Who's demonizing who?
From the desk of the indomitable Alice Priest, in reply to this charming little missive from the "Young Democrats of Arizona"

Dear Colman,

Recently, I wrote the president of YDAZ to point out the weak arguments of the Young Democrats in representing the Democratic party in the upcoming race. I cannot emphasize enough how even a few bullet points discussing evidenced reasons to vote for the Democrats "up and down the ballot" could help your case. Perhaps even some names of the Democrats you are supporting could help as well!

We are college students. While many may be rallied by simple opposition, the smarter of us will want to know exactly why we should vote for you. As I explained to Rod, simply stating that the other party hasn't done good things isn't going to work. Why should I vote for Democrats tomorrow? *Rod never answered my two emails; maybe you will.*

"This election is a choice between the failed policies of the past and the Democratic vision of the future." What do the Democrats believe this vision is? Are all policies of the past failed? This statement needs more support to get my vote. Hurry -- you only have a few short hours.

"...they [Republicans] blamed us for being naive and sought to demonize our president and our party." What do you feel are the reasons Democrats are not naive? Why can't we vote for Republicans on some issues, and Democrats others, and Liberals, etc. on still others? Why do we separate ourselves into well-defined parties that can never really encompass the feelings of an individual? Aren't the YDAZ demonizing Republicans in these emails?

"Where Republicans say you will vote Democratic out of infatuation and not conviction, let your truth speak to their ignorance." This is exactly what the YDAZ have been doing in all of the emails sent out. The emails are so full of passion for opposing Republicans, and so devoid of content. Please, please give me something to rally behind, something real to spend my time working on. I just know that, with all the passion YDAZ has shown, and your knowledge of the negative situations to which these emails referred, you must know the answers I need.

Thanks,

Alice Priest

P.S. How did the YDAZ get my email, anyway? And how did they know I'm not registered to vote? I just moved here. I never signed up for this. I feel like my privacy has been violated. I need some answers, and I won't sit around waiting for them much longer. Thank you so very much. Good luck on election day!

Read more...
You should discuss this in the Forum.

From: Colmon Elridge, YDA Executive Vice President 
Date: Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 6:46 PM
Subject: Our Voices, Our Votes

Dear Alice,

Election Day 2010 is just a few short hours away! Over the past year we have
all been working towards this moment, where the fight to Take America
Forward lead us to cast our votes and continue Democratic control of the
House, Senate, and Governor's Mansions across the nation.

This election is a choice between the failed policies of the past and the
Democratic vision of the future. The Young Democrats of America have worked
tirelessly in the last two years supporting the President and Congress not
because we have always agreed, but because our party has offered a vision
for the future of our nation in the face of a Republican party that has
offered none.

Make no mistake about it, the Republican-Tea party does not have the courage
or integrity to lead this nation. For a decade Republicans took a record
surplus left by a Democratic president and turned them into record deficits,
launched two wars, turned a blind-eye to Wall Street, systematically
launched an all-out assault on the middle class, the youth of this nation,
and our future. When they lost in 2008, they blamed us for being naive and
sought to demonize our president and our party.

*Tomorrow, as they did in 2008, our voices and votes fight back!*

This moment is about you. Where pundits say you will not show up this
November, let your story serve as the answer to their cynicism. Where
Republicans say you will vote Democratic out of infatuation and not
conviction, let your truth speak to their ignorance. Where the pundits say
we will not win, let your presence at the ballot box and Democratic
victories show that a new generation is shaping the future of our nation.

Thank you for all of the work you have been doing and will continue to do
from now until the polls close Tuesday. Let's work hard, let's win, and
let's continue to Take America Forward.

On to Victory,

Colmon Elridge
Executive Vice-President
Young Democrats of America