Former Congressional Staffers: How to Fight Against Trumpism

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1. Akademos says:

   December 31, 2016 at 9:39 am

   One way, be happy! Happy New Year! Take Care of Yourselves! Remember to de-stress! Take care of yourselves and your loved ones! Be calm, be civil, be kind. It’ll drive Trump absolutely crazy.

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2. Susan Lee Schwartz says:

   December 31, 2016 at 9:44 am

   Thanks. Good one!

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   • Akademos says:

     December 31, 2016 at 10:01 am

     Thank you, Susan.

     Happy New Year!

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3. drakestraw says:

   December 31, 2016 at 10:14 am

   Thank you for sharing this, Diane. I’ve posted it on Facebook in hopes others will find it, use it, and pass it on, as well.

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   • Laura H. Chapman says:

     December 31, 2016 at 12:05 pm

     I have forwarded to several local politically active and savvy people.

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4. Another nyc parent says:

   December 31, 2016 at 10:21 am

   Great ideas of how to organize against the destructive Trump/Pence agenda, using the successful tactics of the Tea Party.

   I disagree with one aspect. They state that the organizing should stay together by focusing on just being opposition and not to get bogged down in stating what you are FOR.

   I do agree that progressives tend to get divided on the issues, and wind up fighting against and distrusting each other. But I think the tea party agitators whose methods they think we can use fell into unproductive, destructive nihilism, where everything just gets broken down or co-opted by corp interests because they were mostly just a voice AGAINST. To have all this organizing result in a future that we want, and to draw people and gain popular support for the policies we want, we should have some bedrock principals and positive visions we can agree on. So, do everything these staffers suggest, AND try to find areas of agreement with your fellow protestors.

   I like the basic, cross-party organizing points of the Brand New Congress, for example. This group was started by former Bernie grassroots organizers and they’ve lit on some basic, helpful policy points on which people of many political persuasions can agree. We can resist the current agenda, spark a new big tent basic agenda to regain people-controlled govt, and be more than a movement of “no.”

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   • Another nyc parent says:

     December 31, 2016 at 10:26 am

     Also, Brand New Congress is looking for “regular people” including TEACHERS to run for Congress in 2018, in both political parties, agreeing to basic principals to return Congress to a people-powered institution helping regular folks, with Bernie-style grassroots funding. They specifically state they are looking for teachers to run!

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5. retired teacher says:

   December 31, 2016 at 10:28 am

   Activism will be a priority for the next four years. It is the only way to combat the nightmare that is about to ensue. Can progressives beat the Tea Party at its own game? It is only possible if people organize and work for common goals. Unlike the Tea Party that never wavers from its message, the Democrats are facing an identity crisis. Unless they start speaking up for issues that impact the majority of the country and act in unity, it is unlikely people will follow them. In order to excite most middle class people, Democrats must abandon the neo-liberal policies of Clinton and Obama. Their past agendas have contributed to crushing the middle class and increasing income inequality. Democrats must return with a true progressive message that is authentic in order for people to get excited. The Democrats should study the appeal of Bernie Sanders. He is an authentic progressive that has not wavered from his message for decades. Honesty and support for issues the middle class cares about would be a refreshing message from the Democratic party.

   Since I live in the reddest part of Florida, I have decided to join the Florida League of Women voters. I hope I will be able to contribute to fighting for our democracy and fighting against Trumpism. By joining an established group, I hope to hit the ground running.

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   • another nyc parent says:

     December 31, 2016 at 10:46 am

     Retired teacher, that is great! As a person in a red area, you can do so much to disseminate a populist Bernie style message that has a lot of appeal amongst voters of all stripes. Talking about that here in my nabe I am just preaching to the converted.

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   • Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:

     December 31, 2016 at 2:01 pm

     retired teacher

     Agreed and living in the bluest of blue states . I suspect I will be spending more time lighting the fire under my new Democratic Congressman’s butt.

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6. Akademos says:

   December 31, 2016 at 11:30 am

   Trump is psychologically still in high school.

   https://www.google.com/amp/mashable.com/2016/12/31/trumps-ultimate-new-year-tweet-enemies.amp?client=safari

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   • Akademos says:

     December 31, 2016 at 11:40 am

     Distractive cover for this?

     https://www.google.com/amp/www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/12/twitter-melts-down-after-donald-trump-praises-putin/amp?client=safari

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     • Abigail Shure says:

       December 31, 2016 at 12:48 pm

       Great link Akademos!

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   • Catherine Blanche King says:

     December 31, 2016 at 11:45 am

     An adolescent? Just mirroring his constituency?

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   • Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:

     December 31, 2016 at 2:05 pm

     What did Little Hands Know and when did he know it .

     About Mike Flynn’s discussions with Putin and Giuliani’s involvement with the NY office of the FBI

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7. AlwaysLearing says:

   December 31, 2016 at 11:31 am

   Great information. I’ve been waiting for something like this. Thanks for the post.

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8. Lloyd Lofthouse says:

   December 31, 2016 at 12:10 pm

   I’ve read more than once that the two Koch brothers, David and Charles, were behind funding the birth of the Tea Party movement.

   And it is obvious that once it was born and a spreading terminal cancer, they rubbed their hands together in glee and stepped back to witness the endless destruction.

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   • Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:

     December 31, 2016 at 2:22 pm

     Read Correctly

     The Rick Santelli rant was spread through a network of internet domains that instantaneously appeared the same day

     http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-zuesse/final-proof-the-tea-party_b_4136722.html

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9. Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:

   December 31, 2016 at 2:39 pm

   The power of bodies on the street should not be ignored . Locally and Nationally.

   Would income inequality have even been in the equation, had the Occupy movement not made it a National Issue.

   The loser has to know he lost and be reminded frequently

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10. Linda says:

    December 31, 2016 at 5:10 pm

    Has a savvy political observer, written an explanation about how the nation got to a point where each of us, as individuals, are forced to staff, provision and steer a ship of political activism?
    Is the answer simple? There are two parties, the first, run by Walton-funded CAP and, to a lesser extent, by the hedge funds of DFER and, the second, run by some other rich 0.1% er’s?

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11. Flolindy1 says:

    January 4, 2017 at 9:19 pm

    Rachel Maddow featured this on tonight’s show!

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    • dianeravitch says:

      January 4, 2017 at 10:51 pm

      I saw that. I think we will be saved by the generation now in their teens and 20s. They will not tolerate the fascist society that Trump’s minions want.

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12. Mary Ann says:

    March 19, 2017 at 3:58 pm

    Thank you!

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