Netroots Nation
In three weeks, I will be attending the Netroots Nation Convention in Austin, Texas on behalf of Delaware Liberal. This convention was formerly called Yearly Kos, and was held previously in 2006 in Las Vegas and in 2007 in Chicago. It’s title was changed from referencing Daily Kos since the nationwide blogosphere is so much more than Daily Kos or the other big national blogs like MyDD, OpenLeft, Huffington Post, or Talking Points Memo. It now includes the many state and local blogs across this land, like Delaware Liberal. While I reporting to you live from the convention, I will also be on the following panel:
Sat, 07/19/2008 – 1:30pm, Ballroom F of the Austin Convention CenterOne of the challenges facing the Netroots in creating a progressive movement is the transformation of Netroots activism into grassroots action. This panel will discuss the benefits and challenges in working within the Democratic Party on the state and local level. This discussion will include a primer on how to get involved, as well as a discussion on the resistance one may face “crashing the party.” The goal of this discussion is to encourage more Netroots community members to actively engage in politics on the state and local level.PANELISTS: Brian Keeler, Chris Bowers, Jason Melrath (me, Delaware Dem), Dante Atkins, and Steve Thibodeau
“Crashing the Party” is one of the main jobs in front of us as progressive Delaware Democrats and Independents. We have in our party many dinosaur Democrats, like Sen. Harris McDowell and Thurman Adams. Progressive heros like John Kowalko are few and far between, even in our own party. In 2010 and 2012, we must mount primary challenges to these dinosaurs that have outlived their extinction. This will require a grassroots effort, but we have become experienced in grassroots efforts recently. The long awaited Bluewater Wind deal is evidence of that, and I will be speaking about your and Tommywonk’s tireless efforts over the last two years to keep the public and the media informed, to keep pressure on our representatives, and to keep the deal alive.
Woah. Is it me, or did Obama just get bigger. Someone must be fooling with the new logos.
sorry dude, just posted on you…
Reload your browser and get the new logo…
Saw it.
That sounds like a cool session. There is (even in the activist community) a sense that there is a sort of “political class” and that running for office is something that “they” do.
We need to figure out how to break through that culture of deference and make it possible for a anyone to think of themselves as someone who could run.
Yes, the political class you speak of is what I call the Establishment, for it is they who decide whose turn it is to run, and who can be an acceptable candidate.
Rebecca made a great point at a meeting of the Progressive Democrats that we must all become members of our local district Democratic committees so as to become part of this class.
Change begins at the ground up.
Jason, I agree, but there’s a whole lot of crap in the system. This winter I considered running for school board, but in the end it was just too much! Is that a reflection on me, or the system?
I still feel a little guilty about not running.
I wouldn’t feel guilty about not running. It takes a lot of commitment and time to run.
And that is a reflection on the system. But it is what is and we have to deal with that until we elect like minded people to power to change the system.
From a grassroots strategy perspective, I wonder if it would make sense for a group like PDD to take a “no free pass” approach to every election even if it meant getting someone on the ballot who is upfront about being a place holder?
In other words, if the party can’t find anyone to run – could a group like PDD get someone to consent to be a name on the ballot who will not really campaign?
Well, I am not sure about placeholders. For example, if I allow my name to be put on a ballot for the 2nd District, and somehow, without campaigning, I win, I am the Senator, no one else. I cannot hand off my election to another person who will then serve as Senator. That is my understanding of placeholder.
I think you mean just putting someone’s name on the ballot to make sure it is not an uncontested race, a la the 62 District Strategy. That’s fine. And we should do that, but I would rather we do that with actual committed candidates who want to win. Because that is the only way we win.
If I go by my local Dem Committee, it would take more than one Progressive Dem in the group to start making some changes.
I’ve been asked a few times to run for City Council but notwithstanding the fact that I’m not part of the Delaware Way, I don’t have the kind of employment that would let me do Council work (even tho it is supposed to be part time). Sometimes you don’t run because your professional life isn’t organized to allow that.
And I’ve been looking for progressive-minded people to support in the Council and there aren’t obvious choices.
That convention should be fun