Got A Spine? GREAT ND Dem Website

My Fellow Kossacks, I'd like to call your attention to a great website run by Progressive Democrats in a red state: the oh-so-cleverly-named  

http://www.gotaspine.com/...

 created by members of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party in ND State District 34 (that is, the Mandan Area. )  More after the jump - -

Full Disclosure - I know absolutely no one connected with this site, and have never met any of the people involved.  I'm a NoDak expatriate here in California whose die-hard Democratic family keeps her apprised of progressive doings back home.

I diaried this because first, I love the quote on their opening page:  "It's dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." - Voltaire

Secondly, I wanted to make a couple of points in re the potential of the progressive movement in Red States ( as demonstrated by  this web site) which, I think, back up Howard Dean's 50-state strategy.

1. Though NoDak has gone red in the presidential elections, its congressional delegation - Dorgan, Conrad, and Pomeroy - are not only Democrats, but ferocious deficit hawks and fiscal national treasures. (In fact, Conrad pulled a parliamentary stunt to force one more vote on this travesty of a budget after Congress gets back.)  And all three should keep their seats in 2006.  So NoDaker's WILL vote for the man, not the party.

2. NoDakers voted for Bush, but they DON'T love him. (Bush's approval in NoDak was 43% in the last SurveyUSA poll)  There were a LOT of protesters when Bush tried to sell Social Security reform in Fargo.  And North Dakota has lost 10 soldiers in Iraq - a lot, when you consider there are only 634,000 people in the entire state.  The war is steadily losing support.

3. North Dakotans are thoroughly disgusted by corruption.  They don't believe in it up there, or stand for it. Being a low-key, hard-working, competent bunch themselves, they are also disgusted by incompetence.  I've heard many North Dakotans contrast the job Clinton's FEMA did during the Grand Forks Flood in 1997 with the debacle that was New Orleans under Bush.  They know callous and feckless when they see it.

So, to sum up: as shown by the great Dem site and activists linked to above, Progressive, grass-roots Dems are on the March.  And if the national party ever DOES grow a spine - -

--If Dems start using  plain English words like "corrupt" and "incompetent" instead of silly, mushy catch phrases like "America Can Do Better"

--If Dems start vigorously opposing Bush on Iraq, Tax Cuts, Health Care, etc. - -

 - - then we can help people like these proud North Dakota Dems TURN THE STATE BLUE IN 2008.

•  Good, very good

  Thanks for this diary and link.
  I especially like their emphasis on real life examples of what your rights mean to you. . .  . along with their "people over profits" emphasis.

  Let's watch their expanded website in future.

  By the way, I'm hoping we can change the "red" vs. "blue" rhetoric because red always trumps blue in the psychology of color.

  Instead, how about turning a red state into a "red, white, and blue" state?

  by LNK on Mon Jan 02, 2006 at 05:38:22 AM PDT

  •  how COME Dem = Blue, anyway?

    I agree - but did anybody ever notice that prior to the 2000 Election/Coup d'etat, all the news orgs used red for Democrats?  And then, suddenly, in 2000, Dems were blue?  

    Probably some Fox Media consultants pointed out that red was the stronger color, then got the change pushed through all the networks!

    Here's to more red, white, and blue states in 2006 and beyond.

    by mldostert on Mon Jan 02, 2006 at 06:02:43 AM PDT

    •  network colors change...

      ...any time there is an "open seat" in the White House.

      In other words, don't get too used to "red/blue".  It will change in 2008.

      by Big River Bandido on Mon Jan 02, 2006 at 10:11:10 AM PDT