The key is being able to talk about the real issues in a way that does not offend - that's how Clinton did it - and that's what Dean can do to... that's why the money was spent in the primaries to defeat him -

But then I'm not polite, I'm honest -

When Wallace was shot NIxon picked up the race vote - and despite W's attempts to broaden the party, on a local level that is what it remains -

What they did with that race vote is trashed the unions -

The issue of union seniority had already split the african american community from the unions - so the dems were split

Now the Dems can't win on race, even though some of our cities are just short of slums, with areas that no one feels safe to go, even in the daytime - by the way, ever been to a Canadian city? or an European one?

However, the consequence of destroying the unions was the destruction of the US manufacturing base - which is why we have all this bs about social security - that's one place where the Dems will hold, and make headway -

W did not run on that platform.

another element of the GOP is that defense industries were and are situated in the south and west - with the northeast getting back only about 60 cents of every defense $1.00 for the last 30 years or so - intensifying from Reagan on - and the financing of it by deficit spending, which is going to be paid off either with more regressive taxes, or...

Finally, you have the split over Israel, and no one talks about that. But it's a key issue. Here you had the expansionists, and one sure way of getting a billion enemies is to tolerate Israel's expansion. That way you can spend more money on defense -

until the money runs out -

W is heading for the fight of his political life - it will hit when he puts pressure on Israel, but without a peace agreement we're screwed -

Like I said, Dean's strength is talking about the real issues in ways that are comforting, and not offensive -

I expect Powell to run with Jeb Bush in 2008 - but then that's a long way off -

the real issues might be a whole lot different by then -

ep