Do you support the DNC?

[mdmc]

I never have supported the DNC ( I never saw any leadership or direction come from the DNC - I always thought of them as the bigger DLC / GOP lite bullshit entity).

I was surprised that Dean won the DNC Chair.

I now support the DNC. I feel more like a "party person". What say you, DU? What do y'all think about the DNC?

A} Support
B] Oppose

ps
Feel free to expand your thoughts on the DNC in a post: Did you always support the DNC? Do you support the DLC? Did the DNC goof by making the Good Doctor chair?

[mhr]

1. While A Believe A Change Of Leadership Is Healthy,

I am taking a wait-and-see attitude before committing myself emotionally to potentially another lost cause.

I volunteered over a thousand hours of my time last election cycle for nothing.

I won't do that again soon.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. you've never played sports, huh?

Just because you put in the effort, that alone doesn't ensure victory. But that doesn't make the effort meaningless by any means.

[mhr]

4. I Have Been Unemployed For 5 Years - My Future Livelihood

Depended on Democrats winning elections.

I will probably be leaving the country soon. There are no jobs for middle aged white men like myself.

Sports has NOTHING to do with it!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

22. I'm sorry to hear about your job situation, but that's not the point.

First of all, the sports reference means you don't just give up as soon as you lose, and further, your effort isn't completely meaningless even if you do happen to lose. That's a pretty sore loser mentality.

[mhr]

24. Out Of Money, Out Of Time

'nuff said!

Sports has nothing to do with it!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

29. You're not a metaphor kind of person either, huh?

[mhr]

31. No, I Live In The Real World Of Bills And Responsibility

No time for metaphor.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. I haven't always AGREED with the DNC

But I have always supported them. I am very happy with Dean. I greatly dislike the DLC - they forget that Clinton won because he was Bill f'ing Clinton and because of Ross Perot, not because he was a centrist.

[mdmc]

6. I hope that those whom face burnout regarding progressive

causes might take solace in Dean's Chairmanship. I kinda burned myself out during the primary last year and haven't really got back on my feet myself (I was going to run for office this year, now I am not).

I now have faith in the party from the top, right on down to my local chair (a Dean Dem).

[Dogmudgeon]

5. We have to stop looking for leadership

We should, we ought to, we MUST start taking the initiative locally, rather than look for leadership that we like. Our bad habit of demanding that the Democratic Party "give" us properly left-wing leaders is leading to the overall progressive movement being pulped and poured into the drain like so much curdled milk.

I read it every day: "I'll go out and vote when the Democratic Party gives me candidates I approve of!" Meanwhile, the Republican Party racks up win after win, installs magical electronic vote-generating machines, and rides herd over basic human values.

When I see posts like that, I immediately think "wanker!" All that righteous indignation, and not even enough guts to run for local dog-catcher. And it's not even necessary to run -- there are thousands of ways to bring the fight to the adversary, and often without even involving the Democratic Party.

Leadership always follows public movements; even the Civil Rights movement came first, and Dr. King followed. This is not some bass-ackward irony, it's the way social movements work.

My hunch is that Howard Dean is in that kind of position; may he use his power as chair of the DNC to America's benefit.

--p!

[mdmc]

8. so then progressives will lead Dean towards a progressive

movement. God willing.

[mhr]

10. I Have Not The Money Or Energy To Run For Office

And even if I did, I am not sure that I could withstand the Republican slime attacks that would surely be directed my way.

So, I will not accept your criticism.

I did what I could do during the last election cycle and then some.

[mdmc]

15. I don't have the cash myself... I will help other progressives that do..

[Dogmudgeon]

17. That's not personal criticism

My remarks weren't directed toward you, and I apologize if it appeared that they were. The problems I see are not individual, but movement-wide.

And I certainly understand that it is easy to get discouraged in the face of such an amoral movement as neo-Conservatism, but discouragement is best fought with many small efforts, not by making a large wager in a high-stakes game of political chance. And a lot of us feel that the last three elections have been exactly that.

The fact that you did something puts you far ahead of most people. The need isn't for progressives to take any particular action, but for most or all of us to become individually active. Running for local office is one thing that some of us can do, but as I wrote, it isn't required. (And in many places, there is still no sliming by Republicans toward local candidates.)

My criticism is aimed solely toward the idea that we must wait for someone at the top to lead us and complain bitterly that a Hero has not shown up. Without an activist grassroots, leadership becomes wishy-washy and careerist. That's the change we really need -- a broad-based movement of progressives who are too impatient to wait for a Leader.

--p!

[mdmc]

19. It is easier to participate when your "leader" isn't crushing

every grassroots attempt at participation.

[Dogmudgeon]

20. Then to hell with the "leader" ...

I don't bitch much about Joe Lieberman because I don't think of him much. Lieberman is of the past. He's done some good stuff in his day, but the world has moved on, and I won't depend on him for anything. And he's in no position to stop me.

Likewise, I support the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in my home state, but when Ed Rendell does something that's counter-progressive -- e.g., allow Comcast to use him like a crack whore -- I don't anguish too much over it. My own activities don't depend on him, either. Yes, Ed's done a lot of good, but he's also played some racketball with the Devil.

Oh, I've written letters to The Editor and to various representatives. It did nothing, but it was worth doing. They know I'm out there and don't go along with the program the way they'd like. They can count on my vote against a Republican, but not on my support for their agenda.

Now, regressive Democrats can and do inhibit progressivism, but that's my point about autonomous political activism. Not only can activists work without anyone's permission, but a lot of highly effective activism is best done individually or in small groups. In my own community, I got between 30 and 50 non-voters registered Democratic, fired up to want to kick GWB out of the White House, and I did most of it through the part of the network of my Mother's friends who are -- Fundamentalist Christians!

