See below...
> -----Original Message-----
> From: andie nachgeborenen [mailto:andie_nachgeborenen at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Friday, October 08, 2004 8:35 AM
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Subject: [lbo-talk] Doomed
>
>
> Tell it to the far right. After getting smashed in
> '64, they regrouped, took over the local school boards
> and city counsels . . . . and here we are.
>
This is the direct mail, oversimplified, ahistorical view of what happened. The reality is far more complex. If the left is going to develop an effective strategy, it helps to start with a basis of facts. That's how Political Research Associates got started in the first place. For starters, try reading our overview article:
Drifting Right and Going Wrong By Chip Berlet and Jean Hardisty
Excerpt:
"Those who want to successfully challenge the Right's policies need to understand that not all sectors of the U.S. Right are alike. There are multiple networks of organizations and funders with differing and sometimes competing agendas. Different ideas and methods are used in various right-wing social and political movements. No one organization "controls" the political Right. No single deep-pocket funder is "behind" the Right. Some large organizations are important, but many others appear to be more influential than they really are."
"Traditional Republican Party conservatism is composed of several sectors, including corporate conservatives, moderate conservatives, libertarians, and neoconservatives. In addition, the Political Right includes other sectors such as the Christian Right, the Patriot movement, and the Extreme Right. Critics need to sharpen their focus and examine the details. It is not fair to equate the Ku Klux Klan with the Christian Right. It is fair to criticize anti-democratic aspects of both movements."
http://www.publiceye.org/frontpage/overview.html
And for fun, if you have a high speed connection, watch the slide show we present at conferences: http://www.publiceye.org/research/rw101/rw101.html
Chip Berlet