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This is a large order but worth considering. I think contributing to individual campaigns of newcomers, directly is a better, more efficient way to go.
Avoid the establishment and give directly to those, either of the LGBT community candidates, veterans who have been dismissed from military service for the reason that they were gay, or those whom we can believe are on the side of civil rights for all.
Never did I think that I would be fighting the Democrats for my rights.
What are they going to do? Submit a resolution condeming "the blogs" for putting out the truth. I mean they did that with MOVEON.ORG
I hope this puts the Democrats on notice: Stop fighting us! We are not the enemy.
But if you continue to do that, as you have recently learned, we will STOP giving you any of our $$$ money.
And we will STOP helping with our time during elections.
And we will STOP voting for you!
We need to start a new progressive party and start running people for elections. The democratic party IS the republican party. There is no difference when it comes to our rights. The democrats are just sly er and more slick about their lies. We need true representation and the only way we are going to get it is start running and supporting real progressives against democratic incumbents. The democrats need to know we are on to them and we are going to leave them for better pastures. What say ye, yea or nae?
It is a one party system with two slightly different opinions.
The government is an airplane with only one wing, the democrat/republican wing.
Keep writing in the blogs, to the newspapers, keeping getting the word out, and keep supporting those in the media who are helping us (Maddow, Olbermann, Stewart, etc).
Don't be afraid to support third party candidates.
The fact is, we DID give our money and our votes based on their promises. They don't deserve more of the same until they deliver. With 60 dems in the Senate and a strong majority in the House, there's NO REASON AT ALL that they couldn't get legislation passed before 2010.
If, that is, they truly meant their promises.
If they were lying to us, then they don't deserve our votes or our money ANYWAY.
And if they try to tell you to be patient, let them know we already have. If they still don't deliver, then our money and our votes in 2008 were a BAD INVESTMENT, and we will no longer throw good money after bad!
Do I think gays got marriage in Massachusetts by themselves? No. Do I think that 29 other states got marriage amendments because straight people overwhelmingly voted for them? Yes.
Sure, the glbt population is small, but 5% of the votes can make all the difference in an election. When donks start losing, imagine how THAT would freak out the DNC. That would not require the lgbt community to meekly grovel for the forbearance of our social betters.
Don't caution the lgbt community that they may "be a little uncomfortable." They are losing children, spouses, retirements, careers, homes. They are losing rights. Not because of a bad economy, or bad luck — but because they live under legal apartheid.
No transparency, no fierce advocate, no trials, no corporate policy reform...... Absolutely no change on anything but foreign policy. Foreign policy is the only difference between a democrat and a republican.
I'm stretching here, a lot, but you have to admit that torture/trials was one giant pressure cooker on for a very long time that went away in just 6 months.
Cavorting with Democrats is like paying for a date and knowing you won't get laid. With republicans is like knowing you won't live to see morning.
My point was though, that maybe the administration knows how much power we have (more than we do) and distracted us with a shiny object we would get in a tizzy about. All so that we shifted focus from trials to our rights. Maybe we don't have the power as an individual group, but we certainly had the power to get other groups riled up over war crimes. Prime example would be Rachel Maddows coverage shift.
An interesting thing came to mind after I wrote that last post you responded to. If we allow our government to trample on other peoples' rights how can we expect to not have our own trampled on. I think it may be time to lump torture/war crime outrage with gay rights outrage in order to reap the benefits of synergy. After all they are all basic human rights issues. We would just have the added benefit of getting people to support us, that wouldn't necessarily voice their opinion right now.
On a personal note, your icon is my favorite... :-D
And now they have decided to kick the GLBT Community(along with those who have the support of extended family) to the curb. Just exactly what do they expect to happen in 2012? Do the math, Obama!
If they want to keep their jobs, they better start with PARTY UNITY. This year not next.
Or else, buh bye!
It's an endgame, they have to flinch first.. but when you have nothing left to lose, what the hell.
Obama will never capture the Centre Right Republicans who view him as a Socialist. In 2012 they will find another Republican who they can fantasize is a reformed Moderate. Obama will be one term.
Oh and it's not just Gays who are pissed off at the Obama Admin... as he sells out to corporate influence. You need to get out of your backward comfort zone and go to the other Dem leaning blogs to see what is being said by other THINKING Americans.
A large majority of the public is A-OK with either gay marriage or REAL domestic partnerships. Yet the Dems have no interest in addressing DOMA?
Even worse, the Dems have it in their party platform that they want to do these things! But now that they hold all the marbles... they want to start playing a different game? Didn't we help them collect all those marbles? Weren't we promised that we'd get to play?
