Maybe it's time for the far left to lobby Senator Clinton, rather than fight her,

[ecstatic]

alienate her from our causes, and possibly cause another repug to take office in 2008. :shrug:

What do you think? Maybe it's time to start meeting Senator Clinton: Writing and emailing her, explaining what issues you think she is wrong on, etc.

[LeftCoast]

1. But that might actually accomplish something

:shrug:

[MadHound]

2. Having done this for months and years, what makes you think it would work now?

Hell, before the IWR vote, messages to Congressfolks, including Clinton, were running 268-1 against the IWR. Millions of people were out in the streets, around the country and around the world all saying NO to the war. Polls were running at 68% against doing anything, including the IWR, before the inspectors had finished their job. Yet in spite of this, Clinton voted for the IWR and enabled Bush to let loose the dogs of war.

Throughout the years since, she has been contacted on every major issue. Sometimes she listens, but on critical things like the war, or NCLB, or the Patriot Act, she doesn't care what we think, she's going to vote for what's in her best interests.

So what makes you think that doing all of this again will change her mind? It hasn't worked before, and I seriously doubt that it will work again.

[ecstatic]

6. Did you do this with an organization or individually

Also, I think the messenger's credibility is very important. For instance, Sen. Clinton may not take a group like Code Pink as seriously as maybe a group like MoveOn. I think we need to form a new organization that is free of the taint of some previous, more controversial organizations.

[MadHound]

9. Both, and the organization wasn't like Code Pink

But frankly whether it is Code Pink or any other group, it shouldn't matter. These people are her constituents and should have their say.

Frankly my thought is she didn't give a damn about me because I'm out of state, and she didn't care about my vote then(though I'm sure she's wondering about it now).

Frankly I think that the only groups that our so called leaders take seriously are the ones who are "outrageous" We've tried being nice and polite for far too long, and what has that gotten us? A war kicked down the road for six years, hundreds of thousands dead, a country destroyed, our own country on the verge of collapse. Yeah, nice and polite have really made lots of progress there:eyes:

[demnan]

11. The only people they all take seriously are the ones with money

unfortunate but true.

[MadHound]

13. Oh I hear you, which is why I support publicly financed election campaigns

It is the only way we're going to get corporate influence out of our government. Sadly, Clinton doesn't support that either, enjoying her gravy train too much I suppose.

[ProudDad]

27. This is the only group clinton listens to

[Cha]

7. Ol' hillary had her eye on the prize and

mere constituents against the IWR vote weren't goin' sway her ass.

Stupid move, hill-ar-y.

[MonkeyFunk]

17. Your numbers don't jibe with

what I remember.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-03-16-poll-iraq_x.htm

According to that report, >60% of Americans supported the war if UN approval was gotten, and even without UN approval, 54% supported it.

[MadHound]

20. Umm, you should go recheck your polls

You are using a poll from before the start of the war, not a poll about the IWR. Nice try but:shrug: I suggest that you actually do some research in the archives here, I know that you'll find plenty of info, some of it you probably won't like.

[MonkeyFunk]

24. well....

Here's a Pew poll that backs up my position - from before the IWR

http://www.cfr.org/publication.html?id=5051

[Greyhound]

18. Einstein's definition of insanity. n/t

[CTyankee]

34. But now is different. We've got to try. It is why I am supporting Edwards in theprimary.

I want maximum exposure of his ideas to be tested because I am hopeful that his example will have a beneficial effect on her. Not sure it will work, but it seems to me that I have nothing to lose by hoping for it and encouraging it.

Just a thought...

[napi21]

3. I have been doing that for a while now. I do think it would help OUR

causes if many more would join me. One or a hand full of emails don't have much impact on any official, but hundres or thousands on the same subjects make a BIG DIFF!

[Buzz Clik]

4. Nah. That's too civilized and mature. It's more fun to complain and create conspiracy theories.

[ShortnFiery]

22. Yes, sort of like HRC blaming the Iraqis for the ...

figurative hell-hole we've made of THEIR country. :eyes:

[Cha]

5. We tried that in New York in

2003 and got the door slammed in our faces.

Why don't you try it.

[vireo]

8. I would prefer to focus on supporting my preferred candidate

That for now is our greatest leverage. If Clinton secures the nomination, then it will be time to lobby her.

[beachmom]

10. I agree. That started a little bit when she decided to attend YearlyKos.

If the polls hold (and I simply do not think 2008 is like 2004, where polls changed a lot), she will be the next nominee. She needs to realize that we are not her enemy if she would only meet us halfway. The fact is, she's going to need us.

She should listen to principled stances.

[sandnsea]

12. That's been done for years - she ignores it

That's why I can't figure out what Democrats are supporting her.

[killbotfactory]

14. She doesn't care

Maybe if you hired a full time lobbyist to wine and dine her, or whatever the hell paid lobbyists do that isn't considered bribery but is.

[ellacott]

15. According to a lot of people here she already has the nomination

So what's the point in lobbying her?

