WP: Activists Use Web To Nudge Party, Principles Are Drafted for Democrats

[Pirate Smile]

Activists Use Web To Nudge Party
Principles Are Drafted for Democrats

By John F. Harris
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 20, 2005; Page A05

To hear some people tell it, the problem with the Democratic Party is that the political left no longer knows what it believes. A young graduate student named John Paul Rollert says these doubters can find their answer on the Web.

Rollert, a political activist who says his aim is the long-term revival of progressive politics, is one of the leaders of an effort called the "Principles Project," which recently completed an online convention designed to define and promote what Democrats believe.

Six weeks of e-mail debate and balloting ended earlier this month with "A Declaration of Progressive Principles." It is posted at www.principlesproject.com.
The manifesto is just over 500 words long. People hoping for programs and policy prescriptions will not find them. Instead, the online symposium aimed for broad statements of core beliefs that could unite people among the diverse factions of the Democratic Party.

-snip-
However spacious the language, the Principles Project's declarations represent a partial answer to two questions that have percolated in Washington since the November election. One is whether the grass-roots activity and political energy that was mobilized on the Democratic side against President Bush would continue after his reelection victory.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50245-2005Mar19.html

Edit to add the approximately 500 word manifesto from
http://www.principlesproject.com/

A Declaration of Progressive Principles
Drafted online by the members of The Principles Project and adopted March 1, 2005

We believe in America's historic promise of liberty, justice and the expansion of opportunity for all people. These commitments to fundamental human dignity and a better nation for all animate the American spirit and give us a sense of common purpose. We honor these commitments by recognizing that with the great freedoms afforded us comes an even greater responsibility to see that those freedoms are extended to all people in all places.

We believe that this sense of shared responsibility -- for our families, our communities, our nation and our world -- strengthens our country and secures our future.

_______
We believe in defending dignity:

“All people are created equal” is not just a fact -- it is a call to action. Either we create justice for all or we have justice for none.

All people have the right to lead their personal lives in accordance with their own beliefs, free from imposition or monitoring by others.

All people have a right to the basic necessities required to lead dignified lives and to pursue happiness.

We believe in strengthening democracy:

It is the shared responsibility of a nation to ensure each citizen’s freedom, security and equality. Through government, we honor our responsibility to promote the common good.

Government must be transparent, accessible and open to all citizens who wish to oversee its workings and share in its benefits.

America must work to enhance the democratic process by ensuring an educated citizenry, equal opportunity for influence, honest public debate, competitive elections and robust civic participation.

A healthy democracy requires tireless vigilance against corruption and abuses of power, and a government that is accountable to its people.

We believe in promoting progress:

We must promote innovation and entrepreneurship, cultivate the arts and sciences, and ensure a quality education for everyone. When we invest in individual potential, the benefits are shared by all.

America must continue to be a welcoming home to all people. We believe that diversity of faith, culture and perspective enriches our nation.

America must keep a watchful eye on the economy to ensure fairness, transparency and genuine opportunity for all.

Each generation has a duty to protect and improve those resources we hold in common -- our community spaces, our public institutions and our natural environment.

We believe in embracing leadership:

America’s security requires an effective military and a commitment to enduring alliances, but we must remember that America’s true power is found in its wisdom as well as its strength.

Our security and prosperity rely on the security and prosperity of people throughout the world. By helping others, we will help ourselves.

America must join with other nations to build global institutions that protect the vulnerable, promote democratic self-government, and improve the health and welfare of all people throughout the world.

America must never suspend its belief in democracy and human rights in the pursuit of its global objectives. Noble ends require nothing short of noble means.

_______
As progressives, these are our guiding principles -- to defend dignity, to strengthen democracy, to promote progress and to embrace leadership. We believe that our country must always be looking toward a better and brighter future for all people, and in this pursuit we pledge to come forward and work with whomever we can. We will fight for these principles in every community, every forum and every office of government, because the struggles of this new century will not only be about preserving the freedoms we already enjoy -- they will be about expanding those freedoms for all people.

[trudyco]

1. While I applaud the effort, it seems wordy and too intellectual

It doesn't seem to have much punch or clarity. What the heck does embracing leadership really mean???

Defending dignity sounds good but do you define it as pedophiles pursuing their happiness? We do believe in some government intervention in some actitivies. I think the intent was for leaving people alone regardless of faith or sexual orientation, but somehow the brushstroke is too broad.

I believe in limiting immigration to reduce population growth. Being pro-immigration isn't necessarily a progressive principle. It depends on what you mean. More important is the promotion of diversity and keeping jobs here at home (so people don't feel threatened by immigrants in terms of jobs).

