The Diary title is directed at me as much as anyone else on this site.
If you are doing everything that you can to get Democrats elected this fall then pat yourself on the back and move on, this diary is not for you.
There's more
Here are the facts on the ground:
We are~ 8 weeks from the November elections.
There is an "enthusiasm gap", we have candidates all across the country that can win their race, but are trailing by a few points. Because we Democrats didn't get a pony.
I get it many of you, me included are righteously pissed off about the stale bread of legislation that got passed during the last 22 months. OTOH I give full props for the things that did get done.
I get it that some of the issues that are most important to you have not been addressed at all, much less to your satisfaction.
Get a grip people. When did you ever get exactly what you wanted from an elected official. Our representatives represent people that hate everything about you as well as people like you and everything in between.
Democracy is noisy, messy and inefficient, it is just better than all the other systems that have been tried to date.
Like it or not We can't fix anything if our party is not in power.
Like it or not We won't be in power if we are not fully engaged.
I will waste no time crying over any seats we lose if ALL of us give it our best shot, But Damn it all, we have important seats that are winnable that are going south solely because we are not doing our parts.
I don't care about the venting that goes on here, some of it is healthy some of it is just sad. If that is what is holding you back, Grow Up.
I don't care if you said I won't support (fill in the blank) and am therefore not going to work to get anyone elected. You were an idiot to say it (come on you know it). So suck it up, suit up, and get back in the game.
I know it is hard to get started, so here is a list to help you get reengaged.
- Find Democratic candidates that you can support. Ideally someone from your district, if you can't find a local or state dem to love then find a national candidate.
- Take a field trip to a local campaign office check out the vibe. Odds are you will feel that old feeling starting to come back as that vibrant political animal that lurks inside you awakens. If the vibe is not right for you move on until you find one that ring your bell.
- Decide how you think you want to help. Don't be disappointed if the asks from the Party or local office are lame. If there is an ask from the Party or locals that you can get behind then by all means get on it. OTOH If you Can't find anything that fits? Make a sign that fits your message and pencil in time on your calendar to stand on some street corners. Host a coffee chat with a few friends, brainstorm on what you can do to put more democratic butts in seats come November. Maybe your deal is money bombs, if so I say go for it. I am sure you have more and better ideas of your own. Whatever path seems right get off your kester and get to work.
- Educate yourself. What ever your issues are research them, have your facts down cold. For every issue have two prepared talks. A 30 second talk (the elevator speech) and a longer in depth talk (the tell me more speech).
- Mingle, ideas both good and bad are contagious, get out and start infecting people with your ideas.
- Choose what you read, watch and listen to carefully. while it is necessary to be familiar with the venom and bile spewed by the GOP, Fox News, the tea partiers and of course our very own fricking trolls. Keep in mind that even more than firing up their base their primary goal is to demotivate you.
Focus on the things that pump you up, ignore the things that demotivate you.
Come November we will either be in a position to do the people's work (yeah I know we are far from perfect) or we will be fighting tooth and nail to keep the GOP from completing the destruction of our nation. It is just that simple.
I am going to sign off now and write checks to Barbara Boxer and Jerry Brown's campaigns since I live in CA and they both need the help.
What are you going to do?