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FWD BLOG: With “America” ad, Bernie champions “Yes We Can!” politics and wins with 5 M's of the 2016 campaign

1/27/2016

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As a long-time supporter of President Obama it would have been hard for me to match my enthusiasm for another candidate in 2016 and hence I have been somewhat open-minded….but there is a clear difference right now that is reminding of 2008 all over again.

Regardless of which candidate you support, the bottom line is we have another matchup between a “Hope” and “Change” candidate and a Status Quo candidate. Frankly, I thought the passion-driven Joe Biden and even the future-driven Martin O’Malley could have filled that role better than a 74 year-old “Democratic Socialist” but I must admit Bernie Sanders is finally embracing the mantle in his own way with a “Yes We Can” approach to politics that is truly the more “pragmatic” course to win elections and move forward a progressive agenda.

And there is ample proof that it works besides the poll numbers and the quality of the policies of his ideology.

There is a saying that there are 4 M’s in campaigns and it seems that Bernie has advantages with all of them. Obama’s version included Management instead of the more common category of Media which I think deserves more attention in today’s new media-centric world and because all these elements are just bi-products of good management.

I would also add Movement because if you’re running for President of the United States you’re also running to be the leader of the Democratic Party which needs to succeed in Congress and in state elections for your administration to succeed.

#1 MESSAGE: Bernie is offering voters an uplifting theme that excites people to participate rather than make a pitch that is seen as inauthentic or defeatist by asking for non-supporters to change their tune in the general election...as if their vote wasn’t needed now.

#2 MEDIA: Bernie is a regular on news shows and is surging on social media and hasn’t tried to limit debates or press appearances.

#3 MOBILIZATION: Bernie has built a larger grassroots operation in Iowa with 50% more offices.

#4 MONEY: Bernie might have 50% in less total donations but he has a fundraising operation that is more scalable by attracting millions of low-dollar donors who can make several repeat contributions. But also, this includes how money is SPENT and based on how many offices each candidate has in Iowa he also has an advantage there.

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#5 MOVEMENT: Even though he is not a fan of the party establishment, Bernie is asking Democrats to vote in larger numbers to create Majorities locally and nationally again. His opponent rarely brings up this reality even though DNC Chair Howard Dean’s 50-State Strategy in 2005 helped lead to the Democratic dominance of 2008.
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BACKGROUND:

With his new “America” ad, as Howard Dean and Barack Obama did before him, Bernie Sanders is showing us an uplifting vision that celebrates our country AND our democracy.  We see people coming together who have the power to create change and aren’t just victims of corporate or ideological interests that want to take our democracy backward.

This is where Hillary Clinton doesn’t bother to go and really is a weakness if she is going to grab the Obama voters who may be more pragmatic but still yearn for a idealistic movement they can believe in.  But in a world where a majority of elected officials are Republicans, “establishment” candidates should be out-flanking their insurgent counterparts to inspire people to join a “Democratic” movement of Hope and Change.

Despite his kind comments about Hillary recently, Obama said in the same Politico interview, "My bet — and I may end up being wrong about this — my bet is that the candidate who can project hope still is the candidate who the American people, over the long term, will gravitate toward."

From my perspective, despite the peaceful socialist rhetoric, Bernie Sanders seems to be pretty level-headed on foreign policy and capitalism but has little interest in either. He also has some wild-eyed ideas on policy that go beyond the concept of a “progressive” system that asks us to pay our “fair share” of what we can afford for services like healthcare and education….as opposed to a plan for somehow getting the rich to pay for it all.

On the other hand, is it worse to not have any wild-eyed ideas at all? If Bernie Sanders pursued a single-payer system but got a “Medicare For All” public option in the Obamacare exchanges as a compromise wouldn’t that be better than the vague call for improving Obamacare without telling us how you can win enough elections to do it?

Where Hillary says “Yes I Can!” manage things as they are and protect Obama’s progress because “No We Can’t!” do any more and we need to tell Republicans that “No, They Can’t!”….Bernie focuses on his message and says “Yes We Can!”

Matt Yglesias notes that Bernie is selling “Hope that yes we can make enormous change happen if individual people believe things can get better ... and come together to make it so. Sanders has a story that channels these emotions. Not everyone finds that story plausible, but it's a story. And Clinton really doesn't have one."

How much would it have cost Hillary to create a theme for her campaign? Her 2008 launch told us she was “In It To Win It” and her 2014 book was summed up as “Hard Choices.” In 2016, I have read about how Hillary’s theme is “Love & Kindness”, but officially she has been “Fighting For You” which tells voters to sit back and let her handle everything. Ironically, this has little to do with FDR’s “Four Fights” that were highlighted as part of her campaign launch at “Four Freedoms Park” on Roosevelt Island then never discussed again.

As recently as the 1/17 NBC Debate and the 1/25 CNN Town Hall, Hillary still had trouble making a pitch to young voters where she could articulate why her campaign would appeal to them policy-wise or outreach-wise. That’s kind of surprising considering that Bernie is pulling in about 60% of the millennial vote in many polls and has been a huge weakness for her campaign for months.

A presidential campaign is not simply a job interview where we compare resumes...it is a call for Americans to participate in our democracy. If Democrats vote at the same rate as Republicans, they win….but they need to be challenged to act on behalf of their dreams. To me, that is the essence of Bernie’s political revolution regardless of whether compromises will be necessary. As they say in football, the only thing the “prevent” defense does is prevent you from winning.

You won’t ever win back a majority in the Congress to get anything done unless you expand your base and the total electorate with big ideas and big outreach. That means you need candidates with the mindset that they will work to mobilize Democrats not expect Democrats to magically mobilize for a candidate.

In 2016, Bernie is stealing a little bit of the Obama playbook and asking us to look forward to a “Future To Believe In” and popular progressive economist Robert Reich makes a good case that it is possible. If only more folks stuck with that playbook in the first place!

I agree with Bernie Sanders that the biggest mistake of President Obama and the Democratic Party in recent years has been their political strategy.

“The major political, strategic difference I have with Obama is it’s too late to do anything inside the Beltway,” he told Andrew Prokop. “You gotta take your case to the American people, mobilize them, and organize them at the grassroots level in a way that we have never done before.”

Even though candidates have to debate this reality once again, regardless of the effectiveness of the governing approach and some of the post-election organizing efforts like Organizing For America, it wasn’t inspiring enough to translate into votes when Barack Obama isn’t on the ballot. 

Most notably, the 2014 mid-term election was a historic defeat despite an improving economy yet DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz wasn’t replaced with new leadership. In 2015, we were told to expect a game-changing DNC Report on how we can do better but got a short list of minor adjustments rather than a real strategy for long-term success.

We also expected a more modern, Obama-influenced campaign organization by Hillary Clinton, but more investments in local field operations and digital tools from low-dollar fundraising to big data analytics to Snapchat accounts are just the beginning.

But as it stands today, even though he hasn’t reached Obama levels, Bernie still has 50% more offices in Iowa than Hillary does (26-17). There is no point in raising money if you don’t use it for winning the election.

