I've been saying ad nauseum that blogging alone isn't going to move the particular mountain that we need to move. Faxing and filibustering aren't either. History shows us that when a political party is as marginalized as the Democrats are now, it takes more than a major screwup on the part of the party in power to cause a power shift--it requires a major realignment of what the parties believe in and actually do.
From 1868 to 1914, the Democrats were entirely marginalized from the presidency, with the exception of Grover Cleveland's terms of office. Not that the Democrats' legislative platform at that moment was so laudable (they were the party of the Jim Crow South), but their legislative proposals were a dead letter too.
What ended up letting the Democrats back into power was a split in the Republican party based on the political realignment started by Theodore Roosevelt. TR picked up the mantle of Progressivism and the Republicans split between those favoring big government and those favoring small government. There would not really be another Republican like TR, but he overstepped--and that enabled Wilson to win the presidency.
We find ourselves in an analogous position now. Bush has overstepped the traditional Republican position in many ways--particularly when it comes to civil liberties. A poll that I saw on CNN today suggests that 58 percent of Americans find Bush's terms in office to constitute a failure. There are a lot of centrists who will join us if we will build bridges rather than burn them.
Now is the time for all Democrats to take advantage of the opportunity to force a party realignment on the right, which will allow us back into office.
- Let no precinct be un-manned or un-womanned as we move into the 2006 election cycle. We can use this space to brainstorm some of the types of messages that will appeal in individual regions of the country. We are the true patriots. We have to be on message, all the time.
- This would be a great time for us to hold "freedom schools," on the 1960s model, to educate the public about what the Constitution actually says and the best ways to safeguard our civil liberties. I'll put my money where my mouth is and try to organize a teach-in where I live.
- The kinds of things that got people's attention back in the 19th century, when they were seeking political representation, are still effective: mass marches like the one in London to protest our entering Iraq; outdoor rallies held by torchlight featuring firebrand speeches; town hall meetings and debates on Iraq, race in America, freedom of religion, and other issues. Let's make them about issues, not about candidates.
- If you see an opportunity to split the Republican party, split it--whether that means donating $$ cynically, cross-registering to vote in the opposite primary, whatever.
My favorite 19th-century political actors, the Chartists, were also big fans of arming and drilling, but I realize that might offend some people's sensibilities.