I've been doing a lot of reading lately on activism, grassroots movements and what it will take for progressives, liberals and Democrats to retake control of our country (and our state). Based on this reading, here's what I've identified as the things that we really need to improve our state and save it from the radical right-wing agenda. This list is a forward-looking one that plans for the future and lays a foundation for progress that will last for generations. This list is, naturally, also looking at everything, without the limitations that may delay or stop some of these ideas (such as funding, personnel, etc.). Take a look at the list and let me know what else should be added. And take a look at the list and give me ideas on how to translate these ideas into actionable items. I'll update the list with your suggestions. My plan is to actually work to achieve these goals through the Florida Progressive Coalition, so take this one seriously.
1. A Progressive Think Tank: Florida needs its own think tank devoted to liberal ideas. We need valid scientific research on the issues that affect us. We need people to develop the ideas to make Florida a better place. We need to develop the language to communicate those ideas effectively to the electorate. We need policy proposals. We need to counter the right-wing idea machine. Their ideas aren't very good, but they do a great job of selling them to the voters and that's why they win. (We all need to read George Lakoff and
Crashing the Gate).
2. A Training program for future leaders & candidates: The right never seems short on fresh young leaders to lead their movement. It's because they train, fund and recruit those leaders constantly. We don't. We need to change that. We need to invest in the future by training activists, candidates and organizations on how to achieve our goals. And we need to pay our activists to pursue our agenda. The conservatives do and that's why they get the loyalty and level of effort that puts them over the top. They aren't smarter and they aren't correct on the issues, but they've figured out how to keep their movement alive and active and we haven't.
Internship Program (paid)
3. A media watchdog: The media in Florida does a poor job of serving the population. They don't necessarily explicitly favor conservatives, for the most part, but they implicitly do so. They give air time and column inches to radical right-wing activists without offering the same to the left. They accept conservative frames and language. They rarely seek out even mildly liberal sources for stories. They serve, tacitly, as a conduit for conservative propaganda. We need to stop this or at least counter it. There's already a potential framework for this -- Media Matters. They do a superb job at the national level of countering explicit or implicit right-wing media bias. They recently launched Media Matters Colorado, so they clearly are looking into expanding their efforts to the state and local level. We need to push for them to create a Media Matters Florida.
4. A Communications Network: One of the biggest problems Florida activists have is lack of communication and a lack of sharing of information and ideas. We need to change that. We need to create a daily professional e-mail service (like Think Progress has) that can provide Floridians with information, action alerts, news, activisim opportunities, ideas and research. We also need to create an army of liberal bloggers who actually blog about Florida issues. Blogging has been most successful and real-world change when there is a chorus of voices that can respond to issues and elections. That echo chamber is what helps drive the mainstream media in the right direction (and helps raise money). We need to have the ability to raise volunteers quickly and efficiently to help out various progressive causes across the state. We need to be able to mobilize people to lobby the legislature, to fight in city and county commissions, to contact the media, to donate a few bucks and to show up for events, rallies and protests. We need progressive groups across the state to communicate, hopefully through one central organization, to help us all promote the issues that are most important to us and to help each other succeed. It's a cliche, but it's a good one -- together we stand, divided we fall. We've been divided a long time and it's hard to imagine progressivism in Florida sinking much lower. Let's rise up and take charge and let's do it now.
5. Online database of information: We need a place online and free that provides all the information that activists, candidates and organizations need to fight the right, win elections and pursue progressive public policies. This should be a site that, eventually, is the required stopping place for voters, reporters, candidates and activists. If you want to know what's going on in Florida politics, this should be the place to go. If you want to know how to achieve your activist or political goals, this should be the place to go. If you want to get involved and help change Florida, this should be the place to go. Luckily, we've already created this website (http://flaprogressiv...) and we'll be working on achieving this vision.
6. Liberal book club: Educated readers tend to be liberals. Educated liberals tend to be more successful activists, debaters, and candidates. The right has a machine that buys up large quantities of conservative books and distributes them cheaply to their followers through conservative book clubs. We need to do this, too. It helps our activists and candidates to be more informed and aware. It also promotes progressive authors and publishers and puts more money into the system as well.
7. Paid Infrastructure: We need a network of offices and staff throughout the state that are paid for and provide activists of all stripes to have a place to easily do what they need to do. We need people to handle the day-to-day operations of organizing a vast left-wing conspiracy in Florida and we need places to do it, computers, Internet access, telephones, etc. You can't achieve much without these basic necessities.
8. Fund-raising network: Conservatives win the battle for ideas because they have more money. Their ideas get exposed to more people because of this. We can counter this advantage because there are more of us than their are of them. Small donors are the lifeblood of the progressive movement and we need a more effective way to connect small donors in Florida to progressive organizations and candidates. And we can't forget large donors, either, since they exist as well. We need to create a clearinghouse of information on places that progressive organizations and candidates can pursue funds. We need to train people how to apply for grants and how to raise funds from individual donors. And we need to create a strong online network of activists who can make small donations much the way Howard Dean, Daily Kos and other groups have established nationally.
9. Television & radio: We need a presence on television and radio in the Sunshine State. We need to expand liberal radio such as Air America, Ed Schulz and others. We need to put shows on public access radio and television. We need to call in to Florida-based shows and make ourselves heard. We need to purchase ads on TV and radio. We need to eventually create and promote a more substantial television program, whether it be on the Florida channel or something else.
All of these things are possible. Each one of them merely takes three things: 1. Money. 2. People to do the job. 3. Expertise. These things all exist in large numbers in Florida. We need to tap into them, coordinate them and make them work for the betterment of our state, our country and our world. I'm going to be working on this until I see it realized. Dozens of others have already joined the effort. Now we need your help. (Contact me at quinnelk@hotmail.com to help out).