As a DNC Chair or President of the United States, you are the LEADERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. Your priority shouldn’t be raising money because it is only a tool...it should be Movement-building through authentic engagement of your supporters. Otherwise, your outreach efforts ring hollow.

At minimum, the strategy shouldn’t include alienation of the voters by shutting a huge chunk of them out of the process, which some Democratic Party officials believe is necessary to support the Clinton campaign right now.

The fix was in among some party committees, as in Virginia thanks to Clinton loyalist Governor Terry McAuliffe, the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner that normally celebrates ALL Democrats was transformed into a Hillary Rally without Bernie Sanders or Martin O’Malley invited.

Then there has been the attempt to “run out the clock” on primary reason by avoiding media opportunities. Aside from avoiding the press to an extent that even former Obama adviser David Axelrod has criticized, the Clinton campaign called for less debates as part of their “under-the-radar” strategy

The DNC debate schedule was dreamed up by the Chairwoman without consultation and beyond the mocking the political press it turned into a late night talk show punchline, due to two Saturday and one holiday weekend event despite only FOUR total matchups before Iowa and New Hampshire. When the plan was sold as an effort to maximize exposure, even Politifact stepped in and rated the claim as FALSE.


Regardless of the Trump-led ratings boost of the jam-packed GOP field, in 2008, there were 25 debates as the DNC didn’t threaten to ban candidates who participated in un-sanctioned affairs as the candidates gave voters many more opportunities to hear our message and it worked. That is, if you think Barack Obama deserved a fair shot to become President.

Meanwhile. when two DNC Vice Chairs spoke up about the schedule, one of them was allegedly told not to attend the first debate.


This is just the tip of the iceberg of the crony party politics that supporters of Barack Obama felt we were fighting against….and frankly it is a sign of weakness for the establishment choice that encourages more doubt in the candidate.

As David Axelrod has said, “There are two kinds of people in politics...people who want to Do Something and people who want to Be Something.” He decided to work for Barack Obama because he thought he was the kind of politician who was the former.

Sadly, many of the powers that be could care less about “Yes We Can!” as long as they win easy elections and get their plum party titles.

But this essay isn’t about blame…..this is a wake up call to Democrats if they really want to win and grow the party. I am not sure where they are getting advice from, but Secretary Clinton, Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz and their allies need to understand that to inspire Americans to participate in national, state and local elections in numbers will win majorities again requires a belief in the old Obama For America mantra, “Respect. Empower, Include.”

In other words, as I wrote about recently, we need to recapture this spirit with a Progressive vision and Democratic values from our leaders not just their policy proposals. I mean, how are you going to recruit enough voters to pass a $15 minimum wage when you won’t invest in a staff that makes the current minimum wage?

As we witnessed with President Obama and now Bernie Sanders, the voters respond when called upon. And I would rather rely on a network of millions of donors with skin in the game than a few billionaires who barely lifted a finger to help my campaign any day.

With that in mind, i think our first priority in 2016 is simple. Although I won’t scream on a rooftop that I am “Feeling the Bern!,” I will tell you that we need to follow candidates who inspire voters to declare once again….“Yes We Can!”

It’s time to remember what being a Democrat is all about….

“Other people see things and say why? But I dream things that never were and I say, why not?"
- George Bernard Shaw (later quoted by JFK
& RFK)
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ABOUT "FORWARD PROGRESSIVE" BLOG:
Jim McBride discusses forward-minded messaging, outreach and other grassroots organizing techniques.  the former President of the award-winning Arlington Young Democrats, the 1st Volunteer Database Coordinator for Virginia for Obama, Founder of Generation of Obama-Washington, DC, the predecessor group to his current organization Network For Progress that brings together thousands of young professionals and grassroots activists both online and offline.

Follow @fwdprogress!
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FWD BLOG: We should respond to Paris attacks with UNITY not FEAR....otherwise we are no longer exceptional.

11/20/2015

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The Paris terror attacks have proven that the era of the cable news and social media “Fear & Hysteria Complex” has hit critical levels.

Imagine if 9/11-type attack occurred on U.S. soil today. In 2001, there was no call from Democrats to blame the Republican President or call from Republicans to blame Muslims for the attack….today an attack of smaller size than the Oklahoma City bombing on Europe has inspired both.

First off, despite the criticism, the President is already pretty engaged with ISIS as most of the things that the Monday Morning Quarterbacks want like airstrikes and special forces working with indigenous forces on the ground are already being done. Otherwise, not many folks have the guts to suggest another U.S. occupation of territory in the Middle East that could mean once again TRILLIONS of taxpayer dollars spent and tens of thousands of soldiers dead or injured with little to show for it.

But even worse, a chorus is being led by Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, who once demanded the President of the United States prove he was an American for absolutely no reason, to reject the victims of terrorism and even openly wonder whether we should close mosques in response to the acts of people who are often not even familiar with the teachings of Islam.

A large majority of the House, including 47 Democrats, is bucking the minimal plan to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees to come to America by adding outrageous new vetting restrictions on top of a nearly two-year process that involves several federal agencies like the FBI and DHS. According to the New York Times, when asked what the weakness in the program was, “most Republicans could not specify which aspects of the rigorous refugee vetting program that they found inadequate.”

Somehow these politicians still don’t have the time to declare War on ISIS or confirm nominees in key anti-terrorism posts…..or make it illegal for terrorists to buy a gun in America through universal background checks which has led to 2,000 terror suspects getting arms legally since 2004.

Even though a majority of Americans are supporting the decision, they felt the same way toward Jewish refugees before WWII. As a result, thousands were turned away including the family of Anne Frank.

Now, as George Takei's show "Allegiance" runs on Broadway, the Mayor of Roanoke used the internment of Japanese during World War II as an argument FOR rejecting refugees.

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In 2015, even 3-year old orphans are too dangerous…..but as President Obama has said it needs to stop because it send a terrible message to people we need as friends.

Hence, this group of politicians espousing “christian” values ignored the words of generosity spoken by the Pope, despite calling on more U.S. “leadership” during this crisis, and won’t accept a fraction of the more than 4 million people who have escaped death from either dictator Bashar Assad from one direction or ISIS on the other.

Weren’t they aware that we have been accepting refugees from war-torn countries for years….including over 30,000 people from Iraq, Iran, Sudan and Somalia in FY2013 and more than 2,000 Syrians since FY2014 alone?

Since 9/11, the U.S. had accepted 859,000 refugees with only 3 being arrested due to terrorist activity….in comparison, 1 in every 22,000 Americans  committed murder in 2014 alone.

What about the millions of people from any country who come to America each year on simple travel visas?

Since all the identified Paris attackers were of French and Belgian origin the reality is our enemies are often homegrown as ISIS now has over 20,000 foreign fighters.

Even the conservative Washington Times concedes that Americans have been more likely to be murdered by white supremacists than Muslim radicals since 9/11. That isn’t even including most of the mass shooting acts of terror that are occurring on a regular basis now.

But let’s be honest there isn’t a Super PAC behind blocking Syrian refugees, as House Republicans took a cue from 30 Governors who claim they won’t accept them and a flurry of phone calls from their constituents.

