[lbo-talk] A 'Progressive Conference'

[Nathan Newman]

Moveon collected massive lists because they targetted issues that people
were excited about and would therefore join their email list for updates and
to contribute money.  What's got to be frustrating to some folks is that
some of their key issues-- fighting Bush's impeachment, defeating Bush-- 
don't fit your idea of a "mass issue", yet it mobilized a lot of people.
But there are a mass number of people who are both antiwar AND for electing
Democrats, far more than the third party fundamentalists.

The sad fact is that MoveOn is proving that there's plenty of activist
energy out there.  The traditional left just was pushing unpopular dog food.

Nathan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com>
To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 2:00 PM
Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] A 'Progressive Conference'

Chuck0 wrote:


>I think that Brad's attitude is on target here. What is Moveon doing
>other than replicating Wyrich's direct mail organizing for the
>Republicans and taking it to the Internet?

That was massively successful. If that's "all" they're doing, it
could have formidable long-term effects.

The right has beaten us on at least two important fronts - one, the
sort of database building that Weyrich did, and two, getting radical
ideas taken more seriously by the less radical. I was a right-winger
in 1971, and you have no idea how marginal we were. Now, it's CW.


>  And Brad is right about Soros too. We *could* be replicating what
>Moveon is doing but we lack the resources.

But MoveOn doesn't take that many resources. The Internet is
massively cheaper than direct mail, and quicker and easier to
automate. I'm surprised that you, given your role with the Infoshop
website, would take this position.

Doug
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