For myself, I'm boycotting federal Democratic candidates. I'll work on the local level. I'll even send a check to good Dem candidates for Gov and my legislature. But not a single blue cent for any Dems at the federal level until they connect action to their rehetoric.
I won't pay any attention to the dems
I won't work on their campaigns
I won't give them any money
I won't worry about their telling me "the republicans will get in"
And I won't support those who do any of the first 3 above.
I won't vote for them...period. We will form a 3rd party and go on, and vote the dems out. Goodbye to the dems.
He’s not just pandering to the religious right, he’s part of it.
He's bribing christer bigots with hundreds of millions of our dollars in the fake 'faith based' charity scheme run by his Minister of Pandering Joshua Dubois, the same ordained pentecostal minister who ran his ‘religious outreach’, aka bigot pandering, operation during the campaign. Dubois’ work mobilizing the christer vote was aided by his successes in getting major bigots like McClurkin and Warren to provide openings for Obama. That and “gawd’s in the mix” recaptured a large chunk of the christer bigot vote from Karl Rove's Republican camp.
Obama used southern baptist Rick Warrens Saddleback debate to simultaneously torpedo our chances to defeat Prop 8 and increase the number of christer loonies who voted for him by making the christer excuse for bigotry “gawd’s in the mix” His campaign there. He repeated those words on MTV and other venues. After winning Obama rewarded Warren with a spot at the Inaugural, exposing billions to Warrens slick cracker/christer con game. Obama went on to appoint Board of bigoted Spirit Advisors opposed to SSM, to get prayer writers put on the WH staff and to demand extra money for his ‘faith based’ bribery.
With those open wounds still festering he did some more back stabbing, comparing SSM to pedophilia and incest!
Obama and most Democrats are not just fair weather friends. They won large amounts of bigot votes away from the Republicans last fall and they mean to keep them. And we’re paying the price no matter what shills for the DNC are paid to tell you.
Can you guess what the DNC wants from the LGBT communities? Yep. Money. They want you to shut up and be good little Obots. What they don’t want is your opinion.
The DNC is run by openly bigoted Tim Kaine. Its day to day operations are run by an ordained pentecostal minister/bigot named Leah Daughtry. She, like Obama, Biden, Kaine and etc. likewise opposes same sex marriage. On her watch the DNC was successfully sued by the DNCs former GLBT outreach director for homohating hiring and firing practices. Likewise, Joshua Dubois, who interfaces with the ‘faith community’, that is to say bribes the pulpit pimps, is an ordained pentecostal minister/bigot.
And before we take another ride on the Nader-bashing train for old time's sake, I remind you that in 2000, the election was Gore's to lose, and he did a brilliant job of doing exactly that. His campaign was abysmal, and Nader exploited that. That's Gore's fault, not Nader's.
More and more, blaming Nader for 2000 is such an embarrassing stance. Nader just doesn't have that much power. Look at your own party's lame candidates and positions. Check out how many Murricans don't even vote! And finally check how many voted for Shrub. Stop blaming the guy who got 3% of the vote. It makes you look ridiculous and pathetic.
Gore 2000 failed to put any real light between himself and Bush on the issues (spare me the reasons why that's not true--it was the perception at the time, and even if it's false, Gore failed to correct it--see: abysmal campaign). Kerry was all about not rocking the boat too hard. He wanted you to vote against Bush, not for him. We know how that turned out. Do you think for a moment that the 08 election was actually out of McCain's grasp if he'd been able to put any daylight between Bush and himself or had two grains of charisma to rub together?
Obama has been very fortunate in his opponents (Alan Keys? Good grief, a guinea pig with a pancake on his head could beat Alan Keys!). People weren't voting against McCain in 08--they were voting for him. If enough people don't have that motivation any longer, it's going to be hell getting them out to the polls. If Obama pisses off enough of his core, he's going to find himself very lonely in 2012.
Do you know how much our country would change if corporations were just held accountable?
You really want to be effective, you need to work on shifting the zeitgeist left. *shakes head* It's easy to be angry, but what's hard is doing the hard core political work. When was the last time, you asked all of your straight friends and family to support your issues? Could you get them to write their Congressmen and Senators? Have you done any conscious raising outreach to straights and explained to them what this means? I use every opportunity I can to explain how women are still discriminated against with the ban against women in combat or the lack of parity in federal offices. Believe it or not, it's actually easier to change the culture than it is to create a new political party.
You're always in here wagging your finger at the gays, but frankly, I'd like to see some political credentials from you, some accomplishments, ANYTHING that gives you some sort of holy cross from which to dictate lessons.
