Liberalism isn’t going to save us. Way I see it, if we want a better country, we have three options:
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Violent revolution. This should be a last resort, and I don’t think we are quite there yet.
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Wait for Fascism to collapse. It will. Problem is, A FUCKING LOT of people will suffer and die in the mean time.
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Mobilize a viable third party. No, not the Greens. They are just as corrupt as the rest, and they pal around with Fascist traitors. I’m talking about a real grass roots Leftist movement, starting from the ground up. Basically, use the exact same playbook that MAGA used. They spent the past decade taking over social media with their Manosphere bullshit, and suddenly Gen Z shifted hard to the Right, which younger generations almost never do. We need to take back that online space. Take over town hall meetings, take over school boards, take over city councils, show up in huge numbers to vote for actual good (or as good as we can get) judges and DA’s. This also means volunteering, phone banking, door knocking, and most importantly of all, some of you need to run for office. Even something local can make a difference in your community. That’s how MAGA won. They didn’t even have the numbers. They just had the right strategy, and in their hubris, Democrats ignored it.
The third option is obviously what I prefer to happen. It’ll take a few years, and we may not even win the White House in 2028. But this isn’t about you or me. It’s about the future of civilization. If they did it, so can we. Let’s not be outsmarted by a bunch of people who worship a man who can’t fucking read.
Not saying it can’t be done, obviously it can but to many people saying “run for office” is like saying “build a car”.
Are there primers on how to start with a campaign for people that have the desire but not the knowledge?
What is all involved in starting and running a successful campaign?
How much time do you need to dedicate to the campaign?
What would be the personal cost for running for office?
Who do you need to hire to help you (manager, donation specialist, volunteer coordinator, etc)?
My guess to this is that the higher the office the more people and money you will need.
I’m not writing this to be contrary but to really get answers - I think more people would be more open to the idea if they could see what a campaign needs to be successful.
I’m specifically barred from holding any public office, political or not until I exit the military. I have about a year left before I can launch any kind of campaign legally. Assuming we survive that long, I plan to. That all said I have no idea what I’m doing and would love to have the answers to the questions you pose here.
Definitely good questions. I couldn’t find any “Beginners Guide to Running for Office”, so I sat up for a while chugging coffee and reading a whole bunch of local election board websites and other related sources, and this is what I came up with. This is by no means a comprehensive list or plan, but I tried to break down the main components of running for a local office in the most general terms possible, so it could be applied more broadly.
Preparation
- Figure out which office you want to run for, where you think you can make the most difference with your skill-set in your community.
- Research the responsibilities of the office you’re seeking. Attend school board or city council (or whatever) meetings to see how they operate. Take lots of notes or record it if allowed.
- Identify key issues in your community, your potential opponents, and the demographics of your district.
- Clearly articulate why you’re running and what you hope to achieve. This will be the foundation of your campaign.
- Check your local election board for eligibility requirements like residency, age, filing deadlines, and paperwork.
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- Here’s a portal to all state and local election offices - https://www.usa.gov/state-election-office
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- Leon County, Florida Supervisor of Elections has a great breakdown that should give you a general idea of the necessary requirements, deadlines, and paperwork - https://www.leonvotes.gov/Candidates-Elected-Officials-and-Campaign-Finance/How-to-Run-for-Local-Office
Campaign Team
- Campaign Manager: Appoint someone to oversee operations. Preferably someone with some political savvy and/or managerial experience.
- Treasurer: Appoint someone to manage finances and ensure compliance with campaign finance laws.
- Volunteers: Recruit a team of dedicated volunteers for canvassing, phone banking, and event support. The number of volunteers will vary, depending on the size of your campaign, but there’s no such thing as too many.
- Advisors: Network with local community leaders and activists who share your vision, and listen to them. They have their ears to the ground, and can offer critical advice on what your community needs.
Campaign Strategy
- Set a budget and determine how much money you’ll need for materials, advertising, and events. Focus on grassroots fundraising. This seems to be the most difficult part with no clear answer, so look into the campaign financing of previous candidates running for the same office to get an idea of how much it’ll likely cost.
