Coming out of lurkdom - Inauguration idea

[jenn1977]

Yes I've been lurking for 2 years now, and I'm FINALLY posting for the first time.

Anyway, I have some ideas that I just wanted to throw out here, and please let me know if any of these are already things that have been done/thought of here before.

It seems to me that there are soooo many groups/individuals/websites that are either a) sold on the vote fraud/suppression/etc or b) at least want to have some questions answered. If you just stop to think of how many of us there are...MoveOn, DU, BBV, Air America, Jones Radio Network, stolenelection2004.com just to name a few. There are MILLIONS of us you guys! Why don't we all start an email campaign of some kind to encourage all of these groups to get synchronized?

Imagine if all of these groups did indeed get synchronized and planned a conference that we can attend in all of the major cities, esp one as close to the 40 million $$ Inauguration "party" (BARF!) as we can get.

I know it's a long shot since time is short, but I had to at least throw the idea out here.

Anyway, let me know what you guys think. I'll disappear now for a while to drive home from work.

[Eloriel]

1. There's a brand new coalition for exactly what you suggest --

www.AuditTheVote.org

Not sure how many groups are currently involved, but the numbers will no doubt grow.

And here's a group planning a CounterInaugural in January (not quite what you suggested, but you reminded me of it):

Come to Ohio - David Lytel (Redefeatbush.com)
(Protests 12/4 and CounterInaugural 1/20)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x88305
Link: http://www.redefeatbush.com

You and others can kinda keep up with developments and news, including activism, on these threads which I update at least daily (so far) and usually twice a day:


VOTE FRAUD LINKS - A DU Compendium - Thread #3
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=201x4927

VOTE FRAUD Links Compendium - Thread #2
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=201x3223

VOTE FRAUD Links - a DU Compendium
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=201&topic_id=1984#

[jenn1977]

12. Thanks for the links

I'll be checking them out tonight. I knew there had to be SOMETHING getting started.

[NC_Nurse]

2. I like it!

Welcome to DU! Thanks for speaking up. :-)

I am neck deep in family shit at the moment, but I will do what I can if people are into it.

[JohnnyCougar]

3. I think that's a fabulous idea

The problem here is that everyone does their own thing, it is not thought through and strategized very well, and resources are rarely combined. This is obviously hard to do with out one central leader coordinating things. Our work would be 10 times more efficient if we had organization and leadership, and a central fundraising source. It's high time we got over our individual egos and work as a group.

On edit: I mean organize across blogs and groups, not just within DU.

Get a special "cross cultural forum for DUers, Kossacks, and all other blogs working on this. Get Bev Harris, Nader, the Ohio Democratic party, Jesse Jackson, and the Glibs together. Formulate a strategy.

[jenn1977]

10. Let's just start then...RIGHT NOW

What I mean is, why don't we come up with a catch phrase or slogan, something powerful that unifies our message, right here, right now. I'll try to get started on a short message that we can start passing/posting everywhere and maybe someone that has the know how can get a quick and dirty website that just links everybody. there would be 3 main purposes of the site:
1. unify the message/amass the numbers
2. include every known link that is contributing the good fight - with a short synopsis of what each is about
3. ACTION items

EVERYTIME we spread the message, we spread it the same way.

But first, I guess we'd have to get everyone on board first. I think we can start just by getting the slogan. Any suggestions!

And thanks for the nice welcome. DU's a friendly place.

[JohnnyCougar]

18. we would need someone with time and resources to do this

Unfortunately, I will not have zero time in the next 3 weeks starting tomorrow. I'll be lucky to post more than a couple of times, as I have 4 papers and 2 take home exams due in the next 2 weeks, and 2 more exams the third week. But I agree wee need:

1. Message Unity
2. Verified information database
3. Action

I think I will post a thread on this soon, and try to garner more attention to the issue.

[rainy]

4. How did you get to start a thread? I thought new posters had to

have a certain number of posts before allowed to start a thread? Welcome to DU

[JohnnyCougar]

6. Maybe it's cause the donated?

[IAMREALITY]

7. That's Correct. The Gold Star Has Its Priviledges! n/t

[Catchawave]

5. Great minds think alike Jenn !

My cyber-ears constantly ring of uniting ALL the great liberal sites into one big VOICE.

I think it was Trippi who said to the mainstream media, don't ignore the "beating drums" on the internet.

We can do this. Thanks for being so inspiring.

[jenn1977]

11. EXACTLY!

The "beating drums" can unite at any time. The only thing that's stopping us, is ourselves I guess.

[NV Whino]

8. I think your suggestion is right on the money

One thing to consider, though, is that there is a LOT of overlap. Most of us belong to or are active in multiple groups, so in terms of numbers, consolidating may not give the overwhelming numbers you may be anticipating... and each group tends to specialize a bit. So in combining them, I think you would still have to segment or divide or delegate to have each do what they are best at. Such as: fundraising; research; activism; legal stuff. It's do-able. And when done, guess what we might have? A new, vital, viable political party, maybe?