I'm not trying to be combative (much) but I'm getting mighty tired of being lectured at by some random internet personality at a keyboard.
Seriously, eff this. Thrown under the bus yet again but this time after having money, time and hope stolen from us.
I'm sorry, but this administration in my eyes has become public enemy #1 for gays. They wanna throw us under the bus? Enjoy the unemployment line next election.
It's about time outspoken REAL leaders got on TV and blasted the shit out of the news cycle. We should have talking heads on TV 24/7. All gay all the time.
On top of that, the DNC, HRC and every other sycophantic, useless organization should be immediately cut the fuck off from all funds, volunteering and otherwise. They should be financially torpedoed and torn apart, the useful bits incorporated into organizations that actually show accomplishments.
NO GAY RIGHTS = NO GAY DOLLARS, NO GAY VOTES
I'd also like some ideas on how to actively attack the Obama admin and congress. Withholding dollars and votes is relatively passive, we need a goddamned offensive against these people.
Add to the list David Shuster, who interviewed Lt. Dan Choi today and closed the segment saying, "Thank you for your service. You are incredibly courageous. So many of us are with you ... We all wish, of course that you would be able to continue your career helping the U.S. military ... Good luck, and we'll be following your case and hope it turns out for the best."
And ol' President Eloquence tells Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, "It's a generational thing."
"They wanna throw us under the bus? Enjoy the unemployment line next election."
I'd like to include that in my emails to Democrats asking for $$$ money.
Don't you mean 2012, John? ;-)
I stopped my DNC donation today. I'd kept it going because I loved the idea of the Democracy Bond that Dean had come up with, to imply investment in the party. When Dean was chairman there was a huge link for Democracy Bonds on the DNC's front page. It's since disappeared and can't be accessed through my account when I logged in. I had to Google it to find it. My account is still there, but the Bond link appears to have been orphaned from the rest of the website. All that great work Dean did is getting flushed right down the toilet. I guess my paper "certificate" is just a souvenir now.
Will I vote for him again? Honestly? Probably. As will most who are typing here. That's not the point -
We've been as an organ in the body of the Democratic party, or at least only seen and used as one for years and years. The liver I would say, where we provide the stored energy ($$$.) No more. Not on demand like the liver does the body.
We need to grow the arms legs and heart (and brain) and BE a separate entity. The only way they will respect us and honor their commitments and frankly to be a bit afraid.
A simple vote / no-vote [I.E. 'I'm pissed at them and I'll never vote for them ever.' while stomping off] is puerile, lazy, and quite disingenuous. The real work is more complicated and tailored to individual locations - candidates, districts, and individual DNC members, delegates and policies. Letters, select donations, and BLOG PRESSURE all work. Physically showing up to talk to elected officials, and party officials also is quite effective, after a while.
Threatening to withhold something that cannot even be proven was withheld (secret ballot) is almost meaningless. Strategery before the fact is what we need. Lobbying does work - perhaps we need to assemble a new and more representative national lobbying group? If properly oriented and run I would donate to it instead of any party or candidate.
I am curious, what do you think he has done well with? Other than foreign policy, I am sincerely in search of facts that will change my mind. You know what I just remembered stem cells. Other than those 2.
Powerbrokering and back room dealing - these can be good things. Except of course when you are not IN that room or at the big table. I am disturbed at the way the traditional insiders have retained their seats and power(s) - banks, insurance companies, etc. etc.
I think he will have that support for the next general election no matter what he does or what we do. He is strong enough fro that no matter what. I am more concerned with how he begins this term and the 'extra' power he is throwing away - dealing away - that I think he could use to be truly great and do what is really needed. Maybe he is doing it but it will take time to see.
I regard his administration like an egg, hatching. That I would wish would hatch faster. His style is long and steadfast and I think he's a bit puzzled at getting criticized by people and groups who presumably knew this and approved if it via their vote. And he's in the Presidential Bubble, for all he can sneak out and get cheeseburgers.
I don't know. - Good question. - I can only agree with your 2 for now.
We'll find out. Aaaaaaaaaaargh.
I do know that he handles mistakes, like the one(s) he just made with the DOMA brief and his bullshit dog and pony show the same way as he did in the campaign, which was good for a campaign but lousy for a President. Sim[ply honoring a campaign promise in a timely fashion really should be just that simple. Too early to tell if he really has lost the edge it looked like he had in that regard but it kinda looks like it.
At least he won't be destroying all his E-Mails and records, probably, so History will be able to find out.
