Anyone Know How To Get A Rally Started?

you got him wrong (0.00 / 0)

the strong desire of 2007 dems to shake off the heavy hand of the Bush/McCain era led us to idealize Obama.  But if you were listening, Obama's sweet nothings were rolled out along side a second narrative.  A narrative that shows him to be a liar.  Do you remember the "memo" of one Austan Goolsbee?  The same man who is became the President's chief Economic Adviser?  Well, during March 2008, while the campaigning Obama was promising Labor that he intended to renegotiate NAFTA, Professor Goolsbee assured the Canadians that Mr. Obama's protectionist stand on the trail was "more reflective of political maneuvering than policy."   Indeed.  Why would you think his promise to walk beside us is somehow different?  Or even if he makes a show of appearing somewhere, that his POLICIES will change? This is the same guy who proposed freezes for federal workers, the same guy who let Card Check die without a fight.  

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by: nsodano @ Thu Sep 08, 2011 at 00:04:40 AM UTC

Lets call him on the lies and drop him some shoes (0.00 / 0)

Still think the rally idea woulod send a hell of a message if we can get thousands of pairs of shoes dropped at the front gate of the white house.

If we don't stand together, we fall alone
That didn't last long.

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by: Couch Potato Politics @ Thu Sep 08, 2011 at 01:13:02 AM UTC

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Obama needs another pair! (3.00 / 1)

The rally is a good idea, but we need more than one rally.  We need lots of them over and over again.  This is going to be hard work over a long time.  And, by the way, Obama doesn't need another pair of shoes.  He needs a pair of balls!  He needs to stop surrounding himself with Wall Street types and start standing up for workers instead of just offering up empty rhetoric when he's campaigning.

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by: Dave Schraeger @ Fri Sep 09, 2011 at 10:48:57 AM UTC

Rally: Local Not National (0.00 / 0)

National rallies upon a big stage like DC require a national organization with national connections to be effective. Setting up an umbrella group to coordinate with state-wide groups for an event in Trenton (or individual events in different counties) would be more doable. Having a great TV visual like boots on the steps of the State House or a county building is an excellent idea.

You get support when you have a goal broad enough to attract lots of participants, but specific enough so that it is clear what the expected outcome must be. For example, marriage equality is a goal broad enough to attract a diverse group of supporters, but it also has a specific expected outcome - for ME to be legal in NJ.

Ideally a protest should achieve its desired goal, which often means working with the powers that be, such as legislators, needed to bring about the specific results.
Act Up was a great example in that protesters had visuals, a cause and they did not just hit the street and shout. Each demonstration, in the case of NJ Act Up, had a goal: to get UMDNJ to conduct more HIV research, for one town to end HIV discrimination among its ambulance crew, for a city to offer more HIV services, etc.

A big demo requires a lawyer, publicist/press spokesperson, monitors, police relations coordinator, advertising team, phone bank, EMT, website, Facebook, Twitter, transportation coordinator, and a lot of sweat labor. And a great slogan always helps. But its all worth it when you raise the consciousness of the public, empower supporters, and bring about a tangible result.        
 

"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." - Sen. Ted Kennedy

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by: Bill Orr @ Wed Sep 21, 2011 at 19:32:26 PM UTC

State is Great! (0.00 / 0)

But the person we want to speak the message to is living in the White House, not the state house.

I specify DC because it was Obama who said he'd put on his comfortable shoes to stand with labor.

And a bunch of people showing up to drop a pair of shoes in front of the white house doesn't require a lawyer or a publicist. Just enough people to care, take trip to DC and leave a pair of shoes in front of the white house gate.

It would be great if we had a machine behind it to coordinate it but with social media, thousands have gathered, spontaneoulsy, to do less important things because they had a facebook, twitter, SMS feed and some time on their hands

I like the state and local idea but this is really a message to Obama.

If we want to send a message to the state leadership, in New Jersey leave a school book on the state house steps or in ennsylvania leave a jar of dirty river water (frakking).

I like your thinking and if we can get more people thinking, maybe WE can make a difference again.

If we don't stand together, we fall alone
That didn't last long.

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by: Couch Potato Politics @ Wed Sep 21, 2011 at 20:17:28 PM UTC

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