[jenn1977]

13. You're right, there is overlap...but

NV Whino, you might be right...but I don't want to underestimate our numbers either.

I think of how many people there are out there, that are just like me. I sit in my office at work, and I surf all these sites-FOR YEARS, but this is seriously the first time I have EVER posted anything. Yeah, I'm a member of a few groups, but as passionate as I am about everything that's been going on, I wouldn't say I'm as active as I should be. Part of the reason is I come to places like DU and just read with horror at all the sh*t these punks are getting away with and by the time I get through it all it's 5 o'clock and I have to drive home. I've done all the MoveOn-type email campaigns, contributed some money here and ther, but that's about it. I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW there are more of you out there.

[meganmonkey]

9. There's a big inauguration rally planned

by ANSWER and some other groups (who planned the HUGE anti-war rallies in DC)
http://www.answercoalition.org/
Momentum builds for January 20
counter-inaugural demonstration
in Washington DC

A war criminal will be inaugurated
on January 20 and the people will protest

"4,000+ endorsers for the counter-inaugural protest

Over 4,000 have already endorsed A.N.S.W.E.R.'s call for a mass demonstration on January 20, 2005, at the site of the Bush inauguration. This is a legally permitted demonstration. The Bush administration, fully exposed for its destruction of Fallujah and fearing the embarrassment of a mass demonstration at the Inaugural route, is now following the usual script to intimidate the people: publicly announcing that there is an unprecedented security threat on January 20 and that the government is mobilizing 4,000 army combat soldiers to be in the streets of DC that today."

[jenn1977]

14. how can we work with what's already planned...

what's already in place, and get them all to start communicating and unifying...

[meganmonkey]

15. Check out the website link in my previous post

These guys organized rallies in DC starting about 6 months before the war started ranging from 100,000 to at least 500,000 (some say a million). They have all the permits and everything - they line up great speakers for the rally, usually music, and a march throughout the city. It's an incredible thing. They have local chapters that arrange buses from other cities (I took their buses a couple times - they had like 20 buses from Michigan to DC for the march in Feb 2003)

They're the ones to work with for the inauguration rally in DC.

I am sure that local ANSWER and other groups will be organizing rallies/marches in other cities, if you can't get to DC. If you know of an active peace or democrat group in your area contact them.

GET OUT ON THE STREETS!!!

[jenn1977]

16. OK I will

I actually went to a few of their rallies out here in LA and SF before the war. It was amazing. I haven't been to there site in AT LEAST a year though. Thanks for reminding me.

Hey! I have another idea. Do you think it would be helpful/useful if DU started doing some of their own polls, for registered users only? That way maybe we can all start to get focused and more unified from the inside out. I mean, all the debate and variety of ideas and beliefs and causes is absolutely necessary, but I'm thinking along the lines of unifying our message, and demonstrate a united front.

[meganmonkey]

19. That's an interesting idea...

I like it in theory, particularly being a 'united front'. I think strength in numbers is a good thing, and there are certainly quite a few numbers here. My only fear is that trying to unify a DU message, creating a 'platform', would contradict a lot of what DU seems to be about. I think that the main purpose of this place is to discuss ideas and theories and to debate about things. There are obviously rules and people who are blatantly against the basic ideals are booted. But I think that to try to define DU much more specifically than that could ruin the magic a little.
There are certain things we are really good at as a front - media slamming, - we have demonstrably affected some media coverage with our incessant emails, organizing advertiser contact info, but I think we're almost like a think tank of researchers and to define would be to stifle. It takes all kinds of viewpoints to get to the right conclusions, and I think many people could be turned off by that.
I do think internal, semi-scientific polls would be fascinating, too, froma sociological standopint. Who the hell are we all, anyway!!!

btw - Welcome to the world of posting! Watch out, it can be addictive. ;)

[jenn1977]

17. How can we help advertise the inaug rallies

Can we get Air America to advertise it? It'll probably be announced on Pacifica don't you think? Also, how can we "mainstream" it? Get a buzz going on around it? How can we get every group to inform their members and help organize around it?

[meganmonkey]

20. My guess is ANSWER is doing press releases

But they are getting tossed into the editors' recycling bins. Getting a buzz going - contact local and national media to ask for coverage, write LTTE about fraud etc. and mention the rally. As the time gets nearer, and speakers get announced, little bits and pieces will come out in some news, but not much. I have a feeling a hell of a lot of people will be at the inauguration rally. At least half a million.
Put up posters everywhere - you can download them from the ANSWER site.
I just got the email announcing it recently, I think late last week. So the buzz will definitely start picking up within activist circles and spread to local groups everywhere.