MoveOn.org Is Finally Moving
"...I realized that many people I didn't know from all kinds of walks of life truly were passionate and willing to invest personal energy into making this country better. I kept thinking that our theme was, 'Restore America,' and I felt like we could rally together and make it happen." Joanna P., MoveOn house party participant, Los Angeles, CA
At last. MoveOn's getting its mojo back. If you're a member--or even a casual observer--of the liberal PAC you've surely noticed its diffused focus lately. Inability to rouse the Left Wing troops. Apparent slide into toothlessness.
As the danger to our freedoms has grown, the former snarling beast seemed to turn into a pussy...cat. I was beginning to think MoveOn's power was based on opposition, not ideals. That its strength grew only in direct relation to the foul deeds of Dubya and his fellow Right Wingnuts.
The Bush Posse has certainly given us enough anti-matter. So why wasn't MoveOn going nuclear?
I'll tell you why: the Democratic Party's inertia. Impotence. Inadequacy, incapability, incapacity, incompetence, ineptitude. I. I. I. How could any populist group be expected to rally support for such a bunch of self-serving, wishy-washy, leaderless oafs?
It would seem hopeless. Then somebody at MoveOn had an idea. Emphasize the issues. Ignore the spin doctors and seek an alternative cure. Engage the people in a real fight -- for their own lives.
MoveOn held community meetings all over the country to come up with the "Top Ten big, positive goals for America." Now all 3 million plus MoveOn members are being asked to vote for the Top Three.
Why only three? Here's their rationale.
It's about clarity. We want every voter to understand by November what progressives will do for our country—and 3 big ideas is about as many as most of us can easily remember at one time. And it's about focus. We can only fight so many battles and together we must pick which ones to put first.Works for me.
It might put some steel into the backbone of the Democratic Party. Provide some much needed potency for the liberal causes that can save our country. We need positive goals. Enlightened priorities. A sense that someone, somewhere is doing something.
Here are MoveOn's Top Ten Goals:
What are your Top Three?
- A living wage for all
- Global leadership through diplomacy
- Verifiable, accurate elections
- High quality education for all
- Balanced federal budget
- Health care for all
- Publicly funded elections
- Preserve our natural resources
- Energy independence: clean, renewable sources
- Restored constitutional rights
Mine are the ones I think we can achieve. Must achieve. Not just for the present. For our children's future: A living wage. Affordable health care. Reduced energy dependence. I'd add a fourth: education. Every issue is ultimately meaningless if we don't teach our children well.
What about the war in Iraq? A separate category. Still the absolute top priority. Has to be if we want any children left alive for the future.
MoveOn assures us, "Together, we'll still work to bring the troops home from Iraq and stand firm against radical Republican initiatives. But our 3 big positive goals will help show the nation what we're for, not just what we're against."
Get on board. Vote for your Top Three here.
And maybe we can all get our mojo back.
posted by Sally Swift at 9:22 AM
2 Comments:
Good call, the list is elementary at best, sophomoric at worst. But at least MoveOn identified the key issues, even if they didn't define them well.
Their list is also clearly based on a decision to go for the lowest common denominator, i.e. "3 big ideas is about as many as most of us can easily remember at one time."
But you voted, Yeaaa! Now, tell your friends. Especially the ones who can hang on to more than 3 ideas at once.
All the talk in all the media is about the vacuuous gap of leadership and direction in the democratic party. You delineated this very wll, Sally. I'm at a loss to undertsnad it or explain it. Some of the so-ca;;ed l;eaders have good minds--John Kerry--who can't articulate a direction for motivation against a band of tyrannical criminals--it's a joke.
One problem could be that the true flag-nearer =, Al Gore, keeps saying he won't run, when he does have a direction, conviction, and ideas, and could pull together the dispatrate elemnts of the party. Hillary has lost her momentum due to her insistent adherence to several nasty Bush policies, especially the Iraq occupation. Unless she renounces her vote and continued support as a mistake, she will not be able to capture enough of the left vbotes to be in the role of party leader, Bill or no Bill.
The confusion is deafening. A catalyst has to happen--Moses must appear to deliver us from this quagmire of indirection--especially now when the regime in power is so vulnerable.
To quote Ann Baxter, "Moses Moses Moses, oh Moses!"
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