I don't know about you, but when I'm invited to attend one of four events just miles apart, two on Saturday, two on Sunday, each a kick-off for the same new national organization, I get confused.
That's the situation with Van Owen's Rebuild the American Dream and its first meetings in Tucson, Arizona, this weekend: two house parties will happen on Saturday, with five people each, a couple miles apart; and two slightly larger meetings will happen on Sunday, each with about 20-25 sign-ups, in libraries in the exact same neighborhoods.
Tucson is not a large city. This micro-division of meetups isn't helpful. Perhaps there aren't enough organizers in the field to consolidate events. Or maybe this is just a consequence of American Dream's enormous Big Tent ambitions, an unwillingness to turn down any enthusiastic volunteer host.
I'm now pondering, do I attend a tiny meeting where we basically bump fists and vow to get out the people next time, or one of the larger meetings where there might be a critical mass able to take action? If the former, do I also attend on Sunday to communicate our house party's outcome to one of the library sessions? If the latter, do we post facto share with the house party attendees (whoever they are) the outcomes of the library meetings? And how do we share between the house parties and the library meetings while they are simultaneously taking place?
It wouldn't matter so much if this wasn't our first meeting -- but it is. First impressions matter.
In 2008, while campaigning for Obama, the organization held meetups -- just as grassroots in character -- with greater discipline. I'm hoping that this first weekend of American Dream activity here is a great learning experience -- and isn't repeated. I hope someone higher up in the organization is taking notes. Also, that plans are made next time for better press pre-event coverage. If not for my email, I wouldn't have known about this weekend's activities.
What's the experience elsewhere? Equally confused? Or is this just another example of Tucson's propensity for incoherence? Either way, the American Dream clearly needs more organizers in the field lest it become mainly a big city, East Coast phenomenon.
Here's a link in case you want to search out your our own local scattering of American Dream house parties and attend one or several:
http://civic.moveon.org/...