Leaving the Dem Party: Part Two - choosing the day

Desert Rose wrote a wonderful first essay here: http://caucus99percent.com/content/first-essay-here-leaving-dem-party

She brought forth a great idea. That we all leave the Dem Party on the same day. I'm all for it. I think we need to make it a big event. First off, we need to choose the day and then we need to decide what to call it and publicize the event.

Suggestions from her thread (and let's keep more suggestions coming in) were:
#PullingOut
#BernDay
#NoConfidence
#DemNoMore

Suggestions for the date:
A week before the convention
Build up before the convention, then do it the day or next to last day of the convention
In October.

Personally, I think waiting till October is setting up for failure. The week before or during the convention is a better idea IMO. But I think we should name this event, organize it and start getting word out there.

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voted. I'm thinking just before the convention.
There's still time for a HRC indictment, but I'm not holding my breath.
Yesterday's Evening Blue had a good piece summarizing the situation with HRC, Comey, DOJ, and the election.
http://www.ninaillingworth.com/2016/06/01/the-foggy-bottom-of-clintons-m...

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chuck utzman

TULSI 2020

Awesome idea!

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'Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years, Doctor, and I’m happy to state I finally won out over it." Elwood P. Dowd "

And found what you're referring to. http://www.humanistreport.com/-dumpdemsday.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIE-qxUENiA

That's one guy. It's a start. Thing is, it isn't a mainstream movement. We need this to reach the masses of Bernie supporters. Anyone know how to do that?

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we'll all be getting emails (maybe ones predicting DOOM---their specialty). When received, immediately unsubscribe. If they ask for a reason (optional), opt to tell them your reason. If we were really organized, we could craft a statement, and everyone use exactly the same words, so they know it's an organized effort.

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...all sorts of mail from Democrats who just aren't up to my standards, including Nancy Pelosi.

Feels great, but I don't have much ammo for a date anymore.

I'm up for other things I could do, though. I think it's a great idea.

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He has a head start on you.
Wtf?

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'Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years, Doctor, and I’m happy to state I finally won out over it." Elwood P. Dowd "

This is good and is also Reddit for Bernie Sanders' National DumpDem Day.

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It'll make the convention more interesting if in the run up to it the number of registered Dems starts seriously dropping; it'll give the lazy asses in the media something to write about. And spreading it will have more impact since anyone paying attention will wonder how long the trend will continue.

Another thing that can be done in the interim is to send some money to the Stein campaign. That'll show up in the FEC quarterly reports at the end of June. When Bernie started getting lots of small donations, the press had to at least acknowledge him—before helping defeat him.

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CaptainPoptart's picture

Leaving the party is not only a good idea, it is the only idea. But it must be coupled with the creation of a new entity that we can rally around and that will carry forward the issues that Bernie has made central to his campaign.

As the saying goes, all politics are local. We can start things here at c99%, but this is not so much a forum for action as it is for discussion of ideas. To carry the fight to the real world we need locally organized boots on the ground. I am not sure how we get there but am willing to start the ball rolling here in Phoenix. Are there others who will join me?

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I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance. - e.e.cummings

It's called the Green Party. No reason to try to reinvent the wheel.

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WaterLily's picture

Seriously. They have the Bernie veterans who know how to get shit done.

And I think this budding movement is complementary to theirs.

Anyone know how to grab their ear?

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Meteor Man's picture

Is this the same group?

http://caucus99percent.com/content/movement4bernie

My post has the link to the counterpunch story.

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"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn

featheredsprite's picture

https://www.facebook.com/brandnewcongress/

and, of course,
http://movement4bernie.org/

The real question is when. If Bernie were to throw in the towel and declare himself an indy candidate, that of couse would be the time to deregister.

Bernie is in DC now, attending a round of meetings and preparing for a rally tomorrow, as well as a meeting with Obama tomorrow. I don't want to desert him.

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Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.

Zinman's picture

The Green Party leader, Jill Stein, has invited Bernie to join them, and has offered him the opportunity to use their General Election ballot spot to run on in the General Election.

