Excellent thoughts! Here are a few quick thoughts of my own:
* Community beats policy and identity.
MAGA is a community. It's community built on lies and hate, to be sure, but for people seeking community in our increasingly atomized world, that's better than nothing. People need community and MAGA supplies it. Surely we can do better!
People trust members of their group more than any stranger, even if the stranger is by every objective measure like you and proposing policies in your interest. Trump had 14 years of playing a rich bully on TV to convince people that he was one of them, and no amount of policy positions and successes could change their hearts on that. We can't do the same but we can make connecting with communities a core strategy. In the process, we might learn what really matters to each microcosm; helping them with their issues is both good in itself and good politics.
* PCOs would be more effective building community than doing literature drops.
I fought to stay awake at the monthly, bureaucratic and boring monthly Democratic Party District meetings. I don't think it was much of a community except for the long-termers. In contrast, our little progressive postcarding group meeting every week at a coffeeshop built real community and friendships while helping Democrats and progressives across our country. We did not have and did not need Party sanction; in fact, when we took our program to a District meeting, members were eager to have something to do while the someone droned on at the lectern.
* Nonpartisan community service can build community in a nonconfrontational way. If we signed up for a work party at local charity or organization in need, the work we do is nonpartisan and therefore nonthreatening to people who are not especially interested in politics. The work is worth doing in itself, but it also builds our community credibility.
* Succession Planning.
We must make developing the next generation of leaders a priority. No one is irreplaceable, no matter how good they are; no one will never get old. RBG and Joe Biden have been excellent leaders but their legacy is a disaster because they couldn't step down on time.
* I'll never forget trying to dig my car out of a Massachusetts snowbank with car mats - that's all I had - when a guy hopped out of his pickup with two shovels. We dug me out lickery split and as I thanked him, he said no problem! by the way, I'm running for Town Board in May. Can you guess who I supported?
A couple of things: yes, we need ways for people to get together and socialize. Meetings are bad for that. Postcard parties are much better. Also, I think the whole non-partisan thing is a well meaning trap that we fall into. It's okay to be partisan as long as you are positive and welcoming. In fact, it is necessary.
Best thing I’ve seen. Also the book Comeback, by Stephen Fish
We have become a nationwide community during this election. Postcards, Zoom sessions….so many blue dots connected. I’m sure we can use that and build on it.
We’re the party of civil rights and human rights worldwide. It’s so huge and so basic….surely we can use it better.
Shout our accomplishments to the skies, and explain how Republican obstruction etc has hurt Americans. It would be great if the major media were our ally in getting the truth out, but….
We should have stuck with Biden. Harris is amazing but that was a shameful bloodletting, and we could have made it an opportunity to talk about his achievements. We let the press push out our brilliant incumbent and his great economy. And since we went with Harris she should have been able to run on his record as well as her own gifts.
The Democratic Party never figured out how to explain this:
1. Biden deftly pulled us out of an economic collapse and then steered us to a soft landing from inflation, meanwhile,
2. Our economy had become manifestly unfair due to the massive concentration of wealth, and previous Democratic administrations bear some responsibility for that, but also,
3. Biden did more to fight that concentration of wealth than anyone since the Roosevelts.
If we had managed that, we'd have been good with either candidate. What bothers me most is that we did not even try.
Excellent thoughts! Here are a few quick thoughts of my own:
* Community beats policy and identity.
MAGA is a community. It's community built on lies and hate, to be sure, but for people seeking community in our increasingly atomized world, that's better than nothing. People need community and MAGA supplies it. Surely we can do better!
People trust members of their group more than any stranger, even if the stranger is by every objective measure like you and proposing policies in your interest. Trump had 14 years of playing a rich bully on TV to convince people that he was one of them, and no amount of policy positions and successes could change their hearts on that. We can't do the same but we can make connecting with communities a core strategy. In the process, we might learn what really matters to each microcosm; helping them with their issues is both good in itself and good politics.
* PCOs would be more effective building community than doing literature drops.
I fought to stay awake at the monthly, bureaucratic and boring monthly Democratic Party District meetings. I don't think it was much of a community except for the long-termers. In contrast, our little progressive postcarding group meeting every week at a coffeeshop built real community and friendships while helping Democrats and progressives across our country. We did not have and did not need Party sanction; in fact, when we took our program to a District meeting, members were eager to have something to do while the someone droned on at the lectern.
* Nonpartisan community service can build community in a nonconfrontational way. If we signed up for a work party at local charity or organization in need, the work we do is nonpartisan and therefore nonthreatening to people who are not especially interested in politics. The work is worth doing in itself, but it also builds our community credibility.
* Succession Planning.
We must make developing the next generation of leaders a priority. No one is irreplaceable, no matter how good they are; no one will never get old. RBG and Joe Biden have been excellent leaders but their legacy is a disaster because they couldn't step down on time.
* I'll never forget trying to dig my car out of a Massachusetts snowbank with car mats - that's all I had - when a guy hopped out of his pickup with two shovels. We dug me out lickery split and as I thanked him, he said no problem! by the way, I'm running for Town Board in May. Can you guess who I supported?
We can do better!
A couple of things: yes, we need ways for people to get together and socialize. Meetings are bad for that. Postcard parties are much better. Also, I think the whole non-partisan thing is a well meaning trap that we fall into. It's okay to be partisan as long as you are positive and welcoming. In fact, it is necessary.
It's okay to be partisan as long as you are positive and welcoming" ... is well said!
In fact, it's better to stand for something ... be polite about it but be firm. People who have open minds will respect that.
https://www.damemagazine.com/2024/11/20/democrats-policies-drowned-out/
Best thing I’ve seen. Also the book Comeback, by Stephen Fish
We have become a nationwide community during this election. Postcards, Zoom sessions….so many blue dots connected. I’m sure we can use that and build on it.
We’re the party of civil rights and human rights worldwide. It’s so huge and so basic….surely we can use it better.
Shout our accomplishments to the skies, and explain how Republican obstruction etc has hurt Americans. It would be great if the major media were our ally in getting the truth out, but….
We should have stuck with Biden. Harris is amazing but that was a shameful bloodletting, and we could have made it an opportunity to talk about his achievements. We let the press push out our brilliant incumbent and his great economy. And since we went with Harris she should have been able to run on his record as well as her own gifts.
The Democratic Party never figured out how to explain this:
1. Biden deftly pulled us out of an economic collapse and then steered us to a soft landing from inflation, meanwhile,
2. Our economy had become manifestly unfair due to the massive concentration of wealth, and previous Democratic administrations bear some responsibility for that, but also,
3. Biden did more to fight that concentration of wealth than anyone since the Roosevelts.
If we had managed that, we'd have been good with either candidate. What bothers me most is that we did not even try.
This, 100%