Here's my report from the front lines. I spent the afternoon trying to get signatures on an OFA (Organizing For America) petition.
The text of the petition (in its entirety)
I Support Health Insurance Reform
That's it. No small print. Five words: sign it or not.
After a couple hours' signature hunting, I see patterns. Most of the respondents can be classified into half a dozen groups. The groups offer trouble signs / opportunities. In order from least urgent to most,
First two groups: already settled, no action required
- A fair number of "I've got mine, so f*ck the rest of you". These are a mix of obvious macho types with Harley Davidson shirts, and obvious highly paid corporate types (plus the occasional Randian)
- A fair number of "hell yeah, I want universal free health care, let me sign that thing" (includes kin of Murder by Spreadsheet victims)
Next two groups: trouble
- A lot of kids in their twenties who obviously know that they will never be sick, and will live forever, so why is this their problem? Plus health insurance is included in the tuition check that Mom and Dad send to the university.
I don't know what to do to bring these - - the "youth vote" ? - - into the fray. The whole issue doesn't resonate for them. It's not like we can chant "Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today". We need their energy and their free time as activists. I don't know how to frame the issue to them.
- People who support a public option but refuse to sign because my petition is too vague.
What the heck am I signing? If there's no public option, the whole thing is just junk. You're asking me to support nothing.
If OFA, the great nationwide mobilizer, with the cute Obama sunrise logo, can't get signatures from this group, we have a big damn problem.
On the bright side, there's a very obvious way to get their signatures. Change the petition to read
I support a vigorous public option.
Change the petition. Change the campaign. Change the speeches. Engage. Give people something to support. Otherwise - - they've got a point - - it's just a case of the
same old Washington games.
Next two groups: opportunity
- One self-admitted deather. One. Uno.
- A lot of people hesitant to sign -- often due to the vaguess of the petition -- until I say
Really, if you sign, you're just asserting you're not in the Palin camp.
Then they sign right up.
From these groups, two lessons:
- The deathers are few and marginal.
- They and the GOP have made themselves ludicrous in the public eye.
This is a "go for the jugular" moment. This is political capital. This is leverage.
Our opponents are absurd.
Our opponents are dangerously insane.
So, my modest suggestion to OFA, Obama, Rahm, Democrats, or whoever the heck is supposed to be doing some sort of messaging and organizing.
Bring the public option front and center. Make it bold and clear. Don't even hint at anything less.
Assert something.
Don't be vague.
Your opponents have made themselves ridiculous. Call them out. Loudly, unambigously. Go for the jugular.