Learning from conservatives: a long term progressive strategy

[eridani]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/030408O.shtml

Ending conservative dominance will require us to undo the vast memetic and ontological damage they've wrought on two entire generations of Americans. We have no choice but to fight this fire with fire of our own. And the first thing we need to do is understand, very specifically, how they did it. Fortunately, this isn't hard: the basics are all laid out in their original written plans.

Last year, over at Talk2Action, Bruce Wilson dug up one of the most recent rewrites of Weyrich's version of the plan - a 2001 manifesto published by the Free Congress Foundation, written by Eric Heubeck that concisely summarized and updated the essentials of the plan Weyrich had been promoting since the early 80s. Wilson rewrote the document - mostly by replacing the word "conservative" with "progressive" and sprinkling in a few liberal philosophical points. The results are worth a careful reading, because in Huebeck and Weyrich's complaints and solutions, Wilson found a great deal of wisdom we can use about how to build a lasting progressive majority.

Over this and the next two posts, I'm going to revisit Weyrich and Heubeck's Free Congress manifesto, and lay out the specific lessons progressives can draw from the plans and strategies that drove 30 years of conservative movement-building. We'll get the map to the the battlefield they're really fighting on; and what it will take for progressives to engage them there and win. The same strategies that allowed them to take control of the country and change the shape of American history may, with some adaptations to our own liberal values, allow us to undo the damage as well.

The first post addresses the role ideas - which ones they specifically chose to promote, and why - played in the conservative renaissance, and should play in the coming progressive era as well. The second one will discuss the details of how these ideas are presented to the public. The last one discusses specific tactics that the conservatives used - and we might consider emulating - to embed their desired memes in the mass culture, ensuring their continued dominance of the discourse.

[ulysses]

1. interesting.

Let's keep this up here for a while and get some discussion going.

[ulysses]

2. a wee

:kick:

[eridani]

3. Primary day was probably not the right day to post this. n/t

[ulysses]

26. probably not,

but I hope you don't mind if I keep it kicked for, oh, the next year. :)

We need to have this discussion.

[Kitty Herder]

4. K&R

[randr]

5. Let's not forget the demonization of the opposition

If, and this is a big IF, the Democrats win the WH and gain an upper hand in the Senate or House the first order of business should be to hold the current administration and their cronies accountable. Crimes must be pursued and prosecuted. Nothing will serve to negatively paint the fright wing party more effectively than the exposure to constitutional measures.
The Clinton administration failed to hold the necessary hearing into Irand/Contra gate and are responsible for the return to government of the neocon criminals and the progressive movement has suffered for the past 12 years as a result.
The question I want most to be asked and answered of both Obama and Clinton is how aggressively will they pursue justice?

[Echo In Light]

6. And with zero mainline media to sell it? ....good luck.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

9. They didn't have the MSM on their side thirty years ago...

If you want to sit down in the mud and say, "We can't win," then we won't win.

[EFerrari]

13. They didn't own it thirty years ago. We need to keep developing

our outlets.

[Echo In Light]

15. We're at a point where even if a major grassroots movement existed...

For media/corporate consolidation reform, that corporate/state nexus structure is so powerful, its influence and reach so all encompassing, I'm not sure much would come about of it beyond what's already happened/happening with alternative media/views online. Besides, an actual rep govt - not a one corporate party system - would be required, with local community involvement across the country.

[Tesha]

16. No, but they spent billions buying-up the media. I don't see any Progressive white knight...

No, but they spent billions buying-up the media. I don't see
any Progressive white knight doing the same for our side.

Tesha

[Jackpine Radical]

18. We have to popularize the alternative media.

This is a generational thing. The old media are passive. We want interaction. Interactive participants have already taken the first step toward liberalism by the mere fact of their interactivity.

[Tesha]

19. I dunno. A *LOT* of people still watch Faux News, MSRNC, and Corporate News Network.

And I don't see them all dying off (the viewers or the networks)
anytime soon.

Tesha

[Jackpine Radical]

20. Sometimes things happen very fast.

And, of course, sometimes not.

