As a lifelong Democrat, I think "Our Revolution" is neither

[MineralMan]

"Ours" nor an actual "Revolution." Instead, it is a small splinter group formed by people who refused to vote for a Democrat as President in our most recent presidential election. Their reasons for that refusal amounted pretty much to "Not Hillary."

After they succeeded in keeping a woman out of the White House, they are attempting to create some relevance in politics, but are having trouble finding a stable leadership and direction. Like many splinter groups, they are discovering the difficulty of creating a unified movement out of nothing.

Their catchy name for themselves sounds sort of inclusionary with the "Our" and sort of radical with the "Revolution." Democrats, however, are unlikely to consider the name enough to cause them to join this ragtag bunch of quasi-leftists. I suspect that by the time the next presidential election comes around, their endorsed candidates for lesser offices will all have lost and the group's relevance will have waned.

I'm pretty sure that if you want a revolution of some sort, those folks are probably not the revolution you're looking for.

[Adrahil]

1. Hear, hear! NT

[onetexan]

51. X2

[Squinch]

2. I think Indivisible is where the revolution is at.

[MineralMan]

3. Do you? That's not getting a lot of press or internet buzz, really.

I think it's yet another splinter organization that will be in competition with the others. I don't see it emerging as anything truly useful in US politics, really.

[Squinch]

5. And yet, in my area there are meetings all over the place doing work on local elections and issues.

Seems like they're getting into our county race right now, and working on the renegade Dems voting as Republicans in the NY state legislature.

[MineralMan]

6. OK. Keep us informed.

[mountain grammy]

10. Mine too. very active in Colorado

the only place I hear about this "our revolution" thing is here on DU denouncing it. Must be a small, regional thing.

[G_j]

65. DU is somewhat a splinter group I suppose..

or more like a splintered splinter group?

[NastyRiffraff]

68. Indivisible Montgomery (County, MD)

Is doing a lot of activist events and education. I'm a member and this organization is working for elections on the local level. We may not have the instant recognition (?) that "Our Revolution" supposedly has, but we're doing important work. BTW, I don't see the media as a whole exactly in love with Our Revolution. I've done a quick, very unscientific poll in a sample group (my friends and random people in a bar) and none of them have even heard of OR.

[brush]

76. Working for elections for who, and what party affiliation? Are votes being siphoned from Dems...

which tends to help repugs?

What's the story?

[Squinch]

94. NO. This is an effort to elect DEMOCRATS at all levels. Look in your local area. I'm sure there

is a group you can join.

[NastyRiffraff]

124. MY party affiliation is DEMOCRATIC

I wouldn't be a part of a group that doesn't work for DEMOCRATS. Only.

[Hekate]

16. They seem to be active locally, but as I am about to move away I have not gotten involved...

...physically. Ventura has a somewhat different makeup, so once I get settled I'll be checking in with the Dem Club and Indivisible.

I think they may be the real deal, MM.

[MineralMan]

17. You're moving to Ventura?

And old hang-out for me, and I did live there for a few months, as well. I grew up in Fillmore, which is not far from there.

[Hekate]

38. We've been Goletans forever, and raised our kids here...

My husband's brother likes to say he left Santa Barbara for Ventura over 40 years ago and never looked back. He thinks, given real estate prices, you have to be a fool to stay. For us, leaving is more complicated. We love the cultural life, the liberal politics, and our neighbors.

The area is changing though, and so are we. We bought our house 34 years ago, and have watched real estate prices soar, crash, and soar again. In terms of buying my dream home, we are priced out of the Goleta-Santa Barbara area -- and I finally had to admit that my other BIL was right about the Santa Ynez Valley. He liked living there, but as for us, he said quite bluntly that I would find no one to talk with and would lose my effing mind. Horses and Republicans, Right Wingers and Churches. Jews? Well, there's the dentist. Unitarians? What are they? Buddhists? Say what? Diversity? Oh, you mean the Mexicans who harvest the grapes. And being over the hills from the coast, it is bloody hot.

