A daily series, Connect! Unite! Act! seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups regularly socialize but also get out the vote, support candidates and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers-that-be. Visit us every morning at 7:30 A.M. Pacific Time to see how you can get involved. The comment thread is fun and light-hearted, but we're serious about moving the progressive political agenda forward.
|
Are you an activist or clicktivist? Do you get involved in demonstrations?
We're back home from NN14 in Detroit. It provided many memorable moments and caused us to do some serious thinking. There were a lot of terms being bantered around. As we all know Markos has decided he will not personally be attending NN15 or having DailyKos help foot the bill. But that's the whole of it. NN15 will still happen and anyone can go.
I must admit NN14 had a different feel compared to any we'd attended before. I'm sure you've read plenty of diaries by now about what all went on there. For me the strangest thing was coming up against the term Professional Left being bantered around over and over. It felt like it created a type of differentiation among NN14 attendees as well. Either you were part of the Professional Left or you weren't. It's just so quaint if you ain't. I wondered exactly what is the Professional Left? Taegan Goddard defines the Professional Left as:
Left-leaning pundits, paid activists, and heads of liberal institutions. It is a term first used by Robert Gibbs in an interview with The Hill when he dismissed the concerns of liberals frustrated with President Obama.
I've written in comments about the strange stuff that happened at the Elizabeth Warren speech. She had nothing to do with all that. I love that just two days ago she emphatically stated "I am not running for President. There is no wiggle room. No means no!" I hope that SuperPak that's haunting her about this will get the message. I doubt it however because I suspect they have an agenda that they will continue to push.
We had a fairly long conversation with a member of the board of directors of Netroots Nation at the Detroit airport while waiting to fly back to San Francisco. We told her about our experiences and how we felt kinda marginalized compared to past Netroots we had attended. We let her know we are actively involved in building community.
She knew we were part of DailyKos because we were both wearing DailyKos t-shirts. She was very attentive to what we were saying and calmly responded. I do not believe she was speaking for the board of directors but rather personally talking with us as the conversation evolved. However, she did say that, "Netroots is the Professional Left now." And she said, "There is some worth in building community."
More below the orange dongle huggie thing
Latest Updates on Kossack Regional Meet-Up News Can Be Found Below the Orange Group Hug.
While she was being truthful in what she said, it left me feeling a bit uneasy. Her assessment of what Netroots has become and how she felt about those actively building communities just bugged. I am exaggerating some in this sentence ---> It was a little bit like the GOP putting down Obama for being a community organizer vs being a professional politician when he ran in 2008.
Well, this got me thinking about myself and my experience in being involved with political stuff over the years. As most of you know, I started out when I was in 7th grade collecting signatures in front of grocery stores. I was involved in doing that for several issues in Colorado, where I was born and raised, all through the years I was in junior and senior high school. As a freshman in college, another guy and I started the Jerry Brown for President campaign ourselves for Boulder County. I was attending the University of Colorado at the time.
We got little offices started in the three largest towns in Boulder County ourselves. We had no money but tons of activist energy. We were able to find empty store front buildings and got the owners to let us use them for free just for the campaign. We talked to all sorts of folks and got some money donated to us so we could print some literature and bumper stickers. We even got some t-shirts printed for a very low price. We put out notices of the scheduled meetings we were going to have. We got that info put in local newspapers for free, since it was public announcement stuff. We got a few radio stations to do the same. We actually held our first meeting in Longmont, CO. Six people showed up.
After about six weeks of really going for it and getting all the basics dealt with...swoop!...in rushed the "Professional Left" who simply took over. They couldn't be bothered in doing anything previously. Believe me, we tried to get them involved. They were the one's with whom we initially made contact. They balked, so we just did it ourselves. Once it was really real, they took it over and cast us aside. They wouldn't even let us be involved anymore. They didn't want us around. We'd plan on spending the entire summer working on it, but once we were thrown to the curb, I decided to go on a long car camping trip with a friend through a lot of the US and a fair amount of Canada.
They waited on the sidelines and let us two do all the initial needed grunt work. These folks were all about the celebrity of it all, not the activist level work needed to get it going. You build it first, then we'll take it over. I was 18 years old. Jerry Brown lost to Jimmy Carter that year.
