This is why conservatives win

[AmericanLiberal]

From a CNN article:

"
...
A liberal organization, NARAL-Pro Choice America, announced its opposition to Roberts even before Bush formally made his selection public in a prime time televised White House appearance on Tuesday. The group planned an "emergency demonstration" against the nomination across the street from the Capitol at midday.

On the other side of the political equation, Progress For America, a conservative organization, called a news conference to announce a television commercial to begin running soon. The group, which coordinates its efforts with presidential aides, pledged in advance to spend at least $18 million on advertising and grass roots activities to buttress the confirmation prospects of whomever Bush chose."

What do you think is going to be more effective--

A) a couple hundred hardcore activists making themselves look foolish by declaring an "emergency" (emergency? are we being attacked by terrorists?) yelling in front of the capitol where a few passerby can see them, or

B) An "$18 million advertising and grass roots activities" campaign?

If you answered A) you FAIL!!

[Kire]

1. self delete

?

[NMDemDist2]

2. you got a few million bucks to spare then? they are few with cash

we are many with only our time and passion to spend

:shrug:

[AmericanLiberal]

7. AZDemDist6-

Why is it that the money situation is so unbalanced? I think that's a question that we have to look at, and if impossible to redress, then respond in some other, effective way, if possible. Otherwise it's completely pointless. Passion should be directed towards what is effective, and the passionate would agree with that.

[NMDemDist2]

10. why? because the corporations and their CEOs have $$$ to burn to

forward their agendas.

MoveOn.org and a few other progressive groups manage to do a little with the grass roots cash, but we can't hold a candle to the huge energy cartels, pharmaceutical corps and the other special interest groups who will gain from this nominee.

It's not just his (Roberts) stand on RoeVWade that is problematic, look at his stands on corporations and the environment. The corporations stand to gain a bunch with him on the bench and are willing to put their cash to seal the deal.

[AmericanLiberal]

11. This makes no sense

From what I understand most of these guys, Scaife etc. funded these groups not because of some material self-interest but out of genuine ideological belief. I dont think he thought it was going to be some kind of worthwhile investment with returns. Companies in general don't give all that much money to politics, and when they do its usually very narrowly tailored and not very ideological. They make far more sure investments by putting the money into financial instruments.

Bottom line, there are only 2 possibilities

a) We learn how to compete with the right in raising money

b) We learn how to effectively fight the right without raising as much money

Right now I don't see either of these things happening. If one of the two doesn't happen, then political activism will be pointless.

[NMDemDist2]

13. scaife is a RW wacko and although he funds some think tanks and

small niche publications, I think you will find the funding for many of the 501s are from corporate big wigs

google is your friend

[AmericanLiberal]

15. Doesn't really address the issue

Obviously the funding comes from the rich. Look at ANY org well-endowed that doesn't make money itself and follow the cash flow and of course thats what you see. But that doesn't solve the dilemma. Which will it be? Raise money? Or figure out a way to get around it?

[freeplessinseattle]

19. what have you been smoking? n/t

[pretzel4gore]

3. especially when you consider that the pro choice org

is funded by the gopigs...lol

[AmericanLiberal]

6. explain?

?

[pretzel4gore]

17. the fiction of freedom

the anti war and anti bush protests are small and ineffective (even if millions march, the pigmedia say it's ONLY a few hundred, chuckle chuckle) but the herd must be assured freedom reigns, and by having 'small ineffective' protests, the gopig gets his kaka and eats it too :)
if no one protested, the herd might say to itself 'hey, what's going on?' in that aw shucks way they have...hahaha. and of course, the gopig don't want the herd talking to anyone, not even itself....
effective protests would be both grassroots and non confrontational...for example, if millions gathered in new york to protest a washington gopig happening, or in san fran for a LA event; the protest would be so unusual, local media/nat media MIGHT look at it...unfortunately, most of the 'activists' in the left are bushevik agents, imho (kerry, al gore both are bush voters)

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AmericanLiberal]

5. Facts mining?

Facts mining? Do you mean data mining?

[acmejack]

8. You can always ask the Koch family, the Scaife's or the Bradley's

To be more balanced with their prodigious giving. Hell, right now it is like, oh, a 100% to 0 for the liberals. The only huge money we have is Soros and he is doing the entire world, not just trying to obtain favorable policies in the US.

[AmericanLiberal]

9. There have got to be rich liberals out there

Warren Buffet is pretty rich.

Heck, Kerry won the highest income bracketin the CNN exit poll. These people are so rich they don't need to worry about high taxes. They care about making the world a better place.

If there's a systematic problem though, there needs to be a way to get around it.

[mike_c]

12. to begin with, NARAL is doing more than just staging...

...a small demonstation. They're organizing a broad campaign to oppose Roberts, as is MoveOn.org and a number of other reasonably well-heeled liberal organizations. You might check in the DU Activist Forum for a list of similar campaigns. Also, the $18 million you mentioned will undoubtedly become associated with the hideous social agenda of the groups which raised it, and which will ultimately demand that their American Taliban message be spread while it's being spent. That will seriously undermine its effectiveness. But make no mistake-- weighting the court with Taliban-a-likes has been a major preoccupation of the wing nutjobs for decades, and they will start selling their children into slavery if necessary to raise money to support it. Wanna get rich quick? Start a "pro-family values grassroots organizing campaign in support of John Roberts and other conservative Supreme Court nominees." The fools' money is going to roll in for that one.

It certainly LOOKS like the contrast you set up was engineered to overlook what's really happening on both sides of this issue.

[AmericanLiberal]

14. Hmm?

The contrast I set up? Engineered?

First of all, that was taken directly from the CNN story, which I believe was the first thing I mentioned in the post. If there is a problem, it is with CNN.

Second, I don't know why you would think I would want to "engineer" anything.

Third, I don't know why you're defending the status quo. Democrats are not exactly winning all the debates right now, especially when it comes to the judiciary. Clearly something needs to change if we want to take back the country and we have to figure out what it is.

[mike_c]

16. fair enough-- my apologies if I misinterpreted your intent....

eom

[AmericanLiberal]

18. No offense taken

[depakid]

20. Thinking like this is why we lose-

It's why you get people like Harry Reid and Fienstein coming out with statements in support of a guy who's obviously as far to the right as Rhenquist (though maybe not so loopy as Scalia & Thomas).

If Dems really want to win (which I have come to seriously doubt) then they'd do well to play from their strengths. They can't play the Republicans' money & media game and hope to win- that's JUST STUPID. It's like going to Vegas and expecting to beat the house!

The way to win is to reframe the issues and change the rules of the game- come up with creative strategies that set the agenda. Create a controversies and ride them. Make the far right look like the lunatics they are. Ridicule them, when appropriate (as with the Schiavo case- beat them over the head with that).

This isn't rocket science, it's politics and rhetoric that goes back thousands of years...