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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#165076: Jan 3rd 2017 at 6:43:27 AM

Speaking about political action at a local level, the NY Times published an OP by the guys who did the Indivisible guide (which I think was linked here before, if it hasn't, it's a 26 pages long PDF with tactics to resist against the Trump swampministration).

Here's the article in full, because it's a NY Times link.

    To Stop Trump, Democrats Can Learn From the Tea Party 
Today is the first day of the 115th United States Congress. In less than three weeks, this Congress will join with President-elect Donald J. Trump to claim a mandate they do not have for policies that most Americans do not support. Together, they will seek to enact a bigoted and anti-democratic agenda, threatening our values and endangering us all.

But Americans have the power to resist this dangerous turn. We know because we’ve seen it before.

We served as congressional staff members during the early years of the Obama administration. It was an exhilarating time to be a progressive in Washington: An inspirational new president was taking office, accompanied by a majority in the House and a supermajority in the Senate. But by February 2009, something had begun to change. Small protests calling themselves “tea parties” were popping up all over the country. In April, their Tax Day demonstrations dominated the news.

In August, routine hometown events got unexpectedly rough for members of Congress. At a neighborhood event at Randalls, a grocery store in Austin, Tex., Congressman Lloyd Doggett came face to face with a group of “tea party patriots,” carrying signs that said “No Socialized Health Care.” In Austin — and in congressional districts across the country — the tea partyers chanted what became their battle cry: “Just say no!”

Their tactics weren’t fancy: They just showed up on their own home turf, and they just said no.

Here’s the crazy thing: It worked.

The Tea Party’s ideas were wrong, and their often racist rhetoric and physical threats were unacceptable. But they understood how to wield political power and made two critical strategic decisions. First, they organized locally, focusing on their own members of Congress. Second, they played defense, sticking together to aggressively resist anything with President Obama’s support. With this playbook, they rattled our elected officials, targeting Democrats and Republicans alike.

Politics is the art of the possible, and the Tea Party changed what was possible. They waged a relentless campaign to force Republicans away from compromise and tank Democratic legislative priorities like immigration reform and campaign finance transparency. Their members ensured that legislation that did pass, like the Affordable Care Act, was unpopular from the start. They hijacked the national narrative and created the impression of broad discontent with President Obama.

And they organized for the 2010 election, targeting Republicans in the primaries and Democrats in the general election. After the November 2010 elections, the Democratic majority in the House and supermajority in the Senate were gone. With them went all hope for bold progressive reform under President Obama.

The Tea Party’s success was a disaster for President Obama’s agenda and for our country, but that success should give us hope today. It proved the power that local, defensive organizing can have.

With this in mind, we coordinated a group of former congressional staffers and advocates to develop “Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda.” It takes a few pages from the Tea Party playbook, focusing on its strategic choices and tactics, while dispensing with its viciousness. It’s the Tea Party inverted: locally driven advocacy built on inclusion, fairness and respect. It’s playing defense, not to obstruct, but to protect.

The guide is informed by a simple principle: Federal policy change in the next four years doesn’t depend on Mr. Trump but on whether our representatives support or oppose him. And through local pressure, we have the power to shape what they consider possible.

This kind of local advocacy can make nearly any member of Congress think a lot harder about his re-election chances. It can ensure that the 10 Senate Democrats up next year in Trump-won states recognize that their best hope for survival lies in bold action to defend democracy rather than cutting deals with a petty tyrant.

It can also weaken the grip of the Senate majority leader, Mitch Mc Connell, on his slim two-vote majority when he tries to empower Mr. Trump. It can drive home for Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, that his constituents won’t accept deals with a would-be dictator. And it can complement the efforts of organizers as they mobilize to support those most threatened by Mr. Trump’s agenda.

If anything, this model has greater potential now than it did for the Tea Party in 2009. Unlike President Obama, President-elect Trump has no mandate, a slim congressional majority and a slew of brewing scandals. Our incoming president is a weak president, and he can be beat.

