In 2020, I became a member of my Neighborhood Council. 3 years later, I was re-elected. I’m now readying to run for office again n a couple of yrs while becoming more active, locally.
Start local. Neighborhood Councils, school boards, etc.
CONTACT your congress critters. And be informed, to inform
I'd try to put together a team, I think. Experts leading, and then I'd look at marketing and PR. We're just selling an idea. They got people to buy pet rocks, for Pete's sake. PR for the experts: PR created Kim Kardashian. Writers and coaches for presentation. Once established, lobbyists/pols.
My idea here is that you must create a groundswell of support for this that comes from the bottom up. Top down won't happen, imo. So -sell it. Sell it like Double Bubble Dove and Nike ;) If there's one thing Americans are good at - it's marketing. Pols will be *forced to support it.
Citizens United would have to be overturned by the same court that judged in favor of it. I guess you would need to find a case that illustrates negative impact that you could fight through the courts. Something that stands the chance of making it to the Supreme Court.
It was when my people were enslaved. It was when we were freed. It was when schools integrated, it was when Civil Rights and the Voting Rights Act was passed. Racism and supremacy have been with us since this country was established. But that can't be the thing that stops forward progress.
Oh, and I know you understand what I'm saying given we are both black women of the same generation. All I simply want to get across is the fact that we must still fight despite the odds. (I assume I am preaching to the choir.)
The Supreme Court is all about who offers the highest bid then lets strip women’s rights. They haven’t recused themselves on anything related to Trump. Yet they accept his bribes and bribes from his buddy Harlan Crow. BTW Crow has a very large collection of Hitler stuff.
I understand, but that can also be a double-edged sword. Meaning, when the pendulum swings back the other direction (red), the court would be stacked conservative. On this point, there is no easy answer.
Why would you suggest anything Supreme Court? They are bought and paid for. They won’t help. They represent only themselves. 2 things Biden should have done. Fix the supreme crt and get rid of Trump like he promised. I want to hear how to fix it. He does plan to get rid of congress!
Why would I not. The Supreme Court is neither invincible nor immune to collective action and reasoning. I know this because I am a Black female that has never been enslaved as my ancestors were. Despite ALL levels of government fighting to keep the status quo. Not to mention Civil Rights
It puzzles me how so many believe that there will always be favorable terms to the fight for justice. Labor laws, women's rights, civil rights, the right to unionize, etc. None of those were gained without a fight. Neither branch of government actively supported any of the above initially.
My response to your post wasn’t meant to give you a hard time. It was a show of my large disappointment with the Supreme Court. How unethical they are, granting a felon/sexual predator total immunity and the ability to say and do whatever they want with no consequences. No trust to other leaders.
No offense taken. This is a conversation and a necessary one. I too am disappointed. I'm just not surprised. And I also know this won't be easy and will take both short and long term planning. I'm just more concerned that many will continue to believe there is a quick and painless fix. There is none
Kpow, I feel your pain. But there is no path that leads to victory that will not entail going through the very people who stand to benefit. And make no mistake, the ones in power will always find a way to benefit.
Honestly, I would have to consult some lawyers. I'm not in that field, but I will ask. I'm curious how cases are identified as Supreme Court contenders.
The bromances/campaign money between Trump and Elon Musk/Zuckerberg would be a pretty strong example of thousands out there...
Government Deregulation to benefit corporations literally causes accidents, catastrophic events, exploits labor, poisons, kills people, people suffer and struggle more
I,definitely, agree,but,I'll have to admit that watching Alito & Thomas, just, OUTRIGHT, say "Screw the American people!! It's NOT ABOUT the American people....it's about HOW MUCH MONEY WE CAN MAKE!!"
Also ppl need to minimize participation in billionaire economy. We lose ppl w that I think. Americans tend to be unwilling to be uncomfortable to achieve impact for a cause. The George Floyd protests and #metoo are 2 disappointing examples of the lack of substantive & long-term impact.
Those movements built momentum but didn’t follow it up with organized advocacy. We needed people to run for local offices and develop policies. We demonstrate, but we don’t want to do the boring, tedious parts of activism
Messaging that works against lies with reach deeper than Fox, OAN, Sinclair. Maybe include humor, use advertising, the Lincoln Project had some good ideas.
Robert Reich, Clinton’s former Labor Sec, has gr8 beg level video on YT, 10 Ways to Unrig the System. That’s where I’m starting. Not sure exactly, but guidance is helpful. The imm interest 4 me was RCV, so been talking it up. Found KS (me) used in past 4 primaries. Asking around, see if traction.
