The job ahead for Democrats -- A Primer

By Carol Gee

Voters and elected officials are being called upon to lead in making the changes needed by its citizens to the government of the United States. It will be essential in November to elect local and national Democrats in large numbers and, most importantly, to completely change out the current administration. That means no substitutes, namely Senator John McCain.

Because the nation has a huge cleanup ahead of itself next year, it will be useful to remember the basics. Things could be much worse than you think, according to "Facilitatrix" at the Lucidity Forum. To quote:

So take up metaphorical arms and do what we need done to save us all. Winning an election isn’t going to make things magically better. But it’s a necessary first step toward unraveling our knots and cutting the puppets’ strings. Just don’t expect the superclass to give anything back without a dirty, ugly, bloody fight.

What do we need to do "to save us all," as this fine writer suggests? Party unity will be important, and it will come, I believe well ahead of the August convention in Denver. Meanwhile there are a few things upon which we can work. Each person who understands the nature and depth of a problem needs to contribute to its solution.

First we need to prepare for the fight. The Republican party will fight to the end because they have a great deal to lose. Democrats, if they listen to constituents who matter most, will work to diminish the stranglehold of the oligarchy currently in charge of the U.S. government.

In order to be successful everyone needs to stick to what is most important, avoiding unnecessary distractions. Mainstream media's tendency toward reporting the "horse race" aspects of election campaigns leaves out much thoughtful analysis. Regularly ask the question about Republican claims or spin, "What is the real deal here?

Learning what is actually true is essential to the effort. Voters and Super Delegates alike must stay well informed from reliable sources. Reading from objective foreign sources, from trustworthy bloggers, or from the best of the nationally recognized newspapers, is absolutely essential. You will not get enough of the truth from television news.

We all need to maintain a good level of hopefulness. Having faith in the election process is important for Democrats to maintain the confidence necessary to win. And there is no logical reason why we would not be able to take back our country from the destructive forces of oligarchy. A majority of citizens believe we are on the wrong track. They will believe in the rightness of the cause, and a Democratic set of solutions.

(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)