Talking On Your Cell Phone Is Not Mobilization

6 Responses to “Talking On Your Cell Phone Is Not Mobilization”

1. Sean Braisted writes
   August 6th, 2008 1:30 pm

   Yep, glad we have people to sit from their living rooms and throw stones at those who are trying to do at least something.

   The truth is, no amount of mobilization is going to stop people from turning in their cards if they want this thing on the ballot. If and when it does get on the ballot, I guarantee that via rides to the polls, phone banking, and other GOTV efforts, the Davidson County Democratic Party (which I’m no longer a member of just in case someone wanted to charge bias) will be doing a lot more than the Enclave.

   But the DCDP does accept donations, so if you’d like them to go towards stopping the ballot initiative, just put Stop English First in the memo section of the check, made payable to the Davidson County Democratic Party.

2. Christian writes
   August 6th, 2008 2:26 pm

   I disagree with Sean on this. All bloggers “sit from their living rooms and throw stones at those who are trying to do at least something” at one time or another. For many here in TN, it’s more often than not.

   Sean is an exception. I know Sean has actually walked the walk and knocked on doors and much more. I’ve personally knocked on close to 8,000 doors myself for now Governor Tim Kaine. Sean knows what mobilization really is.

   But even Sean has to admit Democrats in Tennessee are some of the laziest in the entire country. They barely even phone bank. The most I’ve seen Democrats do here is mailers, “rally,” stand on street corner holding signs (waste of time), or write a blog post about their feelings. It’s unbelievable.

   And there is an amount of mobilization that could have stopped this ballot measure, but Democrats are too lazy to do it. It’s called doing what Eric Crafton is doing. But Democrats are too lazy and timid to embrace the ballot process to drive their own supporters to the polls. How many more people would turn up and vote Crafton’s measure down if they knew they could also vote on a measure to make Eric Crafton personally liable for the court costs to defend his measure if it were to pass? Who cares about the legality of holding elected officials personally liable for the laws the pass? Eric Crafton doesn’t care, but in the end he would have lost.

   I’d rather spend a day’s worth of tax dollars telling a judge the tax payers of Metro will not fight to defend holding Crafton personally liable than the months and months of tax payer dollars that WILL defintely be spent defending Crafton’s foolish ballot measure. It’s a matter of tough choices… and tough just isn’t a word in the average Tennessee Democrat’s vocabulary.

3. S-townMike writes
   August 6th, 2008 2:32 pm

   If only I were a political organization designed to raise money and to mobilize people (they get salaries for that, yes?) then maybe someday I could do exactly what Sean Braisted says I won’t be doing: more than the local Democratic Party (of course, he fails to mention that no individual could, which is precisely why power broker organizations like parties exist in the first place).

   So, arguing that the Dems will do more than a lone individual is just another, “Well, yeah. Duh.” moment.

   But until such a time that I can organize as an institution would, I’m not beholden to prove to a fellow blogger who intends something as modest as “moving Nashville into the 21st Century under progressives” that I can be more than a political party already is, which is exactly why paper protests don’t make too much sense to me when the energy could be spent assuming that Crafton is going to get the sigs and mobilizing as if he already had.

   But the Dave Co Dems are not obligated to heed my blog, which means that Sean protests way too much about one person’s local opinion. And chances are, they are going too be too Obama-focused to hone on defeating English Only, in which case, paper opposition will become mere lip service.

4. Sean Braisted writes
   August 6th, 2008 3:22 pm

   Enclave,

   So you will be heavily active in trying to get the measure stopped, just not as active as the DCDP should be?

   There is one person hired on staff at the DCDP, and she will be focusing on GOTV efforts, as well as the other duties associated with an executive director.

   But the majority of their work will involve volunteers, as well as people willing to donate…so unless you can do one of the two, I do think its hypocritical to blast the DCDP for not doing enough.

   Christian,

   Tennessee is an odd state, because the culture of incumbency is strong here, it tamps down the desire to get active…not to mention we have no shortage of unexciting candidates, which doesn’t help motivate youngins to volunteer their time.

   I agree more should be done, but until I’m willing to give up my free time to do it, I find it hard to criticize others for not doing enough.

5. S-townMike writes
   August 6th, 2008 4:59 pm

   Nashville 21:

   Why would you assume I haven’t been involved in any political efforts? I have organized and offered people rides to various political functions that extend beyond the very rudimentary act of walking into a voting booth and pulling a lever–attending Planning or Council public hearings, for instance. (Uh-oh, zoning bores the Nashville 21 minions). Those meetings happen a lot more than voting does, have a bigger impact at the day-to-day, community level than does which party controls the White House, and eat a bigger chunk out of one’s day (especially those 6 hour council meetings).

   And as for sitting around my living room, I do sit around a lot and play with and instruct my four-year-old, as any parent invested in their children would. But since you’ve introduced the question of personal lives, I’m sure it’s nice to be young and unencumbered by relationships so as to have time to devote to whatever self-interested Democrats ask you to do, but some of us have to also work on raising the next generation, which sometimes, unfortunately, requires a living room to sit in.

   So, to answer your inquisition about involvement, I’ll continue to work on local initiatives as I’ve always done (in boring places where I’ve rarely seen you or any other young Dem), and I’ll reserve the right to ignore uninformed line-in-the-sand questions from empty nesters.

6. Sean Braisted writes
   August 6th, 2008 5:43 pm

   And I’ll continue to refrain from criticizing you when some issue that you support didn’t go the way you want because you didn’t work hard enough.

   I don’t care if you volunteer, I just question the hypocrisy in blaming other volunteer organizations for not doing enough.