The leverage the Green Party has against the Neo-Con branch of the Dem Party is powerful in a General Election, especially if Bernie Sanders is the Green Party Presidential candidate in the General Election. Splitting the Dem vote by having Bernie on the Green Party ticket would mean the Democratic Party Neo-Cons would absolutely lose the election no matter what Hillary did to suck up to the RWNJ press and electorate. So, Bernie and the Greens can block the Dem Neo-Cons and Hillary from winning, but what comes next: trying to accommodate Bernie, but if he won't play? I have no idea, but I know it puts Bernie in the drivers seat.

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Be a Friend of the Earth, cherish it and protect it.

poligirl's picture

best thing to do is sign up on their site and they'll email you info on getting on a conference call. from there you can volunteer for the different teams. a lot of the teams are just getting off the ground now and the barnstorming tour just kicked off last week.

their site: http://brandnewcongress.org/home

we're gonna need a lot of help - it's an ambitious but doable plan...

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I live in Central Phoenix. Depending on your schedules, I would be honored to attend.

Many Bernie supports, including my grandson, would like a part of the action. They may not be able to meet in person due to working two jobs while trying to complete their undergraduate work.

It is no wonder Arizona is at the bottom in education ratings. The Maricopa County Sun City elders, and their Republican ilk continue to vote for Sheriff ugly and pay his legal fees with our taxpayer dollars.

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Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. Stephen Hawking

CaptainPoptart's picture

with contact info and we can hook up.

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I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance. - e.e.cummings

detroitmechworks's picture

Staying attached to it is just going to kill us all slowly.

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

i think it was a matter of having election results certified and that process is still ongoing. i guess there was some concern that when it came to your vote and you had switched party designation right after your respective primary then it might cause a problem for having your vote certified? i don't know what the actual cutoff date is for that. it probably varies from state to state.

i don't know if doing it the week before the convention will allow for the impression to be made when it takes time to update the voter rolls and transmit that information to the party. maybe if they see a sudden influx that information might get transmitted more rapidly.

whatever the date, it should be an easy one to remember. July 1, August 1, 7/7, 8/8 etc.

**edit**

from the LA Times.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-california-primary-wednesday-s...

As of early Wednesday morning, about 5 million ballots had already been counted, but there was no official word on how many remained. State election law gives counties 30 days to finish their canvassing of votes cast. Secretary of State Alex Padilla must receive certified results from each of California's 58 counties by July 8.

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officially nominating hrc could then be seen as the final straw. Before the convention would not be best. The media may just be looking for story lines to fill their dead air.

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"Fear is the mind-killer" - Frank Herbert, Dune

skod's picture

Er, convention. Whatever. Several of my (non-blogging) friends and I have already made plans to go to the courthouse as a group...

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WaterLily's picture

But not too long after.

1. We don't know what's going to happen between now and the convention, nor DURING the convention. If "we" (I can't leave the party; I'm already unaffiliated) leave before it, we effectively neutralize any leverage Bernie may have had, and that would be a crying shame.

2. There are elections in August that may require some of us to remain in the party in order to vote people like DWS out on her ass.

3. Let's do this on Labor Day. Addresses both of the above and resonates with Bernie's lifelong support of unions and the common person.

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B. Joe King's picture

Sends a strong message that the dems no longer support labor like they used to. Best way to get the word out is social media. Create a page and share it with everyone. Should spread like wildfire.
Not every state has a viable socialist party to join, but switching registration to a socialist party, the green party, or simply no affiliation should hurt the dems and show them that we are dead serious about the lack of tolerance millions of members and former members have for the way the party has bastardized itself in the name of economic prosperity for the few at the expense of the masses.
The DNC can go fuck themselves as far as I'm concerned, this was my first year as a registered dem, always been affiliated with the socialist party. Bernie was the shining beacon of hope and a legitimate shot at ending the right wing economic policy that has overcome the DNC.

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Gold is the wealth of kings; silver is the wealth of commoners; barter is the wealth of peasants; and debt is the wealth of slaves.