But this fight won’t be won by politicos in Washington, D.C. It will be won by groups in Fort Collins, Colo., Hershey, Pa., Houston and Atlanta who were organizing for justice long before a handful of former congressional staffers wrote some guide. It will be won by groups in Tucson, Madison, Wis., and St. Louis who started organizing resistance in just the last few weeks. It will be won by you, and it starts today.

Gather your friends over Martin Luther King weekend. Join an existing local group or start your own. Find your members of Congress and start following their work. Show up at their local offices and let them know you’re watching. Remind them that they represent you, not Donald Trump. Together, we can resist.

and apparently Trump and his family bought stock in GM immediately afterwards.
Raise of hands, who is surprised by this?

edited 3rd Jan '17 6:45:15 AM by IFwanderer

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#165077: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:12:37 AM

[up]Not me. Trump's motives are so shallow and telegraphed that they can be summed up in just five words:

edited 3rd Jan '17 7:12:54 AM by kkhohoho

Pseudopartition Screaming Into The Void from The Cretaeceous Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Screaming Into The Void
#165078: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:14:21 AM

For the record, I'm already seeing people blame the Congressional Ethics thing on Obama, because "he's in charge."

They're framing it as "Trump isn't responsible," even though no one was saying that he was; I didn't realize that there are people who think that the entire government boils down to the President, like political parties don't exist.

Meanwhile, I'm becoming more certain that the only reason people up here dislike Trump is because of his personality. I'm pretty sure once the opposition party nominates someone competent who still has similar policies, they'll start to gain traction.

Because, y'know "immigrants are stealing our jobs," or some other nonsense.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#165079: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:17:10 AM

Well, Trump is not directly responsible for that thing. See what I said about the "vermin in Congress" a few pages ago?

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#165080: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:21:50 AM

No links yet, but I'm seeing notifications that Trump is criticizing the House's plans to weaken the Ethics Committee.

Pseudopartition Screaming Into The Void from The Cretaeceous Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Screaming Into The Void
#165081: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:27:02 AM

What's funny is that people who know me are under the impression that I'm more anti-Trump than anything else. This actually isn't true; I've known I was opposed to pretty much everything Republicans stand for since I was about twelve years old.

Honestly, I think their ideology and tactics (especially after eight years of Obama) are way more threatening than anything Trump could do, although his comments on nukes are pretty worrying.

IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#165082: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:32:00 AM

No links yet, but I'm seeing notifications that Trump is criticizing the House's plans to weaken the Ethics Committee.

Tweet 1 and tweet 2. Quoting for people who don't want to click on Don T's twitter:

With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it

........may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance! #DTS

edited 3rd Jan '17 7:32:38 AM by IFwanderer

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#165083: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:35:46 AM

Remember, in GOP-land, "bias" is calling out their corruption, when they are in fact more corrupt than Democrats.

edited 3rd Jan '17 7:37:00 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#165084: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:39:32 AM

While he's probably just doing this to score points and won't actually do anything about it once he's officially POTUS...

I will give Trump credit where credit is due. His criticism of the House making this their priority is valid, though the idea that it's "unfair" is of course BS.

That said, it's probably also because this committee doesn't affect him since he's not a member of Congress.

edited 3rd Jan '17 7:41:33 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#165085: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:45:54 AM

[up][up][up] I'm glad that Trump (to some extent) is supporting the Ethics commission. Even if it was just a way for Trump to keep Republicans under his thumb, I'd rather have them under Trump's thumb then be unaccountable for anything they do.

edited 3rd Jan '17 7:47:25 AM by DingoWalley1

RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#165086: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:47:40 AM

It must be a day that ends in "y," because Trump's talking shit again. He didn't condemn the move by the House GOP, only its timing and prioritization. His tweets say that he agrees that ethics oversight is "unfair" - he just says that for the time being, they should focus on cutting taxes for the rich and taking away poor peoples' health care. And of course, outlets and so-called journalists are doing nothing but parrot "Trump Takes Stand Against House GOP's Plans To Neuter Ethics Oversight!" and other such favorable and false headlines.