Here is what I do know:
1. The handling of all the gay bullshit.
2. He defended wire tapping, which is still in effect.
3. He is defending indefinite detention when a person hasn't even had the opportunity to be found guilty or innocent.
4. He is protecting war criminals.
5. He has been the complete opposite on transparency. You want to see this probably:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q37kt0ga0OA
6. He brings republicans to the table and not progressives.
7. I know you said you didn't know about the economy, but he is a corporate democrat making the situation worse. To his credit the stimulus was decent, but better before he let republicans rip it apart. Rahm Emmanual just admitted they fucked that up.
Basically everything he said during his campain he has either done the opposite or nothing at all.
I'm sure you've noticed on these blogs that democrats are turning on him quickly and severely. It isn't a proper representative sample of voters AT ALL, but we are the most politically active and if he doesn't change his behavior, I think after several years we may be rocking the boat so hard that he falls out.
I like the guy, other than his arrogance, and really hope that he is trying to do the right things but hasn't found the proper way to go about getting them accomplished. I really want him to be as great as most of us thought he was going to be. Right now I appalled though.
You cannot keep someone in prison for ever without a trial. You can't just let our war criminals go, because if you allow our country to trample other people's rights you can bet top dollar that yours will be too. They already are with the wiretapping.
The next election may be even more intense than this one because the republicans will be able to say they voted against all of this stuff, and then say a democrat doesn't get anything accomplished. Not to mention he was on Leno saying "I am responsible." That will come back in campain videos.
I can ramble forever, but like I said I really do wish with every drop of blood in my body and all of my heart that I am wrong about this guy altogether. The thing is, I have a remarkable record at being right when it comes to politics.
The libertarians are interesting. I love Ron Paul, but only as a congressman. I would vote for a senate run though. I just don't want him as the executive.
In my opinion we should just form a new progressive party. If not to put into the white house, to get into the senate. We need strong progressive voices outside the bi-partisan game inside the senate.
I write about this all the time. If you click on my icon you can read more of the shit I suggest, but more importantly the shit I point out like I did here.
I'm pretty much anti-capitalist. I hate the state of corporations within our system and their control on the public.
most of the rest you wrote here and elsewhere. You reference a documentary
on Nader; do you have a link or site for it?
As for capitalism, I started out highly anti-capitalist but have come around
to the view that it isn't so much that capitalism sucks (although it does in
many ways) but rather the current situation of capitalism of profits and
socialism of losses is totally inappropriate -- indeed, self-contradictory.
I'll read the reference you sent later -- but please stay in touch when you
figure out how (realistically) to launch a new progressive party (compare:
Nader's efforts).
Best,
Daniel
A2900
I don't know for sure about # 7, by the time we do it will be past time to do anything to counteract it. Now is probably too late. I fear you are right.
I don't mind #5, unless of course he's doing 1,2,3,4,6, & 7 HA! I had not noticed how insular his web operations were until it was recently posted here, and it is a style that fits with the secrecy mode, oddly not so apparent if you don't look because it involves public input and gives information but is oh-so managed.
I expected a lag at the beginning of the administration, and that was taken up with emergency economic things and plastering over what Bush did to international relations. Now the training wheels need to come off. He and the 'Democrats' in Congress need to GET ON WITH IT. Get their shit together - they WON - they need to act like the winners or they will have made themselves honorless losers, and the whole country will lose too.
I am difficult to piss off! Repeated contact with apathy, evasion, lies, etc. start getting me there. Difference of reasonably held opinion is just life. And I like to learn and I am occasionally wrong and am glad to be corrected. Plus it's much more worthwhile expressing anger in person. Much like the proverbial analogy of why fighting online is like the Special Olympics...
Regarding the topics of the thread below -
I am all for capitalism, personal capitalism, that is how it applies to me and my business and perhaps my small business or any I work for - but for the large corporations that have budgets bigger than many countries? - Do we really have "capitalism" for them anyway?? Evidently not. The profits are private but the losses are public. That is the worst part of socialism without any of the benefits. I suppose I would best be described as "Progressive" but that has amorphous definition. I would rather be a Green - as I believe the overall outlook reorienting our never ending pyramid-scheme economy, the infinite frontier way of looking at finite resources must stop. A circular model is sustainable, the current mode will stop one way or another, better if we start changing it now. But 'Greens' as an organization are all over the place, and very few actual places at the same time. Must work through the parties we have for now. (I think.)
And being a Florida resident since before 2000 I must remind the thread that Gore did NOT loose Florida by having less votes. Though Nader did not help.
I enjoy your posts - thanks.
Threatening to withhold a vote may indeed be meaningless. Casting it for a deadbeat Democrat's opponent, in sufficient quantity, is profoundly meaningful.
Until they feel a political obligation to a constituency, they feel no obligation at all.