I had to spend the next bunch of years focusing on getting my education and starting a business to survive in the world, so my activism became more sporadic. I've always been pretty keenly aware of what's going on politically (something I cannot say is true for most folks at all). I've always been willing to talk with anyone about issues, though it's getting much tougher to do if not downright impossible as having discussions based on being rational, logical and factual has given way to being partisan, stubborn and closed off to facts by the other side.
Smileycreek was the media manager for Jim Reed's (D) first campaign to become a member of the US House of Representatives (CA-01) in 2010. We both did a ton of calling for the 2008 and 2010 campaign years. Boy oh boy, did 2010 feel like a total dud when phone banking. There was no energy out there among Democrats with whom I spoke. I'd hoped I was wrong about that. I wasn't. Turnout for Democrats was dismal in 2010 and Obama has been hamstrung ever since.
I've gotten more involved in activism in recent years. It's due to DailyKos and the incredible SFKossacks I've gotten to know and consider to be my absolute best friends now. I really feel that way. I've been in a few demonstrations recently against fracking and to get a 28th amendment to the Constitution to overturn Citizen's United. I was part of the "water march" in Detroit. It feels good!
That feeling is what I believe makes us different from folks that are part of the Professional Left, esp. as defined by Taegen Goddard. When the water march happened probably only 300 Netroots folks maximum were part of it which would be about 1/10th of the people at NN14. Guess who those Netroots folks were that marched? If you said DailyKos Kossacks you are correct.
DailyKos started a yearly convention called Yearly Kos. It was started by folks that all created a community together in Cheers and Jeers and just decided to make it happen. Now that's truly grassroots. As it got to be more popular, other groups wanted in and were included. It became Netroots Nation. It was built on the backs of DailyKos activists. Now it feels to me like the Professional Left has swooped in and taken it over. It's 1976 in Boulder County all over again. Damn, history really does repeat itself.
Clicktivism means you'll click on links to sign petitions that make their way to you. Activism means rolling up your sleeves and getting to work whether it's collecting signatures for petitions, registering voters, doing phone banking or knocking on doors and talking to people. Demonstrators are self explanatory. I guess I'm all three. Honest to God activism and community building is the bedrock of all political movements and change. Without it, there could be no Professional Left, just saying.
It's interesting that the words we use to describe things have had to change. Originally "organizers" was the term used for what is now called activists. The right did a re-branding job. Organizers sound nice. Activists sound like hyped-up trouble makers. Liberal was a word to describe the most compassionate wing of the Democratic Party. That word was turned into something bad during the George H. Bush campaign against Michael Dukakis. So we liberals became known as progressives. That time we re-branded ourselves.
So are you a clicktivist or an activist? Tell me your story
Let's Build Communities!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events.
We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in.
If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
List of All Existing Meatspace Groups
Where the Kogs Are: Index/Directory of the 130+ Localized Daily Kos Groups
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
Connecting Kansas:
Democrats Unite in Emporia
by tmservo433 ♥ for Kansas & Missouri Kossacks
So our latest hero, tmservo433 provides a great re-cap to the event we promoted here for him.
At the time Paul Davis spoke, I had an in room headcount of 166, which is a heck of a turnout. Sam Brownback couldn't bring in 200 in the Kansas City Metro when Rick Santorum came to town.
Kossacks showed up. Several Kossacks were in the hall, as well as individuals who noticed I still had on my Netroots gear, and were happy to come and tell us how they are working for change in our communities.
tmservo433 is doing great work seeking out Kossacks and moving his state's progressive agenda forward.
Please visit tmservo433's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Kansas & Missouri Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to tmservo433.
Los Angeles Kossacks June 28th Meetup Report
by susans ♥ for Los Angeles Kossacks
The Los Angeles Kossacks ranks have increased by 40% in the last few months. New members attended the latest recreational field trip to see the retired space shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center in Exposition Park near downtown Los Angeles.
Back Row L-R: Vyan, Chiwere, susans, Otoelbc, mommyp00ka, Ducktape
Front Row L-R: Robin, 714day, Little Loner, Moody Loner, jakedog42 and grandaughter, SanFernandoValleyMom
Please visit susans's diary for details on the Space Shuttle. You can still REC it. You can join Los Angeles Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to susans.
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast the date of your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Saturday, July 26th
Meet the Candidates in Hutchinson, Kansas!
