Blogging The Future
So, we're entering into a wild couple of weeks here at TPM world headquarters (and, naturally, in the world at large), and we want some input from you, our loyal readers. Who do you want to see at Cafe next week, writing about the future of the democratic party? Think politicians, policy makers, wonks, organizers, movers and shakers, etc, etc, etc. Drop it in the comment threads or shoot me an email. Tralala!
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Al Gore, Krugman, Feinman, Prof Michael Berube, etc
August 18, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Paul Krugman, Andrew Bacevich, Russ Feingold...
August 18, 2008 6:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
test
August 18, 2008 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Flynt Leverett and Steve Clemons to discuss neocon dems who may be involved in Obama's FP stable going forward.
August 18, 2008 7:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama, Axelrod, Joe Trippi, Pete Rouse, Howard Dean
August 18, 2008 9:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Movers and shapers" is the phrase... while popularity favors "shakers", I think it's important to stress the "shaping" of policy, and civilization.
Caligula could "shake" but, fortunately, didn't shape our moral view of what is appropriate.
Apart from that cavil:
I'm hoping readers will bring to our attention more journalism that is in the mainstream media that is as high a caliber of insight and eloquent expression as is Obama's. Pour encourager les autres.
August 18, 2008 10:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Somebody to balance out voices like Amitai Etzioni -- we could use a truly social liberal with an even libertarian attitude towards consensual or victimless crimes. We could also use a truly liberal foreign policy voice who could balance out all of the "concert of democracies" stuff that's been published here on and off for the last couple of years.
August 18, 2008 10:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Howard Zinn, always a rational and principled perspective and unabashedly on the left as opposed to the many who appear here regularly who are only slightly left of center and rarely advocate any kind of action. He wears no blinders when it comes to the Democratic Party or any of the elected officials and candidates of the party.
Lewis Black and yes, I'm serious. I saw him last week and his perspective (while funny) is both serious and valuable. He's another person with no blinders on when it comes to the Democratic Party.
August 19, 2008 1:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Two great ideas.
How about Jeremy Rifkin, as well?
August 19, 2008 8:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Andrew J. Bacevich and his book -- THE LIMITS OF POWER: THE END OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM.
please, please, please!!!!
August 19, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seconding Howard Dean (although he's probably even a bit busier than usual next week) and Howard Zinn.
I took from what you wrote, Lila, maybe incorrectly, that the discussion will be on how to grow the Democratic party as an institution that can work effectively in tension with, and be responsive to, a growing progressive political "movement". (maybe "movements" is more accurate) in our country.
Paul Hawken has written, in Blessed Unrest, on the flowering, globally, of progressive movements and organizations. He might have an interesting perspective.
Consider an unorthodox choice such as Linda Stout, a grassroots organizer from a modest background and author of Bridging the Class Divide: and Other Lessons for Grassroots Organizing. I'd be interested in whether she sees changes in recent years in the possibilities for a progressive political mobilization or mobilizations at the grassroots level, and what her experiences are continuing to teach her.
Getting farther "out there", University of Notre Dame professor Jackie Smith has studied and written on transnational social movements, specifically in connection with the World Social Forums, which I read a bit about recently in her short Global Democracy and the World Social Forums but some folks here may not be aware of. Her insights might be interesting.
I like hearing from the cafe's own Nathan Newman on this because it seems as though he actually talks to organizers and people at the grassroots level who are working locally or regionally trying to build infrastructure for progressive politics.
Maybe Matt Bai, for the abbreviated postscript he'd write to The Argument if he wrote it next week. I'd be interested in what he considers to be the most interesting responses to his book and how his thinking has continued to evolve since he wrote it, including what he's both more sure and less sure about.
If you could get him, Al Gore I am sure would have interesting things to say on this.
August 20, 2008 12:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
A few other possibilities...
*E.J. Dionne, Jr.
*U.S. Representative John Lewis, who might be interesting because of his dual background as a leader in the civil rights movement and now a long-term elected official.
*U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio.
*U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders, who's been here before also.
*The person closest to former Senator Paul Wellstone who could give us the best on WWPT?
August 20, 2008 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
robert kennedy, jr.
August 22, 2008 3:21 AM | Reply | Permalink