A day late and a dollar short, that’s me. . .

I’ve only just gotten to this lively debate on RT after the weekend, so I wasn’t able to contribute.  So, in lieu of genuine debate, I’ll switch to shadow boxing. . .

rochesterturning.com: turning the tide upstate

That?s what progressives who want to make a difference need to do. Of course, I?m not talking about hitting anyone. I?m talking about coming up with tough questions that surprise people like Kuhl and Walsh, I?m talking about staging spur-of-the moment protests about issues other than Iraq (like stem cells), and I?m talking about filming all of this and putting it on YouTube (which people have gotten pretty good about). That?s winning politics, and despite the violent imagery I brought up, it?s also respectful politics. Kuhl and Walsh deserve to be put on the hot seat with difficult questions; I?m sure they agree that is part of their job description. They don?t deserve to be treated like war criminals ? Dick Cheney does, they don?t.

OK, read (or reread, as the case may be) the above blog and comments on your own, it’s a good one.  The main points, from my point of view are:

1. Are MoveOn.org campaigns becoming predictably angry and playing into the hands of Republicans?
2. How do Progressives “Fight smarter” against the Republican Noise Machine?

On the first issue, I wonder less whether or not MoveOn.org is playing *into the hands of Republicans* and more about whether they’re playing *out of the hands* of Dems and like-minded individuals.  They’re constantly shrilling about something, but what and where?

The “what” starts to get hard to figure out after a point.  The “where” is my freakin’ email inbox.  Several times a week.  Over and over again.  One just popped up on my inbox whilst I typed this entry, no shit.  I’m sure Nita Chaudhary is a nice girl, but she’s not speaking to me, just using my inbox like so much cheap wine.  I don’t want your freakin’ bumper sticker.  No means no, you swine.  I’m starting to feel all dirty.

Where else have I heard of MoveOn.org doing anything?  Nowhere.  Maybe I’m just not paying attention, but if you can’t grab the attention of those who aren’t hanging on your every word, who gives a shit?

Let me be clear, I’m not cynical.  OK, so I’m cynical, but that doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention to politics.  I read the D&C; I read CNN (god help me); I read RT, TAP and a host of other local, state and national political blogs, obviously.  But I don’t have a freakin’ clue what MoveOn is doing, and I really don’t care anymore.  I’ve long-since stopped reading their emails, I’m just too lazy to unsubscribe and a kind of “morbid fascination with lame” keeps me interested in an odd way.

And if that’s my opinion, what could the opinions be of the Senators’ and Representatives’ staff who handle all the skeins of email and letters those people get in a day?  If you said “straight in the shit-can,” I’ll betcha dollars to doughnuts you’re right.  Because ultimately, all they really represent is the same Liberal/Progressive position they always do. 

I’m not saying that the Progressive voting bloc isn’t important to a lot of Senators, but rather that I doubt MoveOn’s efforts are really swaying the conversation one way or another that public opinion polls couldn’t have done.  They’re not saying anything new.

I’ll get to the second question and my own lame answer in another post. . .

Technorati Tags: MoveOn, Progressive, Messaging, Media

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