Mosquito Pilot's picture

when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security

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Dig within. There lies the wellspring of all good. Ever dig and it will ever flow
Marcus Aurelius

anyhow. It would give it new meaning and might just grab the attention of significant numbers of rank and file union members - not to be confused with their leaders, who fell in with those who brought us "free trade" deals and who promise more and bigger races to the bottom.

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"Fear is the mind-killer" - Frank Herbert, Dune

featheredsprite's picture

will be closed on Labor Day, don't you?

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Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.

WaterLily's picture

Perhaps it could be "Labor Day Weekend" - the Friday of.

Regardless, I've seen some wonder about media coverage. I agree with CaptainPopTart that much of this will need to be done on a local level, so we'll need people to organize a march/timed gathering at City Hall, Town Hall, the Courthouse, wherever each individual state handles party registration. This can be done via social media, email blasts, etc.

The day or two prior, each group sends a "Media Advisory." This differs from a press release in that it's a call to action and offers interview opportunities and photo/video ops.

I have experience in this and would be more than willing to draft a template that each group could use.

I think we may be getting somewhere ...!

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Haikukitty's picture

I strongly support a July 29 initial date for all those who can. The attention span in America is lamentably short, and we need to catch people while they are still fired up for maximum impact. It's all too easy to sink back and take no action, and once the general election nonsense gets ramped up, that's what most people will be focusing on. The media, too.

An initial action needs to happen while the conversation is still on the convention, or any potential impact is lost.

Then, a second date could be Labor Day weekend for all those August primary people.

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as a National Re-Register Your Vote, on the day after the convention and it is being discussed on an earlier thread here

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kharma's picture

so I can vote against Murphy and for Grayson. After that, I'm done with the Dem ID.

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There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties.. This...is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.--John Adams

dance you monster's picture

In another thread on this topic of leaving the Democratic Party en masse on a single day, Big Al raised a valuable question: what's the goal?

A lot of us are pissed off at how this primary season went, and we are anxious to find a concrete action to move us forward in some way, any way. Our disgust for the party's corruption, its handling of the primaries, its unending bait-and-switch under the cry "It's for the Supreme Court!," leaves us wanting to exit pronto. So the action we gravitate toward most viscerally is to leave the party on a single day. Why?

Any strategy should start with a goal, toward the accomplishment of which any action is directed, in a manner that cannot be misconstrued or confused by all who witness it.

What is achieved by leaving the party? Other than personal satisfaction, that is, at cleansing ourselves of the association and odor?

Does it lose the Dems votes? No, they were gonna lose those votes (or not) no matter what our official affiliation(s) might be.

Does it send a message? Maybe, but only if enough people participate on the same day. Any lawyer versed in courtroom battles will tell you you don't ask a question to which you don't already know the answer. Similarly, because it's also a battleground tactic, activists should not urge an action in which they don't already know they'll achieve success. Otherwise it just looks lame.

If we don't get a massive outflow, it reveals weakness or division in our ranks. Even if we are successful in sending a big message with massive defections, the action will be dismissed by the party and the corporate media as so many childish whiners and sore losers taking their ball and going home -- which sends a crappy message to others, fence-sitters now, whom we'd hope to recruit to a more progressive agenda in the future.

So if this is the extent of the action, it's personally satisfying at the expense of being strategically and tactically ambiguous, at best.

There must be more to the action. A goal. Something that requires this step of public defection, so the defection becomes a genuine warning. What is that greater goal that requires this defection? It's not the votes, which we can withhold without the defections. What else is it? Isolate that, and then see if a defection from the Democratic Party serves that greater goal best.

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PriceRip's picture

          should perhaps suggest a few (at most) well defined goals and then I can contribute by wordsmith-ing the hell out of any contributions. A manifesto of too wordy or convoluted reasoning won't generate much interest.
          To me the real point of the "divestment" action is to show the strength of will to either form a third party or to take over the existing party structure. This however might sound too pie-in-the-sky to attract many (if any) signatories.

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Haikukitty's picture

is to withdraw consent.