Mark, that IS the question, isn't it? What do we do? We stand up and fight for what we know is right. We don't support or comply. The citizens who did not vote, or voted for Harris, et al, total more than those who voted for Herr Pumpkinface. We all push back. But we need organizers, planning.
Here’s another idea change the laws to be reward good behavior. Also I firmly believe no state or government should tax a business for hiring someone. Why? Because we want them to hire people. Tax breaks should be given for helping the government or state you live in after you’ve done it not before.
Get some wealthy people on both sides even heads of companies to support a Constitutional Amendment to get money out politics. Last I heard there was something but I think it stalled out. If you could help with that, then…..
Use your voice to call out a daily list of needs toward norms and actions using your platform. Do it in a consistent way like Heather Cox Richardson to echo what you see as wrong or “the wrong way” in hypocrisy land..
We need a good opposition pushing for this: provide an economy where the working class has the opportunity to support a family of 4 with one income earner like my Dad's generation (hes 75) and his dad's generation (post WW2).
Avg people are working too hard and are hopeless for a home/ nestegg.
I'm not clear why you would choose Citizens United at this point. If the issue was that one side could massively outspend the other then sure, but both sides seem to have unlimited money just that one uses it more effectively than the other. Figure out how to better use the unlimited money.
You make the case that in under a decade and half the worlds richest people now have offices in the White House and do personally at the corrupt politicians on the Supreme Court. Study Teddy and FDR on their way that they really fought for the average American
Run local campaigns on the issue, 1 person 1 vote doesn’t work when super PACs, billionaires, and corporate interest groups get to funnel unlimited money to subvert government.
Most people have not even heard of Citizens United and the vested interests of crypto financiers in trumps reelection.
I really wish the democrats wouldn’t go into hiding after they lose an election. Why isn’t Harris out there pushing back? They need to get out there and continue the fight. Clinton hid after her defeat too.
Study how the right built their movement. It started in churches, grew locally, infiltrated one of the two political parties, won local and state elections, and then they started making policy. We need to start with something local.
Grassroots campaigns. That’s how they did it. “Journalists” for publications like Texas Scorecard use social media to find citizens to use as puppets to spread propaganda full of disinformation & misinformation. That’s what we need to do, but with the actual truth. Our truth is enough.
At the very local level. Either house district or, ideally, precinct. These would need to be funded organizer positions. With a central campaign manager.
What about passing a law in each state as Maine passed recently:
Nearly 75% of Maine voters supported the ballot initiative setting a $5,000 annual limit on contributions to so-called super PACs that make independent expenditures in candidate campaigns.
We need a leader to 1) Define our goals. 2) Prioritize our goals. Only one thing can be top priority. (When we accomplish #1, we can move to a new #1 but we don’t fracture the effort.) 3) Define the practicable steps we will take to achieve those goals. 4) Define roles & responsibilities. 5) Hit GO.
What we need right now is strong Dem leadership. We need a group of top Dems to respond to each and every act this admin does with what Should be done. And it has to be deciminated out like tRumps announcments. Like a shadow cabinet...
We need to be on this! Reps had a plan over last 15 years. We need a 1) set of real leaders 2) a shadow government that responds to each and every act by this admin with an idea of What should have been done & 3) a fricken plan to defeat every Rep in every race from now until 2028.
We need to tell Democrats to quit if they won't fund raise without corporate donors. Don't door knock, phone bank, donate or put their sign in your yard, don't help them win. This is a good time to do that because we are pretty much at the bottom right now.
Comments
Start local. Neighborhood Councils, school boards, etc.
CONTACT your congress critters. And be informed, to inform
IF Biden had expanded, and balanced, the SCOTUS we would have hope that those changes were possible in the future.
Government Deregulation to benefit corporations literally causes accidents, catastrophic events, exploits labor, poisons, kills people, people suffer and struggle more
We organize and boycott businesses that donate to politicians of any of party?
People have so much power but we've been made to feel like the power comes from the top. We need hope and real leadership.
Critical. We need great candidates for congressional house seats.
May you could recruit and fund? There must be some vulnerable seats in Texas.
Social media with truth telling.
Avg people are working too hard and are hopeless for a home/ nestegg.
Most people have not even heard of Citizens United and the vested interests of crypto financiers in trumps reelection.
Nearly 75% of Maine voters supported the ballot initiative setting a $5,000 annual limit on contributions to so-called super PACs that make independent expenditures in candidate campaigns.
https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2024-12-13/two-maine-pacs-and-free-speech-group-challenge-new-limits-on-political-contributions
How? https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/14/opinion/fix-congress-proportional-representation.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare