*** We need to do more - DU is not enough ***

Simply posting on DU, emailing and making phone calls isnt enough

I realize that a lot of you have very full lives, and you can't manage much to help Democrats other than post here at DU, send out emails, and make phone calls to elected officials. But in all honesty, its not enough. Posting here at DU is great for info exchange between *us*, but virtually none of our information really, truly "gets out" to the populace. Emails and phone calls help a bit, but the information flow is still slow, stilted and totally unreliable.

We need to personally get involved in politics. Myself, I am a member of the DTC (Democratic Town Committee) of my town. I am in CT, and will be volunteering for a candidate that I feel needs my help, either for congress or Governer, once things shake out here. I implore you all to do more than just fight in the e-World. We need everyone of you do take this into the real world.

We need you get involved locally in your town/city. Enact change locally, and the result will be felt nationally. Local politics are so dramatically different from national politics. Republicans dominate local politics in most places simply because there is no organized Democratic presence AT ALL. Often times Republicans run UNOPPOSED. While I understand that sometimes, a town or district is so heavily Republican that running a Dem is virtually pointless and wasteful, we still need to at least have a name on the ballot to portray a presence. Lack of a Democratic presence is harmful to the overall image and effectiveness of all Democrats.

Local politics often boils down to nothing but money management and taxes. The national issues you are all familiar with do not exist at the local level. Local politicians don't decide civil rights, wars, health care, environment (much), etc. Those are all national issues. The local issues are virtually all about money, and Republicans are viewed as "better with saving money" (which we all know is bullshit). We need to change that perception.

Please do me a favor. Contact your local Democratic Town Committee, and join. Its usually low cost (usually under $50/year), and only meets once or twice per month in the evening, so doesn't interfere in your job or family life. I don't want to seem like a jerk here, but there is simply NO EXCUSE for anyone on this board to not be on their town's DTC. No excuse. The money and time committments are trivial.

Call your Town Hall. Ask for the Registrar of Voters, and then ask them where & when the DTC meets. They WILL have the info, its mandatory. Show up. Introduce yourself to the Chairman. Tell them you want to VOLUNTEER BIGTIME. Tell them you want to lead. Tell them you want to make a difference. They will LOVE you and welcome you.

My mission is to get everyone on this board to be a member of their towns DTC at a minimum. And if possible, get some of you into office, locally or nationally.

I agree with you wholeheartedly that involvement in local politics is key.

BUT: The national issues you are all familiar with do not exist at the local level. Local politicians don't decide civil rights, wars, health care, environment (much), etc. Those are all national issues.

Local politicians have had a big impact on civil rights around here. Separation of church and state has become a flash point. School boards have a huge impact on civil rights and county commissions have a huge impact on the environment. In fact, a passionate environmentalist around here would probably have more of an impact on the future as a county commissioner than a U.S. Rep.

I think people would be amazed by how much they would be able to achieve at the municipal, county and state levels.

authority is wielded at the local level. Nor do they realize that some of the "hot buttons" can be influenced at the local level. And it's going to take a bunch of us doing it at the local level to make it felt nationally.

I hope your thread gets some attention.