last topic: 2:30 3:30 – what you can do to push for progressive patriotism

2:30 3:30 – what you can do to push for progressive patriotism

Rachel: what to do in the next 6 months to move forward the ideals we’ve all been talking about.
Lots of discussion about what folks want to do when they get home

Jon: bring back Kent Jones – NOW!

Mark: get cluster a bunch of like-minded people ($100 apiece, 10 people) give to a local candidate…

Sen. JFK – how do I know what the people of MA want? Real grass roots letters, not uniform-type – work.

Jon: what are you doing on election day? Call your local Dem party and get involved. Also, build candidates at the local level. Identify some bright 30-somethings and suggest they become a candidate. Wellstone action, DFA run clinics on how to be a candidate, how to be a campaign mgr, etc. By their mid-40s, they’re running for Congress.

Aldus Tyler who gets progressive radio stay on the air has sessions in different places to show .
We’re working on “franchising” radio stations. Then we’re not at the whim of radio stations who cut us off at a whim.

Randi: I’ve eaten too much. I love you so much. And I’ve learned so much from you. There’s a radiation expert here who is teaching me about why nuclear is so bad. A Princeton educated economist is here.. So many incredible people here. Debbie says sign up to list-servs of your candidates. You’ll get the talking points you need to talk to Republicans; we need the youth vote, so we need to participate in voter registration for 18-24 yr olds. Volunteer in local Dem office. Anything we can do down-ticket from the Presidential, do it. You can address all the Karl Rovian bullshit. County and state conventions – have pre-convention forums to write resolutions for the platform votes. If enough people come out and vote they cannot steal the election from us.

Randi: think ahead. Know what they’re going to do, know what you’re going to do.

Rachel: The down-ticket story is VERY important. Bill Clinton didn’t pay attention to this and the lower end of the party lost a lot of institutional strength. This work remains to be done. Howard Dean has been great with his 50-state strategy. So: 1. Run for office or find someone who will. 2. Participate in the down-ticket races. Find time, even if you are already working at the top level. Even local city council level. You can make all the difference in the local races. Because of racism and/or sexism polls showed that down-ticket we don’t do so well (compared to Edwards) . So we need to work very hard on the down-ticket races.

Randi: Be an election judge. A Poll Worker. Stay involved in everything that’s going on right up to the election and until the last vote is counted. Stay in it to win it. But don’t get crazy. Keep it simple.

Lionel: You’re like me!!!! I feel the connection! We’ve been scared. Like there are only 2 things you never talk about – religion and politics – what else is there?? In the 60s people like us were pissed off. Then we got complacent and the angry white men were pissed off (Rush Limbaugh). Now WE’RE pissed off again. Yeah! On a subterranean level - talk to your Conservative friends. Lose the labels. Start asking questions like this: Joe, say you lost your job, got sick, you don’t want the gov’t to pay for you, right? And are you ok with your kid going off to Iraq, right? Don’t talk labels. When they agree with you then you can say “by the way, you’re a progressive”.

Thom: Despair is not an option. We have to get active. Voting is not enough. Just voting is not enough. Get out there and participate. Amen to what’s aready been said. “Tag, YOU’RE IT!”

Randi: Kumbayah. :-)

Carolyn from MoveOn.Org: Local groups from MoveOn do local political stuff. March 19th – nationwide activism on the anniversary of the occupation of Iraq. Operation Democracy (www.operationdemocracy.org) will help you find or create a group local to you.

Rachel: Biggest concern is stolen elections. Go to www.blackboxvoting.org