I suspect a lot of us here have done similar things, and not given it a second thought. But activism like this, on this scale, can be incredibly effective. It's how the New Right organized in the middle 1970s. It's also how the early Unionists organized when they were outlawed.

In "the long run," it will translate to real political power; and "the long run" might not be all that long. We all do what we can. When we work autonomously as well as collectively, we have the ability to keep the heat on without a break, and to build the future without relying on the boss to tell us how to do it.

--p!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

23. You sound a lot more content to just point and whine.

Sorry, but I don't buy your laments. And I further resent that you don't have the courage to do yourself what you criticize others for not doing. You think it's any easier for them to withstand the Repug slime attacks? Of course not.

[welshTerrier2]

7. I neither support nor oppose the DNC ...

the Party has lacked the right strategy for a very long time now ... Democrats need a central theme to tie all their wonky policy ideas together ...

we also need to find a way to give a much greater voice to the grassroots ... platform ideas should bubble up from the bottom; not be imposed by party insiders ... and the same is true for candidates ... there are signs that the "win at any cost" crowd is ignoring this important message ... ALL Democrats should have an opportunity to seek office and define the platform without interference and bias from party officials ...

The Democratic Party still fails to understand that "corpocracy" has stolen our democracy from us ... "Democracy", a restoration of democracy, a new American revolution for democracy, should be the rallying cry of the Democratic Party ... instead, the Party fights for each issue that arises on an ad hoc basis ... the same ad hoc mentality is seen with Democratic candidates ... each candidate, under our "big tent", is off peddling his or her own message ...

the Party needs to conduct regular town meetings to open a real dialog with voters ... from these meetings, with more listening than talking, should eminate the Party's core values that will lead to our central theme or story ... and once the story is written, ALL candidates will repeat this story over and over and over and align their views on the issues with the values of the Party ...

none of this is happening at this time ... Will Dean change this paradigm and bring about reform? only time will tell ... in the meantime, the Democratic Party is nowhere ... the DNC has not demonstrated that they understand what changes are needed ... do i support them? i'd be glad to but right now i don't see anything to support ... changes are needed; the DNC is doing absolutely nothing ...

[mdmc]

9. perhaps the leadership will follow the movement?

[welshTerrier2]

12. well, sort of ...

some envision a model where "if the people lead, the leaders will follow" ... and that's fine to a degree ... ideas, energy and commitment should bubble up from the grassroots ... it's an excellent call to action to each and everyone of us ...

but we shouldn't undervalue the importance of a "central command" either ... the DNC should help energize the grassroots; the DNC should fund the grassroots; the DNC should act as a clearinghouse of ideas for the grassroots ...

i'm very concerned right now about the entrenched power in the Democratic Party ... i see signs they are resisting change ... let's hope that doesn't continue ... some like to talk about giving the grassroots a greater role but what they really mean is getting more people to campaign and getting more people to give them money ...

what i'm talking about is giving the grassroots MORE POWER in the Party ... too many in the DNC don't understand that this is the best way to get Democrats more active in doing the Party's work ... of course, not all will be willing to share power ... it's just possible that all some want to do is protect their little fiefdoms ... one way or another, the people will be served ... let's hope that it is done cooperatively with those in power ... if not, our path will be much longer ... the Party needs to change very badly ... we will never be a majority party until we do ...

[mdmc]

13. I'm interested in making that change occur

but how?

[welshTerrier2]

16. if the question is ...

exactly what does each of us have to do to make the change happen my answer is that each of us needs to do more ...

commit yourself to the new American revolution ... when we convince enough Americans that reform is needed; when we reach "critical mass" to restore our democracy; when more Americans understand the corporate tyranny that has seized power and corrupted our democracy, only then will change occur ...

the only way to bring about these changes is to educate yourself and educate others ... spread the word; spread the word; spread the word ...

[mdmc]

18. educate... spread the word... I think I got it...

:kick:

[paineinthearse]

11. I trust, with a caveat

Now that Dean is the head, I will give him 6 months to get it on track. IMHO, he has had a decent but a bit underwhelming start.

I intent to run for state committee if not national.

Why not YOU??????

Becoming an active member of your town/ward committee is the first step.

[mdmc]

14. I'm on my local committee

and I'm interested in becoming more active.

[demwing]

21. Whatever.

I think demanding arbitrary deadlines and/or standards based personal pet projects is melodramatic.

[StephanieMarie]

25. I appreciate anyone/thing/group that fights the Repug machine

[Illinois_Dem]

26. I've not always agreed with them, but I do trust them.

I feel much better with Gov. Dean at the helm, however.

[Crunchy Frog]

27. Somewhere in the middle at this point.

I've never actively supported it in the past, and will need to see really concrete progress before I start actively supporting it.

Have not and would not support the DLC.

I do make donations to individual candidates, and do some volunteer work on the local level.

I tend not to look at things in absolutist, black and white terms which is why I can't really vote in this poll.

[Radical Activist]

28. It isn't the DNC's job to advance progressive ideals

in the view of the party leadership, including Dean. Its job is to elect Democrats, of all stripes.

Incidentally, it wasn't the mission of DFA to support progressive ideals either.

[MNAZ]

30. Correct. The DNC is about winning elections.

They'll be progressive when that helps them and moderate when they need to be as well. They are a very pragmatic group. I don't fault them for that. It's there job to win elections not foster ideas.

[x_y_no]

32. I'm still somewhere in the middle ...

But I'm far more positive about the DNC with Dean in there.

[mdmc]

33. cool!