We are all so excited and thrilled that Barack Obama will be inaugurated on January 20, 2009, as our great nation's 44th president.
Like some of you, the first time I saw President-elect Obama was his keynote speech at the July 2004 Democratic National Convention. Immediately after his speech ( including in a comment here on dKos in a July 27, 2004 front-page story by none other than Kos himself ) I said Obama would become President some day. Little did I know at the time how soon it would happen.
It's unbelievably historic for our nation which has seen so much history ( good and bad ) and I am on Cloud Nine. As passionate and excited as I am, though, I am at my core about practical matters. And the subject of my diary is a pressing practical matter of real urgency.
Keep reading below the jump . . .
For at least the last several weeks, I have been giving much thought to what will be needed AFTER this historic election win. President-elect Obama and his Administration inherit a mountain of debt, two wars, an economy in shambles, a broken health care system, a growing energy crisis, and so much more - Obama and his Administration will have an enormous job to do.
As happy as I am over the election results, there's very little time for victory dances, spiking the ball in 'their' face, or doing the Lambeau Leap.
Obama has won - thanks to the work of so many here and elsewhere - so what do we do NOW ? Do we all just go back to our routine and wait until the next election campaign ? I think not ! I don't know what exactly will need to be done, or how exactly I am supposed to play any kind of role, but the local relationships established in this campaign in your area - and beyond - need to continue.
The two big verbs of the day, I believe, are :
PUSH
and
PUSHBACK
A massive, organized network of ordinary citizens, a well-oiled 'lobby' ( for lack of a better word ) needs to self-organize, mobilize, and PUSH Obama and the Democrats - push hard - to advance and IMPLEMENT - a progressive program for this country's future. Tax fairness. Job creation. Ending the Iraq War. Finishing the job in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda and Bin Laden. Health care for all Americans. Restoring the Constitution. And holding the Obama Administration and Democrats to their promises. ( One example : President-elect Obama said several months ago one of his first actions as president would be to strike down a number of Bush executive orders that are inappropriate. )
WE - ALL OF US - need to become the largest ( unofficial ) Lobbying Organization in American history starting on November 5 and continuing as long as Obama is president. Emphasis on ORGANIZATION - as in well-organized.
This needs to start NOW. Not only online, in places like right here, but off-line, using a model like the local Neighbor To Neighbor (N2N) networks the Obama campaign has enabled.
There will need to be PUSHBACK too. We here have proven we can do that -- a recent exhibit is the Bachmann Boomerang. We are going to have to PUSHBACK hard, because you can bet your bottom dollar there will be massive mobilization by the Right Wing Attack Machine, the Hatemongers, the Religious Right, the Republicans, the Traditional Media, the Corporate Powers, and entrenched interests in Washington and on Wall St to UNDERMINE an Obama Administration from Day 1 - heck, they're not waiting until Inauguration Day - they're doing it RIGHT NOW.
One example of what we can expect from the Right Wing Attack Machine and the Hatemongers would be the unadulterated hatred and the clinically insane conspiracy theories started the moment that Obama's grandmother passed away - someone excerpted Freeper comments from Nov 2 in a comment here.
Starting as soon as the election was called for Obama, the same Angry Right Wing crowd that relentlessly harassed Bill & Hillary Clinton during Bill's 8-year presidency is revving up the same noisy hate machine. To be sure, some factions on the Right will be screaming at each other, threatening each other, and clawing each other's face off in the most welcome Civil War I believe History will ever know - but some of them will be able to multitask between intranecine Republican warfare for the future of their creaking party, and attacking and lying about President Obama without letup ). Here's just one example - Fox News in 'full nuclear meltdown mode' - a week before Election Day.
So what can we do to effectively counteract this ? How will Obama be able to implement a Progressive Program for America and get stuff done for average Americans ?
We need to think about how to harness, organize, and channel ourselves into one massive movement that is a powerful agent and advocate. We - ALL OF US - need to start RIGHT NOW to consider what WE CAN DO to ( 1 ) PUSH the progressive agenda through to successful enactment of broad legislative programs and ( 2 ) PUSH BACK on the crazed haters who will be given aid and comfort by not only the RW noise machine but also much of the so-called mainstream or traditional media.