So we started looking in Ventura, where the brother who lives there started doing real estate again post-retirement, and helped us. Compared to SB, prices are amazingly affordable. Several months ago, I found it -- a one-level house twice the size of our current home, built-in book cases (be still, my heart), very low-water landscaping, art on all the walls... The couple who live there now are going to move to a retirement villa close to their son.

Several weeks ago we got an excited note from one of our former realtors here, letting us know about a lovely SB home 1,000 square feet smaller than the one in Ventura and more than twice the price. Eventually I will send her the link to the one in Ventura.

I think we're going to like Ventura just fine. Come on by.

[BadgerMom]

73. Sounds awesome!

We were in Ventura last weekend. We're thinking of leaving Thousand Oaks in retirement and Ventura seems delightful. I did say, "It seems like a poor man's Santa Barbara." So, I felt snobby. But it feels true. (My daughter graduated from UCSB.)

[Cha]

106. Good on you, Hekate.. It's wonderful

you're moving to a place you'll be happier. It's exciting!

[BadgerMom]

27. I believe Ventura has an Indivisible

Here in Thousand Oaks there's Indivisible Conejo. Come south if you need to.

[Hekate]

32. Thanks a bunch. My SIL is best buds with a Dem Party macher, and can hardly wait to introduce me

I think I am going to be pretty busy for the rest of this year though, with projects in the house.

[fleabiscuit]

83. I think you have a preconceived notion of what it is. The action is local. It is what you make it.

https://www.indivisibleguide.com/act-locally/

[Gothmog]

8. I have met with the Indivisible group and they are okay

The local group does not want to form a GPAC or raise money because money is evil

[Squinch]

95. In many localities there are a number of Indivisible groups. Maybe there are others in your area tha

are more in line with your thinking. I'm not one of those who is willing to lose virtuously by ignoring money.

[Gothmog]

112. I am working with another group that is a spin off from the Pants Suit Republic

This Texas and the Pants Suit Republic has some good ideas

[Squinch]

118. I'm also going to sign myself up with Swing Left. If you go to their website it shows

you the closest district to you that we could either win from Republicans or that is held by Democrats but is in danger of being lost in the next election. It lets you "adopt" a district to work if yours is safely Democratic.

[Control-Z]

11. Isn't it the Resistance that is leading the way?

I thought Indivisible was just one great organizing tool for the Resistence. That's my take anyway.

ETA: I not sure the subject of the OP doesn't want to be something else. I'm not sure what.

[George II]

28. Are you talking about revolution in general or "Our Revolution"?

Here are some excerpts from an interview of Nina Turner this week by Collier Meyerson of The Nation. These comments hardly indicate the intention of "Our Revolution" to promote "unity" or being "indivisible".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CM: How will Our Revolution relate to the DNC, the DCCC, the DSCC, that kind of establishment that so many activists and politicians, including you, have frequently criticized?

NT: I don’t think it is our job nor our obligation to fit in. It’s their job to fit in with us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CM: And what about the Democratic Party at large. Do you see Our Revolution working to bring some unity to factions in the party?

NT: No. Not really.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CM: Will the group be endorsing non-Democrats?

NT: You know what, yes. We are open to it. And for me, I’ve also heard the senator say this lately too.

[Squinch]

96. I don't think "Our Revolution" will ever get their act together, especially given that they

are being led by Turner.

Indivisible is a network of local groups working to elect Democrats at all levels. So for REAL revolution, I'm looking to Indivisible.

[George II]

98. I get it now. To be honest I'd never heard of Indivisible before.

[Squinch]

100. They're keeping me up to date on the local meetings and primaries and elections coming up in 2017.

I think you can just google or Indivisible and your town name. I'm not on Facebook, but I know people who follow it there. There are discrete chapters all over, so you can see if you find one that suits you.

If I recall correctly, it originated when some Obama staffers compiled a list of tactics that the Republicans used against them and that they thought were particularly effective. I think there is a book of them somewhere. But these chapters were formed to try and execute those tactics for the benefit of Democrats.

