Get This Party Started: How Progressives Can Fight Back and Win

By Matthew Robert Kerbel

Book Overview

Progressives and Democrats have done a good job of soldiering on after the devastating losses of 2000, 2002, and 2004, but the impassioned discussion of what to do next has had a fragmented quality-until now. Get This Party Started: How Progressives Can Fight Back and Win brings together thirteen leading Beltway and grassroots progressive voices for an integrated discussion of the electoral, message, and organizational strategies that Democrats should pursue to return to power and establish a lasting progressive governing coalition. We are at a juncture in history when voters could be open to a progressive message that is thoughtfully developed and carefully delivered-and this book offers a blueprint for how to get there.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0742540375
• ISBN13: 9780742540378
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.9" x 1.1" x 6.2"

Customer Reviews

IT'S ABOUT TIME, LET'S TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!

Sorry about using all caps in the title but I want to scream! This book has all the information you need to get started. The only way to succeed in the next election is with a solid grass roots organization in place. This book does not have everything you need ... but everything you need to get started. Buy this book, call your friends and let's take our country back!

Great book, right on target

This is a great book that is right on target. Here are 3 Ideas I would add: ( 1 ) - When you find people who say "There's too much money in politics. Politicians will never reform it." Encourage them to always vote against the candidate that buys the most TV air time. If enough of us do that, it eliminates the benefit of big money and reforms government without any help from Washington. ( 2 ) - An honest, progressive candidate should be able to offer voters access that their opponents can not. Offering to hold regular open town halls, provide Internet and mail survey tools to gather input from average people and hold themselves accountable with a report card that is guided by the first 2 tools should appeal to swing voters and jaded non-voters alike. ( 3 ) - Tax cuts for teachers. Yes, Tax cuts for teachers and a U.S. Dept. of Education that truly identifies and develops "Best Practices" and helps struggling schools implement best practices that fit their situation. Also 2 more tools to innoculate against Republican Dirty Tricks and great suggestions for pushing back the right-wing propaganda: Republican Dirty Tricks - Be Prepared to Protect Yourself and Fight Back http://www.gopdirtytricks.blogspot.com/ Fighting Back - Political Judo for the Strong of Heart http://www.fightbackdems.blogspot.com/

How to improve on the authors methods.

The author mentions the standard methods of grass roots organizing and petitioning but I suggest an improvement. If progressives form one large ad hoc union and boycott some of the major companies that give money to the Republican Party and lobby Republican representatives and senators we can make progressive legislative demands of the company CEOs or they lose our business and our money. I suggest people write congress and demand a progressive agenda and tell your representatives that unless they increase the minimum wage, pass universal health care, pass vote by mail with paper ballots counted by civil servants throughout the US and other progressive legislation, you will boycott companies like Wendy's restaurants, Outback Steakhouse and other hard core Republican contributors. I would also suggest people look at websites like buyblue.org and boycott-republicans.com which advocate boycotting companies that give money to the Republican Party and then demanding that these CEOs go to the Republican Party and get the legislation that we progressives want.