All of a Sudden, the Right is on the Rise

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All of a Sudden, the Right is on the Rise

It's now pretty clear that an emboldened and well-funded conservative movement has momentum going into 2010.

During the slow news days of August, one started to notice the scrappy conservative counter-attack on health care with their Tea Parties and Congressional town hall interruptions. It's now pretty clear that a real, emboldened and well-funded conservative movement has energy and momentum going into the pivotal year of 2010. This development is a clarion call for us to not let up on building a progressive political infrastructure and movement with the scale and the capacity to compete with the right across the country and win, over time, on a progressive agenda.

The resurgence of organized conservative activity was written about in a recent New York Times piece about Dick Armey and his influential movement organization, FreedomWorks. There are three points that strike me about about the conservative movement now:

ECONOMIC CONSERVATIVES ARE IN ASCENDANCE -- growing in influence and setting strategy for the right. The social religious wing, dominant in the Bush administration, has become less effective and relevant. Their message is angry, populist, and economic: FreedomWorks' slogan is: Lower Taxes, Less Government, More Freedom. Government takeover is their bogeyman. In 2010, they will focus on exploiting the economic pain in the country, railing against spending and taxes, and blaming all government and certain incumbents.
CONSERVATIVES ARE BORROWING FROM THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT. The NYT article quotes FreedomWorks staff saying that they are making close study of Saul Alinsky and other community organizers. Like progressives, the other side is increasing conservative candidate development (NY-23 and in GOP primaries all over the country), and improving their grassroots advocacy skills (like the impression made at August town halls).
THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT CONTINUES TO BE BETTER FUNDED. FreedomWorks, just one of many groups, easily raised $7 million from donors in 2008, including single gifts of $1 million and $750,000. The Leadership Institute, the premier training center for the right, sustains an $8 million dollar annual budget--at least twice the budget of any of comparable groups (like Wellstone Action) on the progressive side. Americans for Prosperity, another key conservative economic group has 73 staff people nationally and in 20 states.

The re-energized conservative movement is a reminder that steady progress toward lasting progressive change is hard, takes time and requires deep investment. One election cycle won't do it. So as we look ahead to 2010, a most important year of advocacy and elections, we must re-dedicate ourselves to progressive movement building. That means finding our own populist voice, increasing the strength, capacity and reach of our organizations and state infrastructures, training more candidates and their campaign workers, helping big numbers of young people emerge as leaders and honing our collective advocacy and electoral skills.

And we must do this work, as the other side does, at a scale that has impact in all the corners of this very large country of ours. This is what should be on our minds as we enter a critical 2010.

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Submitted by Jblodgett on November 10, 2009 - 10:56am.

The Extreme Wrong (there's nothing "right" about them)

Submitted by Jim H (not verified) on November 16, 2009 - 12:14pm.

The Extreme Wrong has an advantage in that they have only one voice.
They have sought out a base that does not question what it is told..
They also have effective media that is largely unquestioned.

We, on the other hand, are more of a chorus - singing the same song but
with many voices and not always at the same tempo. We need to become
more organized and work as if our future depends on the outcome -
because it does.

If you're serious about this Jeff, then send me an email and let's have
a serious conversation.

Stupak and DFLA + feministsforlife.org

Submitted by Judith Reichsman (not verified) on November 16, 2009 - 12:16pm.

For me, the Stupak Amendment is a huge relief and breath of fresh air. I am one of those radical progressive Dems who also believes that abortion kills the mother even more than the child - emotionally, spiritually - deep deep down. Please See www.feministsforlife.org ... Stupak does not lessen one's opportunities to have an abortion; it just makes sure that people who are against abortion do not have to pay for something they find immoral. Please please help us DFLAs (Democrats for Life of America www.democratsforlife.org) to be able to stay in the Dem. Party. I could not be a Republican any more than I could bring myself to forgive George Bush -- well, I am TRYING to forgive him... but it ain't easy. People like me helped elect Obama and can help bring back our many friends who left the Party over the Life issues. (By the way, anti-abortion Dems are also against the death penalty, war, poverty - we see it as one seamless garment - all the Life issues. BTW, I cried (and screamed) for hours when I heard of Paul et al's deaths. I so envisioned him as President. I know he and Sheila are THRILLED to see Obama as President!

Re:Jeff's post on "Conservatives on the rise" dated 11-10-09.

Submitted by Catherine Dorr (not verified) on November 20, 2009 - 12:50am.

Jeff is spot on. They don't give up & neither should we.
When their anti-government, anti-community message is empowered by the principles of community organizing (Alinsky et al), it is truly a dangerous mixture. This is why organizations like WellstoneAction, Progressive Majority & others are critical to the advancement of a progressive adjenda & good public policy. We tend to debate issues too much, when we need to be in the "leadership development" business. We tend to spend too much time in circular discussion with similiar-minded folks, rather than in study of the flaws of conservatives policies, adjendas & methods. We often pin our hopes on one "rock star" candidate & when (he) is elected to office, we retreat to our couches, rather than developing our organizing & advocacy skills. 2010 is our year of challenge - to do what we say & believe in. Learn, plan & act - and don't forget to VOTE !

Consistency is lacking

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 24, 2009 - 10:21pm.

You say that as an anti-abortion Dem, you

"are also against the death penalty, war, poverty - we see it as one seamless garment - all the Life issues"

but the power politics are always focused on the anti-women's choice issues; namely no taxes for abortion and now even personal insurance might be impossible to get. But well-to-do womenfolk have never struggled to pay for abortions, it is only those who have found themselves paid little to live on in the first place (i.e. those who would likely depend on federal benefits.) Now the Senate is also willing to tax women's sex appeal "cosmetic surgeries" but of course the male dominated Congress ignores ultra-semen producing Viagra.

I find your "choice" based on compassion for the damage to another woman, to whom you would deny her own personal "choice" (independent of that woman's situation) to be a laughably weak argument. Please don't pretend not to be a religio-fundamentalist who is unable to see the grey in these decisions if you believe a fertilized egg is a person. In that case you must accept this label. Alternatively, have you shown shocking consistency by blogging against the death penalty, war, and poverty this week, showing your concern for all the "Life" issues, perhaps even considering the grey areas that always exist in "Life"?

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Jeff Blodgett
Jeff Blodgett has over 25 years experience in community organizing and political management.
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