whats the best way to get involved?

[LastKnight]

while remaining canadate-nuetral... that is. i havent chosen my canadate yet because i cant seem to find one that fits me exactly. i dont have the financial resources to donate to all of them and really just dont know what to do or where to go to sign up to do it... or should i just wait till primary season is over?

im confused about the best way to get into it. (keep in mind im only 17 with financial and time restraints)

-LK

[wtmusic]

1. check this website

http://www.ontheissues.org

It takes a little reading but it's reasonably neutral and you're going to come away with a helluva lot more intelligent decision than basing it on news reports.

[LastKnight]

3. oo looks like a good place

thanks

-LK

[hellhathnofury]

2. I'm in a similar situation. 17 and no time that is.

Talk Bush down to just about everyone you can. Encourage your friends to register when theyre 18.

[alfredo]

4. Start local.

That is the best way to really make a difference. Get the city to fix a dangerous intersection. or save a park from development. Working on local issues will in time put you in touch with like minded people.

that old bumper sticker that reads, "Think globally, act locally", is good advice.

[diamond14]

5. here's the link to the Democratic National Committee ....

just sign in....if you want to volunteer and you sign in for volunteering, someone will call you within 24 hours to talk to you about how to help....we need lots of help...little efforts, big efforts, short-term, long-term, no time but money, no money but time...the Democratic have just opened a BIG new building here in DC, with tons of computers, lots of video/TV studios, and a WHOLE floor set up for the selected candidate (whoever wins the primary) to run their Presidential campaign....there's lots to do already for the Democratics, without any party affiliation (and/or you can work on a party too...I'm working on Kerry's campaign....all candidates have web pages that you can sign up for to help)....

http://www.democrats.org/


and

sign-up to help for the upcoming pro-peace, anti-war demonstrations, March 20, 2004...in cities all across America, Canada, and the whole wide world...March 20, 2004 is the ONE year anniversary of the bush* war that was supposed to take 6-weeks...so we need to send a clear message AGAIN, real loud and a real BIG demonstration that WE THE PEOPLE want our troops home and the war to end NOW.....just find out what city you can march in, and go there....optional to bring ballons, signs, an outfit, an instrument, a float, a costume....mostly just bring yourself, and/or friends and families...

http://www.internationalanswer.org/


and THANKS for volunteering...I walked the streets with campaign materials when I was 12 years old....17 is a good age to get started in political and social activism...you'll meet lots of GOOD people who care about others and work in their communities...you may even find a career....study the TWO web pages...enjoy and you'll get some ideas...put your email on both pages, so you can get updates on 'what's going on'.....THANKS again...you're making a good move...it's the best decision you could make....

[LastKnight]

6. alot of good info here.

thanks a million, ill be signing up for everything i can heh.

-LK

[diamond14]

8. on the DNC site, put in your state (SD?) and it goes to a lot

of links to South Dakota Democratic Organizations throughout the state...

you could email any of those people and offer to help...just tell them how old you are and tell them you want to get involved, but aren't sure how to do it....

for 2004, it is THE BIG YEAR for politics...politics is 'what's happening' all over American in 2004....

--------------------------------------------

here's roughly how it works....(at least for Democrats...the reTHUGlicans have a uni-campaign, just a single candidate so reTHUGs are real boring)

1. HAPPENING NOW...Local Meetings...meet-up with candidates...more meetings...(this is where we're at right now)...candidates are writing and speaking about how they will approach different issues as a President: education, defense, agriculture, environment, etc....during this time, the candidates are changing their ideas as they meet and hear from their 'grass-root' local people....so it's like a 'big Speaker's Bureau' going all over America to speak about "WE THE PEOPLE" and what WE want....(bush* is the only reTHUG running, so he only talks about what he alone wants, and bush does not meet with 'local people')...

2. FEBRUARY 2004... the Presidential PRIMARY Elections....some States have an election to VOTE for who they want to run for Democrat President ...in my State of Virginia, we vote on February 10th (I vote at my local library, and LOTS of people will be carefully watching while people vote, because of the Florida mess...no tricky stuff allowed here...)

Voting cost lots of money, so not all States have voting for the Primary Elections, some do it in other representative ways that are less costly. Each State is different....but each State, in their own way, chooses 'local' people (delegates) to represent the 'local' ideas and interests at the National Convention....

Here's a link to the South Dakota Democratic events...and I'm not sure if they vote in a 'Primary', so you'll need to find out about YOUR State, by emailing some locals...but it looks like they're having a BIG State Convention (party-time), where 'locals' will decide...
http://www.sddp.org/events.html

here's a short list of the upcoming Democratic events (but it will change quickly this year, and it may not include all YOUR local State events)

http://www.democrats.org/about/calendar.html


3. more meetings, bigger meetings...in every State

4. each State sends their selected representatives to the National Convention. 5,000 delegates from 56 state and territorial delegations will represent America at the National Convention. The Delegates will vote on who should be THE ONE AND ONLY Democratic President...(called the 'nominee')

5. JULY 2004....at the National Convention (which is HUGE)...in Boston Massachusetts, July 26-29, 2004 HUGE GIANT PARTY !!!..take over the whole city....

there will be lots more separate mini-meetings during the big convention, and speeches by candidates, and negotiations behind the scenes (like, someone might drop out, if they can get a good position when the Democratic President WINS, like a cabinet post, or an ambassador to Switzerland...when someone drops out, they will throw their support to someone else, hopefully the WINNER of the nomination)...

YOUNG people (aged 13 to 24) can enter these DNC contests....
http://www.democrats.org/convention/contests.html

and then, votes from each State...and finally...the DEMOCRATIC Presidential Candidate will be chosen....

6. So after the National Convention, the ONE Democratic Presidential Candidate is now chosen....and everyone will work for that ONE Candidate...(I hope it's Kerry), who will then go all around America to give speeches and meet people and ask them to vote for him/her....

7. NOVEMBER 2004. National Presidential Election ...the WHOLE COUNTRY votes....the Democratic Candidate will run against the Repulican Candidate (bush*) and also a few 'third party' (real small parties, like Greens, Libertarians...these parties never win, but their candidate may get votes that otherwise would go to Democrats, and this can influence a lot)

On election nite, after the Democrats WIN the Presidency/White House...they'll be HUGE parties all over America in every State, AND in OUR Nation's Capitol ....

8. JANUARY 2005 Then, the BIG inauguration parade in Washington DC, when the newly elected Democratic President walks up Pennsylvania Avenue and accepts the position in a big speech...



so, volunteering is fun!!! you meet a lots of wonderful people...good decent Americans, who volunteer in other areas to help people....and you gain skills that you can put on your job applications, and sometimes, you get free food at events, and parties....

[punpirate]

7. Help with voter registration...

... and in the process, tell the people you meet what's important to you and what's important for the country. The people you meet can take it from there.

Cheers.