MoveOn After Bush
I don't have a whole lot more to add to the discussions about what "real organizing" is and how or why the MoveOn model does or does not fall short of it. As a closing thought, though I wonder about the future of the non-shouters that MoveOn has managed to connect to the political process. Ask anyone who's ever had to write a political fundraising letter (or email) what gets people to give money, and they'll give you a simple answer: outrage. At a panel with Ben at Netroots, he described the rhetorical mode of this kind of organizing: "Oh no you don't!"
Anger, frustration, outrage: they're all powerful motivating forces in politics, and in the face of corruption, criminality, and cruelty, they are justified and necessary.
But let's say Obama wins in November. How does MoveOn in particular and the progressive movement in general sustain the energy that has driven it for these last eight years? Obviously activists will remain engaged, bloggers will keep writing, organizers will keep organizing. But will the non-shouters stay engaged without the steady stream of daily outrages? (There'll be outrages under a Democratic president, lots of 'em. But they'll at least be fewer and farther between). At the Nation, I expect that we'll see a plateauing, even a decline in subscriptions. I wouldn't be suprised if MoveOn experienced the same with its list.
For the millions of people in this country who are not activists at heart, who aren't inclined to protest or involvement, but for whom the Bush administration and its awful war was just too much, it will be tempting to resume their previous level of engagement. We can't let that happen, if we want to take advantage of what this election might make possible.
So how do we keep them involved?
Maybe being an old coot gives a little perspective about this. Clinton was, at some point between terms in Arkansas, also a constitutional law professor (at Univ. of Ark. Law School). Yet as President he was no exemplar of respect for a whole variety of constitutional and civil liberties principles.
There will be plenty to do, and plenty of pressure to bring to bear. In this respect, the FISA pushback was a good, albeit jury-rigged, model.
As for low-information voters, most will revert to being low-information. Their attention is elsewhere, and they think, not without reason, that we are political propeller-heads. Of course, we're usually low-information on whatever they are, individually, high-information about.
August 1, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
This question actually extends to the broader netroots; the netroots is a product of Bush, and much of our activism is in direct opposition to Bush and the Republicans. That said, if November comes and we have a unified Democratic government, I think the next phase of the "movement" as it were, will be to work on improving the Democratic Party from the inside, and pushing it towards greater progressivism.
August 1, 2008 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amen!
Great question Chris. big Hayes fans at our house.
August 1, 2008 8:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
well, moveon existed pre-bush, and even in a post-bush obama presidency there will still be plenty of issues with regards to civil liberties, constitutional perspectives and organizational challenges regarding the needs of our country moving forward. moveon isnt engaged in some desperate relationship with bush, it was just thrust to higher visibility due to the great disrespect for our citizens that the current administration exhibited.
August 1, 2008 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think what is necessary is a unifying focus. That is what impeachment, and the war, and the trampling of civil liberties have given us over the past several years.
One of the great things about Obama is that he can generate positive energy as well as outrage. Can MoveOne do this?
I'd love to see MoveOn get behind health care reform in a big way; I believe they are part of the Health Care for American Now group which is currently revving up for the fight. There is plenty to be outraged about, plenty of dragons to be slain -- and a lot to be won.
There are other issues, of course. Health care is my personal favorite, and is going to be very big. It could provide just the challenge that is needed.
August 1, 2008 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
What will happen to MoveOn after Bush?
We'll always have Paris!
August 1, 2008 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Organizations like MoveOn can generate outrage at Republicans in the Senate who will block much of Obama's legislation. Unless we can get a filibuster proof majority, much of Obama's legislation won't ever get to his desk for signing. That's outrageous enough to get people to open their wallets. It just has be exploited.
