I was lounging around the house Sunday when the phone rang.
"Do you know a Cynthia [redacted]?"
I looked up from my reading. "No, why?"
"She wants to talk to you."
I took the phone and learned Cynthia was calling from the DNC. She thanked me profusely for taking her call and promised it would take less than two minutes of my time. I said nothing. She started to read her script detailing the urgent need to support the party as we face Republicans intent on derailing health care reform. I knew where this was going, but bit my tongue.
Warming up to her pitch, she then said, "Did you know that the forces aligned against this are spending...."
I interrupted her and finished her sentence. "...1.4 Million Dollars a day. I know. In fact, you haven't told me anything I don't know. I'm well informed." (h/t nyceve and many more)
"Oh, " she brightened, "that's GREAT! Then you know why we need support from people like you!"
That's when I dropped the hammer. "People like me? Let me tell you about people like me..."
"People like me worked our asses off to elect this president.
People like me spent our own money making long distance phone calls during the primaries.
People like me called dozens of Spanish-speaking voters in Texas.
People like me spent our own money ferrying people to Virginia and West Virginia to knock on doors.
People like me went where the Stars and Bars are proudly displayed because we knew too many people who couldn't set foot there safely.
People like me cornered middle-aged white guys who claimed they were worried about 'the Muslim thing' and switched them from McCain to Obama by selling them on a simple point: 'You may like McCain, but I bet you love your job more.'"
"And since we are talking about money, you know people like me raised more money for Obama in one day than the average person makes in a MONTH!" (thanks dkos!)
"You know how we did that?
We had a clear message, it was consistent, it was credible, we were committed to our vision, and we connected with average people by offering them hope of real change. We convinced people who's hearts had been broken to have faith so they could learn to love again." (h/t ThatPoshGirl.)
"People like me have been going to townhalls and confronting the knuckleheads unleashed by the right-wing, because Republicans have gone back to their base and whipped them into a frenzy. The birthers, the deathers, the teabaggers, the gun-toters, and on and on." (h/t to djtgy and everyone else who's been on the front lines).
"In the meantime, what is the Democratic leadership doing? Rahm Emanual, the president's Chief of Staff, holds a meeting to call people like me, the BASE of the Democratic party, "fucking stupid" and tells us to sit down and shut up."
"Oh dear!" She exclaimed. "He said that?"
"Yes he did."
"Who did he say that to?"
"He said it to people like me! (h/t blueintheface)
People arguing for passage of a bill with a Robust Public Option Now! (h/t flitedocnm)
People who wanted this voted on before the recess! (h/t itskevin and many, many others)
People who knew chasing a bipartisan chimera was a waste of time." (h/t slinkerwink and many others)
"People like me are sick and tired of hearing how we need Republican support after we cleaned their clocks in House races, Senate races, gubernatorial races and ...oh yeah... the race for the White House. Remember "Elections have consequences"? Now the shoe is on the other foot and you come to me asking for money because leadership lost the initiative?"
"Well, the president has finally realized that we have to do this with or without the Republicans," she said.
"Come on. That's not news. All the effort to compromise on the stimulus and how many Republicans voted for it in the end? None." (h/t WeBetterWinThisTime and many, many others)
"Obviously, he can't please everyone..." she started.
"I never expected him to please everyone. I do expect him to try and please people like me, because nothing he does will ever please people like Grassley." (h/t desmoinesdem and many, many others)
"People like me don't stand with Grassley, we stand with Trumka. During the campaign Richard Trumka delivered one of the most important speeches in the history of American Labor."(h/t platypus)
"Trumka came out forcefully for Obama and called the opposition for what it was -- racist. I stood with him then and I stand with him now. And right now he is warning the Blue Dogs and anyone else who stands in the way of the public option, don't DARE ask us for money or support."(h/t PaulVA and others)
"I stand with Howard Dean, the man who pushed the 50-state strategy over the objections of geniuses like Rahm Emanuel. The man who did more to elect this president than most and got nothing for his efforts. No public option, no deal." (h/t irmaly)
"I want to stand with the man who campaigned for change, but I will not stand with anyone who listens to advisors that make sweetheart deals with Billy Tauzin and insults us." (h/t JasperJohns)
"Well,sir," she said, "I've been taking notes and I agree with most of what you said. But I've spent ten minutes with you and that means three other people who could have contributed have had to wait for my call, so I am going to have to end this call now so we can raise the money we need to fight the Republicans."
"I understand, but let me leave you with this thought. And this isn't me talking. This is Bill Moyers talking. You don't build better public schools, better public libraries, or better public policy with money. You build them with better values."(h/t icebergslim)
"When you have values that are shared by people like me, values you communicate clearly and consistently, values you are committed to fighting for, then money will be the least of your problems. But if Harry Reid doesn't work for Obama, why should people like me?"
She repeated herself, "I said I've been taking notes, and I agree with most of what you say. But I am committed to change, that's why I'm making these calls on Sunday afternoon. Now I have to say good bye." Then she hung up.
Here's why I share that story with folks here:
- I want to say "Thank you" to this community. I spoke with borrowed eloquence. The message I delivered was possible because of the work of a lot of other people. Many of them right here. I could not have done it without your help.
- Practice makes perfect. Opportunities to have an impact present themselves when you least expect them. Chance favors the prepared mind. Dailykos is not an entertainment site. It's not an echo chamber. It's a training facility. If you have never posted here before, but wanted to... do it. That's how you prepare yourself. That's why I pushed the late night haiku during the campaign. It honed my talents and focused my mind. I don't want to get caught flat-footed. I want to be ready.
- We built the better beast, now what? The site was originally developed for the purpose of electing Democrats. We did that. If that is all we are doing here, then we can all go home. I don't see anyone rushing for the doors so I guess we agree now is the time to build on our successes. We need to do more than change the number of politicians, we need to change their direction. That means we have to draw them a map with a clear destination on it. Then we have to give them a kick in the pants.
- The DNC is soliciting, let's give them our two cents. Now is the time to promote our call for real change so it cannot be ignored by leadership. If you want to amplify that message so it reaches the ears of the president, if you want to deliver that kick in the pants that changes the game, then make your voice heard and vote with your mouse.
ACTION UPDATE: As several people have mentioned in the comments, giving the DNC a cold shoulder doesn't mean we don't reward the people who stay committed to the goals we fought for in the campaign. If you want to send a double harsh message, send your money to Dems Standing Up for The Public Option via ActBlue. Right now, 6,788 6,809 people have donated $407,684 $408,720 dollars to the progressives on that list. Their current goal is $450,000.
Check out the list, it has names we all know and love. Donna Edwards, Barney Frank, Maxine Waters and Anthony Weiner are just a few of the people whose praises we've sung here. You want to send a message? Click here and donate $20.09 to any or all of these people. Why $20.09 when $20 bucks would be a lot easier? We need to dig a little deeper because it's the change that matters most. Let's move the needle, people!