The real Silent Majority are the millions of Americans who know better….like the 7-year old boy who donated $20 in his piggy bank to a mosque that was defaced in Texas after the Paris attacks.

During this holiday season, we should even recall the lesson from Who’s from Whoville about how compassion can heal wounds by focusing on unity over the anger and hate that would make innocent people feel alienated from society.

We need to solve problems not just find scapegoats if we want to stay the world's "indispensible" nation.


TAKE ACTION: Send a message to your Governor and Congress Members know you support the Syrian refugees and Call your Congress Members too.
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FWD BLOG: "Joe, Yes You Can RUN."

10/8/2015

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I don't think the 1st Democratic Debate changed much in terms of whether Joe Biden should run....all the candidates performed as expected but in a high stakes atmosphere this time so people had an opportunity to grade them on the issues and their ability to talk the American people.

Joe is understandably deliberating more cautiously because of the loss of his son Beau, but as we witnessed with his appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the bright spot we have seen from this tragedy is it has shined a light on Joe’s incredible heart and how special the family he raised is. And Draft Biden’s new videos (above and below) exemplify how this translates to his commitment to focusing on what matters...that means treating politics with integrity and not like its a game especially when millions of lives are in the balance.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg, as in a election being ruled by “authenticity” there isn’t anyone as authentic as Joe Biden in terms of his passion and honesty.

He can still provide Democratic Primary voters like myself with kind of a “Goldilocks” scenario this campaign season. Think Bernie is too hot and Hillary is too cold? Maybe Joe is for you.

Regardless of their strengths, Bernie is positioned as a Socialist fighting the “Billionaire Class” and Hillary is positioned as a Partisan Democrat fighting the entire Republican Party…..but most Democrats are interested in neither. They’re interested in working with EVERYONE to get things done and taking the high road with our opponents like President Obama did to show he was a pragmatic leader who was above the behavior of his reckless adversaries.

Joe’s work on the Economic Recovery Act, congressional budget negotiations and other special assignments have proved that he is both an effective deal maker and very competent at governing...but he’s not afraid of stepping out front on issues like with the Violence Against Women Act and Marriage Equality either.

I would say that for those of us who still want #fourmoreyears the candidacy of President Obama’s loyal Vice President could be a great way to maintain the values and overall continuity for one of the most successful Democratic Administration’s in history.

Both establishment and progressive activist types tend to be fans of Joe...and hence will both have an electable alternatives in mind besides their current flag bearers if they want a choice.

Hence, his popularity numbers are better than any Democratic candidate and he generally performs better than any Democrat against the Republican field in general election match-ups.

Most importantly though, I hope Joe’s unique talents can translate to rebuilding a Democratic Party that was devastated in 2010 and lost further ground on both the congressional, state and local levels again in 2014. I don't think either front runner would make such a commitment or be able to make it happen.

Joe has discussed the importance of getting rid of money in politics but he could be part of the solution because he is a unifying force who understands that this is a People Business not just a Money Business. He could be the proper messenger to remind us that “Yes We Can” move forward our Movement of Hope and Change and can create a new era of increased civic engagement in the process as we all believed would happen in 2008.

It goes without saying that Joe’s optimism about the future, love of citizenship and belief in service to our country of all kinds are some of his greatest strengths….especially inspired by the selfless duty of Beau in Iraq.

I am not endorsing Joe Biden for President quite yet since his campaign has not begun and we haven’t seen how much he has learned from his previous runs in how to translate his skills to leading a national campaign but I have a hunch that when he participates in his first debate we will be truly glad we have another choice.

Join me in asking Joe to RUN.  Sign the petition and let him know on facebook and twitter before your work day ends this week so he hears from some more voices.

​ Jim McBride, Forward Progressive
@fwdprogress
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FWD BLOG: "The NEXT Revolution will be Super APP-sized" 

7/4/2015

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This Independence Day I hope we take stock of the “State of the Revolution” since 1776 and how we can reinvigorate our democracy before for our next presidential election in 2016.

Of course, we can discuss the amazing gains all day, including most recently on Marriage Equality, yet for reason Americans seem stuck in the past and are fighting old battles left and right with a majority even believing the Confederate Flag is a symbol of “southern pride” not racism.

Despite the power of the Internet that vaulted an unlikely figure like Barack Obama into office, the tools used since 2008 need to keep evolving for progress to keep marching forward and outflanking some serious enemies as they quickly catch up (i.e. ISIS). There have been new developments in the use of weapons like Twitter and Big Data, but this means new strategies for using these tools as well.

In 2016, the most successful movement-building strategy will be focused on one mission: MOVEMENT-BUILDING.

It might sound redundant but what are campaigns and the media and even the public focused on right now? MONEY-BUILDING.

The problem is the greatest advances in MOVEMENT-BUILDING recently have been fueled by the highly-economical use of DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT not the #1 Expenditure of high-profile campaigns: the dying Broadcast TV Advertising complex.

So, in 2016 if you want to build a movement you should make Digital Engagement a priority and invest in Super APPs vs. Super PACs.

In the age of smart phone-driven Mobile tools like Uber and AirBNB that are surpassing social networking by providing “service” networking and “resource” networking, it is time to pioneer “activist” networking and even “citizen” networking for connecting and collaborating in our neighborhoods.

That means innovating to create platforms that enable users to develop more effective relationships and communities for your causes and interests not just driving the trend of using digital as a 21st Century version of a 20th Century campaign focused on fundraising and advertising that barely touches the surface of influencing the electorate.

In 2007, the most important tool that Obama For America created was My.BarackObama.com as it empowered local activists to find and organize grassroots armies on their own.

I know because when Barack Obama essentially clinched the Democratic nomination in February 2008 he did it on the backs of the very well-organized grassroots-led activists in Virginia, DC and Maryland that made up the pivotal Potomac Primary. OFA Staff arrived on the ground one week before that election but the difference in preparation between the campaigns was stark….even though Hillary’s campaign was actually based in Arlington, Virginia.

Nonetheless, MyBO was allowed to die from neglect after the election and it wasn’t revived until the launch of "Dashboard" in June 2008...with limited capability and over a year into President Obama’s re-election campaign.

Lots of grassroots organizers in my area were Democratic Party members who went back to their flock so to keep these communities thriving after Obama won the nomination it was necessary for some OFA organizers and digital stategists to begin showing interest in developing the platform themselves and to lead the new “Hope Mongers” that had been recruited and were considered Obama supporters above all else.

Unfortunately, this never happened and the true grassroots momentum of the Movement for “Hope” and “Change” was lost. To this day, BarackObama.com’s event pages have barely been updated beyond their 2007 form….furthering their sense of dated abandonment.

Now, creating your own platform is hard and that has led to the prevalence of using existing social networks instead to reach supporters online.  But they’re generally being used in a traditional top-down fashion and are not designed to be a comprehensive hub for digital-driven grassroots activism. And it doesn’t help when the most effective digital tool to engage with your followers, email, is used as a 24/7 fundraising pitch.

Remember the definition of doing the same thing over and over BUT expecting a different result?