August 1, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think this sham of a presidency has awaken a lot of people from their political slumber, but I don't think once there is a Dem in power they will fall back asleep. There are now more people engaged in politics than in many years prior, and people from varying demographics who have divergent interests. So while Ann H thinks health care is a big issue, younger voters may see the environment as a bigger issue, or education. If a Dem does win the presidency, groups like MoveOn with a general political focus may become less powerful than groups who are supporting individual issues, i.e. Sierra Club and the environment. What's important is that all of these people stay engaged, whatever their interests may be.
August 1, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't worry about a shortfall of outrage after the election. It's going to take some time to root out the infestation of the corporatists and their enablers who will still be around after Obama wins in November. Bushdogs and Liebercrats will still need to be excised. Not to mention the huge pushback we'll have to mount to counter the inevitable right wing offensive. Just think how busy all those former Bush administration functionaries will be, catapulting the propaganda from their new perches at cable news channels, op-ed pages and dozens of well-funded Republican think tanks. I see a bright future in the outrage market. MoveOn needn't worry.
August 1, 2008 6:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I cannot imagine that there will a lack of issues to be outraged about in the foreseeable future. Posit this...if Obama is everything we anticipate as he holds office, there is still a grand infrastructure of Bush political appointees at every level of the federal government who need to be urged to leave (many will, one hopes and assumes, without encouragement).
I don't mean a pogrom. But some of these people may choose not to leave their sinecures. That will keep the rest of us busy for quite some time.
August 1, 2008 7:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Simple.
Unless we change our way of life, Global Climate Change will KILL US ALL.
August 1, 2008 7:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
As soon as Obama has been elected we will be yelling for Petrais's ouster!
August 1, 2008 8:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am surprised at this line of discussion, mainly because it suggests Hayes has not done his research or has not been paying attention to MoveOn.
Much of what MoveOn has done since 06 has been trying to push congress in a progressive direction: on Iraq, healthcare, global warming/energy, civil liberties. This has involved house parties, rallies, citizen lobbying, phonebanking etc.
If MoveOn has progressive values at its core--which everything suggests it does--it would continue pushing congress and Obama to be more progressive.
August 1, 2008 8:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Reading that back now, it sounds much harsher than I had intended. Simply put--we've been pushing the Dems to be more progressive and will continue do to so.
Remember MoveOn helped Donna Edwards primary Al Wynn. Why would they stop then?
Either way-- great article, and again sorry for the tone of the comment above.
August 1, 2008 9:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
As soon as Obama has been elected we will be yelling for Petrais's ouster!
August 1, 2008 9:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama has said from the start that he expects the voters to stay involved during the governing process. That is one of the things I was and remain impressed by. He understands that really good ideas can come from the average person who has no power or platform to disseminate them. This has been a great power of the Internet and the blogs.
I also believe that we are at a transformational age that demands the citizens remain involved. Partly because life will be a lot different for an unknown period of time. The climate changes, the need to change energy consumption due to cost, and the economic realities we have no definite means of anticipating. I tend to prepare for the worst: a recession/depression prolonged by hyper inflation from funding Afghanistan and Iraq entirely on credit; and hope for much better.
It is hard to think anyone does not believe change is coming or can be avoided. Some still do and will not adapt well. The rest of us will be trying to develop solid solutions that will result in change for the better with the least amount of harm.
Either this period in history goes down as the age that saved the environment and human society/government to survive, or a time when humanity does too little, too late. The result, as one person put it: an era of post modern barbarism.
I think MoveOn will do the same as they did after Clinton and Monica became old news. It will MoveOn.
August 1, 2008 9:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
So much damage has been done that a first step might be to catalog every single item and prioritize them, and then start working for corrections.
Demanding the removal of every Goodling appointment might be fun, too.
August 2, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think MoveOn is going to have a tough time moving on from the position it's in now. It was a big mistake to run that poll of Clinton vs Obama and come out for Obama. MoveOn then was no longer the non-partisan voice for progressives it had been. It's not nearly as attractive an organization now. I hope MoveOn finds its way back to a non-partisan progressive mission. It is definitely needed there, as we have seen with the FISA vote debacle.
August 3, 2008 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink