What can we do now?

[SunDrop23]

I volunteered for the Obama campaign here in NC and now that the election has come and gone, I feel a bit of a letdown. So the question is what can we do now that we have succeeded in our goal?

[Demi_Babe]

1. I feel the same way

[jwirr]

2. After Jan. 20 we can use this site to work together to lobby for the

changes we want: national health care, peace, energy programs, etc. I for one would like to work on the health care issues and hunger issues. I am also interested in environmental issues. Maybe we can find a way of working within the forums to come up with joint actions on each issue. Kind of a shadow congress?

[texanshatingbush]

8. I agree--let's harness our ideas & energies to promote....

....the "healing" of our nation and our world.

I do NOT use healing to mean mending the rift between progressives and "the others".

I mean healing as in "getting healthy"--making our country and our world more sustainable--both economically and environmentally.

For example,President Obama will no doubt identify myriad segments of our country which need healing: environment, economy, national parks, transportation, energy, education, etc. (fwiw, notice how many of these begin with "e"!! ;') )

I want to help. Surely there are lists somewhere of what each of us as INDIVIDUALS can do to heal the country. Why not compile lists in one place, so that we can choose something we can do each day to make things better? Recycle all my aluminum waste. Use old-fashioned diapers rather than disposable diapers. Plug all my computer stuff into one strip which can be turned off, eliminating phantom energy use. Carpool with a neighbor to do shopping. Shop only once a week. Don't purchase anything made in China (does this do any good? I honestly don't know, but I am stupefied at how much sh*t in our stores is "made in China"--thereby presumably enriching primarily the Communist Party and the Chinese armed forces, with little benefit to the Chinese working person). Etc. You get my drift.

There are remedies on a grand scale--I count on President Obama to identify those. Then there are remedies on a household scale--that's where we all can come in--sort of "ask not what your country can do for you, ask rather what you can do for your country". Help me create those individual "how to" lists--or point me to where they already are!

[jwirr]

10. Okay this is a start. I think the first thing we need to do is ask Skinner

or Earl G how to set up the most easily accessible permanent site on DU so when I come in I can go right to the site. Something that appears on the main page. Inside that page we could just list needed actions. I know we have the activist forum and maybe that is the place for something like this. I would also like some kind of action alert area that would alert us to needed lobbying for the things that Obama wants to get through and needs help with stubborn congress critters. I know that he is asking for suggestions on his site right now and I hope he will keep that aspect going. I would like to see those of us here come to consensus on some issues and present them to him from DU not just the individuals like we did with our donations.

Administration - please give us your input on these ideas.

[dbonds]

3. Decompress, go ride the blueridge parkway and see the leaves.

Then after a few weeks something will come up.

[DeeDeeNY]

4. Check out this email I received on Election Night

(What I've put in bold might be of interest to you)

I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.

We just made history.
And I don't want you to forget how we did it.
You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.
I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.
We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.
But I want to be very clear about one thing...
All of this happened because of you.

Thank you,

Barack

[PermanentRevolution]

5. Find another cause to get involved with

Pick something that matters to you and find a local group to get involved with. There are countless possibilities: gay rights, election reform, environmental groups, homeless advocates, etc. Find one you like and invest the same energy you did for Obama into bringing change to your local area. Or get involved with your local Democratic party preparing for the next round of local races. We haven't succeeded in our goal by a long shot - all we've done is take the first step, and Obama can't do it all on his own.

[Eric J in MN]

6. You could join Democracy for America,

...and go to their monthly meetings.

If you don't want to, that's fine as well.

DFA was founded by Howard Dean.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com

[knixphan]

7. Oooh! Oooh! This one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAuwaKl3-nU

http://hr676.org/

[Arctic Dave]

9. My wife and I are going to help our city

elect a progressive Mayor and Council. Like Obama was saying, change starts at home. (paraphrase)