For example, after the 2014 debacle that proved 2010 wasn’t just a post-Great Recession and/or Obamacare fluke, the Democratic Party should be leading the charge toward a true Movement-building Strategy in 2016 to put life into their disaffected base that may be growing demographically and seeing lots of TV ads but won’t show up when Barack Obama isn’t on the ballot.

This also means the rank-and-file recognizing that a large segment of the electorate is not motivated by many or ANY issues, especially when it comes to state and local elections where conservatives have developed an immense edge that has affected redistricting for decades to come because their voters pay closer attention.

Besides, today’s enemy on one issue might be your friend on another so spending a lot of time coming up with memes attacking Ted Cruz is not just a waste of organizing time it also makes collaborating with him due to his support for libertarian-friendly causes like prison reform more difficult.



By understanding the importance of politics as a People Business, activists can focus on offering personal stories and connections to interest new audiences then keep them unified and working together.

When utilized properly, current platforms can help drive crowd-sourced and coalition-driven movements ranging from the “Arab Spring” to “Black Lives Matter,” but imagine if a new Movement-building strategy utilized convenient hand-held consumer applications that could enhance their activism.  Currently, these mobile tools are few and far between, as other than the White House they sometimes are briefly used for a conference or special event.

With the help of the customized functionality, an organization can quickly prompt their followers to take ALL kinds of actions on ALL kinds of platforms….whether it be changing their profile pic to watching a training video to signing a petition ONLINE OR attending a fundraiser to volunteering at a festival to voting on Election Day OFFLINE.

Or you could search a network for anyone who likes your cause in your Zip Code AND can donate resources like a spare room for one of your out-of-state interns or volunteers. Now, campaign databases usually utilize location and interest data but don’t encourage users to create and update personal profiles beyond the frequency of emails received.

It’s a win-win for everyone as users can directly follow and give feedback on the essential messages and actions of their favorite cause without the hassle of worrying about reading spammy emails, getting a bunch phone calls and door knocks at home, having to track a fire hose worth of social media posts or having to remember to visit a landing page-consuming web site on a regular basis.

And as Facebook further proved with its recent Pride campaign, EVERYONE is now an APPtivist.

Regardless of whether you’re a long-suffering Democrat or Voting Rights advocate or an underdog for some other political or civic cause the answer is clear:

The NEXT Revolution will be Super APP-sized.

P.S. If you’re interested in working on our Apptivist projects with Network For Progress send an email to network4progress@gmail.com with any ideas or skills you have to offer!

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JIM MCBRIDE
"Forward Progressive" Blog
Founder & President, Network For Progress
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FWD BLOG - American Smart Ass: How David Letterman influenced our culture for the better

5/20/2015

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With the end of his late night career tonight, there are several articles right now about David Letterman’s impact on television and I wanted to throw in some thoughts on an even greater impact he had on our culture: as an American Smart Ass.

Letterman was a pioneer of being a mainstream, beloved subversive TV personality who came up with a generation of stars like Alan Alda in “M.A.S.H.” or Roseanne Barr as well as Bill Murray in “Stripes” and “Ghostbusters” or Matthew Broderick in “Ferris Bueller” who brought the same persona to the big screen.

In the beginning, his underdog battles were about taking down the sacred image of the talk show format along with his clueless bosses at General Electric, but later on it became about taking down George Bush and other dumb ass Republicans for creating the war in Iraq and other foolish policies.

Although he wasn’t very comfortable in the Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert-style of news satire that developed around the time, after 9/11 his overt passion for New York City and the issues affecting us became greater and greater. In his final interviews with Bill Clinton and President Obama he showed a clear interest in how we can better both America and the world around us….and him telling Bill O’Reilly that he is full of it to his face was something we truly needed. Watch him in action here.

Luckily, even though we will also lose Jon Stewart this year, I’m sure Stephen Colbert will admirably fill Letterman’s shoes while Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O’Brien continue their smart-assery as well as almost all of the late nights hosts will have been impacted by his legacy in some fashion. Interestingly, as of September, FIVE of them will have hosted a show that David Letterman created.

But especially in sitcoms and the movies it seems like the Smart Ass is a dying breed. Over the last 20 years we have seen the rise of the Dumb Ass (or caricature of it) in our culture from Jim Carrey to Adam Sandler to Will Ferrell. Meanwhile, sitcoms are nearly dead as a vehicle for the Smart Ass….yet Tim Allen still has a job.

The reason why this is most concerning is that somehow the Dumb Ass is even getting more gigs in politics too. With the rise of Fox News, George Bush and the Tea Party it seems like being an arrogant moron without the irony of an Archie Bunker in “All in the Family” is a trend that holds back some of the great progress we have made on some social issues like LGBT rights.

But we know that Smart Ass-ness sells….often even better than the Dumb Ass.

In 2008, Barack Obama’s team triumphed over Sarah Palin’s team, but that was when everyone was watching.

Besides being smarter than most of his competitors, Obama’s zingers against Mitt Romney and White House Correspondent’s Dinner speeches have shown his excellent wit and based on his appreciative comments on his last “Late Show” appearance I think he learned a few lessons from Letterman that we could all benefit from.

Politicians and Activists often give impassioned policy arguments and criticisms of foolish things their opponents are saying but sometimes the best thing to do is be a Smart Ass rather than preach in a fashion that only the choir cares about.

I am not sure if a President can get away with too many “sarcastic” talking points but being smart and entertaining is something we can all do to cut to the chase in a fun and creative way.

So, long live the “Smart Ass”....now ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do to insult the “Dumb Asses” in our country.


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Network For Progress founder Jim McBride discusses Social, Social Media and Media political strategy that promotes mainstream message and community-building to grow the Obama coalition's "Yes We Can!"-inspired Movement of Hope & Change. 
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THE MOST OUT-OF-CONTEXT QUOTE OF ALL TIME - Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr: "A riot is the language of the unheard."

4/27/2015

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When Ferguson and now Baltimore protests have led to violence, there has been varied responses from my Democratic and Progressive friends as people debate how far to switch gears from voicing support to condemning or making excuses for people who lash out with violence in response to violence….ranging from breaking windows to looting to throwing bricks at cops.

There is no excuse for this behavior...especially because it is even more premeditated and indiscriminate than the original act.

And lets set the record straight. In his 1966 interview with Chris Wallace where he uttered those words, MLK was making an observation NOT an endorsement.

It isn’t a legitimate activism tactic to destroy your own neighborhood and to suggest Dr. King condoned it is a misguided approach that discredits the legacy of Peace and Love that earned him that Monument on the National Mall.

In the below interview this is what he really was saying:

"Violence is impractical and immoral."

"I would hope that we can avoid riots because riots are self-defeating and self-destructive."


Let’s remember that and echo THOSE words when these tragedies happen….just like the family of Freddie Gray and many other residents of Baltimore are doing tonight in interviews on CNN and MSNBC. 


CNN's Van Jones said it well: "Black Jobs Matter. Black Businesses Matter. Black Neighborhoods Matter."

He could have added "COPS Lives Matter" in reference to African-Amercian and other races of police officers also under attack.

Let’s follow the lead of these voices because they represent the people who will live the consequences of these acts....let's not attempt to bury the lede and minimize them. 

One of the greatest tools an activist has is finding common ground....its a well-documented fact. 

