Forwarding the Conversation

Yes, you’ve guessed it. Time for another installment of Newsweek’s online reality series ‘The District.’ Check it out!

President Barack Obama discusses the recent passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Newsweek has created a second episode of the hit internet sensation “The District.” Feast your eyes out!

Newsweek has answered that question in its first installment of The District. This first episode is being called “The Callenges We Face.” Check it out below.

How to Win in the Age of Obama:

Inspired by “How to Beat a Republican” by Rahm Emanuel

Start with Your Plan and Stick to it…

After eight years of George W. Bush in the White House, the American people are ready for a different type of leadership. People are tired of “divide and conquer” politics and rigid adherence to ideology. In the midst of one of the worst economic downturns since the Great Depression, the American people are looking for solutions that work.

Barring another terrorist attack on American soil, the next four years are all about the economy. Anyone who can coherently link their ideas/issues with job-creation and economic growth will be successful. Partisan games will not be tolerated. Right now there is a four-year window for ambitious overhauls of arcane institutions and social programs. The American people have lost faith in their governing structures, and are ready for their leaders to make a major investment in the long-term health of this country.

On issues ranging from infrastructure to healthcare, social security to education people are worried about their children’s future. This desire for solutions translates to an electorate with no patience for partisan rhetoric or negative campaigning. There will always be candidates willing to tap into people’s fears and biases to get elected, but in the Age of Obama practicality trumps the status quo.

A Winning Roadmap.

No two districts or races are the same. Be wary of comparisons to races of the past because you are running on the present and future. Meet voters where they are both physically and mentally. Always stay within yourself by knowing who you are and who you are not.

Always Look Forward. Always keep proposals, solutions, and rhetoric forward-looking. Stay away from the arguments of yesterday by always looking for new ways to frame the issues.  Instead of “restoring” Medicaid cuts, talk about cutting costs by tapping into new investments in promising technologies. You will never please everyone, but people respect “common sense” solutions.

Use Common Sense. Everyone wants what is best for the country, and most individuals subscribe to a particular ideological framework. Use your opponent’s record of partisanship as leverage to contrast your record of finding real solutions for real people. Nobody will vote for the Democrat or Republican who toes party-line when a proven reformer is on the ballot. When dealing with systemic issues like education or healthcare reform leave all options on the table. Use a “whatever it takes” approach to solving problems.

 Listen. Meet people where they are and give them a voice in the campaign. Invite input and feedback by giving voters access to all members of the staff and the candidate. Once you have gathered voices use them in the formulation of strategy and policy.  Once you have figured out what you want to say, tests it out. The key is listening; people want to feel like they are a part of something. Listening is an invitation to possibility.

Be Inclusive. Barack Obama takes office with approval ratings in the high 70% range because of his willingness to work with whoever shares his vision. Democrats, Republicans and all those in-between have different solutions to problems, and it is vital to make sure that all are included in the process. Remember that people are looking for solutions and neither party has all the right answers. Take the best ideas from both sides of the aisle and make them your own.

Utilize Technology. Do not simply adhere to the Obama technology/organizing model. Add to that model by taking advantage of new technologies and tactics. Know your own strengths and weaknesses; Obama’s campaign was partly successful due to cult of personality. In your online organizing know that what worked for Obama may not work for you.  Find creative ways to use existing online networks to spread your message and engage people. Remember that it’s important to invite people into your process.

Select a Committed Staff. Even with the best campaign plan there is no replacing committed, hardworking, campaign staff. Beware of high profile consultants. They may have a lot of interesting ideas, but in most cases they will not be around when the rubber meets the road. A committed group staff will be there for you through good times and bad. They will make some mistakes, and by the end of the campaign they will reward your investment, in them, with loyalty – one of the scarcest commodities in politics.

Run to Govern. Always remember that once the campaign is over that you have to govern. Know what you want to achieve before you even begin the campaign. This will give you a clear picture of the campaign that you want to run. Never do anything on the trail that will jeopardize you or your opponent’s ability to govern. Always remember you are running to be a public servant. 

Why Should I Vote for You?

The election of Barack Obama will inspire individuals to run for elected office who will unsuccessfully try to replicate his campaign principles and structure. Most will miss the major lessons by focusing on organizing techniques, methods, and style. This leaves a lot of space for candidates who truly understand the basic conceptual framework of the Open Campaign, which has been described above.

The basic question that voters will ask is ‘why should I vote for you?’ Everybody can see that the structures that have governed us for the last 40 years are beginning to crumble. You need to show people that you understand their struggles. Respond to challenges by showing that you have the mental flexibility and acuity to respond to the new challenges just beyond the horizon.

Written by: Ross D. Rocketto

This post is in honor of three individuals whose purposes are connected and whose paths will cross tomorrow. This post is in honor of the MLK, RFK, and Barack Obama.

Nearly forty years ago Bobby Kennedy stood before an almost exclusively African American crowd in Indianapolis and informed them that Martin Luther King had just been assassinated. You can see the video below and read the transcript by clicking here.