[Left-over]

36. Karl Roves divide and conquer at work

[nikibatts]

4. Nailed it!!!

[Gothmog]

7. We have an our revolution in my county

There are all BOB or Stein types. They are not democrats

[MineralMan]

9. Well, they can discuss it among themselves,

if they like. They don't seem to be gathering strength, really, as far as I can see.

[Gothmog]

113. This group spoke to the local county party and used the word "manifesto" seven times in two minutes

I kept count and then confirmed my count with another precinct chair.

I am not planning on attending any of their meetings

[George II]

29. They don't profess to be, see my post #28.

[Gothmog]

114. I could get past the concept that our local group used the term "manifesto" seven times in two minue

[moonscape]

12. I'm on their mailing list, which sends out a smattering of

emails, and while I want to know what is going on with them, I'm close to unsubscribing.

An email criticizing the WaPo for their endorsement of Northam, saying how the WaPo gets things wrong, was really annoying. I've had enough of slams of legitimate media, we don't need it from the left as we fight for our lives.

[loyalsister]

13. I am working with a group that is begging our local party to care

about people of color and support BLM and local goals to address racial profiling and biased policing
about poor people who don't have money for dues or the minimum suggested donations requested to meet candidates
about disabled people enough to hold their events in accessible venues

Here, these disregarded groups have been trying to get the local Democratic party to include us for a very long time. If we want to be politically active- we're on our own because we have been shut out.

[ProudLib72]

14. Was Our Revolution ever relevant?

I hadn't really heard much about it until Nina Turner took over. I think you are spot on, though, about it being neither "ours" or a "revolution". Turner's appointment seems to contradict those two premises. She seems to be going for "Turner's Party".

[MineralMan]

20. Well, it's still here for now. I fail to see how this has anything at

all to do with last year's primaries, though. This is about what's happening next, not what has already happened.

[oasis]

26. You stand on solid ground with your OP. Not to worry.

[BainsBane]

101. The logic seems to be

That Bernie once ran in the Democratic primary. Thus for time immemorial, criticizing him or anyone associated with him is fighting the primary. Nifty, isn't it?

[Trial_By_Fire]

18. Here is their Mission Statement:

Our Mission

Our Revolution will reclaim democracy for the working people of our country by harnessing the transformative energy of the “political revolution.” Through supporting a new generation of progressive leaders, empowering millions to fight for progressive change and elevating the political consciousness, Our Revolution will transform American politics to make our political and economic systems once again responsive to the needs of working families.

Our Revolution has three intertwined goals: to revitalize American democracy, empower progressive leaders and elevate the political consciousness.

...............................

As a lifelong Democrat, I welcome these kind of groups. Seems like they represent the 'progressive/democratic wing' of the Democratic Party. People organize for all sorts of Democratic purposes.

They appear to be no different than MoveOn.org or PDAmerica.com (progressive dems of American).

But for some unknown reason, DUers don't like Our Revolution. Have to wonder why?

[crazycatlady]

40. IME PDAmerica is not the best model

They're a purity focused group and spend more effort into trashing Democrats that don't score 100% than they do with challenging Republicans and their ideas.

I went to an event of theirs once and I was more turned off by the organization after the event.

[zentrum]

47. Yup. All these

...groups are bringing in different constituencies and I send money to them: Moveon, Our Revolution as well as to many individual Democratic candidates.

I'm pretty damn sure Warren would support the work and organizing efforts these groups engage in and not waste time harrumphing against them.

Millennials of all colors especially need to be brought into political engagement on the progressive side. If there's truly a Democratic Party presence in their area--then let them reach out. But unfortunately the Dems ignored a fifty state strategy for decades.

Now they complain when someone tries to do something on a very local level to push back against the Repugs who have been locally organized since Reagan's days? Not helpful!

