Thom Hartmann: The Mystery of the Concord Project you need to know

[thomhartmann]

Run time: 06:48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnHvrmjGnaU   Posted on YouTube: August 04, 2011 By YouTube Member: TheBigPictureRT Views on YouTube: 56   Posted on DU: August 04, 2011 By DU Member: thomhartmann Views on DU: 1880

 
I have a mission for you - and it's not impossible. Progressives shouldn’t just be FIGHTING the Tea Party - we should be LEARNING from the Tea Party too. No - not learning from their bizarro economics - or selfish morality - or destructive idealism - but instead learning from how they took control of the Republican Party and forced the entire Conservative establishment to lurch so far to the Right that they've even dumped people like David Frum. If progressives hope to have any shot at influencing today’s Democratic Party - and kicking out the corporate Blue Dog Democrats and replacing them with real-deal progressives - then we need to get to work right now - and do exactly what the Tea Party did a year and a half ago to take power. And it starts in our own backyards. Let me introduce you to the Concord Project - a right-wing organization in charge of getting out the vote for Republicans. Last year - the Concord Project expanded their get out the vote strategy beyond just traditional phone banking - canvassing - and putting up “vote Republican” signs - they decided to infiltrate local politics by encouraging Tea Partiers to become Precinct Committeemen.

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[Poll_Blind]

1. Damn, K&R! This needs to get more eyes on it!

PB

[JitterbugPerfume]

2. k@r

[southmost]

3. except, thing is we don't have $$$$ from Koch brothers

to propagate a progressive agenda, it would have to be a truly grass roots movement

[PatSeg]

4. Love this guy

K&R

[mackdaddy]

5. TP conservatives took over much of the Repubs by getting on LOCAL Repub party committees! Yes we can

YES WE CAN (TO) - Do the same thing.

Thom says that in less than a year Tea Party supporters were able to get on local Repub party boards and make a serious shift in the national party as they control much of who gets nominated.

Progressives CAN do the same thing. Get on the local precinct and county Democratic Party boards and force them to change back to our progressive principles. And nominate true progressive candidates.

This can be done without snorting any Koch$.

[makeMOblue]

8. It can be done

I was shocked after 4 years to find out that there were other Democrats in my red county. The county committee had a table at a neighborhood carnival. they invited me to a meeting and next thing I knew I was nominated for the committee seat since mine happened to be open. I ran for the next election and was even nominated to be vice chair for the county, then that led to the state party seat. Seriously. one of 68 voting members for the state party simply because I showed up.

unfortunately I was too progressive for their taste and didn't care about hurt feelings pointing out we were not winning enough elections and needed a new plan. In 2010 I was opposed in the election and decided to to put up a fight, same as the 2 other progressives. We had already made too many enemies and were no longer able to accomplish anything within the structure.

I'm sorry to sound like I'm dissing the idea I'm not! this is exactly what needs to be done and I will gladly knock on doors to put someone else in my old seat. i just want to warn everyone about being a minority progressive. If I could do it all over again I would have spent my energy in ways that would not have threatened their little circles of power until I had enough allies on the committee to make a difference. Even if you are the only progressive it is worth the effort. You can learn the details of the party mechanics. make contacts, recruit other progressives for open seats. focus on races for progressive candidates and gather ideas for fixing the local party once you have enough allies to take over.

even sweet little democratic ladies will protect their power like a dragon. It was like a blue haired remake of "Mean Girls".

[radhika]

6. Why don't PROGRESSIVES ever create an agenda?

Seems like we're always playing catch-up, or saying 'gee whiz, maybe we can do that too!' Never, do we launch a first strike that shakes them to their core, erodes their support base and takes it home all the way to true Progressive policies. The closest to that response came from, bless 'em, Wisconsin. May they prevail next week. We progressives don't even have enough of a national bench to reasonably discuss a Primary Challenge to Obama! Bernie? Socialist Prez in USA2012 - ha! Dennis K? Voters have passed on him regularly.

Conservative tactics are ever-changing - and brutal and authoritarian. By the time we read something they are doing on a public website, the Inside Game has likely shifted. I absolutely have NO IDEA who or what organization is an effective strategy group for a Progressive Movement. IMHO, the grassroots aren't spawning the type of Long Game Thinking that will serve us.

[pam4water]

7. Marked for later.