This rambling manifesto can be summed up in this short statement :
WE - ALL OF US - need to become the largest ( unofficial ) Lobbying Organization in American history starting on November 5 and continuing as long as Obama is president.
It takes less than 15 minutes out of your day to craft a brief message, which you can send online to both your US Senators, your House Representative, and -- because of their positions and the power they hold -- the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader.
Will you join me?
It's time Democrats take it to the Democratic powers-that-be in Washington.
The time to contact these people is TODAY, not tomorrow. Strike while the iron's hot ! Sure the Democrats control the White House and both chambers of Congress - but to paraphrase Ronald Reagan we cannot just Trust, we must also Verify.
E-mail your House representative here:
http://www.house.gov
E-mail your two US Senators here:
http://www.senate.gov
Contact Speaker Pelosi here:
http://speaker.house.gov
Contact Senate Majority Leader Reid here:
http://reid.senate.gov
The first message we must send them ? I humbly suggest something like this -
We want the Obama program for change to be implemented in Congress as fast as possible, and we want you to focus on the priorities of the progressive program starting on Day 1 - Jan 20 2009.
- We demand Health Care for all Americans.
- We want the US out of Iraq in a responsible manner, but it must happen sooner rather than later.
- We want Osama Bin Laden to be held accountable for killing 3,000 Americans.
- We exhort you to uphold and restore the United States Constitution. (And to President Obama - we expect you to overturn President Bush's Executive Orders that are unconstitutional or otherwise unlawful or unnecessary.)
- We insist on an aggressive Renewable Energy program, like President Kennedy's Apollo program.
- We need Good Jobs and Tax Fairness for Working Americans.
- We insist on Investment in Infrastructure, including broadband.
- We urge that taxpayers be protected in the the Wall St bailout and demand a balanced federal budget and paydown of national debt.
I am an activated, involved American citizen and I need you to act on these urgent priorities.
I will be monitoring your efforts on these priorities, and as a voter will hold you accountable at the ballot box for delivering on these important progressive programs.
Thank you.
Others, such as Al Giordano who I saw speak in Wisconsin two weeks ago ( my notes below ), have given much more thought to this than I ever could. Kos' book Taking On The system is a good field manual; surely there are others.
What are your thoughts, ideas, comments, suggestions ? Add them here. Let's keep this going. The largest grassroots movement in American political history MUST NOT be allowed to 'go to seed' for the winter !
Now, here are my notes from Al Giordano's presentation in Wisconsin on October 23, 2008. About 70 people attended on a rainy weeknight.
Obama is a post-Baby Boomer. Unfortunately, many Baby Boomers sold out, tuned out, or dropped out.
Social movements :
In the 1970s there was the successful anti-nuclear movement. These were local community-based movements where all factions of the Left joined up. There were ideologues, various leftist factions and they fought over direction. Soon it fell apart.
What succeeded in the anti-nuke movement was door-to-door persuasion, in the local community, by citizen advocates. Organizing has to involve those who are NOT 'activists.' We need to stop preaching to the already-converted, otherwise we will become insular and eventually there will be intranecine warfare.
We are now a multi-racial, multi-generational society. Tactics that are repetitive and familiar only result in the system adjusting to this approach and then marginalizing it and it becomes a too-white, college-educated 'bubble.'
Obama has burst the bubble in many ways - with small donations ( huge numbers of small donors which form a large base that can be tapped, and tapped again ).
People are motivated to Do Something. Camp Obama trained 3,500 people in how to organize. Obama campaign went to early primary and caucus states and succeeded in state after state.
There are 'Obama Fellows' and 'Obama Deputies' - these people were based in homes and businesses.
The Obama campaign did good, comprehensive data-gathering with daily report-outs and frequent communication via conference calls for accountability.
Early Voting : It's all about data and pattern prediction. In Clark County, Nevada, in 2004 Kerry had a 5 % advantage; in 208, in the first 2 days in Clark Co Obama had a 16 % advantage.