[Trial_By_Fire]

54. I agree. It isn't helpful to bash democratic political organizations....eom

[zentrum]

61. If the Dems at the DNC

.....and the DCCC allowed a vacuum to develop locally, then thank God there's a presence from non-Republicans who will encourage Dems to know the issues, know the national candidates, run for local office and all the rest of it.

[brer cat]

102. As opposed to bashing the Democratic Party? eom

[BainsBane]

104. Turner, their head, has been clear they are not a Democratic political organization

Not only that, Democrats have been thrown out of meetings, even though hey supported Bernie in the primary. In fact, Turner has said they will endorse Republicans and independents, and Democrats will only be considered if they "fit in with them." There appears to be a higher burden for a Democrat to win their consideration than a Republican. So obviously it is not a Democratic organization.

Not all advocacy groups are associated with political parties. In fact, most are not.

[Adrahil]

66. Because the ones I've come into contact with....

Were absolute assholes. One actually told me she wasnt sorry Trump win becuase Clinton would have been as bad or worse. Fuck her. And fuck "Our Revolution." Delusional shitheads.

[Cha]

103. That's what the RF stein told her gullible suckers..

they are so fucking brainwashed as to be a danger to our Planet.

[George II]

75. Wonder why? For an example, read Nina Turner's interview with The Nation from last week:

https://www.thenation.com/article/nina-turner-it-is-not-our-job-to-fit-into-the-democratic-establishment/

[Trial_By_Fire]

77. Ha!

[George II]

80. So I guess you're nonplussed by what Ms. Turner said about "us" (i.e., Democrats)

[Trial_By_Fire]

82. See: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029277189#post45

[George II]

84. And?

The fact is she said (among other things) that it's not the job of her organization to fit in with Democrats, but the other way around.

[NurseJackie]

79. That was truly bizarre.

[R B Garr]

87. This says nothing about Democrats. It's about promoting a

3rd party. Did you post this by accident?

[Trial_By_Fire]

91. Where does it say '3rd party'?

[R B Garr]

92. It's about promoting a 3rd party.

Did you really miss that?

[mvd]

93. I'm proudly on their list

The e-mails I have seen are very productive. We need something that keeps Bernie's energy alive. He had a lot of votes. He can't do it alone. Would like to see them get bigger and help defeat Trump along with the other groups like MoveOn.

[kcr]

119. They are indeed productive.. at helping Trump n/t

[mvd]

120. Sorry, just not how I feel

[BainsBane]

105. One difference

The head of MoveOn has not declared the Democrats worse than Republicans. They have now thrown people out of meetings for voting Democrat in the general election. They do not favor Republican policy over Democratic policy. Nina Turner does. There is nothing progressive about that.
Obviously the mission statement does not reflect the actions or concerns of their new leader, and by putting her in charge they have shown their priorities to be quite different.

Mission statements don't always align with the actions of organizations.

[Cary]

19. I don't get it

We have a choice. It's us or it's them (Republicans of course) and I don't see anything positive about them.

Vote Democratic!

[killbotfactory]

21. This "quasi-leftist" has been a monthly donor since it began

Im frankly sick to death of the democratic party pretending the working poor either don't exist, or are all a bunch of white racist knuckledraggers.

50% of the country makes less than 30k a year, and democrats only pay attention to us when challenged from the left. For the past decade or so we've been told to sit down and shut up with our fantasies about a living wage, or health care for all, or not setting fire to the middle East. Listen to the reasonable party leaders, we're told, or a republican will win.

And here we are.

There is no center anymore. There are no suburban middle class "reasonable republican" votes to chase. If the Democrats want to win they need to embrace the left, not continue to shun and lecture it.

[MineralMan]

25. I work in my own local area, and try to help candidates

for the House, for state legislative offices and local races. I'm always trying to get the most progressive people through the primaries. Once the primaries are over, though, I vote for Democrats, every time. As long as these offshoot groups do that, I'm good with them. They can run candidates in the primaries and see what they can accomplish, but once those are over in 2018 and 2020, if they don't get behind the Democratic candidates, I have a problem with them.