That's what this is - a way to appear tough to his worshippers, further confuse the media, and gain even more favorable coverage, all by doing nothing but finger-wag ineffectually at the House Republicans with zero follow-up.

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#165087: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:49:05 AM

[up] Yeah, I also don't think he's going to follow up on this once he actually becomes President.

Leave it to corporate media to use this as an excuse to try normalizing Trump again.

I also think it's his way of saying "LOL I don't give a shit if you guys are being investigated for corruption as long as it doesn't affect me."

edited 3rd Jan '17 7:51:23 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#165088: Jan 3rd 2017 at 7:54:23 AM

Still, there's the potential for an exploitable weakness by the Democrats here, because we're seeing a small crack between Trump and the House GOP. If they can wedge a lever into that crack and heave-ho, they can hopefully create enough internal strife and infighting to keep them busy and distracted for a while while the Dems mobilize their forces.

They won't, because Dems don't know how to fight dirty like they should. But inciting Republican infighting should be a high priority going forward. Den of vipers, after all.

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#165089: Jan 3rd 2017 at 8:03:20 AM

The most reliable path to the downfall of the Sith is their unconditional triumph, huh?

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#165090: Jan 3rd 2017 at 8:05:02 AM

I'm just sayin', when the Sith really got organized and had the run of the galaxy, what happened? Along comes Darth Bane and wipes out the lot of them.

Am I saying that Trump should implement the Rule of Two? Yes. Yes, I am.

It would make achieving a Democratic supermajority absurdly easy.

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#165091: Jan 3rd 2017 at 8:07:54 AM

I am also taking a very petty delight in "DonT" catching on.

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#165093: Jan 3rd 2017 at 8:28:16 AM

[up] So has Trump already started tweeting about this? I don't use Twitter so...

Disgusted, but not surprised
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#165094: Jan 3rd 2017 at 8:32:34 AM

[up]He will as soon as he can be arsed to read the news. Taking all the credit for it.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#165095: Jan 3rd 2017 at 8:36:49 AM

I still cannot believe that the stock market and the doomsday clock are being held hostage by a fucking Twitter account.

edited 3rd Jan '17 8:37:08 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
TrashJack Confirmed Doomer from beyond the Despair Event Horizon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Confirmed Doomer
#165096: Jan 3rd 2017 at 9:09:28 AM

[up] Speaking of the doomsday clock, it was set to 3 minutes to midnight in 2015, and it stayed that way in 2016. How much do you all want to bet that Trump will spark doomsday before the clock officially gets set below 2 minutes to midnight (the lowest it's gone thus far, when the US and USSR both tested thermonuclear devices within 9 months of each other back in 1953)?

edited 3rd Jan '17 9:10:03 AM by TrashJack

"Cynic, n. — A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be." - The Devil's Dictionary
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#165097: Jan 3rd 2017 at 9:17:32 AM

I'm hearing reports (though I can't confirm them) that Republicans in the House are backing down from changing the Ethics Committee Rules. If it's true, then this is a big win, and (I can't believe I'm saying this) we might have Trump to thank.

Keep in mind, I may be wrong.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#165098: Jan 3rd 2017 at 9:18:32 AM

[up] Oh they're just putting it on hold. Remember, Trump only criticized them doing this first before helping him enact his ideas. His terrible, terrible ideas.

edited 3rd Jan '17 9:18:52 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#165099: Jan 3rd 2017 at 9:18:35 AM

They'll probably re-do it once all the other stuff they are planning has been passed.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Mio Since: Jan, 2001
#165100: Jan 3rd 2017 at 9:20:15 AM

[up][up][up]Seems to be what the AP is saying.

As great as that is I really don't like how much power Trump's word seems to carry, between this and Ford's cancellation of the factory in Mexico.

edited 3rd Jan '17 9:20:29 AM by Mio


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