We need an anti-corporate tea-party from the Left

[27inCali]

I think this would actually help the Democratic Party regain the House and will energize a help us elect some really progressive congressmen/women.

The tea party may have cost the Pugs the Senate, but it got them the House. Conservative voters who felt betrayed by the big spending of the Bush years were lured back in by the tea-party. Disillusioned Dems can use a new movement/party as a means to express themselves and get pumped and positive about the political process right away.

people are hurting. They are angry. Part of their anger at the Democrats was that they were too soft on the banks and that HCR was too soft on Insurance industry. Too many half-measures and compromises not with the Pugs but with corporate influence.

we need a new movement/party from the left that can run in tandem with the Democrats the way the tea-party does with the Pugs.

This new party can label itself as a strict anti-corporate/anti-bank/anti-elite party. Well known Progressive Democrats in the Senate and House can groom and promote the new party candidates the way Pug leadership did Tea-party types.
We can run them against Blue Dog assholes in the Primaries. A few may win, a few may lose but I think in the end run it's the best way to get more Progressives into the Congress

I don't think this party should use any of the old terminology or labeling of "Progressive" or "Green" but there should be a new name given to give the sense that this is a fresh new movement with new ideas. Not just the labeling, we need to drop the school-marmish facts-based approach and start adopting much more simplistic sloganeering that appeals to emotion not logic -ad a dash of classic machismo and bravado, but machismo in the name of chivalry, dramatic appeals to emotion and noble concepts of honor. Stay away from the facts, let the people fill in a lot of the blanks with what they want to hear, just give them a few simple slogans about kicking the elite rich in the nuts.

It's simple. We hate corporations, we hate big banks, we hate the elite. we are Robbin Hood -put us in power so we can kick their ass!!! We want to get rid of corporate personhood and citizens united. We want to break up the big banks and ditch the Federal Reserve. We want to tax the hell out of companies that ship job overseas give huge tax cuts to the ones that employ Americans, attack the Deficit by taxing the uber-rich, hardcore Class Warfare . it's so simple, it's so appealing to people all over the political spectrum even conservatives and some conservative leaning random voters will like this stuff so long as it isn't presented as something "Liberal" or "Progressive".

All we need to do is to hold a few big marches. Designate a few charismatic Lefties as the spiritual/philosophical leaders of the party and wham!!! The GOP wont know what hit them in 2012.

Basically what this will allow us to do is pull the Democrats left the way the Tea-partiers pulled the Pugs right. It also will create an opportunity to put more Progressives into the House and Senate not just more obnoxious Blue Dogs.

on whether this movement/party should support a primary challenge to Obama, I don't know. Depends on how it's done, but it is probably a big risk and I think we are better off using this movement/party idea to focus on getting Progressives in Congress that will give Obama more Progressive legislation to sign. And besides, there's little or no chance anyone could beat Obama in a primary -at least anyone who is actually out there who might try it.

I welcome some critiques of my ideas as it is not that well thought out, but I offer this idea as a way to get more potential Democrats out there energized leading into the next election. maybe even before the election, we can generate enough energy to cow some stupid house Reps into voting with the Dems in ways they might not otherwise. But my most pressing desire is just to say: have hope and continue to fight.

[flamingdem]

1. NICE TRY - I'll stick with the Democrats nt

[blm]

2. Yep...and we should fly the Gadsden Flag appropriately, unlike Teabaggers who twisted it

beyond recognition.

Not that corporate media would pay attention.

[AnOhioan]

3. Already got one, but too many Dems blame them for Dubya.

Not that the accusation has any semblance to what really happened.

[unpossibles]

4. it wasnn't the party that got them noticed (besides they lost twice what they won)

it was their corporate sponsorship and coverage. Several leftist versions of the TP exist, but they get no positive play in the corporate media, if any coverage at all.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. Reading this, I first thought of Move On. Seems as if this has been tried.

But it has not worked any more than the Repug Tea Party worked. I do not think that the Teabaggers won except in a few cases. Voter apathy on the Dem side is what won. The far right and the far left will really never win. But I do think that Move On is one of the best examples of what you are talking about---trying to energize proponents, giving pertinent info on issues, standing behind the candidates who most embrace the left agenda. It hasn't worked. Dems sat home in large numbers.

[OhioBlue]

6. I agree with a lot of your thoughts.

I've gone through a range of emotions in the past few days and was thinking along the same lines... we need to out propaganda the propaganda...

I'm also thinking we need a completely new strategy... I think the Right that created the Tea Party saw what we did in '08 with the Obama for American Organizing and took it to a new level.

I think a lot of us on DU are thinking and feeling like you... we need to organize... but how do we start?

[d_b]

7. lols good luck getting 24/7 coverage by the corporate media.