I'm looking forward. Always. I vote for local offices, state legislative offices, Governor and other state offices, the House, Senate, and President every four years. I can't vote anywhere but where I live. I have to rely on people in their own areas to work for and vote for good, progressive people, but I can't do much about those races.

When it gets down to the General election, I have no patience with people who waste their votes on candidates who cannot possibly win. All too often, that ends up helping some Republican win, and what's the point of that?

I can't do anything about past elections. They're over and done with, and I don't have time to talk about those. It's the next election that always concerns me, and that's especially true now. Anyone who is willing to not vote or to vote for a third party candidate in any general election is useless. I have zero time for such people, and that's not ever going to change.

[JI7]

42. Most working class voted for Hillary. But they don't count since they aren't white men

[YoungDemCA]

53. Most don't vote at all. And just because you vote for a party/candidate doesn't mean you like them

[JI7]

60. They didn't vote for greens either. But those who do vote did for clinton

Even white people who said economy was their concern voted Clinton.

Those who hate minorities voted for trump.

[killbotfactory]

71. You're right. It was middle class older white people who swung to Trump.

And democrats keep chasing their fucking votes. It's a lost cause.

[JI7]

72. It's about educated white women and they are more likely to vote democratic

Among just educated white women Hillary did better than other groups of whites .

But the fact is whites who vote Republican do so mostly over opposition to diversity .

[Cary]

85. My experience with the radical left is all negative

I get accused of this or that and any efforts to reach an understanding with a radical leftist end up being used against me. If that's what I am supposed to embrace and if it's true that Democrats cannot win without them then we will have fascists.

And I blame the radical left.

[Expecting Rain]

116. I see things exactly the same way.

Vote Democrat!

[madinmaryland]

22. I have been receiving emails from them for at least 6-8 months.

Since I donated to both candidates, I cannot ascribe them to either Hillary or Bernie. I assume it was one of the fund-raising arms of either of those two candidates. The same thing happened after the 2008 campaign and the group(s) will morph into something different, though it's really only a name change.

I had given to moveon.org back in the late 1990's, and though they are still around, they have had many spin-offs as people leave and start up other sites. I now send most of those emailers to into the autoarchive section so that I can either read or delete them at a later time. I can understand the urgency, the whole pants on fire routine gets hard to take. If anything is that urgent, I will just CALL MY CONGRESSCRITTER RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!!

[Voltaire2]

23. So a grass roots organization that is supporting

the development of a new generation of Democrats to run for offices as Democrats across the country, is unacceptable to you?

Why? We need new young voices in the party. We need to stop doing the same thing over and over again. We need a Democratic Party that brings all the non-voters back to the voting booth.

What's your plan, other than attacking those out there doing something?

[MineralMan]

31. Why would you think that?

Where I am, I helped a completely unknown candidate become the State Senator for my district. We had an incumbent Democrat in office already. But, he dropped the ball on labor issues. So, when the State Senate District convention rolled around, I worked to keep him from getting the party's endorsement and put my candidate, a Hmong immigrant citizen with strong progressive values, strongly forward. At the convention, we did not endorse any candidate, since none got the 60% majority required for an endorsement.

That led the incumbent to bail and not run at all. So, there were three primary candidates running on the Democratic (DFL) ticket. I campaigned for Foung Hawj (pronounced "her"}, the Hmong immigrant. He won the primary, and in the general election as well. He was re-elected in 2016, too.

I didn't attack anyone. I helped a total newcomer to win an election for State Senate, based on his progressive agenda. But, he ran as a Democrat and won. We energized the Hmong community in the district and got out the Democratic voters and got him elected.

Newcomers are far from unacceptable to me. I welcome anyone who has progressive values and will gladly work to help them win. But, they have to be Democrats. I don't for Greens or any other splinter party, because their candidates never win. I work for progressive Democrats, and am proud that every last state legislator, house member and Senator from where I live is a progressive. I've helped them win, and will help them again.