So, let's take a break from our talking points and the "yeah, buts" and find common ground that violence is NEVER the answer or in our quest for "Justice For All" we will achieve "Justice For No One." 

- Jim McBride, Network For Progress

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FWD BLOG - Dear Democrats: Why is the DNC Winter Meeting open to the public…yet designed for Party Crashers Only? #itmypartytoo

2/19/2015

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Network For Progress and Generation Obama-DC founder Jim McBride's "Forward Progressive" take on why the Democratic Victory Task Force needs to call for a major re-boot to put the “party” back into the Democratic Party via a 50-State Strategy 2.0


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A preliminary report from the Democratic Victory Task Force is scheduled for the DNC Winter Meeting this week to help us decipher what went wrong in 2014 so it can be corrected in 2016. 

I’m sure there will be lots of great recommendations and mysteries discovered but the most important fact is right under our nose: the Democratic Party in many ways isn’t really a party at all. And for a party of the “people” it is kind of critical.

The problem is easy to spot when you consider this week’s DNC Winter Meeting where we can see that no adjustments have been made yet.
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The event is technically open to the public according to their schedule but how many Democrats even know that? Yet there are general sessions and caucus meetings but aside from party officers only the activist versions of the Salahi’s will actually participate in….people so committed to the party that they show up even if they only see the details second-hand.

First off, the only schedule i have seen is a PDF for God’ sake! 
I would suggest adding more trainings and panels to the program to get people thinking but let’s start small.

If it wasn’t for Virginia DNC Committeeman Frank Leone’s twitter feed I wouldn’t have even known about it....so congrats to him for doing his job but I don't think he has ever been retweeted by a party committee yet so he's a voice in the wilderness.

After asking around I found out there was a web page where you could sign up for free…..on a Association of State Democratic Chairs web site I have never heard of. Maybe because it is obviously only designed for State Democratic Chairs....that's why my friend had to find it via google search.

But you would think the DNC would be trumpeting this exciting event and the speaker program somewhere, right? Wrong!

Here's what I came up with....in the meantime let the DNC know what you think on twitter and facebook because you need to let them know why #itsmypartytoo and what is #mydemautopsy. You can copy your feedback in the comments below so we can share our ideas in the process....I will include some feedback I collected recently as well.

There is no “Contact Us” page so we will skip email and phone today.


In the meantime….nothing on twitter yet.

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Or Facebook...Marco Rubio’s book is apparently the most important topic for the Democratic Party in the last 24 hours:
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Well, there must be something on the web site, right? But there isn’t even an Events page:
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On the bottom left of the page is a “What’s Next for Democrats” video where DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz asks for our input, which is great, yet provided no opportunity to give the feedback that she was asking for. There are a couple surveys that were circulated in November and December but neither are shared here.

OK but what about those emails….at least one of those must have mentioned the meeting right?

Sort of….I got one email that invites me to donate money so i can “win” a chance to attend the meeting AND meet President Obama!
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I also was invited to become a DNC Member this past month but since there were no membership benefits like "meeting invites" listed I have to assume membership doesn’t have its privileges.

On the DNC web site is a blog post about the contest and where I can see that the DNC Chair wants ME there….maybe if i click on that link i can sign up?
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Actually, no. She wants you to be entered in a contest to meet the President...not actually show up to get involved or anything! I know many folks would only attend if they won a contest but thousands of Democrats live within a day’s drive of Washington, DC and if the DNC is able to set up out-of-state volunteer drives during election season then why not even tell people about a quarterly meeting?
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Okay, maybe we can’t attend but how about a Hashtag or Live-Stream or at least a YouTube channel so we can follow along from home? No, that’s for CPAC…conservatives are more digital-savvy i guess. They even have an app!

Of course, outside organizations always have an advantage but a potential juggernaut like the President’s Organizing For Action barely has any events that get beyond house party status....if at all these days.

This is the 2015 Democratic “organizing advantage” at work. We have great data for banner ads and door knocks that the average voter will probably notice for a split second but don’t use much of it to segment and actually REACH supporters who follow our emails, social media or even visit our web sites. 

In the end, despite some mild gains from superficial forms of content and outreach, not many new activists get involved and not many new voters are inspired by our grassroots army to join our movement OR at minimum pull the lever to vote Democratic in November.

The funny thing is, when you go to the About US page of the DNC web site, there is a section on the 50-State Strategy of funding party committees nationwide so they can better compete. The highlights end after 2008 because for some reason unifying our party with a nationwide network of activists was no longer a priority.
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And if you go to the Leadership page, you see a list of politicians and not any staff who can even be a resource for people interested in helping build the Democratic Party:
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Yes, there are local party committees and campaigns that people can work with too but in many cases they offer the same insular structure where you basically need the secret password to participate….and even when you do you might later regret walking in the door in the first place.

The best example I found in November was how the Warner for Senate campaign held a Get-Out-The-Vote Rally on Election Eve and it got barely more publicity than the DNC Meeting….no twitter, no facebook, no web site. No events or campaign offices were ever mentioned on those platforms. It mattered too…a near surprise upset.

This culture needs to change from the TOP DOWN not just rely on the BOTTOM UP. Party leaders talk a good game about “grassroots” organizing but successful people-focused activism is supported by strong leadership not just left to hang out to dry. 

Democratic Party of Virginia’s Vice Chair of Technology Dave Leichtman recently posted a blog about the need for a 50-State Strategy for Digital Organizers and I would suggest incorporating such a program into re-invigorating the original vision.

The Democratic Party needs to focus on three key things right now as part of 50-State Strategy 2.0:

  1. Relationships

  2. Innovation

  3. Innovation to build more Relationships


I recently saw the film “The Imitation Game” and the story of Alan Turing is inspiring and tragic because he was an innovator who helped a society triumph even though society worked against him personally and professionally. 

We have thousands of Democratic Party activists whose talents are being lost in the current system. Sometimes this happens because they are not trained to create relationships and innovation but sometimes it's as simple as they are not rich enough to work without a living wage or in conditions that the party supposedly finds an affront to our values when implemented in the private sector.

Until party and campaign organizations are truly partnering with their supporters to adequately invest in creating the 21st Century solutions necessary to build the kind of relationships that enable trust and influence in the electorate, no one is going to care enough to fight back anymore…..and that means no one is going to donate, volunteer or vote either.

It’s often called Movement-building...organizing groups of like-minded people around a singular cause. 

That is why we chant “Yes We Can!” not “Yes I Can!” 

Even though I have encouraged people to organize themselves, the fact is if they are not part of a smart coordinated team effort than all that work eventually dies and can become worthless….look at Occupy Wall Street.

And if you look at leaders of great movements, I don’t recall MLK using the “March on Washington” as a vehicle for big fundraiser or Barack Obama hosting rallies without telling his supporters about them. Why create obstacles to building your movement?

That is why the most important message that was lost in 2014 wasn’t simply how many jobs were created in the past 5 years, but the message of who we are and who are we going to share it with. Everything else should complement these efforts.