Personally, I never watch TV. Maybe because I didn't get imprinted on it when I was a kid. My neck of the woods didn't have access to broadcast TV until I was about 10 years old. I actually imprinted on radio. Now I spend much more time on line than I do with either a TV or radio. I'm 63.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

21. If you're waiting for a White Knight to come along...

You're going to be waiting a long, long time. We have to do this via grassroots -- I highly recommend DFA -- and then the big-money media will come along (it's coming along now via Air America, Nova M and the Jones Network.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Learn From Their Mistakes...They Sure Won't

I'm not so crazy on trying to imitate Weyrich's tactics as much as be aware of them and how to counter them. The premise that our country has beseiged by "conservative" propaganda for the past 30 years is spot on...but I don't see it as solid as the author. While the GOOP got its teeth into many voters born in the 60's and 70's...they never had my generation and have also now lost the generation under 30...doing the exact opposite of what they did a decade ago.

Also, the conservative reach into minorities has been putrid at best...further alienating most groups by the GOOP's systemic racism.

One thing we can and should learn from the Weyrichs is how to build a stronger, bigger communications system. There's a big need for more progressive voices on our airwaves and resources should be organized to shore up existing progressive media outlets...help them grow and give them more exposure, while working to bring in new and more voices.

Cheers...

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

8. Skinner -- Can we get a forum/group for this subject?

Oddly enough, the Democratic Underground doesn't have a specific place for people who want to rebuild the Democratic Party and discuss strategies for party-building. I suppose the DFA group might be appropriate, but that's sort of specific to that organization.

I think a forum for discussing branding and message would be great.

Kicked and Recommended.

Edit: I started reading the article, and the first thing that has struck me is the notion that there must be a liberal worldview that informs all of our activities. Notice that in the conservative version of the story, those Republicans who didn't sign on to their worldview (the liberal and moderate wings of the party) were tossed to the side.

I'm not suggesting that we should do the same, but I think that we need to recognize that there are some Democrats who are not good liberals -- at least not in the way we would define it. Some are simply desiring power and influence and some are simply corrupt. We have to be willing to prune these people from our political tree. While we will always be a big tent, we have to recognize that some people simply can't be allowed in.

That's going to be a tall order.

[nashville_brook]

11. i think we can start with re-establishing Constitutional, Democratic principles...

that's something everyone can agree upon. Habeas Corpus. Right to Privacy. A non-political Justice Department. A "plural" executive (as opposed to the royal, unitary).

Our message is reform. Deficit reduction. Putting America back to work -- a clear message that protecting our workers isn't "protectionism."

How about a revitalization of our civic pride? Bridges you can count on. Non-privatized roads. Meaningful public spaces.

In short, our message is we are the grown-ups of the country -- cleaning up the mess of the boy-President and making sure it doesn't happen again.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

23. Start on the ground floor....

We believe in the principles of the common good. We believe that societies are composed of individuals who believe that we all benefit when we are mutually protective and supportive of each other. We believe that our core strength lies in our ability to put aside personal gain for the good of our community.

Translating now for those who have a religious upbringing, we believe that we truly are our brother's keeper.

I'm a former linebacker, and the old coach use to say that you tackle your opponent by going in low and cutting his feet out from under him. That's how we win this fight. We attack conservatives, not on the level of individual policies, but on the level of fundamental ideas. Cut their feet out from under them, and their policy ideas wither on the vine.

[ulysses]

27. if you haven't started a thread suggesting such,

someone should. I will tonight if no one else does.

[ulysses]

28. rules for doing this:

One of the best things about DU Groups is that members have the ability to suggest new groups to the Administrators of Democratic Underground. If you wish to suggest a group, please follow this procedure:

1. Start one discussion thread in the forum of your choice to tell people about your idea for a DU Group.

2. In that thread, you must get responses from at least ten DU members who agree to be active participants in the suggested DU Group. All ten members to respond must have donor stars.