- Develop a clear, concise message that resonates with voters.
- Identify your base and tailor your outreach to their concerns.
- Map out key milestones like filing deadlines, debates, voter registration deadlines, and Election Day. Set realistic goals to accomplish by those dates.
Build Your Brand
- Create a professional logo and a memorable slogan that reflects your values. Say what you want about Trump, but “Make America Great Again” and “MAGA” are a great slogan/logo combo. It’s simple, clear, and easy to remember.
- Build a simple website with your bio, platform, and contact info. Use social media to engage voters and share updates.
- Print flyers, yard signs, and business cards to distribute in the community.
Community Engagement
- Knock on doors to introduce yourself and listen to voters concerns.
- Show up at community gatherings, fairs, and town halls to build visibility.
- Organize meet-and-greets, town halls, or fundraisers to connect with voters.
- Seek support from local leaders, organizations, and activists to boost your credibility and visibility.
- Volunteer at homeless shelters, food banks, and other places. Even just a day here and there can make all the difference. Engage with employees, customers, and residents about your campaign. Listen to their concerns, and offer viable solutions.
Fundraising
- Focus on grassroots fundraising by asking friends, family, and community members for small contributions.
- Set up a donation portal on your website and promote it on social media.
- Keep detailed records of all donations and expenses to comply with campaign finance laws.
Messaging
- Send press releases to local newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations to announce your candidacy and major events.
- Participate in candidate debates and forums to showcase your platform.
- Post regularly about your platform, events, and endorsements. Engage with people in the comments.
- Send postcards or letters to targeted voters highlighting your key issues.
Get People to Vote
- Help eligible voters register before the deadline.
- Encourage supporters to vote early or by mail if available.
- Organize volunteers to remind voters to cast their ballots and offer rides to the polls if needed.
Again, this is by no means a comprehensive, foolproof plan. I didn’t include many resources, because requirements, deadlines, and paperwork all vary by state and county. These just seemed to be the most common points I picked up from a number of sources, and should at least give you an idea of how and what to research further.
Personally, I have no ambition to run for office because I’m already 50 and don’t want to add to the pool of geriatrics running this country. We need to hand the torch to young people. That said, I will help any way I can if someone younger wants to run. Speech writing, phone banking, logo design, or pretty much anything else, I will gladly offer my services for free.
Great list, thank you for putting it together!
Honestly I’m attempting option 3 any way I can currently. I keep telling my partner if I lose my job I oughta become one of those youtube/twitch talking heads but for actual leftist views and maybe I can help the shift back.
The 3rd option is still playing with liberal electoralism which got you here in the first place. you could get results faster with mutual aid and strong unions, this is how you guys got worker rights before, in the times of FDR.
A better presence in social media is a good direction though, especially in federated communities that don’t need to fear corporate censorship.
Liberal electoralism isn’t going anywhere any time soon, unfortunately. We still have to operate within that system if we want to affect any change for the better at the political level. Things like mutual aid and strengthening unions can and should happen right alongside it, just as they did before. But that’s a good addition, and I should have mentioned it.
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This has a better chance at working if it’s addressed to Santa Clause.
As long as we keep asking democrats to solve problems we deserve what we get. They have proved incompetence regularly since the Obamacare public option blunder (and longer than that) when the opportunity was there to make radical change.
When they hold office, they have no power. When they are out of office they cry about the power the other side has magically found. They always vote resoundingly in favor of war, lowering taxes on the rich/corporations, and their own salary increases while giving us all the parliamentarian middle finger.
And no you are not taking over or changing the party as it’s owned by the people who don’t want to help you.
Time to start fresh.
Stop voting for establishment politicians.
If they’re part of the Obama/Clinton crew, they need to go.
That’s part of the problem. In some states there are basically only establishment dems on the ballot. The popular dems at the moment are AOC and Bernie who are from NYC (Bronx) and Vermont respectively. Both of those areas are solid blue.