The polls are posted here ad nauseum and it shows she's in the lead.

[Greyhound]

16. "start meeting Senator Clinton"???

It may be news to you but we have been doing this for years and her husband for years before that. The result is always the same "I feel your pain", so here's some more, sucker.

We got your vote, now fuck off until we need it again.

[gorekerrydreamticket]

31. not likely unless you come up with a pot of cash....n/m

[jillan]

19. I would have no problem supporting her if she becomes the nominee.

I like Hillary and think she would be a great President.

I think the main problem with her is something she can't do anything about.
And that is - the Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton saga.

I know she gets alot of crap around here, but that is just on the blogs.

I know people that are more to the left than I am who think she would be a great President.

She is blowing everyone else away. Don't let the negative comments get to you.

[ProudDad]

28. What does this mean?

Seriously...

you "think she would be a great President"...

How would she be great?

There's nothing on her website to indicate that she'd be "great". There's plenty of her blowing her own horn about how "great" she is but no plans, policies or programs that would imbue her with "greatness" such as Lyndon Johnson's attempted "Great Society" or the "New Deal"...

How would she be great?

She'd still support wars and proxy wars for her corporate masters...

How would she be great?

She would cobble together another give-away to her greatest contributors - the health care mafia - so we can't expect her to provide Universal Single-Payer Health Care for all...

How would she be great?

Seriously...I don't see it...

Unless, like ray-gun, like Slick Willie, she can manage the trick of being a "great communicator"; screw us all again and make us like it...

I guess that's the modern definition of Presidential "greatness".

Or maybe she won't be as much a bush as bush is... That would be "great"...

[2rth2pwr]

37. When you say she has corporate masters

what are you trying to convey? That her positions are the result of what some ceo tells her to take?
If so please provide an example.

Or are you saying this because she disagrees with you on something important to you and the only way that you can explain it is to make up an outrageous charge and accuse her of not believing what she says?

Thanks.

[ProudDad]

40. Her "natural" inclinations are congruent with the corporate

capitalist masters who are funding her campaign.

She's the NUMBER ONE recipient of corporate money among ALL candidates -- repuke AND Democrat...

If it walks like a duck, looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...it's probably a duck...

[ShortnFiery]

21. Yeah, don't hold your breath as you're waiting for the pigs to fly by.

:eyes:

[Moderate Dem]

23. I don't think that America is dying to elect a far left President

But hey, that's just one guy's opinion...

[Lucinda]

25. My perspective has changed about her a lot recently

It happened after the Ellen interview.

I only saw the part where Ellen was asking her - why not gay marraiges? - and my initial reaction to her response (its a state issue and she supports civil unions) was that it was a big cop-out. Why not just say that marriage was fine? But the reality is that people who couldnt even talk about gay rights 10 years ago are talking about civil unions favorably...they are re-drawing their "this far and no further" line at the word "marriage" - and thats actually progress from my perspective. I am way more concerned at equal benefits than I am about a label.

She said that a lot of the forward movement has come from states taking a stand on issues of change (gay/lesbian rights, womens right, civil rights etc) and that makes sense. The people in a state make enough noise and laws change. Once one state makes that committment to progress others can follow. It's not as gratifying as what we want NOW - but it is something that has achievable results.

And in a country with perspectives as screamily far apart as it is possible TO be, that way makes sense.

And, to get back to your point - sorry to babble :) - I do think that its a great idea to let her know what we think...even if she doesnt become the nominee.

[Zhade]

26. You want Maoists and Stalinists to lobby her?

Okay, but us moderates will still have work to do.

[ulysses]

29. who is the "far left"?

[ecstatic]

35. lol... most DUers I think

I'm very liberal by most standards so I guess that would make most people on this site part of the far, far left. LOL

[ulysses]

39. see, I disagree with that.

In six years here, I've only seen a small handful of posters I would consider truly radical in any sense. I'm pretty liberal, but no one is going to mistake me for Che unless they've bought the idea that the "center" really belongs about fifty miles to the right of where it should be.

[Colobo]

30. Obama needs to be our next president. It's very easy to understand.

[LWolf]

32. Why would you think that hasn't been done?

The disaffection for HRC from the progressive left has to do with her positions on issues, her record, AND her non-responsiveness.

I think it's time to fight back, personally, rather than accept defeat a year before it happens.

I suggest that it is not just the "FAR left" that is disaffected with HRC, and that labeling those who disagree with DLCers as "far left" is propaganda.

[Dawgs]

33. Maybe you should wait until she wins the primary.

I'm sick of these 'Hillary is going to win, so let's all get on board' type of posts. I'm mean WTF!!!

[BeyondGeography]

36. All I can say is bring lots of money and polling data showing how your thinking will benefit her

In that order.

[Armstead]

38. Oh, she'll verbally agree and promise to....

...."take our concerns into consideration."

Sure, somewhere behind the Wall St. elite.