Thursday, July 10, 2008

BELATED Weekly Strategy Session: Where Do We Go From Here?

Hi, everyone! I'm sorry that I haven't been around much lately. I've been violently ill since Monday night, and I'm just now beginning to rediscover life outside my front door.


So anyways, let's talk about what's been happening this week while I've been suffering on my sickbed. First off, the horrid "FISA Amendments Act" capitulation crap passed. And worse yet, our nominee Barack Obama voted for it. So will this HUGE mistake of his prevent me from
supporting him? No! But has it been dampening my enthusiasm? No doubt it is!


So what should we do to hold Obama accountable while continuing to support him against John McBush? I really need your help here. Should we write to him asking why he broke his promise to us? Should we take some of that extra money we were planning to send him and give it to Hillary instead? After all, Hillary did the right thing and opposed the fonal bill while Barack ultimately agreed to the capitulation to Bush on FISA.


And while we're talking about Democrats doing the right thing, let's expand on this thought. While this blog is dedicated to electing Barack Obama as our next President, we certainly refuse to stop there. We also want to send more progressive Democrats to both houses of Congress, more Democrats like Hillary Clinton with real courage & backbone, who will hold President Obama's feet to the fire and pass the legislation that he's promising to make into law. So now, I want to ask you... Who else should we be supporting here?


We'll certainly always have Hillary's back... She's earned our respect many times over. But still, who else should we be pushing for? Which Democratic House & Senate candidates do you like that we should take a closer look at? Which organizations supporting Democratic Congressional candidates should we give a thumbs-up to? Since C4O is your community as much as it's mine, I'm opening the floor to all of you. Which candidates and organizations should we support in order to elect more "Hillary Clinton Democrats" to Congress?


OK, so are you game for this week's strategy session? Need a quick review? That's fine. I'll remind you what's on the agenda:


- What to do with Barack now, after the FISA disappointment

- Supporting Hillary for getting FISA right

- How to elect more Democrats to Congress who will show real strength, just like Hillary


Get it? Got it? Great! Let's start the session!
Posted by atdnext at 11:00 AM
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10 comments:

Mike Meyer said...

At this point in the cycle, I just adjust my emotions. I just figure everything is politics. I just figure that a political decision was made. I just figure ya gotta dance with the guy who brung ya. It is what it is. Winning is everything. I prefer a crust of bread to starvation every day of the week.

July 10, 2008 at 11:32 AM
Anonymous said...

While I am extremely disappointed with Barack's decision to support the FISA bill, I will be working hard not to cut off my nose to spite my face. Now that the vote is done, the most important goal is to get a Democrat back in the White House, and to do this, we will need to have all hands on deck (both physically and financially). I suspect if Barack's donation numbers drop to significantly for July, the GOP will have a spin bonanza with that. So...as much as I am disappointed with his decision to support this bill, I ponied back up and did my regular monthly donation to the campaign. As for showing appreciation and support for Senator Clinton haven't made what I believe to be the right decision in voting against the bill, I have sent her a letter thanking her. But, at this point, I think I have to give any spare $$$$ I have to Barack, and hope that the big dollar donors will continue to help out Hillary.oqoett

July 10, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Anonymous said...

I have been an active online member of mybarackobama for about a month. I immediately encountered several people who basically distrusted all former Hillary supporters and asked me to leave two separate groups. At that point I decided to form both a local and a national group for former Hillary supporters, which I moderated closely to avoid its degenerating into a name-calling middle school cafeteria.

The group wasn't very big. Lots of people seem to join new groups without any intention of contributing because they get awarded points. The site has this silly system of getting points for almost everything you do. It feels like I am back in grade school. The software is extremely limited.

Today, after Fisa yesterday, I sent this email to my groups:
As I told you, I have decided not to moderate these groups. Anyone can join; all posts and blogs will be published. I will not disappear, however. I will just contribute, not write most email and blog posts. I will concentrate on my blogger blogs-- Obama Support and Criticism: Progressives and the 2008 Election http://obamacriticismsupport.blogspot.com and Feminism in 2008 Election and Beyond http://feminism2008.blogspot.com I hope you will read and comment on them. Redstocking Librarian http://redstockinglibrarian.blogspot.com will offer Internet tips and help, including advice of using mybarackobama.

Obama Support and Criticism is a team blog. If you are interested in blogging, send me your email address and a brief statement of your interest. McCain supporters are not welcome. But I certainly will be holding Obama's feet to the progressive fires.

I am realizing I am better off working with former Hillary supporters and disenchanted, even outraged Obama supporters. If I spend too much time in the company of his devoted, uncritical supporters, I will become less and less able to campaign for Obama.

