America is a country founded on the practical application of philosophical ideas. Conservatives and progressives alike would agree that ideas have a power to change the course of history.

But today there is greater confidence in the immediate beneficial effects of technology, medicine, and science. There is little appetite for slowly baked solutions. Voters demand microwave answers, and easily forget that philosophical theories are the foundation of the economic and political institutions which have enabled technology, medicine, and science to flourish.

John McComplain - the 'old white-haired dude' whose campaign speeches and advertisements are nothing more than a cranky and resentful senator, void of ideas, complaining about everything.  John McComplain is becoming a walking and talking caricature.

He complains about the cool young hot shot whose inspiring millions and attracting tens of thousands to his eloquent and articulate speeches (and that's supposed to be a bad thing in his mind) and that this dynamic inspiring leader isn't really as smart and bright and inspriring as he sounds...

He complains that a talented, bright, inspriring leader from the younger generation is leading America into the new millenium with fresh, inventive, and bold ideas.  John McComplain would rather do things the old way like drill, drill, drill and complain about tire pressure.

John McComplain complains about the fact that this young energetic leader wants to shift the tax burden to the super rich like his wife instead of the middle class.

John McComplain complains how this young likeable engaging leader wants to bring peace and prosperity to the world with strong diplomacy and by leading cooperative international efforts rather than spouting hawkish sabre-rattling and fighting wars.

Some of you know who I am, some of have no idea. I get a lot of mail from the GOP, and I also work with others who are staunch conservatives.

I have been active on DK for the last several months now and read a lot of great diaries on the presidential election and what the general perception is of how Republicans "think" and "act" and will "run" the election, etc.

As I have often voted for GOP candidates I am on the mailing lists for POTUS and I have many friends who get emails and are very strong supporters of McCain.

What I have found out is that they're being over-run with "fear"

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Frank Lloyd Wright - An idea is salvation by imagination.

When I first learned to tie a double knot in my shoelaces I remember thinking to myself: "It takes too long to untie the double knot."  So I sat down on the slate floor and figured out a new way to tie a double knot.  My way involves one slight twist at the end that enables you to take out the double knot as if it was a simple bow.  I was about 5 years old at the time and I still tie my shoes that way.

So....what's your good idea for the evening?  Ideas do not have to be limited to the fantastical/political realm, they can creep into any part of our mundane/existential lives.  Did you have a personal epiphany you'd like to share?  Perhaps the farmer down the road taught you how to save time and money doing something or a mechanic filled you in about ways to check for a bad engine.

The Republican Party no longer has a set of ideas that resonate with the American people.  They've cast about trying to find one but they just don't have a coherent platform that will win elections.  Perhaps they'll blunder into it, but I wouldn't hold out much hope for that (were I a Republican, which I'm not).  While I wouldn't go so far as to call them all intellectually bankrupt (though they're close these days), they do show a willingness to eat their young.

This country benefits when both parties hit their stride and have real and meaningful policy goals meant to improve our liberties, standards of living, and security.  I'm not happy to see the Republicans implode.  Oh, sure, as a Dem I'm thrilled by the prospect of us being in control.  I want that very badly, and at this point in history our country needs it.

The problem is that if the pendulum doesn't swing both ways we all suffer.  It is when a party is out of power that it often finds itself, and its soul.  The Republicans have about run out of useful ideas.  Perhaps their self-imposed exile will help them.  They're about to be cast out into the wilderness for a time.  I hope they learn something from it.

As the McCain campaign shows more and more why they will be completely unable to win this fall, it seems to the Dog that we should try to get our heads around what we might be able to accomplish in the first year of the Obama Administration (gods, I love typing that!) . The Dog knows that most of us have a laundry list of items that we hope a new Democratic congress and President will enact, but sadly we have to throw some cold water on those hopes.

First of all, I will say that I love Barack Obama's idea to accept the nomination in front of 75K+ people in the Denver stadium.  It just puts another historic notch into this election's belt.  

Despite the naysayers and the networks threatening to curtail coverage of the Democratic convention because of increased costs of covering a stadium instead of a convention center...in the end, I do not think they will be able to miss the events (for either party) as this is an historic election and the people will want to see these events.

I have my occasional disagreements with Kos, but something he said sparked an interesting idea.  In thisdiary, he sayeth:

Remember, we don't have the millions to compete with AT&T's lobbyists, and our best-crafted arguments can be easily ignored. All the while, Steny Hoyer buys loyalty by tirelessly campaigning and raising money for his fellow Democrats. So how can we overcome those obstacles?

Along with funding primary challengers, why doesn't the netroots start a lobbying arm of its own?  If Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama can pull in fifty million dollars a month, surely we can come up with enough money to match anything that AT&T, Verizon, Altria, or Big Pharma can furnish.

Imagine how we could emasculate Hoyer and the rest of his cabal if we could put more people on the ground in DC than exists in all of K street.

A recent dkos article talked about good ideas that are political losers. The article asked for user additions to the list, but most of the comment thread was spent debating the merits of the existing items (especially the 55 mph speed limit) My late-added list got no response, so I'm reposting it as a diary.

Some of these ideas could definitely use work on the details. Essentially, all numbers I give are just for the sake of argument - assume that they could be adjusted.

