YOU ARE TRYING TO TAKE FOOD OFF MY KIDS' TABLE AND I DON'T LIKE IT! They will for the most part even admit to destroying the land and say with all their heart "I don't want to do this at all but I have to feed my children's mouths." They say they have no choice because it pays a high 5 or even in some cases a lower 6 digit salary while no other job can. Of course you all know the story about the family in Pike KY that feels that way. People here hate mountaintop removal but "feel it's necessary to make end's meet." Many of them will even cry when they say it. Never mind the fact that much of WV, VA, and KY is now a "mountain desert" - got the term from somewhere else but can't remember where. Until last year's election Massey CEO and chairman Don Blankenship and his Republican supporters were very successful in using this as a political issue in the coalfields where I live until last year 2006 when my fellow coalfield residents finally saw they were being used and taken advantage of and voted for the very 1st time against Blankenship and his Rep. supporters. But sadly it was too little too late and the damage was already done. I have come to a sad resignation that I will be flooded out again because of this. And my fellow coalfield residents sadly feel that same way. 2. National Security and the war in Iraq: this is now the number 1 issue here in WV. The funny thing about WV is that here the Iraqi War and Occupation is supported more here in Democratic West Virginia than even some of the very reddest Republican states in the nation. I think that even in our bordering neighbors KY, OH, VA, MD and PA the Iraq War Occupation is way way more unpopular in those states than here in West Virginia even though I'll have to check and see to be 100 percent certain. The reason it's not opposed as much here is because West Virginia has a storied history of fighting military men, women, and veterans unmatched big time by any other state in the nation, mostly because it's the best way to make a living because of our high unemployment rate and the lack of high-paying jobs here in the Mountain State. And most well-off servicemen here both active and retired support Iraq War and Occupation big time even while many of their poorer fellow Vietnam, Korean, and yes even Iraq War veterans are really kicked to the curb for the most part and treated like second-class citizens by our government especially by Bush, Cheney, and the Republican Party. My fellow evangelicals are especially duped, saying that "soldiers knew very well what they were getting into when they signed up for the military and volunteered for duty" and continue to say "Iraq is better off today because my fellow Christian George W. Bush removed anti-Christian Saddam Hussein out of power." Actually they still fail to realize even in June 2007 that there were no WMD's ever found - they still say there are WMD's when the evidence clearly states there not saying "those foreign governments and inspectors are still hiding something and hate the greatest country in the world the United States of America and want us Americans wiped off the face of the earth." In actually I don't know exact number but I think that the number of Iraqis killed since Saddam was removed out of power is even greater than those murdered in his regime. And my fellow evangelicals say that "Bible prophecy says more about Iraq than any other nation besides Israel whom we have to support or else our USA will be cursed. We must support Israel who is God's Chosen People or else God will turn his back on these United States of America." 'Nuff said. Finally the number 1 issue of them all. Drum roll please.... 1. ABORTION ABORTION ABORTION! Many of my fellow evangelicals I know say "We can disagree on every other issue but this. If you voted for John Kerry you will die and go to hell and burn forever and forever because you are a BABY-KILLER!" Many of them actually even agree with us and our fellow Dems on the first 6 six issues. But to my fellow evangelicals this is literally a LIFE AND DEATH ISSUE. "Life begins at conception, the Bible says something like I knew you in your mother's womb before you were born." My fellow evangelicals say this "values" issue trumps all the others even if they disagreed with the first 6. We Dems have done a very poor job communicating to the American people especially the Republican Red States our position on this the abortion "LIFE AND DEATH" issue for the most part. I have to be completely honest in saying I don't even know how to respond to my fellow evangelicals on this subject and I've even moticed many of my fellow members on this site say the exact same thing. My fellow evangelicals almost always am crush me big time in every debate with them on the abortion issue. The current Democratic policy of SAFE, RARE, AND LEGAL ain't gonna cut with them I'm afraid. Even the very least educated ones are too smart and intelligent fo fall for that. While I'm pro-life myself I'm often considered a "child murderer and traitor to the unborn babies of this country". My fellow Dems didn't help themselves at all when they excluded former Democratic PA pro-life governor Bob Casey Sr. the dad of current Dem PA Senator Bob Casey Jr. from speaking at the '92 or '96 Democratic convention I don't remember which one. And former pres. Clinton didn't even appoint one pro-life judge to the federal bench. NOT EVEN ONE. And even my least educated fellow evangelicals can see through that. My online friend Dan says that Republicans are "100 percent wrong" on every life and death issue but that one. And he is 100 percent correct. Yet abortion is the only life and death issue the mainstream media wants to focus on most of the time. WE DEMOCRATS MUST AND I MEAN MUST FIND A SOLUTION TO OUR ABORTION DILEMMA OR ELSE! We have to do it. Can't continue avoid this question at all. Some Democrat out there has to speak up with a solution to this subject or else even with Bush at a 28-34 approval rating the Republican presidential candidate will win easily again in 2008 except possibly pro-choice Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani. That's all. I'm worn out big time now. We have to address all 7 of these "values" issues or at least 10000 probably now 20000 or more innocent US soldiers will continue to die needlessly in Iraq and probably Iran too now. Losing is not an option for us Democrats in 2008. We can't take another 4 years of Republican rule. |
