What Happens to Dem Activists if the Top Tier is the CHOSEN?

[KoKo]

Remembering that Dem Activists are Anti-Iraq Invasion...with a core of Anti-War...but that the two factions worked together on 04 and 06 to organize Voting Roles and do target Calling for Dems when we figured out the Repugs were better than us...with their "Bottom Up" rather than "Top Down" which was always the Dem Meme...for the past decades that I can remember back to Carter when he did his "Grass Roots" back in the 70's.

So...should we just do TOP DOWN because it works if you have former President's Wife running to reinstate the former President?

How does this work for the views of the Democratic Electorate?

WHAT DO WE DEMS NOW BELIEVE..after Seven Years of Bush II? Why are SO MANY DEMS willing to go with COMPROMISE...rather than NEW AGENDA? So many of our Dem Candidates subscribe to "Fix what we Bought" rather than Agressive CHANGE about what BROUGHT US BUSH II.

How can our Dem Party deal with all this? It asks us to to another ABB for '08 ...revoting for Clintons (hoping THIS Time they get it correct) as opposed to various folks who are just hoping that "Clinton II" gets them out of Senate so they can be Cabinet Officers....(i.e. Biden, Richardson, Clark, Dodd).

I don't blame these good folks...but do they express what WE ON DEM LEFT and the POPULISTS DEMS SEE?

:shrug:

[saltpoint]

1. You can bellyache all you want but one of our announced candidates or

possibly an unannounced potential candidate or two constitute the nomination field.

There are activists all across the political spectrum. Your individual perception is not the universal perception of involvement and activism. The line you're drawing is arbitrary.

You can vote or stay home as you wish.

I'm votin'.

[rucky]

2. Frustrating, isn't it?

We have good choices in the field, but they aren't taking in early polling / fundraising.

Looks like we'll just have to eat whatever the lunch lady puts on our plate.

[superkia]

9. Some may skip school or switch districts if the food is intolerable.

[OHdem10]

3. May I suggest to all Duers and other Activists:

KEEP AN EYE on C-Span schedules.

Jeffrey Feldman, "Framing the Debate" (Presidential Speeches
and How Progressives can use them to change the Conversation
(and win elections.)

I watched Feldman present his book on C-SPan Sunday AM.
He has written what might be called a Primer on framing.
He explained the necessity for all Progessives to go back
and read Presidential Speeches of Democratic Presidents.
Read also Liberalism. He believes we cannot begin to effect
change until we understand thoroughly our roots.

He describes speeches, by FDR , Lyndon Johnson, Thomas
Jefferson illustrating how they were masters at framing.
He found a speech by Johnson given in Michigan(selling)
his great society.

THE THEME MATTERS.

One pointer: GOP have become quite expert. WE MUST NEVER
REPEAT their theme. This affirms them. Instead we must
be prepared and do what he says is change the conversation.
Change the point they are trying to make.

The book should be on the Market FRAMING THE DEBATE (Presidential
Speeches, and how Progressives can use them to change the
conversation (and win elections. Jeffrey Feldman

[saltpoint]

4. Long after Joe Lieberman just ignored the Iowa caucus because he knew

his polling there had tanked, but before he had abandoned the Democratic voters' decision in Connecticut in favor of Ned Lamont, a young woman of perhaps 16 years was shown in a photograph at Lieberman headquarters in New Hampshire.

She was an activist.

She was young and perhaps inexperienced, but the Constitution does not prohibit her from volunteering in good faith for a cause which has offered her inclusion and inspiration and a heightened citizenship.

If I was basically appalled by her candidate's public remarks around that time and certainly since that time, I nevertheless honor her activism.

It was real and it was good and it is necessary.

She would have faced a disappointing evening in New Hampshire when it was clear around 10:00 or so that Joe Lieberman would not be the odds-on first choice of that state's Democrats for the party's nomination, and her disappointment, in human terms, would not have been appreciately different than other activists' dissapointment at Howard Dean headquarters in Iowa a week or so prior.

I'm not getting -- at all -- how an activist for John Edwards, Barack Obama, or Hillary Clinton is any less human than an activist for Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Mike Gravel, or Dennis Kucinich.

[Olney Blue]

11. I like your post.

:thumbsup:

[saltpoint]

12. A good evenin' to ye, ma'am.

Thank you.

:hi:

[Olney Blue]

13. Back at you, sir.

I take it you are backing Edwards, OC?

:hi:

[saltpoint]

14. Yes. A refugee from the John Kerry camp, I was taken in and made to

feel welcome by the Edwards folks here and elsewhere, and here I am.

My thoughts on that include guessing that a woman as alert and perceptive as Elizabeth wouldn't have the man to home if he was a chump .

Also the parental record appears to be extraordinarily exceptional, including a hike up Kilamanjaro with his late son Wade and one of Wade's friends.

And the emphasis on poverty is insight and commentary I have not heard since the campaign of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.

