We should be working like crazy down to the most local levels. School boards. Town planning boards. This has to be fought in the trenches from the ground up (pardon mixed metaphors). Fight like hell against the crazy gerrymandering of districts. Work side by side with our neighbors to change hearts and minds by being the party, the people, of action.
I've seen it work, and it's difficult retail politicking. I've gone door to door canvassing for local candidates.
Door #1: homeowner complains about an abandoned car on a vacant lot. "Let me call the board for you, sir, and I'll have it removed."
Door #2: homeowner wants to know why the garbage pickup is done by a private contractor and not the town. I explain how that part of the budget works--and if they don't like that, they should vote for Candidate X, who would like to change it.
Door #3: homeowner wants to know what Congressional candidate is doing for veterans. I explain that he's a junior member of the committee on Veterans' Affairs. He could chair it one day, but the Democrats will need to control Congress for that to happen.
Door #4: Route X is getting widened in (next town over), but not here. We have the same traffic problems they do. Why aren't we getting road improvements? Because we have no regional planning structure. Candidate X would like to implement some. Here's the plan. Would you like to read it?
Stray dogs. I call animal control. Litter. I call the town, or pick it up myself. Noise violations. I call the local constabulary.
I do it at neighborhood functions. At softball games. At garage sales. I show up at meetings, even the boring ones (they're all boring), because somebody has to. Otherwise people will just keep doing what they've always done. You have to walk the walk and show them the better way.
We have to model active citizenship.
If the republicans can do it, so can we. They didn't seize three branches of government, 31 state houses, and every office in between overnight. Suit up, kiddos.
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