I’m out on the west coast, another very blue area, and the vibe is to primary out a few dems who are bending the knee
Good. Change is slow, but this is moving in the right (left?) direction.
We need a 3rd party thats not completely bought off.
Nope, sorry, I just saw a politico article about Newsom agreeing with Charlie Kirk on trans people in sports that basically boiled down to “FINALLY! SOMEONE understands that this is the most critical topic in America today, and for Democrats to win, they need to become republicans!”
The democrats aren’t leading us anywhere. They’re not going to save us. They have no vision besides being dollar store republicans and wondering why Republican voters keep choosing Republicans over them.
They have no vision besides being dollar store republicans and wondering why Republican voters keep choosing Republicans over them.
While screaming at anyone to their left for not being enthusiastic to vote for dollar store republicans.
There is a reason the main Democratic leadership is not pushing a more left leaning agenda, they would lose. If the left got a foothold on the national conversation like maga did then the middle of the road Democrats fear they will go the way of the middle of the road Republicans and that is out of power.
There is a reason the main Democratic leadership is not pushing a more left leaning agenda, they would lose.
Well, they just lost by moving right.
Yes they did but they didn’t lose control of their narrative which is weak and feckless.
“give me more money and keep me in power and I promise to not do much.” and “don’t look left, they are crazy!”
Yes they did but they didn’t lose control of their narrative which is weak and feckless.
Weak and feckless is their brand.
Blaming Democrats for… Not being shit compared to Republicans and MAGA? This is some next level stupidity. The fact is, propaganda is everywhere and most Americans are stupid. It’s the perfect combination. GTFO of here.
We can absolutely blame Democrats. They were the incumbent party, typically an enormous advantage, and squandered it. The lesser of two evils wasn’t lesser enough. They didn’t even run primaries when they dropped their incumbent president, so I can’t even pretend the shame is on me.
Stop pretending there are rules. They didn’t do this thing or the other and lost because of it. No, they lost because the rules no longer apply and, again, Americans are stupid. Stupid people soak up Fox news lies without a second thought, and that’s all it takes.
Bingo. They’re victim blaming to be divisive. The real problem has nothing to do with Democrats.
at best the democrats don’t understand the assignment. at worst they understand this to be the assignment
i fear for the core of the party, it’s the latter, and that the majority is following that core because they don’t know the assignment
The dem party needs to be burned to the ground, I don’t think it is reformable at this point.
Yes, let’s pick a party and burn it to the ground. Wait, what?
No, this is a long time coming and it isn’t something I say brashly, I think it is the only way forward at this point unfortunately shrugs
primary everyone if all the resistance they’re willing to give us is auction paddles
The last guy in charge was a corporate lobbyist so…
I’ll keep saying this: it’s precious that people still believe The Constitution has any sway and that we are a country of laws. That ship has sailed over the horizon.
I agree, Republicans and Democrats keep taking turns swinging their axe at the tree every four to eight years. The tree hasn’t fallen over yet, but it was dead a long time ago.
Oh they’ve been wasted in the back of this party bus for a while telling everyone to calm down and stop being so frantic and everything’s fine.
Removed by mod
We need the Democrats. We need 60 in the senate. That’s the only way out which doesn’t result in things only getting worse.
We don’t need 60, we need 51 Democrats willing to get rid of the filibuster.
We could have all 100 and they would still find enough no votes.
We need 60 in the senate.
And if they ever get 60, they’ll need 70 to do anything. They’re useless on purpose and you’re making excuses for them.
The fact that Democrats should be raising their voices as loudly as possible against this admin’s moves but instead a sizable 10 of them voted to censure the 1 Democrat who tried to in fact do that, tells you everything about the Democrats’ plans.
At this point, there are only a handful of them who are rallying their constituents and speaking out about this admin’s atrocities, but the majority is completely MIA. Then they wonder why their voters are MIA during the elections.
10 in the house, out of 215 or 214 depending on the exact time of death of Sylvester Turner, not really sizable imo. Also, since there were 0 Republican Nays, it would have passed regardless.
Give those 10 a piece of your mind, yes, but it’s not sizable or impactful at all.
