Re: Thomas Frank op-ed piece

[Michael Hoover <hooverm@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>>> mpollak@xxxxxxxxx 07/21/04 1:19 PM >>>
I think maybe I've over-interpreted your question.  I seem to be going a
level of specficity beyond what you're looking for.  If all you meant to
ask was "is it useful for lefties to engage in electoral politics with
some of their energies?" then my answer's yes, and we have no more
argument.  I thought you were talking about the relative merits of
specific strategies -- becoming Democrats, trying to become the dominant
Democrats, launching a third party, going half and half (the fusion
strategy), working as outside pressure groups, fighting to change the
electoral rules, etc.
Michael
<<<<<>>>>>

my modest suggestion was about folks looking into their local dem
executive committees, for example,  i live in orange county, florida,
most precincts have no dem workers at all, comittee chair positions ae
vacant...

my experience in working with local dems years ago is that they want
everything their way, can recall going to local executive committee for
support/endorsement of activities/projects such as trying to save
african-american school building that had been abandoned by school board
during 70s desegregation (circumstance repeated throughout south) and
they were sympathetic - typical liberal crap - but could really see
nothing in it for them, executive council members only see things in
terms of potential voters and really had little use for much else see
nothing (which is understandable from their narrow perspective and also
politically useless)...

i also worked on a couple of campaigns at that time for 'progressive'
candidates shunned by local dem committee, matter might have been
different had there been slate of such candidates (which i argued for
and was never able to convince enough people to pursue) and if committee
was comprised of like-minded folks...

point - in my mind - would certainly not be to become dems as such but
to maybe create some tension within local dem organizational structures
and, perhaps, try tu use those structures a bit, people could continue
to focus on/do whatever activities they're already working on and they
could agitate amongst local dem 'leadership' groups as well...   michael
hoover








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