I didn't know Fredrick Carlson's
blog until today, either. I stumbled across it in one of those insanely long chains of links bloggers get going once in a while.
Writing on the Christian Right's impact on the election, Carlson says:
As Democrats and moderate Republicans regroup, they need to consider the key ingredient of the success of the Christian Right. (Its not what most people think.) The main secret to the success of the Christian Coalition and related groups in the movement, is that they organize across the electoral cycle. They seek out like-minded voters; train prospective activists and candidates; update their data bases; analyze electoral data; and figure out where they need to expand and gain strength. In other words -- they plan for the next election, and the one after that. They do this in the context of, but independently of the Republican Party.
He continues:
Progressives and Democrats need to learn from the success of the Christian Right, and make some changes. This can be done in part, by individuals and small groups digging into their own communities -- and figuring out how to be able to deliver more votes in more places next time. For example, people who live in Blue oases in Red states need to turn their oases into strongholds that turn out progressive voters in numbers disproportionate to the rest of their state. Obviously, this is especially true in swing states. In Blue states that could be bluer -- or that want to correct the view of some elected Democrats that they need to become more Republican in order to win reelection -- it is important to make sure that their constituency is big enough -- and strong enough -- to be able to ensure that elected officials are reliably Democratic in their views, their activities and their votes.
To make all this happen, there is no point in waiting for big changes to come out of interest groups based in New York and Washington. They are too heavily invested in the status quo. I hasten to add, that its obviously not that these groups want the Christian Right to win; its just that they are slow to change their thinking, and for changes in their thinking to trickle down to the parched grassroots.
What then to do? It is important for progressive Democrats to figure out how to do it for themselves -- and to start doing it. One third of the U.S. Senate, and all of the U.S. House of Representatives are up for reelection in two years. The story is similar for every state legislature in the country.
The Democratic Party needs new leadership. This means you.
That, it seems to me, is a more direct way of saying the same stuff that we've all been talking about for two going on three weeks.
It's time to organize.
It's time to get new leadership.
It's time to talk to our friends and neighbors.
It's time to be the Democratic Party again, and kick some elephant ass!