What do we do NOW to help advance the progressive movement?

It's Nov. 3. It appears that George W. Bush has been voted for a second term, actually receiving a significant majority of the popular vote. We can talk about voter disenfranchisement and dirty tricks, but that doesn't change the fact that Bush is currently ahead by 3.5 million popular votes.

The Republicans have shown that they are willing to do anything and everything to win. They are utterly ruthless. They divided the electorate (successfully, I might add) over the gay marriage issue. They mobilized their evangelical base at the same time the Democrats mobilized their base. While the Dems tried to take the high road during their convention, the Repubs used theirs as a nearly non-stop Kerry-bashing party. They spread outright lies to diminish what many saw as Kerry's strongest suit -- his military service record -- while effectively parrying all attacks on Bush's questionable history in the Texas Air Guard.

Let's face it -- we're up against a very well-oiled machine, and thus far we haven't really figured out what it takes to beat these guys, or we haven't been willing to do what it takes.

The question then is, where do we go from here? What kinds of things can we do to help advance progressive values?

In my area (Northern Westchester County, NY), we are seeing some positive signs on the local and state levels. But it's clear that we need to do more, to organize more effectively among the grassroots.

Here are some thoughts that I have on this:

First, for those of us who are members of religious institutions, we can no longer afford to leave our congregations silent on these issues. We need to highlight the massive political mobilizations on the Religious Right, and we can no longer be afraid of developing our own vehicles to counter them.

Second, we need to continue and expand the efforts of the Dean campaign and Democracy for America. Simply going to meetups through the internet may no longer be enough. It would be great if we could organize meetings in our towns and neighborhoods -- if for no other purpose than to bring people together to discuss the issues that affect our lives. Starting a national dialogue one village at a time is the only way we'll overcome the noise machine of the news media.

Third, we need to identify and support progressive candidates for local and state offices. Hell, many of us should look to run ourselves. Even if we don't win, it provides us with good platforms to get the progressive message out there. Leave no seat uncontested!

I'd love to hear from others out there their ideas on what we can do, effective actions we can take as individuals and organizers, to build a long-term strategy to advance the progressive agenda.

:kick:

I just posted a short note (Exiled in the "Land of the Free") that outlined my ideas about long-term strategy.

People are stunned today. It is as if we have come home to find that our house has been broken into, and our most treasured of heirlooms has been stolen. The Constitution, which has been an inseparable part of the national inheritance, handed down from every generation since the Founding Father's days, has been taken. And we cannot expect the police to investigate this act of thievery, because the crooks are the mayor and the oil man, who have paid the police with goods stolen from your family.

It may take people a couple days or a couple weeks to be able to respond fully to your question. They have the right to grieve. Yet it is vital that you continue to ask your question, because in its answer lies our future.

Went to bed after 12, slept in fits and starts, woke up before 5 and couldn't fall back asleep.

But when I logged on to DU, I suddenly remembered that this was always about a long-term fight. I also allowed myself to look at some of the good things that happened in my area in the elections last night.

Going through a bit of grief is fine. Everybody needs to grieve once in a while. However, people can either decide to allow that grief to be a springboard for action, or they can allow it to consume them. I'm simply trying to urge people to do the former.

I think we have to start by creating our own virtual society...an Alternate System.

No More Stolen Elections
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2580866

and organize to educate the people (to get around the media and the churches).

Organize around issues like taxing churches and boycotts.

The Religious Right STILL does not represent the majority of mainstream religious thought in this country.

For instance, I'm a member of a UU fellowship. I'm not about to start advocating that we should be taxed. Rather, I am going to remind my fellow congregants at every turn that the Religious Right is collectively involved in political issues, and therefore we need to do the same thing. Those of us in mainline Protestant churches, mainline synagogues, mainline mosques, mainline witches circles -- whatever! -- need to bring this message to our fellow congregants.

I understand your point, but whatever it is that churches do is similar to what many others do as businesses and those others get taxed, so why not churches?

How do we separate the goats from the sheep?

changes. Will be hard thanks to * running the country into massive debt, but do what you can. Election reform would be a good start.

