A letter from (a could have been) old friend
February 10, 2016
Hey Hill:
I know I should address you with one of your well earned titles. Madam Secretary or Senator or simply dear great American but I want to speak to you in this note as if I were your lifelong friend. Our nation is now headed for a crisis and no one but you can guide us to a safe landing. We who support you, Bernie supporters, or others in the mythical Obama coalition must unite. The other party is possessed by people living in a separate reality, sometimes this is a definition of insanity. However characterized it would greatly endanger our nation and the world if they gain the power of the presidency. United we are the majority.
I am sharing my thoughts on how to unite the movement. First you cannot unite a movement if you are not a part of it or willing to lead it. You must examine your own heart. If you want to lead it, then embrace it.
Lead it in a pragmatic solution based way. Bernie has authenticity, but does he have workable solutions? Examine his proposals develop a questioning line of attack (Socratic) based on real numbers to fund his proposals and the amount of taxes required to make them a reality. Ask what will free college do if there are no good jobs?
In general don’t attack Bernie reach out to his supporters. Many are your supporters. Currently, you are their second choice.
This is the fetter on current political outreach, whether yours or the Obama for America of 2008 and 2012, it is not a dialog. It is simply a list to seek small dollar donations. Donations will come if you are leading a movement. You need to create social interaction with our current information tools. Creating this model will allow communication to spread organically. This model of communication acts like the people’s microphone of the Occupy Wall Street movement. It was a response to laws in NYC regulating use of public loud speakers, and it seemed ridiculous, but it allowed a speaker’s message to echo through the crowd. In today’s world we have many tools to create a message that will echo through social media. It must be a dialog; expand the concept of your listening tours into the digital world.
The Obama for America web site started this but never implemented it fully. They had spaces to create dialog groups, but they were not done in a nationwide geographically based system. These interest groups, or discussion boards need to be like precincts, districts, and state organizations. Invite people in your current organization to be members, but intentionally seek liberal social media voices to join with them. The people of the Daily Kos, Black Lives Matter, former Occupy Wall Street leaders, the loudest voices who were too hot for MSNBC such as, Cenk Uygur, Martin Bashir, Goldie Taylor, Dylan Ratigan, Toure, and many others who can be identified by the youth you seek. Ask them to come bring people into their geographic based dialog groups. People who want to discuss and develop policies with pragmatic steps for political implementation. People’s think tanks to develop proposed legislation to stimulate our economy, reduce inequality, ensure human rights, heal our climate, make us energy efficient. As these groups develop regionally and interact nationally your campaign will harness the energy and talents of our people especially the youth. Allow the youth to define and create their own future as they can counter balance the conservative think tanks control on our legislatures. These are the tools to allow the transformation of the nation as you come to the White House with a Dem Senate and possibly a Dem House. You can fulfill the promise of Obama that faltered.
Your speeches need to attack the Republican obstructionists, the party that encourages racists, is owned by the wealthy, pollutes our world – in every way make it clear that the Republican conservative movement betrayed our nation in their hatred and opposition to the Obama administration. Illustrate how what undermined the political system for President Obama will be corrected in your presidency. The movement you lead will not let it happen again.
Lately I have thought of the Beatles song “We don’t want a revolution”, but we do want to change the world.
Sincerely wish you the best.
Steve Davis
Elmwood IL
www.forgottonia.org
I thought I would add a more current song, one you may not have heard.
"Waiting Tables" - Don Henley album - Cass
County lost lives
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