[Peace-discuss] [OccupyCU] Progressive Fest 3 this Sat - Getting Out The Progressive Vote

Wed Aug 6 16:40:02 EDT 2014

I think to say that getting out the "progressive vote" is a crime is to caricature oneself, and to imply that all Democrats (or even all Republicans for that matter) support bombing Palestinian children or refuse to tax the rich is overstated enough as to be nonsense.  Clearly it is not the case.  

Even Democrat Naomi Jakobsson proposed a better tax structure for Illinois.  Even Republican Tim Johnson eventually turned against the war in Iraq.  Even democrat Barak Obama has managed to extend health care to millions who did not have access to it before, insufficient though the change definitely is.

Are the leaders of both parties both culpable?  Of course, and so are many others in both parties.  But they are precisely why the "progressive" vote needs to turn out and not concede the field by staying home (even while shouting from the armchair that they're all a bunch of thugs).

Some will always advise us not to touch the elections with a ten foot pole for fear of getting moral cooties.  But real people's lives will be affected by the outcomes, which will be determined by people who vote, and by those who mobilize either large amounts of money or large numbers of voters. 

I like David's idea very much about "progressives" organizing discussion, strategizing, and so on, with a couple of caveats.  One of course is that it is realistically a little late in the election-preparation cycle to ask mobilization efforts wait until after a new discussion such as this pulls together and presumably spends some impressive amount of time discussing.  The other is that -- with respect -- I'm not sure it's possible to reach a consensus among groups or people who call themselves "progressive" (even about what is or is not "progressive").  I do think it would be a good idea to work together instead of against one another, despite our differences, but I'm afraid the question of which things to emphasize is exactly what would break up the (re)union.  I think this is why the idea of the Progressive Fest event - though I was not part of planning it - probably was to skip this divisive stage and accomplish what can be accomplished, despite differences.

Otherwise, to propose to only work with the pure of heart and hand, is I fear the road to more loss.  We lose enough already without planning it, if we can help it.

Ricky 

________________________________________
From: OccupyCU [occupycu-bounces at lists.chambana.net] on behalf of Karen Medina via OccupyCU [occupycu at lists.chambana.net]
Sent: Friday, August 01, 2014 12:40 PM
To: C. G. Estabrook
Cc: Peace Discuss; Occupycu
Subject: Re: [OccupyCU] Progressive Fest 3 this Sat - Getting Out The Progressive Vote

I think this is exactly the point, the Democratic Party continues
further right -- way past the middle. What ALL PARTIES and elected
officials need is a pull to the left. With this as the goal, there are
enough people who are dissatisfied with the Democratic Party who are
willing to come together and make a group effort to pull the party
left, or at least try.

Once a candidate gets elected, not that one has been elected yet, we
need a way to put the elected person's feet to the fire, otherwise
they too will be pulled by the permanent government and powers that
exist. Maybe we can be more powerful together than those who have
power through money.

-karen

On Wed, Jul 30, 2014 at 1:04 PM, C. G. Estabrook via OccupyCU
<occupycu at lists.chambana.net> wrote:
> How can anyone regard the Democrats in state or national office as "progressive"?
>
> From support for mass murder by Ukraine and Israel to the refusal adequately to fund social supports in Illinois by adequately taxing the rich, the Democrats have shown that they're working for the interests of the 1% - and therefore against the directly opposed interests of the majority.
>
> It's nothing short of a crime against the community at home and abroad to "Get Out the Progressive Vote" for Democrats. As Glen Ford eloquently pointed out, they are not the lesser evil but the more effective evil: <http://www.blackagendareport.com/print/content/why-barack-obama-more-effective-evil>.
>
> --C. G. Estabrook
>
>
> On Jul 30, 2014, at 12:33 PM, Aaron Johnson-Ortiz, GEO & Progressive Fest <aaron at uigeo.org> wrote:
>
>> C. G.,
>> The November election is coming up and the stakes could not be any higher.  Republican Candidate for Governor Bruce Rauner, who earns $25,000 an hour and who has proposed cutting the state minimum wage , has been ahead in the polls by an average of 9 points since January*, and he is running on an anti-union platform similar to that of Scott Walker in Wisconsin.
>> This Saturday we are holding an event for community groups, unions, and student organizations for us to work together and strategize on how to register new voters and make sure to turn out irregular voters.
>> Are you able to come?  please let me know by replying to this email , or RSVP on facebook .   Details:
>> Progressive Fest 3: Getting Out The Progressive Vote
>> Saturday, August 2, 2:30 - 5:30PM
>> Champaign Public Library, Robeson Rooms A&B
>> This event is non-partisan: we will not be telling people to vote for a particular candidate or party.  However, we will be making commitments about voter registration targets, and discussing how to talk to our members and the public about the issues that matter to us.  This will allow members of non-partisan organizations to join us, as well as those who are part of a partisan organization.
>> Will you come?  Please let me know if you can.
>> In addition to union rights and workers issues, we will be talking about immigrant rights, reducing mass incarceration, increasing environmental protections, LGBTQ rights, women’s reproductive rights,  and other key issues.
>> Please also forward this to your friends and allies.  The agenda is below.
>> in Solidarity,
>> --aaron
>> Aaron Johnson-Ortiz
>> GEO Staff Organizer
>> Graduate Employee's Organization
>> IFT/AFT 6300
>> www.uigeo.org
>> 217-344-8283
>> What is Progressive Fest?
>> Progressive Fest is an event for all sorts of progressive organizations and individuals, including community organizations, unions, faith-based organizations, student groups, environmental activists, etc.  Each Progressive Fest is hosted by a different local organization, but it is open to any and all groups.  Progressive Fest is a non-partisan informal network of progressive organizations in the Champaign-Urbana area and its surroundings.  Some of the organizations that participate are partisan, other are not.  “Progressive Fest 3: Getting Out The Progressive Vote” is hosted by Central Illinois Progressive Democrats of America.
>> FLIER (feel free to print and distribute):
>>
>> * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_gubernatorial_election,_2014  and http://www.buzzfeed.com/iftaft/who-is-the-real-bruce-rauner-the-top-10-things-yo-ji42
>> Progressive Fest
>> for more info about PF, please contact Aaron Johnson-Ortiz at 1001 S Wright St, Champaign, IL
>> Unsubscribe
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OccupyCU mailing list
> OccupyCU at lists.chambana.net
> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/occupycu

--
-- karen medina
"The really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." - Mark Twain
_______________________________________________
OccupyCU mailing list
OccupyCU at lists.chambana.net
https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/occupycu