What can the Democratic Party do to win back the tens of thousands of Americans they have been alienating? People who care but who have been left feeling so disenfranchised, that they’ve lost faith in their party. Google “Why are Democrats losing voters?” for the details.
This, during a year that should have every Democracy loving American energized and looking for how they can best participate in the coming election, it’s frightening.
After all, more than anything this election will be about the future of open and fair elections in the USA. Beyond that, it’s going to be a national referendum between the importance of honesty and truth in America’s public dialogue vs. a descent into anger driven anarchy. No exaggeration, simply pay attention to how the Republican Party has been engaging in every imaginable dirty trick to stymie future election participation and voting legitimacy.
Why do so many remain blasé towards the Republican’s untethered lust for power and their increasing disregard for long held American moral and legal standards of honesty, fair play, policy based on factual constructive discussions and such? Isn’t retaining and protecting our right to free elections, along with defending our government’s checks and balances, and the rule of law a patriotic duty?
These questions deserve some answers no one seems to have. Besides, before tackling the growing Democratic voter disconnect, Democratic National Committee leaders would need to actually care about understanding why their rank and file have gotten so frustrated they're turning off in droves during this pivotal election cycle.
Successful politicians require strong, informed, proactive support at their backs if they are to lead, yet the DNC seems to be doing little to nurture that sort of buy-in from their grassroots. Why?
The DNC’s disregard towards rank and file concerns is reflected in the constant bombardment of DNC’s boilerplate donation pitches, as though donating money was all We The People are good for. I understand the need to fundraise, but what about making us feel like active participants through straight talk, informing us of challenges, and calling for feedback and engaging in confronting those challenges, striving to invigorate grassroots participation with ideas and strategies.
The DNC should earn its money by informing and engaging constituents in a way that makes sense to us and connects with our lives. Creating relevance, encourages enthusiasm, produces participation.
I know, here comes the cynicism, insulated Democratic Party leaders listening to the grassroots? Hah! In your dreams. How could such a thing even be achieved in this day and age? How could we the people ever connect with the DNC’s inner sanctum?
Why not use the internet? Despite the dark side of profiteering via hate mongering and gross misinformation campaigns, the internet has the ability to connect people like no other medium. Why not create a quality internet platform for having constructive political dialogue, by Democrats for Democrats?
The Democratic Party Online Discussion Forum. Give America’s untapped concerned citizens a place to go for sharing their own stories, ideas, concerns, questions, challenges.
The Forum would be public, though I think it would be appropriate to limit commenting and posting privileges to registered Democrats. It would require a short set of clearly spelled out guidelines. Participants would need to sign up and agree to abide by the forum’s rules and standards. Moderators would be of critical importance to the DNC’s Discussion Forum’s success - fair, consistent, with a flair for humor, touch of empathy, and an instinct for constructive resolution and steering dialogue back on point.
I’ve been participating at “forum.CenterForInquiry.org" for many years and they provide an excellent example of how such a Forum could be organized and operated. Although CFI is small, a Democratic Party Online Discussion Forum would serve as a nucleus for some serious community building and it would grow as Democrats across the country discovered a place to speak out, hear new voices, to learn and to network within the Democratic Party organization.
Politically interested citizens have few opportunities for connecting with others, provide us with a trustworthy discussion platform for constructive debate, along with simple easy dialogue among concerned individuals, I can't think of a better way to rapidly increase awareness, and reinvigorate a disillusioned Democratic grassroots.
After all, for all its faults the Democratic Party is all we have! We need to focus on fixing it, rather than abandoning what little remaining political muscle we the people have.
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