Just Call Me A…..

Over the past year in the struggle to obtain meaningful health care reform, I’ve learned a lot. 

About the man I helped to elect President
About the Democratic & Republican parties
About the Progressive community
About the continued unabashed racism in America
About “sausage making” in Washington
About how democracy should work

 Each of the above is worthy of analysis and discussion, and it’s likely I may tackle them in later posts.

But what I’ve learned the most about…is me. 

So let’s examine that first, shall we?  Cuz, ya know…it’s all about me. 
[Family and friends, insert knowing laughter here.]

I’m a registered Democrat, and I’ve been politically active to varying degrees in the party since I was old enough to know what a political party was.  Affiliation with the Democratic Party was due, in large part, to my parents’ involvement with the party for as long as I can remember.  From the time my siblings and I were old enough to walk, my parents had us helping out with literature drops for campaigns.  At political gatherings, we would recite in unison the mantra “Democrats are good guys….Republicans are bad guys”, which always managed to amuse the crowd. 

I’ve always taken great pride in the fact the first presidential election I was eligible to vote, I was able to vote against Satan’s minion, Ronald Reagan.  I can honestly say, I have voted straight Democratic line in every election, and I’ve only not voted once in my life.  I was what you call a “party loyalist”, a “good Democrat”.  Although I voted in every primary, I didn’t really start helping on a campaign until the nominee was in place for the party.  Even if the person I had voted for in the primary wasn’t the nominee, I happily slid over and wholeheartedly supported the chosen one, phone banking and lit dropping a few weekends here and there.  I was less interested in whom the Democratic nominee wound up being and more interested in making sure whoever it was crushed the Republican nominee.

After the theft of the 2000 election by the Smirking Chimp, I became much more interested in the primary fight than I had ever been in the past.  In 2004, I wanted to be sure we not only had a candidate who could beat Bush, but we had a candidate who was more progressive than Clinton had been.  By this time, I had become aware of the reality of where Clinton had stood on so many issues, and how his Center Right approach to governance did not jive with what I was discovering were my core Liberal values.  Howard Dean was my candidate of choice in 2004, and I spent more time working on a primary campaign than I ever had in the past, in my effort to see him as the nominee.  I was very disappointed when my fellow party members were so easily turned away from the obviously superior candidate, as a result of media spin (another topic for another time).  But still, when Kerry secured the nomination, I was a “good Dem”, and moved over to work for his general election campaign.

I’m sure many of us share the same story about having seen Obama speak at the 2004 Democratic convention, and witnessing the future of the party in that moment.  Like many, I vowed if he were to run at some point in the future, I would likely work on his campaign.

And so, when he announced his candidacy, I was an early supporter, bucking the conventional wisdom within my party.  It was the beginning of my migration away from “good Dem” and toward something new, but not yet identified.

During the course of the primary season, I was forced to become much more versed and knowledgeable on the issues and where Obama stood on them, because I had to be able to speak about them to so many in order to “win them over”.  This necessity forced me to really refine and crystallize what MY core beliefs were, where I stood on issues, and what I believed.  Looking back, had I somehow achieved this level of self assessment at the very beginning of the primary race, I know I would have chosen Dennis Kucinich instead of Obama as my candidate.  But, one of my favorite expressions applies….it is what it is.  Obama was “the man”, and I knew I did NOT want Clinton Part 2.  Had Hillary wound up winning the nomination, I would have voted for her, because I’m not insane enough to have just handed over the presidency to a war hungry geezer and a fundamentalist idiot.  But I know I would not have worked on her campaign like I had for Obama.  I would have likely slipped back into my previous role of occasional weekend phone banker, and that’s about it.  But…I digress.

The point is, by the close of the primary season, I was well on my way to a fundamental transformation in my political evolution.  This metamorphosis continued through the general election campaign.  By election night, I was fully aware I was a far left Liberal, and he was a centrist.  I had reconciled myself with the disconnect, because I believed he would be a transformative president.  I believed that even when I disagreed with his stand on an issue, he was more in line with my core beliefs than not. 

When Obama won, it was a much different feeling than what I had felt when Bill Clinton had won each time.  When Clinton won, I was happy and proud as a Democrat.  When Obama won, I was happy and proud as a grassroots activist.  The work I had done to get this man elected had been accomplished through the sharing of ideas, beliefs and vision.  And through the course of that sharing, I fully connected with my Liberal core.  It was an amazing feeling, and I wanted to see where it would lead.

Now…enter the protracted health care reform battle.  No longer was I advocating for a man, I was advocating for an issue that I have cared deeply about for years.  The feeling I got fighting for the issue and for what I believed in was so much more connected to my core than fighting to elect someone.  About 2 months into the fight, it was like the proverbial light bulb going off above my head.  Movement politics!  Say it with me, people.  Movement politics!  I immersed myself in the concept, soaking up all the resources I could on the subject, a primary source being Thom Hartmann.  This was what I wanted to do…this was what made perfect sense to me.  Organizing and working on issues in support of my fundamental Liberal beliefs would now be what drove me, not individual candidates or a party.