We are members of a party because that party aligns with our vision for the country. The Democrats have consistently moved away from ME, I haven't moved away from them. What possible purpose is served by my remaining on their rolls as a supporter? It just allows them to think that all of us are fine with what they're doing. We're not.

And I do think divestment makes an important statement - which is a good enough reason for doing it.

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PriceRip's picture

          I think focusing on some very specific concepts like withdrawing consent and emphasizing #ExitLeft we could make powerful and unambiguous statement.
          From my rather petty point of view I want to make them eat crow for all the arrogance I have seen these past few months.

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I think it needs to be framed as a vote of no confidence in the Democratic Party similar to that in a parliamentary form of government.

motion of no confidence (alternatively vote of no confidence, censure motion, no-confidence motion, or (unsuccessful) confidence motion) is a statement or vote that a person or persons in a position of responsibility (government, managerial, etc.) is no longer deemed fit to hold that position: perhaps because they are inadequate in some respect, are failing to carry out obligations, or are making decisions that other members feel are detrimental. As a parliamentary motion, it demonstrates to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in (one or more members of) the appointed government.

This fairly accurately describes my feeling about the current Democratic Party.

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#NoConfidence as the tag? The problem with ExitLeft is that "left" has been turned into even more of a pejorative than "liberal" since "liberal" only has RWNJs spitting on it while "left" has plenty of corporatist "Dems" slandering it.

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Haikukitty's picture

The entire reason the DNC has been allowed to move so far right is because we've allowed the GOP to set the narrative. Bernie has proved that plenty of people are just fine with being "left" and pushing for progressive ideals. The root issue is that the Democrats are no longer the party of the left at all.

I like #NoConfidence as a second tag, but I think standing up for the Left is important - which #ExitLeft does. You never, ever hear a Republican shy away from "Right" or "Conservative" - they keep acting like it's perfectly valid, and the rest of us fall in line.

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Haikukitty's picture

Sure, it's possible it won't grow into enough people to make a strong statement. OK, it no less a statement than staying registered Dem.

The goal is to shrink the parties influence. The goal is to have them "speaking" for a smaller and smaller percentage of the electorate.

Also, some actions are done simply because they are moral and right. My not shopping at Wal-mart doesn't seem to have hurt them much, they just opened a store practically across the street. I'm still not going to shop there, because doing so is bad for MY mental health.

One of the goals, if we can build this up so that we do it right after the convention, should it go as we suspect - is to put them on notice AHEAD of time that they can't count on our votes. If we get enough people to do so, it sends a message that what they are doing is going to cost them.

Additionally, its an action just about anyone can take - it doesn't require working people to take off to go to a rally if they can't afford to.

Say it accomplishes nothing? So what? It isn't making things any worse. If we can make it big enough to get some notice - all the better.

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dance you monster's picture

My wish, let's call it, is that that defection carry more weight, that it have greater effect, that it lead somewhere beyond just not being D toward being and doing something far better.

The only downside I see (and I am in a state with closed primaries, which is the usual reason many people do not defect) is the way that it can be miscast as pouting. We all know how much the Centrist Dems and the media love to cast Lefties in the most condescending frames. I want to disarm that argument, to make the ones proffering such a characterization be revealed as whiny, untrustworthy, and inconsequential themselves, and to raise high a brighter and nobler banner around which more can congregate to work for what can and should be.

Removing consent is a step, but not a goal. Removing consent is focusing on where we have come from. I want us to examine where we are moving toward. That's the goal.

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Seems like the first step to take in an abusive relationship is to get out. Then you can put your life back together.

Nationally, it's 29% Dems, 26% GOPers; wouldn't take too many changes in registration to flip that statistic. It's just a number, but it'll be big news if the balance shifts, even if in just a few critical states. And if there aren't enough of us to make a difference then we're just blowing smoke anyway and deserve to be ignored.

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WaterLily's picture

I know nothing about how this would work, but perhaps one of the stated goals is to overturn that practice and implement open primaries at the state level. That may not happen in time for 2016, but it will be important for 2018. So withdrawing our consent could be a first step toward that. Look at how many of the state conventions already voted to abolish superdelegates? Our actions have teeth.

