Using Technology to Deepen Democracy, Using Democracy to Ensure Technology Benefits Us All

Sunday, June 20, 2010

OFA As Agent of Transformation

In an enormously welcome surprise move, the DNC has decided to direct fifty million dollars to OFA. About the decision BooMan writes (and I heartily agree with him):
Organizing for America, the grassroots, progressive wing of the Democratic National Committee, is getting all the love and attention they could want, and we should be ecstatic. But don't expect any love or approval from the white blogosphere, who will interpret this as an abandonment of traditional progressive groups… This strategy is transformative because it does the opposite of taking the black and latino and youth vote for granted. If you want progressive policies, you have to start with a progressive coalition. The Democratic Party has to come to believe in the power of their progressive constituency. If they learn that they win elections by mobilizing the marginalized… they will evolve to reflect that new reality… This confirms my belief in Obama's core convictions, and it's precisely the opposite of what [most?] online progressives would advise. That's because this strategy e[s]chews traditional progressive organizations in favor of Obama's true base.

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