Obama has organized Progressives. We look back to 1992, after Clinton won the election his organizers became DC lobbyists. If Obama wins people in his Administration will have to sign agreements NOT to become lobbyists !
After the election, thousands of campaign offices shut down. Field organizers go back home. Tens of thousands of volunteers - who worked with different races and different generations and their neighbors - who gained valuable skills - what are these people going to do ?
How to keep this going ?
In 1992 after the election of Clinton, the national progressive infrastructure ( organizations promoting the environment, civil rights, pro-choice ) saw money dry up after Clinton won. They had to lay off staff. Unions saw their influence wane.
The corporate wing will attempt to co-opt an Obama movement if he wins.
The Bush/Republican infrastructure will have to scale back ( like Progressives in 1992 ) due to lack of money.
The smear campaigns against MoveOn and ACORN show they are targets on the 'enemy radar.' Has ACORN been marginalized ?
Organizing on the local level - that is powerful.
Howard Zinn's idea is what if some town/city bank foreclosed on a a house and what if the neighbors organized to do something about it ?
What about the Democratic Party ? In 2010 there will be a wave of primaries to 'clear out the deadwood' in Congress.
Obama did us a favor ! He organized us. We need to return the favor - and organize the Presidency.
Through text messages, phone calls, e-mails, etc we can push hard on the Hill for health care, etc.
We can organize and make noise on the local level. This can't be top-down. It's got to be critical mass - we need to continue to get together locally, prioritize issues, maintain contact network, meet after the Inauguration [ I say after Election Day ! ] and evaluate how the President is doing, where can he improve, and push/encourage.
Obama has displayed an artful, competent approach to community organizing.
Respect - Empower - Include
The above 3 words were the famous mantra in Obama campaign offices.
Other important elements are :
-- Outreach - contacts
-- Data - lists, quantifiable goals, daily/weekly/monthly
-- Social networking - bottom-up
In the American Revolution there were 'communities of correspondents' - local action with report-out to committees.
Consider a possible approach like the A.A. model ! (With drinking)
No plan yet - just a 'kernel of idea' to germinate. How will Obama get things done ? Organizing public opinion is one way. Educating the public on policy, a couple examples are drug policy and the death penalty. Giordano emphasized : The Public can change their minds ! (eg Nuclear power in the 1970's and 1980's). Can we frame getting non-violent offenders out of prison as a tax-savings issue ?
After Giordano's thought-provoking presentation, there was an opportunity for audience interaction/Q&A - brief summary below.
What's Next ?
- Local education issues. African-American students -- mentoring. Supreme Court -- importance.
- American people don't realize their collective lobbying power ! 4-5 million supporters equals 10,000 people per House member. This is power and influence !
- Social causes, social justice. How do populations share information? Community organizing : LISTEN. Sometimes people disagree regarding priorities, that's when you funnel folks into issue subgroups to hash those things out and report back to the larger group.
- Use online tools to share stories (eg Sudan), to compel others, to convince others.
- We stand on the shoulders of great people. We have the power to do great things. It's a ripple effect -- don't be deceived by initial failure, it may lead to success in the long run. It's okay to back out, and step back in. Observe.
- Issue of More Democrats vs BETTER Democrats.
- Do NOT let important programs (eg Health Care) fail ! Those must succeed to sustain momentum. Don't let the big things fail !
- Small towns/communities - eg, Spring Green (small town in southwestern Wisconsin) organized grassroots effort for Obama.
- Not everyone is on the Internet ! Remember that. Reach those people too.
- Training. Al G. talked about the importance of messaging, media relations, editing, blogging, and communications. Look for talent and treat talent well ! Find creative people and involve them, while remembering some creative types don't like meetings.
- Art. Visual art. Imaging, artwork, graphics - use these to play to strengths.
- Make your passion your life's work. In other words, not as a 'side project' but take the Capitalist Approach and make it your paying job. Sustainable job creation.
- Remember there are sources of funding for progressive activities, eg grants and so forth. Use seed money for projects, in WI there is the Wisconsin Community Fund.
- Make it easy and quick for people to do a little work. More hands make easier work. And remember the money and the time are there if you figure out ways to tap into those resources.