Anyone smarter than I am out there who could advise whether this is a realistic goal we could attach to our action?

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Without revealing my age, let me just say I've been a registered member of the Democratic Party ever since I first registered to vote, which wasn't yesterday.

I will be contacting my state reps and my senators and corrupt House rep to tell them what I think of them and the Dem Party.

That's my goal. One step at a time.

Last night I went to my county site to download the form to change my party registration to who knows. Maybe I'll choose republican just for the hell of it.

As far as the date when I'll do it, as well as every member in my household, is still up in the air. The office we have to go to is in a dangerous city, plus trying to get there during the day when everyone has to work is even more difficult. So we can mail the forms in.

So if there is a date certain that is agreed upon, I'll mail everyone's re-registration form I think two days before the date picked.

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Zinman's picture

Votes for Green candidates provide a count of those with their specific political ideology and a platform to spread their message.

I do not identify with the goals and ethics of Hillary Clinton. Since she is now the presumptive leader of the Democratic Party, it seems best for me to move on.

The Green Party platform is a statement of principles I support, so by registering as a Green, I amplify their message.

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Be a Friend of the Earth, cherish it and protect it.

If we could get the Green Party to poll over 15%, according to existing debate rules, Jill Stein could be included in the debates between Clinton and Trump. The policies we want would still be presented to the people of America.

We would need to get her included in the polls and then have her support reach 15% in 5 consecutive polls.

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If it means that Republicans control every branch of government for the next 50 years, so be it. I will no longer tolerate neoliberalism from the Democratic establishment, especially not if they profess to be the party of the people. Either they change, or they don't get my support. I don't care if they call me a spoiler, Naderite, or whatever else. The party needs to wander in the political wilderness for a long time after this primary. The Democrats need to fear and respect liberals, because when push comes to shove, we can kill any chance they have of winning elections.

At this point, all we can do is exercise what little power we have and support a third party. I refuse to be complicit with this political corruption and remain a member of an organization that willfully disenfranchises its own voters and suppresses the vote.

I'll vote for downballot candidates that share my values, but on the whole I want the Democrats to lose. Badly. Only by tearing down one of the two parties (or both of them) can an alternative emerge in its place, thanks to the stupid two-party system we have in this country. We've tried taking back the party for nearly a decade now, and all it's resulted in is a bunch of political charlatans getting into office using progressive rhetoric and mealy mouthed "pragmatism." From now on, when they ask, "Are you really going to cut off your nose to spite your face?" my answer is "You're goddamn right I am."

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poligirl's picture

GOTV and fundraising purposes so they likely will notice if they plummet a bit. that will be accomplished by leaving at any time in the next couple months.

the leaving at the same time if the PR is good, draws public attention to it so DWS and her cohorts just don't privately weather it.

just my two...

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All this talk of leaving got me thinking back when. I don't even really know how I became a member. When I first became aware of how wrong and evil the Vietnam fiasco was I hated LBJ with a passion. I still remember the chants of LBJ, how many kids did you kill today? After watching the 68 convention on tv and the Chicago 8 trial I couldn't ever imagine thinking myself a democrat. Nixon was the trump bogeyman then and McGovern drew me in. It's been pretty much the same ever since. I'm sorry but the vote for hill because of trump don't work no more. I'm still self loathing and in shame for voting for Lieberman, thank you al gore. So I'm in the migration, enough is enough.

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“The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us”
― Voltaire

No2wingnuts's picture

I'm not liking the #PullingOut. If you have to ask...

Maybe come up with something more positive. #MovingOn, #LeftOrBust, #RisingLeft, #NewPath ... something without the word "no."

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"Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy." --Albus Dumbledore

Haikukitty's picture

which I also prefer to #pullingout - Lord knows we don't need to give them reasons to call us BernieBros or sexists...

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Raggedy Ann's picture

That made me laugh, Haiku - #pullingout - the visual is too much!

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

No2wingnuts's picture

it's important for us feminist Bernie Bros to weigh in on things like this!