• Jean Shodorf (Candidate for Secretary of State)
• Brian E Davis (Candidate for State House of Representatives)
• Jim Sherow (Candidate for 1st District US House of Representatives)
• Jill Docking (Candidate, Lt. Governor)
• Various County Party Leadership
AFL-CIO will speak on the importance of this election
Jean Shodorf, Candidate for Attorney General will speak about her race
Brian E Davis, our local candidate, will speak about the issues facing Hutchinson and the 102.
Jim Sherow will finish with a discussion of the policies of Tim Huelskamp
Several Kossacks are organizing cars to come from Lawrence and Western Kansas to attend, and we are currently expecting about 500-1000 attendees
TIME: 11:00-3:00 PM
LOCATION: Pyle Park
100 E. Ave. B • Hutchinson
BBQ, watermelon and other food provided. Bring a lawn chair.
ORGANIZER: Send tmservo433 a kosmail to attend.
Latest diary: Young Turks Segregation 2.0: Education in Kansas & Why I Took the Big Risk
Sunday, July 27th
Phoenix Kossacks Get Pitchforks & Torches Ready for navajo
TIME: 4:00 PM
LOCATION: Mother Mag's Rooftop Terrace
(address given privately to RSVPs) • Downtown Phoenix
ORGANIZER: Send Mother Mags a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Mother Mags
2. navajo
3. Azazello
4. Mrs. Azazello
5. Sun Tzu
6. Stripe
7. Kane in CA
8. puzzled
9. Late Again
10. Mr. Late Again
11. rasbobbo
12. DaNang65
13. Gilmore
14. CenPhx
15. Mrs. Gilmore
16. Anonymous
17. itzadryheat
18. Bluejay RN
19. ramara
20. Hugo Polanco (with David Garcia's campaign)
21. CindyV
22. Mr. CindyV
23. SusieinArizona
24. SusieinArizona's friend
25. snearkers563
26. Mr. BluejayRN
27. Man Eegee
28. dobleremolque
29. Empty Vessel
30. PSzymeczek
35. Skippah
36. Thinking Fella
37. Josh
38. dewey of the desert
39. Mr. dewey of the desert
40.
41.
42. |
Maybees:
arizonablue
Mr. arizonablue
|
Latest diary: Arizona meet-up: Summer potluck with Navajo!
Monday, August 4th
Asheville Kossacks Connect for Lunch Before Moral Monday's Event with Reverend Barber!
Followed by a stroll through downtown to the Mountain Moral Monday event
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Rosetta's Kitchen
111 Broadway St • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Joieau
4. DawnN
5. Lamont Cranston
6. Gordon20024
|
Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Saturday, August 9th
Northern & Central Florida Kossacks Meet-up
with (D) DC Koller who is running for House Representative against Rich Nugent
TIME: 10:00 AM
LOCATION: Vetwife's Home
Kosmail Vetwife for address • Inverness
ORGANIZER: Send Vetwife a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Vetwife
2. Vet
3. Gordon20024
4. nancyjones
5.
|
Maybees: |
Latest diary: Attention Florida Kossacks !!!
Saturday, August 9th
Kansas Missouri Kossacks Picnic - Local Candidate Speaks
Meet at the Hays city park to enjoy a free hamburger/hotdog/watermelon feed. Jim Sherow along with other local candidates will be speaking.
TIME: NOON
LOCATION: Municipal Park
1st and Main • Hays, Kansas
ORGANIZER: Send tmservo433 a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. tmservo433
2. Skohays
3.
|
Maybees: |
Latest diary: Major Kansas Events: Your Chance to Change a State
Saturday, August 9th
LA Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Guild Restaurant
611 W. 7th St • Downtown Los Angeles
ORGANIZER: Send susans a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. susans
2. Shockwave
3. navajo
4. Meteor Blades
5. Knucklehead
6. SanFernandoValleyMom
7. Otoelbc
8. Chiwere
9. Vyan
10. 714day
11. Ducktape
12. Mugwump Blues
13. Just Saying
14. Just Saying's friend
15. Panorama City Chick
16. jakedog42
17. Santa Susanna Kid
|
Maybees: |
Latest diary: Los Angeles Kossacks June 28th Meetup Report
Saturday, August 16th
DC Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: National Mall
at the Smithsonian Metro stop • Washington DC
ORGANIZER: Send NinthElegy a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. NinthElegy
2.
3.
|
Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.