Simply put…

I am not a Democrat; I am a Liberal who votes for Democrats.
It is not my responsibility to “protect the party”; it is my responsibility to advocate for the policies that will benefit the people, not the party.
My priorities are not party-based, they are issue-based.
If I wanted to be a politician, I would run for office. 

So, beware the party or candidate who takes my support for granted. 

You want my vote?  You want my boots on the ground for you?
Then you’ll need to share the same core beliefs I possess.  My priorities need to be your priorities.

I am not a party loyalist; I am an activist.

UPDATE:  After having written the above, I ran across a very interesting piece on CounterPunch by Mark Rudd, entitled What It Takes to Build a Movement.  Reading this has helped to point the way toward the next step in my evolution.  “Organizers are activists who, in addition to their own participation, work to move other people to take action and help them develop skills, political analysis and confidence within the context of organizations.” 

“Activism = self-expression; organizing = movement-building.”

Growth….always growth.

A Serpent in our Midst

The queen of all that is heinous within the radical right wing of the Republican party, Sarah Palin, will be in Rochester this Saturday at Borders on Hylan Drive.  Her appearance is part of a tour to promote her new book of hate, “Going Rogue: An American Life”.

When I first received word she would be in Rochester, her only stop in all of New York State, I can’t say I was surprised.  Having grown up in that neck of the woods, and lived in the surrounding area until my early 30’s, I am very familiar with how conservative the region is.  The city proper is basically surrounded on all sides by rural communities, most of which pride themselves in their conservative beliefs.  Of course, not everyone in the area is a backward, ignorant, racist piece of crap.  My father, his girlfriend, many of my parents’ hippie friends, and a few of my friends still live there.  So, as is the case with all areas of the country, there are exceptions to the rule.  But, for the most part, the Rochester area is certainly NOT swimming in Liberalism.  Sarah is their kinda gal. 

The way in which I heard the news was through an email I received as part of a Progressive Democrats of America listserv.  A member of the group alerted us to a protest organized against her appearance, and forwarded the Facebook link for those wishing to signup to participate.  I was thrilled to see the group was getting in front of this, and as of this post there are over 250 people signed up for the event.  I’m also told there are a few other similar events posted which also have numerous participants.  Most excellent.

After having received the initial email, a debate within the listserv has ensued.  There is the faction, like myself, who feel it’s important for us to show we do not want this horrible human being welcomed into our region.  But there is another faction who strongly believe we shouldn’t waste our time on her.  They feel she’s simply a silly woman, trying to sell books, and we shouldn’t feed the publicity by staging a protest.  Many expressed the sentiment that she is merely riding her 15 minutes of fame, and that she will eventually fade away, or self destruct completely. 

Part of me understands this perspective and would be tempted to support it.  However, I can’t.  This woman is NOT going anywhere.  She represents the new face of the Republican party.  She has influence and power, regardless of whether she is popular with the majority of American voters or not.  Just like her evil twin, Michele Bachmann, she continues to be given a platform within the mainstream media on which to spew her hate and ignorance.  The language she uses emboldens those in our country who easily turn to violence.  Even if the majority of Americans are able to see her for what she is, there are still millions who adore and admire her.  If we, the rational citizens, turn away from public forums where she and her freaks are allowed to gather unimpeded, we allow the cancer to fester and grow.  This type of hate does not simply die on it’s own.  We need to drag it kicking and screaming out into the light, point at it, and full throatedly say, “THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!”.  If we do not it will gain strength, arrogance and power.

So, to all my rational minded friends in the Western NY region, if you possibly can, please plan on attending the protest on Saturday.  If you are unable to attend, then please take a few moments to contact Borders and let them know you do not agree with their decision to grant this woman a public forum for hate.  It’s one thing for them to carry her book (that whole 1st Amendment thing…I get it), but it’s another thing entirely for them to allow her into their establishment to promote it. 

Contact information for Borders:

Borders Books & Music
1000 Hylan Drive
Rochester, NY  14623
Phone: 585.292.5900
Fax: 585.292.1485

Ron Marshall, CEO
Borders. Inc.
100 Phoenix Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108. 
Phone:  734.477.1100
Fax:  734.477.4538
Email:  ccare@bordersstores.com

“In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.”  ~  Martin Niemoller

Let us learn from the mistakes in history, not repeat them.

Welcome to My World

Let’s just put this out there right from the outset. 

I am a Liberal.

You can call me a Progressive, if that makes you feel more warm & fuzzy, and I will likely answer to that title.
But just like Justin brought sexy back … I’m bringin’ Liberal back. 

That being said, this is probably NOT the place for you if …

• You weren’t quite quick enough to catch I’m a Liberal from reading my tagline.
• Your TV is tuned to Fox News regularly.
• You don’t know what a teabagger really is.
• You’re incapable of backing up claims with links to support them.
• You think Bachmann-Palin Overload is a Canadian rock group from the 1970’s.
• You would never have sex with the lights on.
• Your head spins around 360 degrees and you puke green pea soup when you’re told Jesus Christ was black.
• You believe a woman’s right to choose refers to which apron she will wear each day.
• You pray to the great god, Capitalism, every night.
• You don’t know what the expression “give to get” REALLY means.

I think you get the picture.  So, browser beware….I will make ZERO apologies for anything I post.  If you get offended easily, then best you just mosey on over to someplace lame.