It should have been zero. Stop making excuses.
The point you seem to be missing is that you’re using the actions of ten to condemn the whole party, which isn’t reasonable.
I don’t accept excuses. It should have been zero. democrats expect unthinking lockstep from their voters no matter what they do, so I expect them to vote with the party.
All of them.
That doesn’t make sense. How can you blame the party for party members defying the party line?
If they accept it when it’s legislators doing it, they don’t get to demand it from voters.
What does that even mean?
Nah, Democrats failed us again last year. Instead of focusing on what matters, they played the exact same play out of their playbook from 2016. Which was to attack Trump over and over. They didn’t promise much of anything, only that “well, we’re not Trump so vote for us!”. We did that in 2020 with Biden and the best Biden did was nudge things but he didn’t do that grand of a job. We voted for him because he wasn’t Trump. When it came time for a fresher candidate to make history again, what did Harris do? She caved and went the whole “AT LEAST WE’RE NOT TRUMP!” towards the end of her campaign and that didn’t do wonders.
And the fact that the Democrats allowed for Republicans, unchallenged, to take the Senate and House? Dude, no balls on them.
They didn’t promise much of anything, only that “well, we’re not Trump so vote for us!”.
Is that not enough? You prefer Trump to not-Trump?
That is a dismally low bar which Biden tripped over and Kamala could hardly clear. It obviously wasn’t enough.
Nonsensical. Circular reasoning. Why did Harris fail? Because she didn’t meet the low bar. How didn’t she meet the low bar? Because she failed.
@Cryophilia @crusa187 Harris failed because given the choice <%1% of Democrats would choose her as their candidate in an open, competitive primary. When she ran for the nomination in 2020 she got less than 1k votes nationwide, among female candidates she was 5th, and when Biden announced that he wanted a black woman VP, the logical choice was Stacy Abrams, not Harris.
Harris is a deeply flawed candidate who doesn’t appeal to really any single group except maybe cops. And cops always vote Republican.
On top of that, without a primary, she lacked a fresh bench of exciting Democrats to recruit to campaign and join her staff (think of the way Buttigieg was an effective campaigner in the Rust Belt for Biden) and she didn’t have a competent campaign staff who knew her as a candidate and had just figured out how to be a national candidate.
The DNC failed this election by not holding primaries for a Candidate that was clearly mentally compromised. And it cost them the election. If you replace Trump with “Generic Republican” it would have been a Reagan '84 level bloodbath.
I’m not going to argue about any of that because even in the worst case where all of that is true it’s still ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE BETTER THAN TRUMP.
@Cryophilia I agree with you, that’s why I voted for Harris, even though there are multitudes of major politicians I would support before her. But if elections were just about what was objectively best almost no elected officials would be in office. You have to at least attempt to play the game of politics and the DNC has flatly refused to do so the last three elections (and lost two of them).
This is the time to discuss that. There’s a non-zero chance that the DNC tries to anoint someone like Tim Kaine like $insult to the nomination and then they loose to some Diet Trump person. And I really don’t think waiting until 2032 to fix what’s being broken today is a good plan.
At least we’ve moved away from “I’m a proudly stupid voter” to “unfortunately, we have to cater to the stupid ones”. That’s progress. I can work with that.
Is it too much to ask for America to have someone who’s only quality is that they’re not Trump? How about credulous capability? How about a spine to tell corporations to shove it? How about an actual move to progress things that should’ve been apparent in the present X amount of years ago?
Simply just not being Trump is not enough. Because what you do not care to realize, is that sets a low bar. You’re saying, you’re okay with someone not Trump even though they may not be any better. Don’t mix my words around, idiot.
pardon the micro issue but I think you mean credible instead of credulous. only trying to help, not criticize.
There’s no one else. You’re picking between Trump and not-Trump. No other options. Which one is better?
If the answer isn’t obvious, welcome to the Republican Party.
So you’d be cool with President Vance?
Not really “cool with it” but I’d prefer him to Trump.
And that’s the problem with liberals. The bar is so low it’s in Hell.