The absence of money to existing organizations and the absence of a vote in three years is the absence of two negatives, not the presence of any new positive. And by itself is lazy.
Come three years - will most of these people vote for a Republican or fringe independent rather than the Democratic nominee, likely Obama? Really? Please. For one it's too early to really say, for two - President Romney, or, goodGod, Palin or - fuck - a Jindal? Right. Threatening to withhold votes three years before the next election looks like an extremely hollow threat. Threats should never be hollow.
If that's all anyone does, then it's puerile, lazy and disingenuous, sorry. I realize most folk do not mean that that's all they're going to do, but lots of posts just say that, and I do know a lot of people, not the same exact lot of ones who post but still a lot, intend to just do that. Or rather just not do that.
We're stuck with Obama and have to work with him. We need to work and fund a different way of doing this, a vote for the Democratic nominee for president in three years is beside the point of working with a party that is not meeting our needs - one frankly puerile lazy and disingenuous party, vs. an INSANE party vs. an alternate party that does not exist.
Of course what people may mean is they start this way and will do other things in between, fine. But do what? That is the real question. The real work in-between. I didn't mean to make it sound that my particular way is the only way, fuck you, here's my superior dance, I was intending to point sharply at the real problem that may have various solutions but it is not a simple one.
It's awful that we only get two votes, if we're lucky enough to live in a state where our primary vote would make any difference, every four years. Plus our Senators and Representatives same way - by the time it gets to that it's just about too late. The real work needs to be in between - so we don't get stuck with rotten flawed choices. Independent power used for candidates inbetween elections before they get in, along with that power flexed after will help them keep their promises, on time.
A REAL representative lobby would be a start, just one solution, it can be done very leanly I think. If more folk would show up to talk in person, call and write - this does have an effect. Even regular citizens can do it solo. This, gathering independant funds, contacting local candidates and powerbrokering, even with the existing problem (HRC and the like) is necessary. I think.
SOMETHING is necessary. Something / somethings new. Work. Money to ethical independent transparent organizations.
What do you think?
I appreciate your crustiness, I hope you know now where mine is coming from.
I am concerned that all this drumming is connecting dots in areas that are more gray then we are pretending they are. Although on the national level, some who walked through that threshold at the fundraiser had a cocky, rude reaction to our prescience. so I don't know. But burning foundations(our orgs, not the dnc) that we have given blood to build will cause me heartburn.
Buy some antacid.
Transparency. "stroke of a pen." YES! YES! Conversations, Please! I don't need anymore fearless leader memos from up high.
The fight to make an organization viable leaves the founders mentally and physically exhausted, maybe they need help, and don't know how to ask for it.
Any gutted org will need to fill the demands of the vacuum the old one left. I will not have anything fall backwards, too many lives are at stake. If you call for a cleansing, bring a scrubbing brush not just a checkbook. Who will do the legwork for this call? Find them. Organize. Get angry at the right people. Blind rage will just recycle hate.
I don't need antacid for this fight.
Those people cared more about meeting the president than the agenda they've been given. There is no other logical interpretation. If the leaders of those organizations are getting what they want, why would they ask for help?
I don't want to form a lobby, to lobby another lobby, so the president can be lobbied correctly. Even that sentence is fucked up.
I'm just saying.
Ask Al Gore what a small percentage of third-party voters can do to an election.
No more Democrat by default. If you're not working for me, I'm not hiring you again.
The republican say "no"
The democrat say "keep talking I'm listening *return to his blackberry*"
End result is the same.
BTW, is there a central "The GAyTM is Closed" site yet to redirect people to worthwhile candidates & initiatives?
the DOMA support brief should be one clue. not using a presidental signing statement to or stop loss to prevent DADT discharges should be another.
everyone who says 'its only been six months, give him a break' should think about what he's done AGAINST us so far.
where's that fierce advocate? he's waiting for 'congressional movement', they're ignoring us... that doesn't tell you this is a bit more than rumor?
Just like the Iranian election.
Even if they did raise significant money the story of the propagandafest is meritorious in and of itself.
The INITIAL STORY of 1mil is the rumor - facts are emerging now - publicizing the anticipation is NOT.
[Some of us just talk / type more while waiting.]
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11825/dnc-i...
If others have donated as much as my partner and I have, it won't be long until the DNC feels the pinch.
"The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday it is temporarily freezing a policy of deporting widows and widowers of U.S. citizens, a sign of the Obama administration’s interest in new approaches to immigration. " (Immigration Watch International, June 11 2009).
Get Active Locally.
We desperately need a third party in this country.
But when it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks, it is probably a duck. That's not even journalism that's common sense.