We Can't Let Republicans Take Over in 2010 -- All Hands on Deck!

[Joanne98]

Progressives must invent their own creative, independent ways to get people motivated to volunteer and get out to vote.

August 5, 2010 |

A lot of people remember 2004 as a bad year -- the year George W. Bush was re-elected. I remember that too. But mostly I remember 2004 as an amazing year, a creative renaissance in political organizing. We weren’t excited about the candidate (John Kerry, remember him?), but we were absolutely terrified of the opposition -- rightly so. There was no magical Obama campaign. So we had to invent our own organic ways to get people interested. 2004 was the year that grassroots artists, activists and organizers discovered a formerly despised tactic: Voting (eew, gross!). George W. Bush helped us realize we couldn’t afford to ignore it anymore.

2010 is a little bit like 2004. We’re not excited about the candidates (who are the Democrats running again?) but we should be terrified of the opposition. Karl Rove is back, raising $200 million for independent expenditures. The Tea Party is at high tide. And according to pollsters, Republicans are twice as motivated as Democrats to vote in the fall elections. Scary!

The parallels are a bit frightening. Even the dates are the same: Election Day 2010 falls on November 2 -- same as in 2004. But what is most scary is that our team appears completely demoralized, uninterested in voting, and basically resigned to losing big in the fall. Can you imagine a sports team doing this? Can you imagine a sports team going into a game like: “Yeah, let’s try to only lose by 15-20 points.”

No, stupid! That’s not how you play the game. If you’re the underdog, that means you have to fight twice as hard and come from behind. You have to play to win!

I know 2004 was a traumatic experience many of us would prefer to forget. November 3, 2004 alone was so depressing that the progressive movement basically went into a coma for six months and barely woke up in time to stop Social Security from being privatized in mid-2005.

http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/147708/we_can%27t_let_republicans_take_over_in_2010_--_all_hands_on_deck%21/

[FSogol]

1. K & R n/t

[old mark]

2. Rec - I wish I could rec this 10 times. VOTE IN NOVEMBER!!!!

It sucks that the GOPers in congress have so much power with so few numbers...let's not GIVE them more by sitting out the election. If we could actually win a few more seats, the shape of legislation that is able to pass would be much improved...and the RWers would go INSANE!!!!

I'm looking forward to it - don't let me down, I'm old and need chering up.

mark

[opihimoimoi]

3. Opi is here with his musket and sword...KnR

[secondwind]

4. huge Kick!

[Enthusiast]

5. I agree.

They have proven incapable several times. If the Republicans are elected they will tell us: "Deficits don't matter. We must invade Iran because they are a nuclear threat to us and Israel."

After the Republicans once again destroy our nation the electorate will wake up and elect Democrats. But once again, Democrats won't be able to correct the problems created by the Republicans as resources will become too thin. Vicious cycle.

[handmade34]

6. just yesterday

I was thinking how incredibly disgusted I would be if the republicans gained significant seats this fall and how I would be in the streets and then I realized ...NOW is the time to be doing the hard work, preventative medicine is always best. Yes, "All hands on deck!!" We need to get people out to vote. I remember all too well how traumatizing 2004 was

[MineralMan]

7. K&R

This is the thing we absolutely must do in 2010.

[pscot]

8. Not voting is never the right answer.

:patriot:

[classysassy]

9. If the republicans steal the forth coming election

it will take them only a couple of months before they try to impeach Obama.We must get out the vote in order to stop Boner and his brainless hoard.