It’s time to put the Obama campaign’s “Respect. Empower. Include.” slogan at the forefront of a Democratic MOVEMENT that is well-aware that it represents much more than a bureaucracy….but it is leading the cause of democratic opportunity for all in our government.

Hopefully, the Democratic Victory Task Force will address some of these issues.  And I really hope we can work with current DNC leaders to enact them because they will need Obama supporters and those who demand a “Yes We Can” culture if they’re going to work for another presidential candidate in 2016.


There's no reason why Network For Progress should be the only game in town for the State of the Union and so many other great community-building opportunities.

In the meantime, the question remains, if the Democratic National Committee holds a meeting and doesn’t invite Democrats….does it make a sound?


ABOUT JIM MCBRIDE (FORWARD PROGRESSIVE):

Jim has spent over twenty years working in Communications, from radio to TV to public relations from the high-tech sector (Checkpoint Software, OfficeDepot.com) to being the first media staffer hired at the International Association of Fire Fighters after 9/11 who managed Fire Fighters for Kerry press outreach.

McBride has been an active grassroots activist since 2004, previously serving as President of the Arlington Young Democrats (Virginia Young Democrats’ 2007 Club of the Year), Vice Chair of Precinct Operations for Arlington Democrats, Virginia for Obama Volunteer Database Coordinator (2008 Primary), Founder of Generation Webb and the Generation Obama-DC community he still engages as one of the DNC’s top Gen44 young professional fundraisers for the Obama Victory Fund.

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FWD BLOG: What should the President say to America during his State of the Union Address? #MySOTU 

1/19/2015

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As the President and his congressional supporters try to dust themselves off and position the Democratic Party for success in 2016 it’s important to examine their new message to America and that starts with the State of the Union Address.

Democrats need to get better at simply explaining what they did and what they want to do while persuading through a well-framed moral and fact-based argument that can win Hearts AND Minds that is supported by universal ideals that can find common ground to appeal to the broadest audience possible.

Vox recently published an analysis of persuasion techniques that teaches you “How to debunk false beliefs without having it backfire” that everyone interested in advocacy should read. Luckily this is one thing that this President is good at, and frankly MUST be good at as the leader of the entire nation...that’s why he his in the Oval Office. But we can ALL do better....especially when we share a consistent message that people can remember.

Here is the the #1 issue on my “wish list” on what the President should say and how he should explain it...I will update it as an ongoing reference that I hope our fellow Obama supporters can use as well.


TALKING POINT: RENEWABLE ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

Issue: Jobs, Economy, Energy, Environment


The President needs to discuss the importance of Renewable Energy Independence for helping create jobs at home in America and explain the great success of solar and electric vehicles thanks to federal loans etc. and how the reduction of gas prices is partly fueled by our unsustainable reliance on the expensive and environmentally harmful fracking process. He should then share his future plans like the EPA’s new standards for cutting carbon emissions and how they will benefit the economy but he should also consider re-working his carbon tax into a more popular-sounding Polluter Tax.

All Americans should understand the importance of ending our dependence on foreign oil and how countries like Russia and Iran benefit from it so this should be an easy argument to make that is practical for today and not just a “sacrifice” to fight the distant and murky effects of global warming that can be difficult to sell in the current political environment.



The White House’s online live-stream of the speech is a great tool for sharing supporting graphics and photos with those willing to find it but in this case I would recommend hold up a live picture at the lecturn of the California drought to SHOW America what global warming looks like. These kinds of images should also be live-tweeted at minimum.


Here is my template….feel free to share your own!

Policy:

Issue Category:

Common Ground:

Progress Example (past record and how it worked):

Agenda Example (future proposal and how it will work):



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FWD BLOG: Why it's time for a National MOVEMENT-BUILDING Strategy for Democrats to succeed in 2016 and beyond!

12/11/2014

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There is no way to sugar coat it: Politics is a cyclical game BUT the Democratic performance in the 2014 elections was an unmitigated disaster. 


There is ample evidence that 2010 was not just a fluke caused by voters angry about the slow return of jobs after the TARP, the Recovery Act and Wall Street Reform during the Great Recession OR the myths of the Obamacare fight. Even though the positive results of these and related policies are now clear and primed for Democrats basking in their glow, 2014 led to the worst turnout since World War II (when people were kind of busy with other maters) and the most Republican House seats since just before the Great Depression (when the bottom fell out).

Unfortunately, that means Democrats will have to wait until after 2020’s redistricting year (the last election before the next census) to have a chance to fix much of the damage done in the last four years.

The fact is, the Democrats can’t put Barack Obama on the ballot for any more elections and not every race is held in a hotly-contested Purple State during a presidential year so the Democrats need to start looking at how they can better connect with voters.

The good news about hitting rock bottom is that this time people are seriously discussing where “Yes We Can” went. The Democratic National Committee is sharing a survey of supporters right now and has created a Democratic Victory Task Force that will develop a preliminary “autopsy” report for their February Meeting followed by a final analysis in the summer. The team looks promising as it includes some familiar faces like Donna Brazile, Maria Cardona and tech-savvy Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt but time will tell whether they can absorb the cultural and systemic issues that led to this moment.

Yet “Victory” is not a big enough goal for this committee. In the end, winning elections is just a by-product of achieving public support for your cause FIRST that can come from a National MOVEMENT-BUILDING Strategy that seeks to win the hearts and minds of the American people.

There will be plenty of PIECEMEAL PROPOSALS matched with HUGE EXCUSES but we need to focus on the basics.

For example, due to online fundraising and the over-rated power of money to easily brainwash voters and win elections the post-“Citizens United” campaign finance environment didn’t hurt Democrats too much in 2012 as high-priced tools like TV advertising have reached a saturation point in a dying market.

Re-Districting is a legitimate problem often mentioned as Democrats should hold maybe 15 more seats in the House of Representatives if you compare their 2014 national vote total to their elected Members of Congress but we need to remember that losing elections is how we got in this situation in the first place...and that even if this were corrected the GOP would still have a commanding majority.

Hence, my simplest 2014 analysis is that sadly Barack Obama couldn’t figure out how to bring the Movement for “Hope” and “Change” to the Washington political establishment BUT the Washington political establishment definitely brought a movement of “cynicsm” and “status quo” politics to Barack Obama.

The President’s shine was destined to be tarnished by the ugly realities of governing and his time was now focused on more pressing matters, but he might regret how “Yes We Can!” became transformed into “Yes I Can!” where If you just give $5 the experts they can go off and win the election for you...don’t worry about the details or anything!

Well, it’s TIME to worry about the details that were left behind like the Howard Dean-led DNC’s “50-State” Strategy that supported party growth across the entire nation and helped create huge wins in the 2006 mid-terms before people knew who Barack Obama was.

The examples are endless, but here is one from the air war and one from the ground game that illustrate the rudimentary issues that I thought had become Outreach 101.

In 2014, after watching Bill Clinton be heralded as the “Explainer-in-Chief” and the success of My.BarackObama.com, am I seeing key Congressional and Senate races omit what should be politically-popular news about their governing agenda and record of achievements from their messaging AND even information on how to get involved like their campaign office and event information from their web sites and social media platforms....the internet wasn't created for only sharing cool things AFTER they happen!