July 10, 2008 at 12:39 PM
atdnext said...

Greta-

Good points, all of them. I'm sure I'll send another donation to Obama soon... It's just that I'm REALLY saddened over FISA. And at the same time, I was glad to see Hillary stand up and show some spine. That's why I sent some $$$$ love her way today. After all, she still has debt to repay!

But still, I'll soon get back to promoting Obama 120%... Just give me a few days.

DCDem-

I know, I know. It's just that I'm not as pragmatic as you are. See my above comment to Greta.

But hey, it's good we have our resident pragmatist DCDemocrat on hand to whip our asses back into shape and remind us why this election is so damn important. Oh yes, and please keep updating us on the electoral map. I want to see it get even bluer, dammit! ;-)

July 10, 2008 at 12:44 PM
atdnext said...

Redstocking-

I understand how you feel. When I posted criticism of Obama's FISA capitulation to my local "MyBO" group, most of them went haywire on me! One of them was even saying stuff about how we should "always trust Obama's judgment"... HUH??!!

Sorry, but this is a political campaign, NOT a religion! While I support Obama
for President, I refuse to do so blindly. While I'll continue talking anout his good and pointing out McBush's bad, I refuse to just be a shill.

And btw, please feel free to crosspost your insights here any time. You're always welcome here. And no, I don't moderate anyone. ;-)

July 10, 2008 at 12:52 PM
sricki said...

I'm just thinking we should each send Hillary a big (or as big as we can afford) donation in support of her FISA vote. I haven't written to thank her yet because I just got home, but I will shortly. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to give her. My bank account is never in good shape, and I need to check my balance.

I'll still be donating to Obama, but I'll probably do more of that in the fall than right now. Locally, there are very few Dems I feel inclined to donate to/volunteer for. Most of them are Republicans with a "D" next to their names. However, I'm getting kind of excited about Vivian Figures, who will be challenging that devil Jeff Sessions (GOD how I'd love to oust him!). Strangely enough, I can't find her position on abortion, but in AL, when she's the only challenger against Sessions, it hardly matters. There's a lot of compromise and "give and take" down here. "Pro-choice" is considered a dirty word, so if she doesn't want to go out of her way to state her position, I understand. Figures is good on other women's issues, as well as healthcare, Iraq, education, taxes, trade, and the environment. I think I could be very supportive of a candidate like her, and I may be concentrating a lot of my efforts here.

July 10, 2008 at 4:20 PM
Anonymous said...

In my native WV, Anne Barth is running to unseat Republican Shelly Moore-Capito, daughter of a former governor (who later went to prison for corruption), in the 2nd district (my hometown is the 1st district). It's important the she be defeated soon. When Byrd retires, Capito is expected to run for his seat.

Locally, the state is solidly Democratic, but for national posts, its been trending GOP over the years as young people flee the state (drain brain) and union jobs disappear.

As for C4O, I think we should pick one race to cover closely and promote throughout the primary. Perhaps some revenge against a disliked Republican? Or a candidate who worked hard for Hillary in the primaries? What do you think?

July 10, 2008 at 4:24 PM
Anonymous said...

Ok, my brain doesn't work at 7:24 in the morning. That should have read "promote throughout the general."

Oh, and welcome back sricki! You were missed! I donated to Hillary after the FISA vote. And I gave money to the Messiah, as well. I figured that if Hillary is big enough to reach out and unite that party, that I should join her, even if I have to hold me nose and chug Pepto Bismol.

July 10, 2008 at 4:28 PM
squeakywheel said...

I can't bring myself to support Barack Obama. He never keeps his word. I know Hillary would like us to reach out and support him, but at this point I think I will support McCain UNLESS the SuperDelegates wake up to realize that their man can't close a deal. He can't win. I'm changing my registration to Independent. I don't like the way Howard Dean, Barack Obama and the entire DNC have treated Hillary.
I think we should contact the SuperDelegates and urge them to vote for Hillary at the convention. Afterall, she still has her delegates. Then again, I have heard that Howard Dean and Barack Obama are trying to force her to give them up by ignoring the DNC rules and not having a roll call at the convention.
Contact all the Superdelegates. All our votes should count-

July 11, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Anonymous said...

If this is a flip-flopping contest, McCain wins hands down. In 2000, they were "agents of intolerance." Now they're his friends. He opposed drilling for oil off the coast before he supported it. Same for the Bush tax cuts.

For me, I'm not so much supporting Obama as I am opposing McCain with every fiber of my being. I will do anything to keep the Republicans from winning in November. That's why I'm voting for Obama.

July 11, 2008 at 9:21 PM

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