Goddam it, progressives are missing the boat!

We could be in the process of taking over the entire legislative branch--not just Dem control, but Progressive control. We should be finding good, solid, electable ANTIWAR candidates, BRING 'EM HOME candidates, and running them for every House & Senate seat currently held by a weak-sister Dem incumbent, and taking on and every milquetoast DLC primary challenger facing a pro-war Puggie. The public wants an end to the war, with a 57% majority NOW, when there has been hardly any debate of the issue, and certainly no fair debate that accurately portrays the side of peace. With a little exposure on the issue, we could get 65% of the public behind us & walk all over the pro-war crowd, whatever their nominal party membership.

easier to vent than to march.

Large scale protests and civil disobedience is the only chance for turning things around in DC. (Den of Corruption)

if large enough are the best way to get the attention of the pols. Worked before will work again.

because the politicians are insulated from the population. It is naive to think that someone bought and paid for by the corporations will pay any (real) attention to a bunch of people marching in the street.

Now, if millions showed up and actually, physically took over the buildings and took the congresspeople hostage, they might listen. At least, until they were rescued. But short of that, marches are about as useful as any other action that works within the system. About as beneficial and effective as voting on the Diebold machines.

It is way beyond time for peaceful actions.

I won't be surprised if it happens. The repubs are seriously underestimating the people in this country ....

I'm almost positive that if 25, or 50, or maybe 150, or maybe even 500 to 1000 constituents of some Republican or DINO House Representative or Senator would all stop by at once for a freindly visit and chat inside their representative's local office, they'd be delighted! Or even if their elected official isn't back at home but he or she is still taking care of the people's business back in Washington,D.C. I'm positive that their local office staff would be as many times more as happy to see them as much as my Republican congressman's home staff is thrilled to see me whenever I walk in alone; And that they'd be more than happy to answer as many questions that the folks who pay their salaries may have.....Maybe they'd even call out for dinner, and a late night snack right after they call for a swat team or the riot squad first.

it is certainly easier to "vent" than march ... it MAY be true that large protest demonstrations would be more effective than the impact online activism is having ...

i think using a term like "vent" as a description of online activism, if that was your intent, would be a serious misnomer ... i deeply believe that online communities are building something that will eventual become very powerful ... we may still be weak today; it won't remain that way ... it was no small milestone to have big name pols attend the KOS bloggers conference a couple of weeks ago ...

we sure aren't perfect but we show a ton of promise ... i, for one, am far more active in my community than i would have been without my online activities ...

check this out: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0622-02.htm

place, it doesn't get directed in other areas that can be effective - LTTE, Marches, Activist Networks.

Of course, internet is used to PROMOTE all of those actions, too. I'm just also aware that there are users who vent and move on without acting, and the internet is perfect for that type.

than they did in the run-up to the war. Our Congressmen must get the message either in email, phone calls, town meetings, withholding of campaign contributions, etc. It's worry about being re-elected that gets their attention.

DC is fine for those that can afford the time and money to go there.

Your local TV stations are the ones diffusing the Bush lies. Take it to the streets...but where the noise is and where the cameras will cover it. This revolution WILL be televised.

then protesting at their quarters is even more appropriate.

CCCCCCC

to victory.

even bigger margin of public support for that one.

great OP, jackpine, and you have had good ones at all times.

oscar

We're right on the issues. We have 2/3 of the public behind us on the war, on health care, on the environment, on social security, on pro-choice...and the public is so far ahead of their nominal "leaders" that it's ridiculous.

It used to be, if ya wanted to be perceived as a leader, you had to figure out which way the crowd is going and get out in front. Nowadays, the so-called leaders pay no attention to where the crowd is because they no longer need them. All they need is corporate money and electronic voting machines.

Why are Austrian citizens in Vienna takin' it to the streets over there, but more Americans aren't over here in greater numbers? Am I wrong in thinking that many small protests are happenning in places all across America without any publicity, as is the case with the Delaware peace group (which Michael Berg is associated with) that have rallied every Friday above I-95 for over a year? I just believe the time for the Mother of All Anti-Bush War Marches is past due.

in Chippewa Falls, WI. Sometimes as many as 50 people, sometimes a lot less, but always there, winter & summer, once a week, at least since the 2004 electio debacle.

Chippy Waffles has a population of about 15,000, in a county that went red last time.

Yes, there is a movement and it's everywhere in America, but the CCCP isn't about to let you know about it.

and this is a blue state!!!!

Feingold carries this county with no problem, but Kerry didn't.

Before the first bomb dropped in Iraq, we were on the streets every day here in Chicago, stopping traffic and getting arrested. This didn't just happen in Chicago. It happened all over the country.

The news repeatedly says the whole country was behind Bush with little or no protest which has become the common truth in the minds of the public. Even though there were hugh protests the memory is wiped away by corporate media.

media, but just as importantly and totally overlooked, is the fact that people just don't have the time anymore. Back in the day anybody with just about any job could pay the bills and had time to spare. When things got bad they used that time to take to the streets to make themselves heard. Today two incomes is not enough to live on and many households have three, four, or more incomes just to tread water.

Fourteen hour days and 6 - 7 day workweeks leave no opportunity to protest.

Maybe we spend so much time isolated from each other we don't have an appearance of great numbers. The candidates are followers not leaders. If we could get more and more people to march against the war the "leaders" will follow. In 2006 it is hard to get people to take a stand.

You know, it is really fun to march with a bunch of like minded people. If I knew a way to get it started I would. The problem is that we are not each paying a price dear enough to make us act.

about followers not leaders, and about how it's only miltary families who are paying the price, like Murtha said. For me, besides asking whatever great someone in whatever great somewhere everyday that no more people die for a lie, I can only donate blood once a month at the VA. Other than that, I try to keep my anger and hatred for war mongering profiteers, chckenhawks, and phony-ass patriots in check to avoid severe consequences.

before the war, and the media reported it as "dozens" of people & didn't show the pictures. The thing about the Vietnam days is that our deomonstrations made the news. I know. I was there--Madison '69, fresh back from Vietnam & mad as hell. We'd go out on the streets during the day & then hit a campus bar to watch ourselves on TV in the evening.

Mass demos do absolutely no good when you confront a media blackout.

in front of the FOX building? LOL!

just remembered a fly in our ointment:

we have been losing because racists see race as the main theory of how to make things beter, not economics or peace.

"just get the ethnics out of my jobplace and out of my neighborhood" is their cure for all ills.

Polls dont ask "would racism get your vote" .. so we all have forgotten the secret strength of the GOP.

we must defuse that theory to win anything.

Look where the GOP is strongest: the racist South. Racism is the reason.

we could defuse it by : guaranteed house values

by: Jobs for All... so no fear ethnic competition for redneck's job.

==============

PS sure, clinton won, but he was only weakly LW, and delivered welfare reform .. a pet idea of racists. He also was helped by the split of RW via that compaq computer maker.. forget his name.