In 2014, despite widespread use in party circles, why aren’t campaign organizers treated as capable of 21st Century communication with supporters (especially young people) on a regular basis via meetups, email, text and social media? Maybe because they’re perceived as low-skilled labor that doesn’t warrant a living wage or interns who don’t earn any wage at all?

The fact is, we have some numbers on our side but you don’t get credit for having a fundraising advantage or a great Get-Out-The-Vote program on Election Day. You lost the ENTIRE election….there’s no prize for your ad spending or door knocking results in October. Granted, there are external factors and demographic realities that affect candidates, but there needs to be a National MOVEMENT-BUILDING Strategy to shape the political climate 24/7/365 and more than ever it deserves to be scrutinized.

As Obama has said about Washington’s obstacles to policy solutions, the question is not whether there are enough “ideas” to help Democrats win elections - the U.S. electorate is demographically MORE LIBERAL today than it was in 2006 & 2008 - but whether there are enough PEOPLE that are willing and able to implement them.

And it starts with leadership! All it takes is one person at the top who has a vision and everyone else will become both “willing” and “able” to implement a plan in a hurry. So, with that in mind, we need to go beyond just dropping our comments in the Suggestion Box but really need to open up the dialogue beyond that.

And the fact is, the Democratic Party can never be as flexible and experimental as an individual activist, so even though some of the information gathered might not work for party organizations this kind of dialogue will offer us the opportunity to learn lessons that might be unique to our own issues and interests.

That’s why we need to focus on more than presidential primary candidates but a “Grassroots” Democratic Autopsy and long-term “Unite 4 Progress” campaign to help all smart candidates to WIN anyplace and anywhere!

A crowd-sourced forum will allow people to not be limited to emailing someone their feedback BUT to Share, Collaborate and Advocate for them, so best practices of all kinds can become more broadly championed and more easily percolate to the top of organizations instead of just getting read once and archived forever.



In particular, there is so much frustration among Obama supporters right now that this concept can be a great vehicle for channeling their energies by offering plenty of opportunities to promote legacy-building that will increase the President’s poll numbers and make him more of an asset to candidates for the next election.

Now, please join us in our quest for a growing a true Democratic Movement and let’s bring PROGRESS back in America!

JOIN THE 12/13 ROOTSCAMP EVENT & "READY FOR UNITY" TEAM
About “Forward Progressive” Blog:
Grassroots Social & Media Strategist Jim McBride writes about "post-partisan" forward-minded solutions to policy and campaign issues that prioritize strategies that appeal to broad coalitions of voters and supporters to ensure movement success. 

He was the Founder of Generation Webb and Generation Obama-Washington, DC chapter as well as one of the lead organizers of Virginia For Obama’s grassroots-led primary campaign. He is currently the President of the grassroots community Network For Progress and has over 20 years in communications and political work.
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FWDBLOG: Where the "Occupy" Road goes wrong (when activism becomes anarchy)

12/9/2014

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With the series of controversial court decisions and new incidents of cases of police killing unarmed black men, and even a child, in recent weeks there is a building movement to end these tragedies once and for all. And once again within the outrage has blossomed the age-old controversy about tactics to bring about change as factions splinter their strategies.

My background is mostly focused on campaigns and party-building, not direct action, but as a communications professional and grassroots activist for over a decade I see clear problems with the direction of Ferguson-inspired activists.

Yet there’s a reason why that might make me even more qualified to offer my analysis as my work has been directly responsible for change in our society from supporting leadership that has rescued the country from a Great Recession to providing universal health care protections and more affordable care for millions of people across America.

That’s because my energy has been channeled toward solutions not just protest. I went to an anti-war rally during the Bush years but I spent MOST of my time trying to remove him and his supporters from office with candidates who opposed or wanted to dismantle his foreign policy blunders. And I tried to reach as many people as possible so our side had the votes to make it happen.

But what I’m seeing from the protests right now disturbs me. Following the total catastrophe of the riots over Michael Brown there has also been a focus 
on shutting down highways or trains as well as boycotting Black Friday and white-owned businesses.

First off, rioting IS still violence. Even if you don’t hurt a person, you’re destroying a community when you ransack a store and are ruining the livelihoods of a business owner, their employees AND their customers….of all races.

I am a firm believer that my Rights end where yours begin. This is where liberals win the argument against Second Amendment extremism and numerous social injustices.

 
By creating a traffic jam with no explanation to the people dozens of cars deep who are trying to get to work or to their families makes no sense to me. This just doubles down on "occupation" techniques but is much more of a disruption than the minor convenience of a march or crowd in a park. 


And of course, there is no better way to create unity than to call for people to halt their Thanksgiving weekend holiday shopping with family OR make race-based purchasing decisions!

This is a waste of everyone’s time and is NOT activism….just an excuse for useless anger often powered by fringe anarchists.

Instigating confrontation and creating division won’t help your cause. All you need to do is recall Occupy just three years ago as it was co-opted. In DC, protesters got bored of the peaceful-ness when dealing with DC cops and decided to “occupy” a downtown abandoned-building to demand it be used for the homeless (there was a meeting to discuss the issue but apparently they couldn’t wait?)  and dis-obeyed reasonable park regulations with the help of some unsavory infiltrators.

The angry protests are getting headlines right now but are not spreading a message or gathering support….they will alienate the public.

Remember what Chris Rock said recently about racial progress meaning white people are “less crazy” and give them one less reason to feel victimized….you’re going to need to win over ALL hearts and minds to truly be successful.

And it’s time for Peaceful protests not just “non-violent” ones….the messaging expert George Lakoff would probably argue that you shouldn’t reinforce a negative by using the term “violent” anywhere near your action. A truly peaceful March or Vigil can create positive media attention if the message is about Hope not Hate.

There are several other ways to channel your protest energy in a democracy that elected an African-American President:

  1. VOTE.

  2. VOLUNTEER TO GET OTHERS TO VOTE.

  3. CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WITH SPECIFIC POLICY PROPOSALS.

  4. GET OTHERS TO CONTACT ELECTED OFFICIALS VIA PETITIONS & OTHER ADVOCACY TOOLS.

  5. CONTACT THE MEDIA.

  6. RECRUIT OTHERS TO HELP YOU REACH THE MEDIA.

  7. ATTEND A RALLY FOR A SOLUTION.

  8. RECRUIT OTHERS TO ATTEND RALLIES.



Now, of course, sometimes all of this might not work BUT it definitely won’t work if you don’t try….and I just recently read about the lowest voter turnout since WWII so I know someone you know isn’t trying.


Meanwhile, there is no reason to go “nuclear” by trying to shut down society, remember that you’re not Mandela….you have a President and a large swath of a nation on your side.

Seize on the opportunities posed by the more well-documented cases like Eric Garner or Tamir Rice that even white Americans and conservatives have been alarmed about.

Remember that when you’re winning the race you can afford to turn on the Cruise Control and let the car drive for awhile….and avoid the risks of a reckless crash. George H.W. Bush didn't do a touchdown dance on the Berlin Wall for a reason.

Use a “big picture” approach with messages like #blacklivesmatter or solutions for “community policing” that President Obama is working on and don’t get bogged down in discussing one case or a random assortment of complaints. 

