The Resistance and Restoring Democracy

Good luck comes from aligning strategies and tactics with
positive trends to overcome the contradiction and realize one's vision.

I. Vision - Ideas for the Future

1. Human Birthright - WAFE

Clean Water
Clean Air
Clean Food
Clean Energy

2. New social contract

Push to restore full employment; everyone must have economic benefits

Strengthen (not gut) rules that support good jobs.

Protect basic right to a union

Level playing field re trade agreements

Counter stark inequality by raising taxes on top 10%
Don’t be complacent

3. Better health plan 

Single payer system

Increase Medicare and Medicaid

4. Reinvigorate democracy

Improve voting accessibility
Limit money in politics
Uphold ethical standards
Undo gerrymandered districts

5. Overcome Divisiveness / Racial Tension

Uphold laws against discrimination
Invest in immigrant education
Hearts must change
Protest for equal treatment
Not retreat into bubbles
Keep expanding human rights

6. Solidarity not uniformity

Be Mindful

Show kindness

See & acknowledge all sides

Assume commonality

Don’t be attached to a particular outcome

II. Contradiction - How Did We Get Here?

Economic Inequality: breeds cynicism

Racial Tensions: global wave of immigration engenders uncertainty and fear

Polarization: closed-mindedness created by biased media

Foreign threats: can US keep its values in responding?

Decaying Democratic institutions: dark money in politics, citizen complacency

 III. Positive Trends

1. Environmental Mindset Nearing Tipping Point

. 33 states and DC have reduced carbon emissions via energy efficiency and renewable fuels

. California, New York, and Massachusetts (Republican Governor) leading the way on clean energy:
            CA has cap and trade
            WA carbon tax; have to pay $25 per metric ton = money for education

. Jobs in solar industry now outnumber jobs in both the coal and fossil fuel electric power sectors

. Cost of clean energy down 41%

            cost of wind energy down 64%

            Cost of batteries cut by ¾

. Solar = 25% job growth in 22 states in 2016

. Wind Energy grew 32% since 2015
. Socially Responsible Investing matches old style (fossil fuel/farm industry) investing 

. Jobs Justice Climate March April 29

2. Pro-Choice Democratic Women Ready to Run for Office

. Emily’s List launched Run to Win campaign to recruit thousands of pro-choice women to run

. Emily’s List already has 500 women ready to run in 2018

. Emily’s list is targeting candidates down to local school board level

. Facebook says there are 2500 women ready to run for office. Training groups are popping up.

. We can help women to run for office = Help Petition, Phone, Knock on doors

3. Grassroots Organization Is Happening

. Group called Together We Will is action-oriented and has 100,000 members

. Van Jones Dream Corps is organizing Love Army, a multicultural movement

. Indivisible Groups are forming and demonstrated against immigration ban at airports

. Move On holding phone conferences on action priorities

. Support growing for Indigenous Language Media

. Groundswell Movement – 3.6 to 4.5 Million in US marches

. Nasty Women Get Shit Done PDX produced diversity support yard sign

. A grassroots member-owned cooperative used county and city bonding authority with community banks to bring high-speed Internet to rural Minnesota

Oregon Representative Peter DeFazio says: Do some research and identify a group that is aligned with your values – add your support to their efforts. A powerful and organized volunteer force is the most effective way to target issues and Implement change.

IV. Strategic Directions for Restoring Democracy

1. Democrats need to be clear how bad things are

. Fewest Democratic elected officials at all levels since 1920s
. GOP total control of 25 states / Dem’s 5
. Senate problems in 2018: 25 seats up (10 in states Trump won); GOP only 8 up – all in red states

2. Resistance needs to be clear on advantages

. Clinton won popular vote

. With 48 seats – Democrats can filibuster
. Resisters need to figure out how to harvest long-term advantages – youth, educated, minorities

3. Get a message on the economy that cuts across class & racial lines

. College debt

. Focus on Bread and Butter Issues of ‘nationalists’

4. Congressional Democrats Need to Resist Republican Representative in the White House (Never use the President's name. Make Republicans own the disaster they have created)

. Total obstruction or pick fights?
. Against tax cuts for wealthy (unites Dem liberals and Red State incumbents)
. Prioritize confirmation fights, e.g. Pruitt for EPA
. Convince working class GOP supporters they were conned and are being played

5. Rebuild Your Farm Team

. Progressives need a message and persistent infra-structure to turn out voters every 2 years
. Get Obama to work on electing progressives up and down the ballot
. Obama and Holder on Democratic Redistricting committee  (Obama.org)

6. Democracy Needs You Your Full Span of Life

. Talk in real-life (not just social media)

. Organize

. Run for office

. Show up and stay at it

. Presume goodness

. Have faith in America (The power of ordinary citizens to bring about change)

7. Pursue A Red State Strategy

. Four red states are actively cutting carbon emissions: Alaska, Georgia, Tenn., W. Virginia
. Clean energy (wind and solar) is cheaper than fossil fuels in: Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska
. Red state of Nebraska fought against Dakota pipeline
. Three red states have an emphasis on Early Childhood Education: Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska
. Grow from Blue Counties in Red States. An example is Atlab Pareval (Asian Indian American) won County clerk of courts in Hamilton, Ohio.

8. Don’t think about next President yet

V. Tactical Actions

1. Be the Media

. Examine where you are getting your news
. Support Independent Journalism
. Understand opposing views - common ground with the ‘pro America’ crowd could be “No other government has the right to interfere in our elections”

. Rachel Maddow doing more analysis than most reporters

2. Engage On A Personal Level

. Be in Protest Marches: Be smart – not violent; if see people fighting, back away

. Join groups - Environmental activists, Peace camps, Women’s March
. Donate to Progressive causes

. Reach out to elected officials: visit local members of office – thank, resist, deliver letters

. Run for office – be a precinct delegate

. Get involved in county and state politics – less than 5% participate in politics

. Put consumer pressure on corporations that lobby and fund alt-right campaigns

. Daily Routine: Call Congress 202-225-3121 – Call state representative. Select/do one action

. Be prepared for the worst
. Stay committed - Keep in mind that periods of chaos bring renewal Jamaican disaster brought unprecedented economic investment.

3. Blue States Form Regions of Resistance

. State legislatures ratchet up standards - In 1970 CA and NY made abortion legal; they created the new normal.

. Pass health laws – think beyond ACA

. Protect the vulnerable - set up sanctuary cities

. Don’t let senators cut deals

. Stand up for Immigration - If Muslim Registry, we all sign up.

4. Hold Republican Representative in the White House Accountable

. Tell congressmen to stand up to Republican representative in White House

. Support local initiatives to resist Republican representative in White House and GOP

. Form a team of 5-10 Rapid Responders

. Donate to organizations opposing Republican representative in White House

. Resist: show solidarity - rally people to show that we know what they are doing

. Find International Support (74 countries oppose Republican representative in White House)

. Boycott Trump and Koch brands: Amazon, Uber, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Sears, Welches juices, Tident Gum, Universal Studios, Forbes, Millercoors, etc

5. Mount legal challenges

. Investigate unethical appointees; expose them

. Litigate – follow the law

. Run ads to support legal defense
. Support electoral reform -National Popular Vote Interstate Compact – have 10 of 165 votes so far

. Give money to groups like Common Cause and FairVote.org

Resources for this document Include

Action Network, Climate Hawks Vote, Common Cause, Daily Kos, DCCC, Diane Dunlap PhD, Emily’s List, Every Voice, Hear Our Voice, Karen Snyder, Michael Moore, Move On, People’s Action, Take Action Eugene, Sierra Club, Sisters March/Women’s March