Let's get started:

  1.  Free birth control. Any kind (yes, abortions too - this would still reduce abortions by about 90%). No questions asked. Aid to other countries to reproduce this program, and to educate about how the pill is NOT abortion.

Could someone please tell me how I can join "noquarter" and "Hillaryis44"? I want to join so that I can challenge them (or maybe yell). I went to both of these for the first time just minutes ago.

   I have an idea or two as to how these two sites can be challenged.

   I know we are far out from the GE. I know that Hillary has been taking some time off to relax but I also know that she has been making calls to big money supporters of hers and her delegates asking them to support Obama.

More below

The strength of America is not her military might, nor her economic power. It’s not that we have better people or a more hospitable climate. All of the above helps a great deal to create an environment where diversity, our greatest strength of all, exists peacefully.

Diversity, in this context, is not just about race or gender; although those are included categories. It’s much broader and harder to define. It’s about cowboys and Indians; Socs and Greasers; blue-collar and white-collar; preppy and grunge; and homophobes and queens just to name a few examples. Our diversity isn’t always perfect, but it’s usually productive, because, sometimes, sadly, conflict leads to progress.

Aside from the Economy and the War, I am amazed at how thin John McCain’s set of plans and policies are in comparison to the entire spectrum of issues that will demand significant attention from the next president.

Not only are his plans regarding the BIG issues aimed in the wrong direction completely,  but what is even more pathetic, is how short-ranged he really is when it comes to ALL of his issues.

Given that Education is consistently rated as one of the top 2-3 issues (Pew May 29th) it is surprising that it hasn't been more visible in the campaign to date.

Yesterday the campaigns squared off at the Great American Education Forum sponsored by the Association of Education Publishers (AEP) in DC.  Educational policy experts from the campaigns addressed a wide range of positions from vouchers to the federal role in education.

McCain sent Lisa Graham Keegan a notorious school privatization profiteer and probable felon.  In a stunning admission, since McCain recruited her in 2006, she also admitted that they haven't released their education plan yet.  The message was either a) the McCain DOE will double down on the Bush NCLB corruption or b) we don't really give frack about education or c) we are incompetent.  Answer - d) all the above.

Obama sent an amateur who got eaten alive in the debate and then bailed on the press conference leaving the stage to McCain's team alone.  Sigh.

Theres more.

Recently I was notified that I was accepted to the Barack Obama Organization Fellowship Program (I am also aware that other Kos members will be taking part in the program as well.) I am amped at the idea of the whole thing and can't wait to get started, however was wondering if you guys had any ideas or suggestions of companies, sites, groups, etc. I could look into approaching for a sponsorship type package?

Following Sen. Barack Obama's historic landslide election victory in November, the election of large numbers of a new Democrats to the House and Senate on his coattails, and a stirring Inaugural Address, the new Obama Administration will settle in to at least four years of running the United States of America.

Let us assume that he/they follow through with an American de-escalation in, and subsequent withdrawl from, Iraq; that Bush tax cuts for the wealthy are repealed, and Seniors under $50,000/yr. become exempt from tax.  In short, let us assume that President Obama fulfills pretty much all of that which he has promised during the campaign.

So far, wisely, Obama's campaign has been about thematics rather than specifics. He cannot help but to change the "Zen" in Washington, coming as he does from a completely different vector than anyone to previously hold the office.  In 1971's The Candidate, the suddenly elected Sen Bill McKay (D-CA) turns to his campaign manager in astonishment and muses "My God, we WON!?!??  What do we do NOW???"  To save our Hero such angst, lets post a pot of legitimate ideas for the next Administration...

There are number of new ideas posted to On Day One (the project of the Better World Campaign that is a forum for discussing ideas the next president can adopt, on day one.)  We had some big name bloggers stop by and submit their own videos. Matthew Yglesias says the next president should commit to nuclear disarmament.  Spencer Ackerman says we need to end the war in Iraq.  Author Philippe Sands says we should stop torturing people.  Colin Powell's former chief of staff Lawrence Wilkerson says we must shut down Gitmo, end the Cuba embargo, and show the world the US is back.  

Other, everyday users also have their own thoughts for On Day One.    

One of my little hobbies is writing lines that could be used in political speeches. Alas, sadly I'm a speech writer trapped in the body of a computer programmer.

I've come up with some lines I'd love to share with Obama's speech writing team (not that they need it, as they're clearly brilliant writers, as is Obama himself). But as I don't have access to those gentlemen, I'll post my ideas here just for fun.

There's a lot of controversy about Democrats like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Howard Dean going on Fox News. A lot of people are saying we're foolish to try to reach out to conservatives and people whose beliefs are center-right.

I am here to say that we must reach out. Not just on television, but in our everyday lives as well.

There's a time and a place for ripping Fox News a new one for their shoddy reporting and irresponsible rhetoric. Many of you have called for Obama, Clinton, Dean and others to go on Fox News and tell them how horrible they are.

Do you ever listen to Sean Hannity and other right-wing radio hosts? I do. As often as I can, in fact.

Did you know that Sean Hannity has a "Hate Hannity Hotline" for liberals to call and curse at him? If you listen to the show, you'll quickly notice that the only liberals who are ever allowed on the air are furious. They yell and scream and spout talking points at Hannity as he laughs and points, saying, "This is your typical liberal. This is how they all are."