2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumRemember DU activism during the Bush years?
I do. Remember calling in to Washington Journal and writing LTEs, placing literature in places where people could find it, rearranging books in stores, etc.? Remember meetups during the 2008 campaign? Let's dust some of these actions off and get out the vote for Hillary. There is no logic or principle so lofty to ensuring that the nation live as part of a delusional man's personal reality show or justification of the suffering it would lead to for the most vulnerable. There is no reason to continue to help the rightwing to sell a cartoon of a really good woman who has fought long years in the trenches. There is no reason not to recognize the achievements and talents of Hillary and Tim Kaine. GOTV wherever you are. We can't afford to lose any elections up and down the ticket.
Editing to add: The call in shows are heavy with Trump supporters. We should represent. We have 102 days to make certain that he is consigned to the dustheap of history.
liberal N proud
(60,336 posts)I recall a few major wins that we, selfishly of course, attributed to our involvement.
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)DU at it's best is activism.
livetohike
(22,145 posts)Loved rearranging books on shelves. Brilliant idea and something simple to do .
Demsrule86
(68,586 posts)FSogol
(45,488 posts)wildeyed
(11,243 posts)We are ON IT! Been to a voter registration workshop already, and going to a planning session next week with a group that will do outreach and transport for low-income seniors. I LOVE doing voter registrations and working with senior groups.
GOTV!
You rock!
It might be nice if we considered how to network across counties or districts again per state. In 2008, we had these support work groups in people's houses. Sometimes it was preparing food for the phonebankers. Other times it was to stuff envelopes, but that sort of communication appears to now be preprinted and mail ready off of the presses now. Campaign tasks have become so streamlined now. Then there is phonebanking, phonebanking, and phonebanking. Remember stamping stuff on money? How about a no Trump stamp? TP or his face with a prohibited action circle around it. We need to get creative again. Keep riffing on his instability, willingness to court dangerous enemies, and vacuousness. Helium inflated balloons with no Trump images on them. Tied to park benches, lamp posts, fences.
GOTV rides to the polls in November.
I need more coffee.
wildeyed
(11,243 posts)Um, make #TeamValor/red, #TeamInstinct/yellow and #TeamMystic/blue with a cheap button maker and give them away to any registered voters or anyone who registers for the first time. Even stickers would be cool. Using Atlanta as an example, but sub your city for best results.
Sample tweet: Register to #vote & #PokemonGoATL! Lures 10-3 @ X location. Free #TeamValor #TeamMystic #TeamInstinct buttons to all registered voters
On edit: Not 100% sure you can restict the freebies. Might be you have to give them to anyone who asks? Dunno, but if anyone does this, check first. Also, I would do this as non-partisan event, just target a Dem area.
ismnotwasm
(41,989 posts)wildeyed
(11,243 posts)- Research your state's rules. Go to local Board of Elections and get forms. but a box of pens and borrow a few clipboards.
- Pick a location in HEAVILY democratic area. The rule is you must register EVERYONE who asks, and turn in EVERY form (failure to do so is a felony), so make sure you are targeting the correct demographic.
- Find a few friends to help out.
- Protips: Get as much info about voting hours and locations. If you state has voter ID or other onerous restrictions, research VERY carefully. There are probably sympathetic groups with literature on that topic that you can request and hand out. I also bookmark voter lookup on my smart phone so I can do research fo individual voters on the spot.
And oh yeah, put a bowl of cheap candy on your table. Kids will beeline at you and then their parents will be forced to talk to you
You probably know al this already, but just putting it out there for others who might be reading.
Hekate
(90,714 posts)...but don't write it, because I don't think anyone would get it anymore.
DU, by the way, forced the Washington Post to tell the truth about the first big march on Washington of Bush's administration. Their first edition said "hundreds" turned out. But we had DUers there and they had cameras, and they posted their pictures here. By the time we were done with the WaPo they had changed the estimated numbers 3 times and settled on "tens of thousands."
I vote for bringing back "DU This!"