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"Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy." --Albus Dumbledore

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featheredsprite's picture

So we stay away from sex, or anything that reminds people of the Shining Path.

We'll have to throw names around for a little bit and think about them.

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Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.

mitchbird's picture

Please excuse a Canadian for commenting or making suggestions. I can feel at least some of all your pain, bitterness and disillusionment -- but there's work to do and it should be done with focus, determination and pride. "Leaving the Dem Party" is the best idea I've seen. For everyone to do it in concert...same day, same name...will get the message across to the PTB. To have the most impact on the 'party', it has to happen before the convention...a week or just days before (I agree that leaving it to October is too late).

Another commenter here wondered how to contact all the Bernie supporters...I remember seeing an article on Politico in the last few days about what the DNC and the Hillary campaign want most from Bernie...his voter/supporter list or database (otherwise known as "the pot of gold"). Perhaps this could be worked out with Bernie's campaign. I know, I know...this could/would be seen as dirty pool, especially if Bernie officially throws his support to Hillary. However, if he goes the other route (i.e. says "hell with it" and runs as an independent), then all's fair, right? Just an idea.

It rarely happens, but there are many Canadians right now who wish they were Americans so they could participate in this. The Great Not-So-White North (thanks climate change!) loves Bernie and his message.

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mitchbird

mitchbird's picture

Please excuse a Canadian for commenting or making suggestions. I can feel at least some of all your pain, bitterness and disillusionment -- but there's work to do and it should be done with focus, determination and pride. "Leaving the Dem Party" is the best idea I've seen. For everyone to do it in concert...same day, same name...will get the message across to the PTB. To have the most impact on the 'party', it has to happen before the convention...a week or just days before (I agree that leaving it to October is too late).

Another commenter here wondered how to contact all the Bernie supporters...I remember seeing an article on Politico in the last few days about what the DNC and the Hillary campaign want most from Bernie...his voter/supporter list or database (otherwise known as "the pot of gold"). Perhaps this could be worked out with Bernie's campaign. I know, I know...this could/would be seen as dirty pool, especially if Bernie officially throws his support to Hillary. However, if he goes the other route (i.e. says "hell with it" and runs as an independent), then all's fair, right? Just an idea.

It rarely happens, but there are many Canadians right now who wish they were Americans so they could participate in this. The Great Not-So-White North (thanks climate change!) loves Bernie and his message.

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mitchbird

Pariah Dog's picture

As I see it, you good folks up there have had just as big a stake in our election flavored media events and there aftermath as we do. I corresponded with a couple people from up there during Dumya's years and I know how nervous y'all were.

So from my little corner of the place, your thoughts and ideas are most welcome. Maybe some day we can all join forces and become the North American Caucus.

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Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons - For thou art crunchy and good with ketchup

What about the night Bill Clinton speaks, although I think it should be more like for a week rather than a day so there is more time to build momentum.

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Beware the bullshit factories.

If I recall.... Bernie supporters planning on being at the Convention in Philly, in July have already chosen to do a massive de-register... to make the greatest impact on the Party... So the optics are the Weekend of the Convention. We don't have a specific day or time yet.. but the announcement will be coming from the ground in Philly.

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My assumption is that barring an incredible turn of events, Bernie will go right back to the Senate with a much larger voice and gavel. The Clinton backers are committed to marginalizing him because they know that the minute a Clinton administration proposes another neoliberal giveaway he'll be standing right there, where he's always been, in opposition to the bombs or the betrayal. Nothing would please them more than to characterize all Sander's criticism as primary sour grapes.

It's also why they're feverishly courting Elizabeth Warren for VP. The most overused word in a Clinton presidency will be "legacy" though "investigation" is likely to share top honors. Any opposition from the left will face withering establishment criticism until that key moment when the whole rotting enterprise crumbles in plain view. On that day, we'll all enjoy kos returning to write a heartfelt apology a compelling new series on saving electricity.

I think Bernie is going to have some positive action plans for us to explore very soon. I though he was magnificent last night.

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A mass exodus from the Democratic Party on July 4.

