General Discussion

MineralMan

(151,273 posts)

5. Activism Can Also Be Positive!

Thu Feb 6, 2014, 01:42 PM

Feb 2014

A lot of what passes for activism in the USA is negative in nature. Positive activism is less well publicized. Working to find and get good candidates on the ballot is positive activism. Working to get people to the polls and convince them that voting for the most progressive candidate who can win is positive activism.

Negative activism is encouraging people not to go to the polls, and not to elect candidates who represent the best candidate who can win the election. That kind of activism benefits the other side every time.

I'm in favor of positive activism that results in progress toward progressive ideals, even when those ideals are not completely met by every person who is elected. I've never met a single candidate who agreed with my positions on everything. Never. I never expect to, either. So, I'm always working to elect someone who may not agree with me in all areas. That's reality.

Positive activism is also communicating with those who are elected to try to convince them of what you find important. That's positive activism, and it's aided when your other activism helped those people get elected.

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The President is NOT the Only Person We Elect! [View all] MineralMan Feb 2014 OP

Damn straight! DU Rec! Tarheel_Dem Feb 2014 #1

Thank you! MineralMan Feb 2014 #2

Only sometimes? Tarheel_Dem Feb 2014 #3

That does occur on DU. MineralMan Feb 2014 #4

Thanks for reminding me ... 1StrongBlackMan Feb 2014 #6

I've noticed the same thing. Thanks for posting this. Just like the post today or yesterday about okaawhatever Feb 2014 #35

Well, if I were in TN, I'd sure vote against her. MineralMan Feb 2014 #36

hey! why you kickin at me?! that's it.. PUT EM UP!!!1!!1! dionysus Feb 2014 #13

Here. Kick this guy! Tarheel_Dem Feb 2014 #22

Activism Can Also Be Positive! MineralMan Feb 2014 #5

Yes, and s/he is the only one we ALL elect. elleng Feb 2014 #7

Yes, and that's why most Presidents MineralMan Feb 2014 #8

Quite rarely they are all on the same ballot Boom Sound 416 Feb 2014 #9

True, but there are always other elections on a MineralMan Feb 2014 #10

Exactly. HappyMe Feb 2014 #11

Agreed Boom Sound 416 Feb 2014 #14

Unless you live in Oregon, that is the only office we, you and I both, vote for. Bluenorthwest Feb 2014 #12

Yes, that's true. However, that's not why I brought this up. MineralMan Feb 2014 #15

BS. When people say they aren't voting Democratic it's because the party as a whole has moved right. Dawgs Feb 2014 #16

That varies from place to place. MineralMan Feb 2014 #17

Sounds like we are on the same page then. Dawgs Feb 2014 #18

I think we are. MineralMan Feb 2014 #21

I find it ironic that you claim it's not true that people only care jaysunb Feb 2014 #27

Why not? Can Obama run again in 2016? Dawgs Feb 2014 #32

The Party moving to the Right is the root of the problem. RC Feb 2014 #34

KnR! Hekate Feb 2014 #19

Thanks! MineralMan Feb 2014 #20

Note however: He and the VP are essentially the ONLY nationwide elected officials rock Feb 2014 #23

That's the point. It's all of those local elections that really matter. MineralMan Feb 2014 #25

But it's the President and VP that matter to everybody rock Feb 2014 #28

And that's why I wrote this post. MineralMan Feb 2014 #33

This is what it's like in my insanely blue area during a primary election... SMC22307 Feb 2014 #24

Yes. Thanks for what you do locally. MineralMan Feb 2014 #26

Voting: It's not just something you do every four years flpoljunkie Feb 2014 #29

K & R Iliyah Feb 2014 #30

Technically the electoral college elects him. Rex Feb 2014 #31

I was also going to bring that up ..... oldhippie Feb 2014 #45

Local elections are so important. One of the big issues we'll be facing in the next few years is the okaawhatever Feb 2014 #37

School board elections are generally non-partisan, so party MineralMan Feb 2014 #39

Agreed. gLibDem Feb 2014 #38

Which is why 2009 and 2010 were so important. Octafish Feb 2014 #40

Yes. We dropped the ball in 2010, especially. Since the state MineralMan Feb 2014 #42

KnR sheshe2 Feb 2014 #41

Thanks very much! MineralMan Feb 2014 #43

You are quite right about sadoldgirl Feb 2014 #44