You don't know me from Adam, apparently. We do need new voices and young voices. I'll be glad to help them if they run as Democrats. If they run as anything else, they'll find me working for someone who is a Democrat.

[Squinch]

97. Nice try.

[peggysue2]

24. Well said, sir.

Really? This op-ed was up for a jury decision? No election rehashing here, not that I can tell. The writer speaks to things on the ground in the moment, something we all better start speaking to as we hurtle towards 2018.

Because that's the only prize that matters in the short term. We have to win first, in order to turn things around. The Republicans surely know this--they've spent money and energy to split affiliations and foster intra-party grudge matches inside the Democratic tent.

As I've said in previous threads, we can consider plastic surgery to the Democratic Party after we win back the Congress. Pretending we can do a major overhaul now that will please anyone but a very specific group/faction within the Party is a fool's errand, something that will guarantee another lost opportunity.

The Democratic Party is not the enemy. Trump and his minions are, always have been

[MineralMan]

33. Thank you very much!

[Bradical79]

30. They just had a leadership change a few days ago

Jeff Weaver out as pres., Nina Turner in. I don't know much about the group as a whole, but I do remember when Weaver was named president, a lot of the younger staffers walked. Will be interesting to see if anything changes. They struck me as poorly organized with mixed messages.

[nwlorax001]

34. The Silence of the Democrats

What scares me, as a lifelong Progressive Democrat, is that the Democratic Party has NO actual plan for the fact that the entire economic base of this country has been shifting for 40+ years. Factory jobs are not coming back. The number of jobs decreases every few years. Wages are stagnant or dropping. Corporate profits are rising. Homelessness, poverty and malnutrition are increasing. We have the largest incarcerated population in the West.

What is the plan to address these related issues? There isn't one coming from the Democrats, apart from offering to be not as evil as the Republicans. Progressive Think Tanks have been working on these issues for years, but they aren't in the USA.

Silence may not imply consent, but inaction by elected Senators and Congressbeings sure looks like consent and has the same impact.

How many Representatives of Homeless and Shantytown communities were at the last Convention? How many shantytowns did local, state and federal candidates visit and speak at? Do your candidates have a concrete plan around these issues?

One of our local (Bremerton WA) mayoral candidates can answer "Yes" to all of the questions relevant to the duties and powers of a Mayor. Can yours?

Gordon Cooper
Disabled US Navy Veteran and Progressive

[YCHDT]

35. Your first sentence is false on its face relative to HRC's economic plan

[emulatorloo]

39. Your first sentence is demonstrably false

Democrats do have a plan. Retraining/educationsupport for working Americans in dying industries for the jobs of today and the future.

I will remind you that voters most concerned about the economy and jobs voted for the Democratic candidate for President. That's because the Dem nominee had solid plans to improve the economy and to support working class Americans.

You must have mistaken Democrats with Trump. Trump's plan was to lie to working people and tell them Coal jobs are coming back.

Now that's out of the way:

Thank you so much for your service to our country.

[BainsBane]

57. Clinton had very specific proposals to address that

an array of economic development and job training programs. How is it hat you never bothered to read about them?

[JHan]

58. it's sexier to spout Republican memes.

because that's what that bullshit talk about "she had no plan" is.... Republican Spin.

I've run out of roadmaps to explain the strategies of Republicans to break up Democratic coalitions.

[BainsBane]

108. It looks like the silence

is now coming from you.

Here are the policy positions you overlooked during the election. https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/

[leftstreet]

109. ...

which candidate? It's not Wheeler is it?

Welcome to DU by the way!

[Hortensis]

123. Your post reflects a major right-wing lying theme slurring Democrats --

that we only care about elites and are out of touch with ordinary working people (who the hell are we, btw?) and poor people, have no plans, etc.

Our party platform, our presidential candidate's specific agenda, the agendas of many other Democratic candidates, and our many, many, many contributions during the previous Democratic administration in DC and many states all prove what you've posted never was and simply cannot be true. Also what we're trying to protect right now.

As a lifelong Democrat, and someone who is clearly interested in "shantytown" problems, how is it that you do not know what we are supporting right now because of who and what we are? What we have always been?

With your concern about poverty, how do you not know about Hillary's and SC Rep Clyburn's 10-20-30 plan for attacking the most intractable pockets of poverty? That's in addition to all our other highly developed 2016 plans for addressing virtually every problem working, unemployed, underage, and retired Americans face.

Who would worry about the problems of the invisible millions trapped in caretaker roles, some of them facing possible destitution, except us? No one else, but we do and it's proven in published plans that are temporarily shelved only.

You're new here, so you may want to check out the terms of service. Yes, we do criticize ourselves, all the time in fact. But this is a site for Democrats and we do it as people who appreciate and value ourselves as by far the best, most liberal, and diverse political organization America has, and of course its only progressive party. Posting right-wing propaganda is not allowed.

[northoftheborder]

37. Young people have jumped into action here in deep red central Texas, since the election.

Joining the Democratic clubs, coming up with new ideas, promoting Indivisible and Resistance groups ---- Having Shitler win over a great, qualified, woman candidate was like being slapped every which way forwards and backwards to some people, who, although probably voted, were not active in any other way.

[emulatorloo]

43. Grew up in Texas, that is wonderful to hear

Thanks for posting.

[brer cat]

99. That is great news!

That is exactly what we need. Thanks for the post.

[WinkyDink]

44. I kept reading "splinter" as "sphincter."

[BittyJenkins]

45. I was thinking about the same thing last night

Where is Susan Surandon who said that if Trump won it would lead to a needed revolution. I hear silence...maybe some people speak up at Democratic events but rarely straight to Republicans. Where is Susan and where are her followers right now? What really keeps me up at night is that the Republicans stole the election, they are dismantling our country and they know how to "win" again in 2018...we need a plan.

[BigBearJohn]

46. Well, one thing for sure, criticising them won't bring them into the fold

It will just create greater division

[nikibatts]

90. They are already not in the fold. There's that.

We must ensure that like-minded Democrats, Independents and people of good will come into the fold. We must resist and fight together and after the battle is won we can negotiate our differences. That is what should have been done in 2016. There was nothing we couldn't have negotiated among ourselves.

[DinahMoeHum]

48. Trouble is, "Our Revolution" is working on the 2018 elections. . .

. . .when the REAL action is right NOW, in 2017, where LOCAL offices are at stake.

Like Squinch, I am also involved with Indivisible, not just with them, but with my local Democratic Party committee. Right now, until July 9, I am gathering ballot petition signatures in my election district; for County Executive (where we hope to oust a Trump wannabee) and County Legislator (another GOP acolyte).

It all boils down to working at the local level. Right now, all that "Our Revolution" is doing is fund-raising. For next year, 2018. But, as our County Executive candidate once said to me:
"If you want to get to Berlin, first you have to get to Normandy"

[Nevernose]

55. That depends entirely on where you live

There are no local elections where I live or am eligible to vote in, although there are a few nearby.

[YoungDemCA]

59. You mean that focusing near-exclusively on Presidents or POTUS nominees is counterproductive?

Never would have guessed that.

[retrowire]

49. Really?

I'm apart of it, and voted for Hillary.

Same as many other members.

Broad brush.

[YoungDemCA]

50. "After they succeeded in keeping a woman out of the White House" No.

[Trial_By_Fire]

69. Yes, that was a weird statement...

It seems someone else must always get the blame...

[BainsBane]

52. At first I thought it was great

All hands on deck against Trump, was my view. I thought they would organize around issues. But seeing Nina Turner put in charge, it's become clear it is directed at undermining the Democratic Party rather than resisting the GOP. That is confirmed by the throwing Democrats out of a "unity" meeting in WI. Whatever unity they are looking for, it's not with Democrats.

