We’ve had some interesting discussions kicking off the BMT Electoral Politics Project. The overall picture is one of deep skepticism about most electoral work for the Democratic party…and yet, in response after response…there’s also been a kind of determined engagement and perseverance on the part of members here. (The link will connect you to both sets of discussions.)
In the next phase of the “EPP”, the rubber starts to hit the road.
As I’ve mentioned previously, this will be the first of two posts in which I ask any and all BooTribbers for their Five Top Progressive Platform Planks.
I’ll be working with vieravisionary to try to chart your responses. Read below for a brief “set up” of how to make your list easier for us to track…
This will be the hardest of the “open mics” to chart and track since we are asking both for specific ideas and/or broad concepts. One person might simply have “issues” that form a Top Five Progressive Platform items…and another person might have five concepts or principles. Either approach is okay.
What I’d like to ask of you is three simple requests:
1). Whatever your platform planks, please number them and make them as “boiled down” and succinct as possible.
2). Whether you make “broad statements” or simply state specific goals, undertand that your choice of platforms items is entirely your own. (ie. you may suggest things that are deeply personal and specific or general and philosophical…either way, understand that what you choose will be understood as simply your choice.)
3). If at all possible, at the end of your “Platform Plank” include a parenthesis with your suggested “Tags” for that plank. ie. A Plank about Universal Health Care might have a tag that read (Health Care). A plank about Gay Marriage might have a tag that read (Civil Rights Gay Rights and Fairness.) This won’t be perfect, but it will help us sort your feedback…if that turns out to be possible!!
Editor’s Note: For a great example of how to keep your list short and use tags try this comment by ignorant bystander.
I want to make clear that this is NOT a scientific survey and I won’t be using your responses in a way that turns it around and concludes any “pat answers” from what gets listed. I don’t see this as an election….it’s the beginning of a discussion.
In particular, moving on to the next phases of the EPP…what we come up with here will be quite useful.
For example, next up will be an open-call for identifying Five Progressive Politicians or Leaders that each of us looks up to. Obviously, what Platforms we choose will influence those selections. After that, the next step will be a BooTribune-wide call out for the names of Candidates, Politicians, and Organizations that best work on Election Reform. After that, the issues we highlight in our Progressive Platform Planks will determine where we go from there.
At the end of the day, this discussion should provide a useful set of names and links for all of us. In particular, I’m very much hoping that this process will turn up new faces and names from the wide pool of local candidates and leaders.
Finally, if you are interested in joining vieravisionary and me in the “behind the scenes” tracking of responses…or, if you have a desire to create a Website clearinghouse for this project, please email me at kidoakland”at”comcast”dot”net.
So, on with the EPP!
Question Two: please list your Top Five Progressive Platform Planks below.
