What can an energized Democratic Base do during an off election year?

[Tom Rinaldo]

Just look at the fight to save the Public Option that was waged by the grass roots Democratic base this Fall after virtually everyone wrote it off as dead by Summer. There was no massive national media coverage pumping us up 24/7; what coverage there was was meant to demoralize us. There was no "pull out all the stops" campaign being coordinated by the National Democratic Party promoting the benefits of a strong government role in health care for Americans. Nope, none of that, just a true bottom up movement advocating for and defending traditional Democratic values. A deeply committed one.

That is the type of passion, the type of self starter organizing capacity, that the Democratic Party needs to have to win important close elections. If the Democratic Party tries to placate that type of activism with an arms length attitude instead of harnessing it whenever possible behind causes that most Democrats deeply care about, it will be lucky if it manages to rally a base once every four years for Presidential Elections.

The national media won't make this connection. They would rather blather endlessly about whatever Alice through the looking glass Tea Party FOX News is currently pushing, even though after the conclusion of the so-called hot summer the American public STILL strongly favors a public option for health care insurance. The Democratic base did come out in force this year, to fight for real health care reform; with just minimal encouragement. Perhaps that is an inconvenient truth.

[xchrom]

1. because you can't over-state this and it's the simplest wisdom --

'That is the type of passion, the type of self starter organizing capacity, that the Democratic Party needs to have to win important close elections. If the Democratic Party tries to placate that type of activism with an arms length attitude instead of harnessing it whenever possible behind causes that most Democrats deeply care about, it will be lucky if it manages to rally a base once every four years for Presidential Elections.'

[jenmito]

2. Go to every teabag protest and hold COUNTER-protests!

That would force the media to cover it.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. I did with Billionairs for Wealth Care

It was a hoot and the media did cover us. But it's not the media so much that needs to be paying attention to the strength of Democratic base activism, it's the Democratic Party.

[jenmito]

6. Were you one of the singers...

in that meeting where a few of them broke out in song about HCR? :D Good point about who has to pay attention.

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. Nah, some of us were at a local protest in Kingston New York

Janet (my partner) and I ended up having our photo (in appropriate "costumes") in the Woodstock Times, lol. Some friends saw it under the general coverage of the teabaggers and did a real double take before they figured out the joke :)

[jenmito]

8. That's cool...

did you post about it here?

[Tom Rinaldo]

10. Just a brief note on another thread about the Billionaires for Wealth Care

We did some actions with the previous Billionaires for Bush efforts so we still had the right clothes to use for props. Let me tell you, it's a great group. Allow me to introduce myself in that persona, I'm Frank Lee Loaded, and my wife is Shirley Loaded.

[jenmito]

12. That's funny...

and it's all for a good cause. I missed that thread, but thanks for introducing me to your persona. :)

[Ozymanithrax]

3. You can act energised.

Find five people who you can help get to the voting booth, so they can vote.

Keep a contact list of people and get them out to vote every time.

If we had an energized base, our turnout would have been higher.

Our representatives are elected by a majority of those who vote.

[Tom Rinaldo]

5. Yes, but you are describing what can be done

I'm talking more about why people do it.

[Ozymanithrax]

13. Civic Responsibility...

Whether we like what the current government is doing, we have a Civic Responsibility to work toward a better government. Sitting on our asses and doing nothing because we are pissed at Congress or Obama is irresponsible. That is probably not a particularly popular notion, but the government is not just the people in Washington. We are a representative democracy and we are the government. If we don't act, then we have no one to blame but ourselves.

[Tom Rinaldo]

14. I agree with you

I am discssing the potential for what can happen when the Representitives that voters elect work in league with those voters who worked to elect them. It is another story to discuss what voters can or should do when the people they helped elect show little interest in working with them.

[Armstead]

9. It's sad that we have to press for things that should be accepted by leadership

The idea of political parties is supposed to be that people of a certain set of values and beliefs are represented in government.

The conservatives and Big Bidness have that with the Republican Party. With the possible exception of the teabaggers and other wingnuts, conservatives know they are being represented and don't usually have to battle with their party's leadership to be heard or gto have their issues and values promoted in washington.

The Democratic Party should have the same role for liberals and progressives.But too often the leaders of the party are obstacles that are almost as stubborn as the Republicans to meaningful policies of reform and protectrion of the middle and lower classes.

It's hard enough to have to overcome resistance of the GOP on issues of importance. It's hard enlough to try and make the case to the "independents."

We should not have to so often feel either ignored or opposed by the party that is supposedly representing us.

It should not require constant campaigns and efforts to be taken seriously by the party that supposedly representing us.

[Tom Rinaldo]

11. Truly, it takes a toll...

in the long run both the Democratic Party and progressives suffer from that partial disconnect.

[mkultra]

15. it can bitch a lot.