Declare independence from the party.

Declare the political revolution has started in earnest.

New_Declaration_of_Independence_0.jpg

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I like the idea of de-registering on July 4th..

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poligirl's picture

i may retool it a bit this year cuz i like the idea of leaving on Independence Day...

http://caucus99percent.com/content/declaration-political-independence-0

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but that's where I was going with it. In fact, my version begins much the same as yours, which I like very much.

The enumeration of grievances could take a while.

When in the course of human event, it becomes necessary for a people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another and to assume among the people of a nation, a separate and equal station to which the Laws of the Constitution and its Preamble entitle them, respect for the opinions of their fellow citizens requires them to declares the causes which impel their separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that people are created equal, that all are endowed by their humanity with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, Equality and Individuality.

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I like #DumptheDems... it plays on #DumpTrump...

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Kurichan's picture

#dumptheestablishment

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beyond him, and would just give more fodder to the Bernie haters in the party. Perhaps #DemNoMore, although I don't find it that catchy.

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Pariah Dog's picture

But I have a personal problem.

I live in Ohio. As if that's not bad enough, we don't register as one party or the other here. We just register to vote. The only time we're asked which party we're voting for is on primary day.

So any ideas on how I can make a bold one fingered gesture along with the rest of you?

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Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons - For thou art crunchy and good with ketchup

It is great that I don't have to switch back and forth to vote in our primaries but it makes it impossible to participate in changing my registration.

The only thing I think would work is if the movement incorporated sending emails to the head Dems in our state or region on the date that is chosen to officially leave the party.

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to candidates who challenge the party establishment; don't for those who are OK maintaining the status quo.

If enough people do that it will have more than a symbolic impact.

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Haikukitty's picture

For those states without registration, people can still help amplify the message on blogs, or social media if you participate there.

I'm trying to gather a list of potentially sympathetic journalists on progressive sites, if we can get some momentum going, they might cover it. So even just tweeting with the hashtags that are decided up or whatever is still helping.

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JayRaye's picture

about what I could do to help with #DumptheDems. There are many ways that we can help here in Texas. And I'll come up with a list one of these days and hope others will add to it.

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Never be deceived that the rich will allow you to vote away their wealth.-Lucy Parsons

Kurichan's picture

Should be soon and send a clear message right before or during the convention.

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As part of long-term strategy, however, what exactly is gained by changing party registration?

Is the idea to send a message to the party that there are fewer people registered as Democrats in the state? Is funding for the state party tied to registrations?

What is the next step to actually influence policy and elections?

Some skepticism that I have about the tactic is that it cedes influence to the party establishment. For older party leaders who really don't give a damn about where things are in 10 years, this seems like an ideal situation. The worst case (for them) would be a continuation of what has happened this cycle, where they are forced to defend their left-flank from primary challenges. We've seen examples this cycle -- and in the recent past -- where primary challenges have actually forced policy shifts. e.g. this cycle Debbie Wasserman Schultz's shift on payday lenders; in 2010 Bill Halter's primary challenge of Blanche Lincoln won concessions on the Financial Regulation law with respect to derivative regulation.

So even if the primary challenge fails, it can still achieve narrow, but important victories, that wouldn't happen without them.

Primaries also tend to be lower turnout than general elections, so if you want to exercise influence, that is where it is easiest. It is much harder to mount independent challenges in safe districts during general elections.

The Brand New Congress strategy is one case that might merit it -- e.g. the idea being to primary both parties. In districts where the GOP dominates, that might require a GOP registration.

I also think that a two-pronged strategy makes sense where there is a push to influence and reform the party from the inside, and also create or support structure outside of party control that makes purely independent challenges more viable in the future.

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the day after HRC coronated would be the best.

let the party know precisely who is leading them down a shit path

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What if we stayed as registered Democrats until after the November election? Then the DNC would see how many registered Dems did not vote for Hillary. I'll be changing to Independent the day after the election.

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American Independent Party

or

No party preference/affiliation = decline to state = a voter who is independent from both Demos and Repubs/not a member of USA's "Independent Party"

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