----------------------------------------
Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/

and to take the high ground, we have to start in the grass roots. DFA is a fine organization, and it needs our support. DFA needs to be out there advocating the liberal side of issues in the communities. We need to coordinate groups like DFA with other groups, like Sierra Club and Audubon, who reach out to folks that once were considered "the enemy" and forge working relationships. We need to show people that liberals work for them. We need to hammer home that much of what is taken for granted today is the result of folks like me and you, and like them, fighting for it. this is especially important for the environmental movement.

we survived 12 years of reagan/bush, we can survive another 4 of bush II. don't despair. Keep your eye on the ball.

Midterms in two years. organize NOW.

Exactly.

We have to take over in congress and at the state/local level in '06.

Progress implies movement toward something. Your first point seems to recognize that congregations are a vehicle not a destination.

It seems to me that being progressive is something other than simply countering the religious right.

As an alternative to your approach I think another approach would be for people who identify themselves as progressive to meet in a congress to define exactly what progress means, what such 'progress' provides that is missing and needed in this country, and what incremental actions toward 'progress' should be immediately sought.

We ought not to be in a position to only accept the "most progressive" side of propositions, or candidacies chosen by a group outside ourselves. Nor should we be in the position of merely being reactionary to the policies and candidacies of anti-progressive forces.

As examples of the goals a progressive movement might select I suggest...Liberty, Justice, and Equality for All. Why those? Because human nature tends to create in societies, including the United States, asymmetries in all these and those who become priviledged seek to maintain.

Excellent.

I think the Democratic Party really missed out by not stressing defense of the Constitution as its paramount goal. We do that, and we will turn the tide.

It seems to me that being progressive is something other than simply countering the religious right.

I didn't say that this was what being progressive was all about. I'm simply trying to highlight that a majority of religious/spiritual people in the US do NOT endorse the agenda of the religious right. Those of us who are religious progressives must try and mobilize our congregations to get this fact well-known to the American public. It's just one small part of a greater strategy, but I think it's an important part.

I have no problem with liberty, justice and equality for all. And I like your idea of a progressive congress -- perhaps we could make it a yearly thing, with gatherings in Washington, the South, the Midwest, and the West Coast, or at least something like that.

My point is only progressives need to move the nation toward progress on socially important issues.

Let's plan to communicate and organize the congress.

today, I feel like completely quitting activism in the US.
& I've been fighting the good fight since the 60s.
Have we been casting our seeds on barren soil?
It feels like it to me.
perhaps my outlook will improve, but I've had enough.

We are the living memories of what the fight is about, and the kids can't afford to lose us, whether they know it or not. Get some sleep, visit some natural beauty (quick, while you can)..take your kids, grandkids and tell them what this country is SUPPOSED to be about. If you quit (and people like you) the last, best, chance of the last, best, hope will be lost.

:)

We learn how to appeal to the huge mass of narrow minded bigots who are out there, waiting to vote another Republican administration in in 2008.

We begin establishing liberal contacts in the media. Liberal talk radio shows need to spring up - three for every one of the conservative shows. In every major city throughout the country. Syndicated. And then we need to use the same tactics used by The Republican Noise Machine.

We have to get down to their level. That's the only thing they understand.

Here's a post I just wrote about this, though it's fairly general.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2581864

-wildflower

We're letting them trick us into fighting a culture war when we should be fighting a class war. We can squabble about god and gays AFTER there aren't children going to bed hungry in America.

Look at the map. It pretty much falls rich states- Kerry, poor states- Bush. It's NOT the economy, stupid...even though that plays a part, relying solely on that ends up in 2002s and 2004s. Americans who don't live in the rich states AREN'T dumb, racist rednecks...Values ARE important. (While I abhor Zell Miller's policies over the last few years, he was right on the mark about Democrats' attitudes toward rural people.)

America's working poor tend to be fairly religious. We need to somehow reclaim the term "pro-life" and increase our outreach to evangelicals, which were formerly Jimmy Carter's base, instead of assuming that they are all stupid or all fundamentalists.

The Democrats are going to be rethinking what they have done wrong...it will be a painful process of realization, but ultimately it will be a good one.

Down, but never out.