Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope implies a certain amount of despair, wanting, wishing, suffering or perseverance -- i.e., believing that a better or positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary.

Change is to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone: to change one's name; to change one's opinion; to change the course of history.

These two terms strike to the very heart of the campaign's target markets.  They skip the reasoning part of the brain and go right to the emotional triggers.

This is in response to Scott Shields post The Definition of Plagiarism.  In it he states "I'm not sure which is worse -- the fact that the White House is taking credit for Democratic proposals on Iraq, or the fact that they are hiding behind those plans as a way of paying lip service to ending the war, with no real plans of actually leaving"

I really think he is wrong on this issue.  The American people on the whole do not belive the President has no plans for leaving Iraq.  The Bush administration has always said that it will withdraw troops when the objects are achieved.  

It is easy to get swept into the media frenzy.  Let's face it the media needs action to get and keep listeners to their 24-hour news cycle.   The reporters on the major networks emote themselves to the point they become part of the story.  They then watch each others' broadcasts and get themselves and the people they are covering into a frenzy.   Soon you have death estimates far exceeding reality.  

Objective journalism has all but died.  We have to think for ourselves.  

In discussing how to win it is important to first understand the situation.  Coming off of 80 years where the power in Washington was squarely in the left the Republican Party has had a lot of time to do its homework.   The arguments of the Left are ingrained in our very institutions so the right of this country know the left's arguments inside and out.  They know how to effectively argue the issues and sell them to the American public.  

President Bush and the GOP leadership are beating the Democratic Party on the issues.  Crying fowl play or blaming the right is avoiding reality and not facing up to the very things that need to be corrected before the next election cycle.  I am so sick of this poor me mentality - Bush stole the election, or the right wing media machine brainwashed the public.  Bah...literally bah, bah.  See those arguments for what they are; propaganda designed to organize the base.  It is not regular practice by the Democratic Party it is more out of bad leadership in a panicked frenzy.