I don't think it's even a question of Democrats deciding to join. It looks as though we simply aren't welcome.

[George II]

78. Nina Turner made that clear last week - Democrats aren't welcome unless they "fit in" with them.

[NurseJackie]

81. Someone needs to clue her in. That's not how it works.

[YoungDemCA]

122. And outsiders are not welcome unless they "fit in" with Democratic insiders.

Hmm....

[NurseJackie]

63. LOL

[NurseJackie]

62. You're not alone. I totally agree!

[ananda]

64. What is true ..

.. is that Our Revolution is a great movement.

It stands for all the values that we as Democrats stand for also.

I voted for Sanders in the primary and Clinton in the general.

I am a lifelong Democrat but only because the values Democrats
have espoused show a strong sense of human value and social
good.

Since Sanders stood so strongly for human values and spoke so
strongly against corporate and financial abuses, he got my support.

And.. remember .. he ran as a DEMOCRAT !!!!

[SleeplessinSoCal]

67. Hearken to Will Rogers, 1879 - 1935...

[link:[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]|


(and we share a birthday).

[rainy]

70. We seem to be missing the big picture.

The reason the revolution or resistance isn't on the TV is because corporations own the media. Remember when a tea-partier showed up anywhere with a small group the media covered every bit of their activities and efforts to deminish democrats? We rarely get to set the narrative.

Voting Democratic is 1000 times better than voting republican but the corporatist are always going to favor republicans so our fight is always so difficult. Even perfect democrats know that their hands are tied when going up against corporate power.

My area has many large under the radar groups getting things done, meeting with representatives and trying to get Democratic women and men elected. They will not get much press because we are democrats fighting for people and workers.

Capitalism brings out the worst in people and is destroying the planet. When we attack capitalistic norms we will be ignored but ther has to be a better way and until we can convince enough people then our fight will continue to be hard and dangerous and under the radar.

[Adrahil]

89. But if you carrying pictures of Chairman Mao....

... you ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow....

Look, you can rail against capitalism all you like. It is not going to dry up and blow away. And frankly, it shouldn't. It has some clear benefits. But it also had some serious dangers. It needs to be tempered by regulation and socialization of important public services. But it is not going away.

[TexasTowelie]

110. Did someone mention me?

[scipan]

74. why are you so sure they didn't vote for Hillary?

I did.

[NurseJackie]

86. Didn't you see? It's been in all the papers.

[mcar]

88. This lifelong Democrat concurs

[aikoaiko]

107. It may not amount to much, but I applaud lefty efforts to be involved.

[potone]

111. Not true.

It is the organization that Bernie started, and he repeatedly encouraged his supporters to vote for Hillary in the GE. I have yet to see any evidence supporting the statement that is repeated over and over again that the majority of Bernie supporters either voted for someone other than Hillary in the GE or simply didn't vote. Yes, a small number of them voted for Stein, but that was not decisive. It was the people who voted for Trump and the outdated Electoral College that are responsible for the disaster that we are facing now. The fact that a large number of people didn't vote cannot be laid at Bernie's door: people will vote if they have a candidate who inspires them, and for many people, neither Hillary nor Trump was appealing (and no, I am not equating the two).

We have to face the fact that more people are registered as Independents than as either Republicans or Democrats. To dismiss those voters and their concerns is a recipe for continued failure. Our Revolution is simply one of a number of groups that have arisen as a result of the unrepresentative nature of our political institutions. There are no easy answers here, but if Bernie's campaign achieved nothing else, it demonstrated that there is widespread frustration in this country at the increasing economic insecurity of millions of Americans to the benefit of a very small class of wealthy people, and it proved that it is possible to run a national campaign on the basis of small donors, rather than large corporate sponsors.

[Jamaal510]

115. K&R

[moondust]

117. Dedicated party loyalists

are unlikely to embrace much of anything that doesn't originate with other dedicated party loyalists.

[YoungDemCA]

121. Or the donors who write the biggest checks to the party.

Shhh....