3. In that thread, members must agree on a proposed mission statement for the DU Group.

4. When enough members have signed on to join the group and have agreed on a proposed mission statement, one member must officially suggest the DU Group to a DU Administrator (Skinner, EarlG, or Elad), by sending an email. Please be sure to include a link to the thread where members have discussed the proposed Group.

5. The Administrators will consider the request and make a decision. The Administrators will either 1) Accept the Group as it is proposed, 2) Deny the Group outright, or 3) Ask for changes to the Group or its mission statement which would be necessary for its approval.

6. Once the suggested Group has been accepted by the Administrators, the Administrators will create a new DU Group in the "DU Groups" Category forum, and pin the mission statement of that Group to the top of that Group's forum.

If you are considering a DU Group on a controversial topic, the Administrators would appreciate if you contacted us before collecting your ten members, so we may discuss any sensitive issues. This courtesy will increase the chance that your Group is approved. Also, please be aware that proposed Groups that are redundant with existing DU Forums are unlikely to be approved.

[asthmaticeog]

10. Interesting passage:

"Discussion lists, warns Heubeck, are too often traps for the unwary. (Blogs didn't exist yet, but I'm sure that that if they had, he'd have included them, too.) We spend so much time sharing our esoteric enthusiasms, complaining about stuff nobody else cares about, and reaffirming each others' worldview that we fail to do the real work of the movement, which is getting out there and winning new hearts and minds to the cause. We become hypersensitive (and sometimes downright surly) in the face of earnest questions from outsiders who don't understand the secret language of our groupthink. We build up walls that keep new members out, and harden into a cloistered elite that has no room for newcomers."

Sound like anyone we know?

[EFerrari]

14. The Lounge?

:)

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

22. And every other Forum...

I don't mean to bash DU (I love it here) but we ALL really need to get out more. Literally. Your next-door neighbors, if they aren't online, aren't going to be persuaded one whit by the brilliant post you made in General Discussion last week. We're deceiving ourselves if we think that our discussion here, absent an activist approach in our respective communities, is going to make a difference.

[EFerrari]

24. I can honestly say, though, that our conversations here

sometimes turn into OpEds and, that the news we compile gets send around to my network. DU gets a lot more done than one might think.

[nashville_brook]

12. i have a problem with the lead paragraph -->

The plan was put in place by a wide variety of thinkers - but three of the main strategists were Howard Phillips, Richard Viguerie, and Paul Weyrich, each of whom wrote important books and papers laying out the goal of creating a conservative America, and showing specifically how the movement could make that happen.

Are we to believe that no books have been written by liberals outlining a progressive agenda? That's absurd. The books have been written. The ideas are out there. We just don't have the power to bring the ideas into practice because there's a big fat oligarchy standing in the way.

Small beef. I'm down with the basic premise of the article -- I just think this point is unnecessary. The argument stands without it.

[Jackpine Radical]

17. Je suis ici.

Kique!

I've been thinking along these lines for a long time. I'm on board.

[ulysses]

25. "But Invest in Creating Elite Tacticians"

I can see this passage as necessary, but deeply difficult on the left. How do we go about finding - and developing - those for whom the "frogs" might be more "obedient"?

But we would do well to develop a tradition of valuing and respecting our most experienced leaders, extending them a little more trust, and learning how to be good followers when the occasion demands it. It's a common liberal conceit to think that any one of us could do what they do - but the hard fact is, the skills that make a great activist aren't all that common, and we need to take better care of the ones that emerge from our midst. There's a time for big consensus-building all-in conversations; but there's also a time to stop talking, fall in line, and do what needs to be done without backbiting or second-guessing the decision. We lose a lot of good leaders simply because they get tired of trying to keep all the frogs in the wheelbarrow, which takes their focus off of the more important task of getting the wheelbarrow where it's going. It's one of the most typical ways in which we burn out our own most talented folks. More cooperative frogs would help us keep those people around - and also allow them to save their energy and attention for the things that really matter.

[ulysses]

29. kick, goddamn it.

:kick:

[ulysses]

30. one more try.

[ulysses]

31. *tumbleweed drifts by*

Ah well.