'Will support our ticket whoever's nominated, though.

How do things look to you these days in the political arena? Should we be worried about Fred Thompson?

[Olney Blue]

15. Thanks for sharing your political journey...

I always find myself agreeing with you on nearly everything you post- guess we must be on a similar wavelength :)

I haven't decided on my candidate yet- I'm a bit embarrassed by this. However, I am proud of our Democratic field and will vote for the nominee.

I've been leaning toward Biden and I also like Richardson. I don' t think either will be the nominee.

I do love Elizabeth- during Kerry's campaign I watched every appearance I could where she was speaking.

Now, for the GOP- I think Fred has the gravitas of a sliced tomato. He's an intellectual lightweight and phoney.
So I hope they send him up- it will be sweet to send him to an early retirement.

[saltpoint]

16. I love your assessment of Fred Thompson.

Just perfect. And IMO, exactly right. I bet his GOP opponents are at this hour planning his demise.

You've chosen well in Biden and Richardson, I think. Two very good men. The electoral map turns a pretty deep blue if you consider a ticket of Joe Biden and Bill Richardson. I see them holding all of Kerry/Edwards states from 04, plus adding Ohio, New Mexico, Iowa, and very possible Florida.

Big win for the Democrats with a ticket like that.

(I'm fooling around the tangle of the electoral college in a separate post called "Play With Your Ticket"):

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1817304

--just to try out a few of our possibilities for whipping the Republicans in 08!

Ah, let me enjoy that thought of an early retirement for Fred Thompson.

[Catchawave]

5. Sigh....

Can we fast forward to the 2008 field now?

I voted for Bush in 2000
I Was Pro War in 2002
I worked my ass off for Edwards in 2003
I joined DU in 2004
I voted for Kerry/Edwards in 2004
I Protested the war in Washington DC in 2005
I Protested the war in New York City in 2006
I attended Yearly Kos in 2007

If my resume qualifies, can we(me) move on now ? :hi:

[KoKo]

7. I hear ya!

don't know a reply....

Remember an old Tombstoned DU'er who used to repeat "Dems Gotta' Keep on Truckin'."

I figure he got the "Stone" because he sympathized more with Bob Boudelang than the rest of us....but whatever...his Sig Line always struck a cord with me in my gut. He might have been a disruptor...but he got some of it correctly...but his stone is there...

:shrug:

[Catchawave]

8. I hear ya too ...

:hug: Lost too many great DUers for stupid stuff :cry:

[OHdem10]

6. The Most Important Thing Is to Hang In there

There are going to be movements developing to bring
change within the party. Get Involved for lasting change.

Watch Sites like Kos and MoveOn.

It is important that we win the WH and Congress. We should
be organized in Movements that will have impact.

I tell myself I will vote for whomever wins Primary.
This presidency is going to have so many problems
facing it--any Democrat will be better than GOP.

[saltpoint]

10. Plus there's romance. Articles began to appear in mid-summer and fall of

2004 in the Dean camp and other grassroots organizations for our candidates in which single people volunteered for Dean's campaign -- or Gephardt or Edwards or Kerry etc. -- and found romantic accord.

A lot of relationships bust up over money. Others over political leanings. Politics obviously wasn't a problem in this case.

I urge people to volunteer for their local Democratic organizations and particular candidates if you want to. Pick Kucinich if he appeals. Pick Biden if he does. Pick Richardson or Dodd or Clinton or Edwards or Gravel or Obama. Pick RFK Jr. Pick Gary Hart. Pick Al Gore. Pick someone you feel speaks to your chief concerns about your local community and your country at large.

Make some phone calls, stuff a few envelopes, find romance.

There are worse sets of circumstances.

[KoKo]

17. Good...what you say...Find the ROMANCE in which Candidate Turns you On!

There's much in what you say....

This is the YEAR! Do your Conscience or Romance...

Thanks! Good food for thought.

:thumbsup:

[saltpoint]

18. We're going to rout their red fannies somethin' awful, KoKo. Hard work

and good organization -- all of that -- sure. But none of us is lazy (like Fred Thompson!) so I like our chances and see no reason why we can't pick up big gains in both chambers of the Congress, and of course it would be just dandy to grab the White House back while we're at it.

And you're right about the romance of our people. Whether a famous Democrat or volunteers, there's some awfully good vibrational energy going on when good people combine to do things beyond their own personal interests.

I like election years. You run into the coolest people just about everywhere a campaign is perculating.

Including here tonight with your thread on DU.

Thank you.

[mitchtv]

19. I intend to stick to my beliefs, until the primaries are over

then, I guess I will vote straight Dem, I am an activist, to be sure, althoug the years have cut down on my activities, most of the activism comes from checks these days from me. I lean toward Edwards ( the most liberal of the top tier), but may bolt for Dennis or Mike Gravel, on a dime.I am Gay, I am Union,I vote.