Maybe I read this too quickly but I didn't see anything about catching and bringing up those left behind: the poor, the underinsured or uninsured, the ones in dysfunctional homes, the homeless and runaways, the ones struggling with disabilities or dibilitating diseases and birth defects. To me, one of the core principles of progressives is their compassion.

I like the idea of promoting innovation and entrepenuership, but I think there is more to say. Progressives take the long view in business. Republicans take the short view (tax cuts, easing government control) which give short term benefits to business. However, they hurt all citizens in the long run. Progressives believe in proper drug studies prior to letting them into the public, they believe in environmental controls because it's good for everybody, they want to tackle global warming and oil peak problems now - not when it becomes an intractable crisis, they believe in fair taxation and fair wages (less spread between CEOs and the average worker) and fair trade because an economically healthy middle class is good for business in the long run.

There is other stuff but I like that this group has taken a stab at it. To me, the Democrats need to define their core beliefs and hold the Democrats in office to them.

[Charlie Brown]

2. Some of these sound incredibly vague and ambiguous

"We embrace leadership"

What does that mean, exactly?

"Our security and prosperity rely on the security and prosperity of people throughout the world. By helping others, we will help ourselves."

This sounds like pre-emptive strike talk to me. Many of these "principals" seem dedicated to military intervention and force. I would hope that most progressives would be wary of such language.

[Thurston Howell IV]

3. I don't really want to be critical because I applaude the effort, but

it does seem too vague -- it doesn't really grab me. And a major oversight is letting corporate abuse of power go essentially unmentioned. Economic justice should shine through many of these statments, but does not.

I'm also a little wary of spreading truth and justice across the globe. I'd be content to a commitment not to screw other countries over until we get our shit together here.

[Robert Oak]

4. "America must be welcoming home to all people"

So, we already have 20M illegal aliens playing the system..
that's not enough?

Sorry this sounds like just naive as hell. I'm w/ the philosophy
of "we will stop being a front for multinational corporations"
and "we will dismantle the military-industrial complex that insisted on surviving after WWII and now costs Americans huge
bucks and causes massive world wide destruction through unnecessary war".

"Global institutions"....what does that mean, the damn WTO is killing us already and not helping any "average" person worldwide.

"watchful eye" on the economy? We're watching it, watching it being sold down the river for short term gain.

[patricia92243]

5. When we invest in individual potential, the benefits are shared by all.

That statement sums up why I am a Democrat.

I love the term "Progressive Principles."

All in all, a good start, but like most things will need a little "tweaking" to get it where we want it.

[davsand]

6. It is a Manifesto!!!!

One word of advice I have for any political organization is to avoid "Manifestos." Learn to write in ways that normal people actually talk. The summary does a much better job of communicating the goals--without the ambiguities.

That entire document screams a lack of focus--and that is exactly what plagues the entire left wing of our country...

They mean well, I'm sure, but it really IS more of the same old stuff.


Laura

[MrPrax]

7. Didn't Even Hit the Broadside...

This group didn't even hit the broadside of the barn.

Part of the general frustration, Progressive or not, is that politics and especially politics during elections, lack specifics and wallow in 'vagueness'.

This 'manifesto' reads like a political consultants' handbook--I assume the authors must be angling for 'jobs' with the Dean Machine has having a whole lotta 'web cred'.

I also wonder about the WP framing of all this 'net activitism'. You can find many many Progressive web sites (this is one!) whose mission statements and aims already express a litany of ideas and positions popular among Progressives, liberals and many centrist Conservatives.

Elected Democratic politicians, if they SO desire, can read their email, log on to forums and consult with these web masters and then serve their constituency--the problem is that they DON'T and generally ignore taking a Progressive position.

So in asking that immortal question,"What Is To Be Done?"...answer is GET RID OF THEM, not for us to keep asking

[Toots]

8. It doesn't mention a person's health at all

I believe totally that the Government's only responsibility is to maintain the "Health & Welfare" of the Nation. That means keeping it's citizens in good health and it's infrastructure in good health. GOP does neither. They only want to keep Graft, Corruption and the War Industry in good health. We could do so much better if we even tried a little..

[Azathoth]

9. The statement of principles is a cop-out

Making broad, ultra-general statements is nice, but without specifics, it is little more than a political Rorschach drawing that allows people to fill in the specifics according to their own beliefs. Many liberals would read through those principles and assume they implicitly endorsed ideas like gay marriage, while staunch conservatives would read those principles and agree in theory with every one and yet see nothing that endorsed gay marriage. You can't define a political platform by making vague generalities; you have to address specific issues.