It’s time to lay the groundwork for a movement NOT a tinder box.






About “Forward Progressive” Blog:
Grassroots Social & Media Strategist Jim McBride writes about "post-partisan" forward-minded solutions to policy and campaign issues that prioritize strategies that appeal to broad coalitions of voters and supporters to ensure movement success. 


He was the Founder of Generation Webb and Generation Obama-Washington, DC chapter as well as one of the lead organizers of Virginia For Obama’s grassroots-led primary campaign. He is currently the President of the grassroots community Network For Progress and has over 20 years in communications and political work.
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FWD BLOG: Dems need a “Rockstar” Nominee in 2016 - Jim Webb has played the role before and other candidates should pay attention to how he did it!

11/20/2014

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With the announcement on webb2016.com today that the former Virginia Senator is creating an Exploratory Committee to run for President the Democratic race has pseudo-officially begun so it’s a good time to not just throw out endorsements but start a dialogue about what it will take for ANY Democratic candidate to win in 2016….but especially an underdog who is trying to beat the “inevitable” nominee Hillary Clinton.

And it just so happens that even though Jim Webb might not be the insider’s darling yet he could be the most qualified to become the next Obama-like rockstar in 2016.

Even before Obama, Jim Webb’s 2006 Senate campaign laid down the FIRST blueprint for what a “winning” grassroots campaign could be in the 21st Century after Howard Dean pioneered the internet and people-driven strategy in 2004.

First, whether by accident or design, Webb was actually “drafted” to run thanks to the efforts of bloggers Josh Chernila and Lowell Feld as chronicled in the book “Netroots Rising.” A passionate economic populist BUT also a war hero and served as Navy Secretary under President Reagan was the kind of mix Democrats needed in a state like Virginia.

Since he owed his candidacy to people asking him to become a candidate, he smartly let his supporters keep driving the bus with more creativity once the campaign officially began.

As many probably recall, his campaign’s opposition tracking led to the legendary “Macaca” moment where an Indian-American campaign worker was welcome to the “REAL Virginia” during his speech by Republican candidate George Allen...the first political gaffe to destroy a politician via YouTube.

But aside from finding aggressive ways to expose the racism of his opponent, it also meant aggressive ways to mobilize people on the ground FOR the candidate. That mean that volunteers were given the power to innovate under the guidance of Chernila as Grassroots Coordinator of a volunteer community called The Brigades - the alumni chapter is home to some of Northern Virginia’s strongest activists to this day.

But aside from a focus on the typical volunteer roles of door knocking and phone calls, the Brigades were also about proactive outreach efforts. After the “Macaca” incident South Asian volunteers branded themselves as “REAL Virginians for Webb” with their own T-Shirts and Business Cards. Then I had an idea for reaching another demographic we created a Generation Webb program that featured a website with videos and events to reach young voters.

Hence, after an improbable primary victory just four months after announcing his candidacy, Jim Webb pulled off a legendary 9,000-vote general election upset victory against a presidential hopeful that wound up flipping the Senate to the Democrats. Virginia has been a “purple” state ever since.

So, how does this all translate into 2016 for Jim Webb or any other candidate? Here are 4 key ways:

1) Be a Rockstar!

As they say, Democrats want to fall in love while Republicans fall in line.



To win, you need to do more than come up with a brilliant policy idea or wait for an opponent’s gaffe to create a wave of support, you need to inspire an aura of excitement. The critics probably don’t see a new one on the horizon but there’s an easy way to remedy that: start being awesome!

As proven by Webb as well as “Straight Talk Express” John McCain or Ron Paul you don’t have to be superficially charismatic, attractive or unique as a person to make it happen if your CAMPAIGN is attractive and unique...especially if you can build a brand as an authentic and even reluctant citizen leader not just an ambitious professional politician. 


Actions speak louder than Words.



2) Be an “Explainer-in-Chief!”

Everyone was so enamored with how President Clinton explained the President’s record at the DNC Convention in 2012 but his message should have been old hat already if the party was doing its job. As Jim Webb does in his campaign video above, he is also willing to educate his audience on the issues and won’t just throw out a series of talking points. He also will take the time to promote his record of achievements which is even more important to show proof you can get results.

This is also true because the winning candidate will need President Obama to improve his poll numbers and the best way to do that is to highlight what has worked in the last six years. And President Obama is right that it is a problem for ALL Democrats because his policies are their policies too.

There will be pressure on candidates to distance themselves from the President and I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities for that but this is the best way to win over the Obama loyalists and persuadable people who are down on him because the media only covers the overblown crisis-of-the-minute like ISIS or Ebola.


3) Be a “Hope & Change” Candidate!

Not only should candidates support the President’s record, they should also share his “Yes We Can”-themed and “Pragmatic Progressive”-focused messaging. Everyone is going to start wondering if Jim Webb is going to run to Hillary’s Left but I don’t think it was ever clear that Barack Obama was despite his Iraq War opposition. The perception that someone is THE “progressive” candidate can easily label someone as the fringe option not as a mainstream player. If Jim focuses on his positive message and his ability to listen to new ideas, compromise and make government work he will avoid the trap that other insurgent campaigns get into when they focus too much on ideology as some kind of partisan warrior.


4) Be a “Grassroots” Candidate!

Democrats talk a lot about progressive values but they also have to practice what they preach with a campaign operation that learns from the President’s previous campaigns and Webb’s pioneering Brigades team. When you match people-driven policies with people-driven politics you get better results so that means more money invested in digital and field outreach (including attractive salaries and work requirements to attract the best talent) and less devoted to annoying and ineffective TV ads. 


You create buzz among the base by informing and building a relationship with them as part of a team that is part of a broader movement not by treating them like one-way email pen pals that constantly owe you a bigger allowance.



SUMMARY:
The bottom line is Democrats need to start building on these lessons if they want to succeed again. There are no excuses anymore as there are are more registered Democrats than Republicans in America and demographics are leaning their way every day. Hence, the country is becoming more progressive on issues ranging from the minimum wage to gay marriage to marijuana.

Yet Democrats succumb to the hype of right-wing scare tactics and how well they can target ads or raise online dollars they will continue to lose to a party that is fighting to take away our Rights and kill the American Dream in plain sight as their primary agenda.

Like Jim Webb, I underwent a political transformation myself after seeing this occur over the years and especially after witnessing the fraud and incompetence of the Iraq War. And I believe Democrats can not only win but create a mandate if they are more strategic and an even “inclusive” when it comes to persuading men (especially younger “Sportscenter” voters) by speaking the stats-savvy language of a Nate Silver or Ezra Klein so they don’t think the Unemployment rate is 32% for example.

Time will tell if 2016 candidates will proudly exclaim “Yes We STILL Can!” and get to work.


About “Forward Progressive” Blog:

Jim McBride is a social and media strategist was the Founder of Generation Webb and Generation Obama-Washington, DC chapter as well as one of the lead organizers of Virginia For Obama’s grassroots-led primary campaign. He is currently the President of the grassroots community Netw
ork For Progress and has over 20 years in communications and political work.
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