Now here we are on the fortieth anniversary of Martin Luther King’s death – the eve of the innauguration of the 44th President of the United States, and the first African American President. Nearly forty years ago Kennedy stood before a crowd and uttered the words:

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black.

Forty years later that message has been resurrected by Barack Obama who proclaimed in his 2004 DNC convention speech (which you can watch below)

there is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America — there’s the United States of America.

Barack Obama has sounded the call – yet again – for each of us to summon our better angels. He has summoned us to have love one another and to treat others as we want to be treated. He has summoned us to look at what unites us instead of what divides us. Obama appeals to a part of our humanity that no individual has been able to reach for forty years. Obama calls for each of us to “be the change we want to see in the world.” He calls us now to action because he knew as Kennedy did that:

Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. 

King inspired a nation to Dream. Kennedy dared to bring that dream into reality. Now Obama stands upon the shoulders of all those who came before him poised to move King’s dream closer to reality. Tomorrow at noon Barack Hussein Obama will be sworn in as our 44th President.  King’s Dream is still alive and we’re not there yet.

Funny how the conversation hasn’t changed all that much over the course of 70 or so years.

So – here goes – I’ve never done anything like this before, so I am a little bit nervous. This post is about a new idea that I have and I NEED your feedback, ideas, possibilities, and connections. I cannot do this without the support of others. So – please support me by posting your thoughts after you read this. I will post updates at least twice a week. Thanks in advance!

I am looking to start a new website. This website would house all local, state, and federal legislation. It would be easily searchable, contain legislative summaries, and give people the opportunity to organize around the legislation. 

I believe there is a need for this because right now there is no one site that contains all of this information. This site also has the opportunity truly flatten of the democratic process. It will give people the opportunity to see all of the laws that exist and then it will provide context for those laws. The context is incredibly important here – people need to know what this legislation means to them in their daily lives. It’s true that some legislation, some of the time, means nothing in the lives of average people. There are other instances though where legislation does make a significant impact in the lives of ordinary folks. Sometimes a seemingly innocuous clause can effect the lives of millions. 

I want to create a site where people can get this context, digest it, and then decide if they want to do something about it. I want to create a site that will allow ordinary people to mobilize around this information and create change. I want to create a site that brings the individuals who legislate to the same table as the people whose lives are impacted by the legislation. I want to create a dialogue that occurs both online and in person. 

The assumption that underlies this entire concept is that people do not have easy access to the laws that impact their everyday existence. Beyond that – just because someone can find the legislation doesn’t mean that they will understand the way it’s written. Most people don’t understand the way in which the bills are written. Moving a step further, I believe that if legislation was easily accessible and understandable that many would be moved to action based upon what they saw;  legislation is often  loaded with pork projects, special kickbacks to big campaign donors, etc. 

I believe that it’s time that people have this information. I also believe that it’s possible for people to have this information at their fingertips in real time. Armed with information I envision a central location where people can interact with one another, with advocacy organizations, with elected officials and their staff, and with other key stakeholders who help guide political process. I want to create a central platform where the process of democroacy occurs – in plain site – for everyone to see.

I’d like to call this project The Great Experiment because – like democracy – this process is a work in progress. It will never be complete and will always be open to the universe of possibilities. Like democracy this site will give efficacy to people – this site will give a voice to those who may have forgotten that they had one. This site is a testament to the idea that people do matter in our system – that we are stronger united than divided.

I implore you to provide me with feedback, suggestions, comments, concerns, connections, etc. I believe this information and interaction is necessary for the strengthening of our civic life and democracy.

I now officially give this process away to you – the reader. Please support this idea by acting as a guiding voice. Thank you!

WOW! So – I think by now everyone probably knows what happened with Governor Rob Blagojevich. In case you haven’t, the short story is that he put Senator Obama’s Senate seat up for a metaphorical auction. He was looking for kickbacks in turn for appointing someone to the US Senate. To take a look at the comments by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald click here.  I’ve chosen to include this in my blog because you can identify things by what they are and what they are not. Blagojevich represents everything that is wrong with politics and the political process.

Over the course of the day I’ve read various articles about Blagojevich’s statements and actions and what strikes me the most is his recklessness. He knew he was being investigated by the FBI and yet he flaunted the fact that he was looking to benefit from Senator Obama’s vacated seat. To be honest – I am at a point where I am just about speechless. I truly do not understand how a man of his position – of his stature – could go this low. 

I’ve included a press conference that was held on Monday where Governor Blagojevich arrogantly invites anyone listening to tape his conversations. Honestly, this whole situation is almost comical in its absurdity!

I want to start this post out by commenting on the fact that I’ve not published anything new in awhile. Thanksgiving was a hectic time – I was travelling – and upon my return I was hit with a sinus infection. This is the first opportunity I’ve had since before Thanksgiving to post. So, here goes…

The Obama transition team recently sent out an e-mail and created a new part of their website that invites people to join in a discussion of the issues. This new section is called Your Seat at the Table. I think that this is an important development in the democratic process as the new administration is signaling that it is interested in what ordinary people have to say.

What I wondering is whether this is a genuine attempt at receiving input in order to forward the conversation. Feel free to post what you think. Below is a video that was released a few days ago.