Again, blame liberals for the atrocities of Republicans. Why is the bar in hell? Because Republicans have dragged us down there.
Clearly it isn’t enough, because they lost to him twice.
Ok fair. I guess the better question is, shouldn’t that be enough?
No. It shouldn’t.
You’d rather have Trump than not-Trump?
You’d rather have trump than a progressive.
Stop following me.
It was enough for me. It was not enough for people who heard one guy talking about issues that mattered to them (albeit by offering bullshit solutions that don’t actually address the problems) and another saying “well, we aren’t that guy and everything is getting better” when people felt like it wasn’t getting better for them. There was not enough of a positive platform presented for progressives to support and too much targeting of Republicans that don’t like Trump. They obviously targeted the wrong audience.
If you assume American voters are rational and educated then, yes, it should be enough.
But you know what they say about making assumptions: It makes an ass out of U and gets a fascist elected.
Is that not enough? You prefer Trump to not-Trump?
People are tired of this shit. Democrats have been running on this for 20 years at this point. We’re at the point where people would rather see Trump dismantle the entire federal government than vote for one more Democrat promising, that this time, they actually will make meaningful change.
People are just done with this. Democrats have repeatedly failed to make government work for people. If government won’t work for people, why would people care if Trump’s going to come in and tear everything down?
That’s like presenting only the options of slavery or indentured servitude and asking “you prefer slavery to indentured servitude?” Neither are acceptable. Before you say “well those are the options we’ve got” think about who are making these the only options.
The system itself is only able to give you two options. It’s not an evil conspiracy, it’s a Prisoner’s Dilemma. If Democratic states, and Democratic states alone, eliminated first-past-the-post…we would be under permanent Republican rule. It’s political suicide.
Democrats fall in love. Republicans fall in line.
In other words: Republicans will consistently vote for anyone with an R. Democrats need to be convinced to vote for their candidate.
Democrats fall in love. Republicans fall in line.
democrats know this. They keep giving us candidates that only the corporate/genocide wing of the party loves and ordering everyone else to fall in line.
I don’t think so. In 2016, while the DNC kept their thumb on the scale for Clinton, the RNC saw voters actually turning out for Trump and let them do it. I remember getting the vibe that they weren’t happy with it, that they really preferred Jeb Bush or some other long standing party man, but at least when their voters spoke up, the Republicans didn’t try to fight them. The shrugged and went, “well, alright”.
Had they put their thumb on the scale for a boring establishment candidate like Jeb or Kasich, it seems to me that Hillary’s chances would have been much better if only for the fact that a lot of unexcited Republicans would have stayed home on election night. I’ve never voted for a Republican, I’ve been hearing “it’s the most important election ever, you’re just going to have to compromise and try to get what you want next time” since 2012. I’ve reliably turned out and voted for the democrats in every election except 2020 [Voted for Jorgensen. Relax, I’m in California, I knew the state would go for Biden, I was just hoping to try and get another party a seat at the table by giving them a bigger slice of the popular vote]. I’m tired of voting for the lesser evil, boss. I’m ready to vote FOR something again.
Kamala Harris tax plan was to never raise taxes for those who make 400k, to tax unrealized gains over 1M, to remove the pointless social security upper limit of taxable income, and to start taxing corporations fair effective rates.
Instead we all collectively decided to fuck ourselves with another pro-rich GOP tax plan. That’s what was on the table in 2024. The effects of this election will reverberate for decades at the least.
We really should have two major parties committed to upholding the Constitution
ZZzzzzzZZzzzz… Not interested in worshiping your holy fashy scriptures.
Ah, but they don’t work too serve us. They work to serve corporations and billionaires. We can fix that, but it will take a lot of relentless work and vigilance, before, during and after fixing it.
A core democrat stance is removing Citizens United, so it really doesn’t align with your alternative facts.
A core democrat stance is removing Citizens United
And what have they done toward making that happen?
Now let’s hear how there is never any such thing as a Democratic majority.
The democrats and thier party have been bought and paid for. They aren’t going to save us from the billionaires.
