Forum Post: Occupy Congress November 2012
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 15, 2011, 3:47 p.m. EST by Yllyrryon
(5)
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With national elections in the U.S. just under one year away, OWS should focus some of its energies and resources on electing to Congress candidates who are independent from the two major political parties.
It would be an epic victory if even a few independent candidates were elected to Congress by virtue of having run inexpensive, affordable campaigns. How would this be possible?
First off, those already actively participating in the Occupy movements around the country are well on their way to achieving this. Use of all aspects of the internet, especially person-to-person networking will be crucial. Add to this face-to-face and door-to-door campaigning by prospective candidates and dedicated volunteers supporting those candidates. There is a widely-held and true belief that the people running Washington are out of touch. Campaigns should capitalize on this by taking a very personal approach to the candidate’s constituents.
It would be revolutionary even if only a few people were elected to Congress from having run exceedingly low-cost campaigns costing no more than a few thousand dollars, if not less. All of the influence peddling in Washington D.C. hinges upon the enormous costs of “classic campaigning” - millions of dollars spent on image construction and political advertising using mass media. Members of Congress elected by low-cost campaigns would have no need for money from lobbyists.
Of course, there will need to be candidates who will remain true to their principles and their constituents - who view public office as an opportunity to serve their communities and the nation, just as if they were serving in the armed forces. Public office is an opportunity to serve, it is not a career path.
This is possible, so make it happen.
From what I've learned seems like the only way to get political traction is to first co-opt the Democratic party enough to get them to institute campaign finance limitations to level the playing field, pressure congress to make a constitutional amendment to get rid of the 2010 Supreme court decision to allow unlimited corporate political donations, and also get them to institute Instant Runoff Voting. If these three things were in place (or even just two of them), then a third party could have a chance of exerting real influence. Until then, any outside party is going to be a like a moth fluttering at the gates of power. Let's get the Democrats to carry our platform into Congress and enact reforms that will enable the break up of the corrupt two-party system. Look at the 3rd parties in the US and how they have fared, like the Greens and the Libertarians. They've been on the outer margins for decades. Now look at what kind of influence the Tea Party has managed to exert in a short period of time by co-opting the Republicans.
You can be even more focused by confronting the current members of congress whom in 1999, voted to repeal Glass-Steagall. And act now before the elections in a way that can effect real change.
Here is a state by state compilation of them:
The Congress that Crashed America http://home.ptd.net/~aahpat/aandc/congcrash.html
If you member of Congress is on this list I advocate that you write to them and tell them that you will not vote for them because their 1999 vote helped to cause the 2008 financial collapse of America. Further you can wring their arm by telling them that you might change your mind if they repent by signing on as co-sponsors of H.R. 2451, The Glass-Steagall Restoration Act of 2011. Push this law to a vote and vote to pass it before the primaries. If they don't then you will oppose them in the primaries and the general election.
I do find it very strange that some very admirable dems voted to kill GS
Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA] Rep. Clyburn, James E. [D-SC-6] Rep. Becerra, Xavier [D-CA-31]
do you know why they did this? specifics?
HR2451 has so few R, I dont see how it stands a chance before the election. But hopefully, our brothers here will repent of their idealogical purity and vote for democrats.
No one should abandon their values just to vote for the lesser evil Democrats.
The Democrats repealed Glass-Steagall for the same reason the Republicans did, the banks are the biggest campaign contributors in the nation and 'everybody wants some'....
John Kerry needed contributions? I understand the concept - money - but grouping everybody together sounds a little too simple.
My "values" include avoiding another scalia-thomas-roberts that gave us bush & citizens united
Can you explain how NOT voting for Obama - values or not - is good for America?
My values - and I hope yours too - include - do not kill ----- but if you could, would you kill hitler in 1925?
I can refuse to vote for a man who achieved the highest office in the world on the legacy of ASSASSINATED Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King and now maintains lists of people he wants assassinated, Barack Obama.
I can refuse to vote for a man who continues and escalates a $100 billion Jim Crow Drug War that mass disenfranchises tens of thousands of poverty oppressed and minority Americans each year, Barack Obama.
After being a Democrat for thirty years I quit the Democrats because they are too right-wing to reflect and respect my social justice values.
John Kerry needs Wall Street banks to stay rich.
I marched in the civil rights marches of the 1960's and I refused to vote for Obama in 2008 because i saw that he was lying and manipulating people of good will just to get elected. And that he was in fact a right-wing pandering authoritarian asshole. Like most Democrats. there is no difference between the two dominance parties. NONE! Obama has continued and expanded all of Bush's worst policies. FUCK BARACK OBAMA!
Sorry if I sound mean - but lets stop dreaming - "It would be revolutionary even if only a few people were elected to Congress from having run exceedingly low-cost campaigns............. Washington D.C. hinges upon the enormous costs of “classic campaigning” - millions of dollars spent............"
Sure it would be "revolutionary" - is is also impossible. Why cant we have the courage to ignore party labels and consider PEOPLE.
Elizabeth Warreb would be my first choice.
"Millions" of dollars would be extracted from the system if we concentrated on one real goal that already has 83% of America in favor of it - see http://bit.ly/vK2pGI & us at 60 Wall St Nov 16 6PM
oo I'm all for campaign limits. 100%
in fact I am for NO DONATIONS PERIOD!
take $1 from EVERYONES income tax = $4 per person per election. split that between the partys involved and monitor every dollar spent.
step #2: median average incomes for ALL elected officials. President to mayor President earns the average wage of the US worker. (2011 = $19/hr.) Congress earns the average of their district Senators earn the Average of that state. NO market trading , NO side investments, NO backyard deals with offshore bank accounts.
Lets have politicians in office who actually want to serve the public. etc...
I like what you are suggesting here. But you know that at this point any legislation of this sort would get challenges in the courts and struck down or altered by judges who had been appointed by the Dem/Rep one-party political machine.
they would try yes. we just couldn't give in,
I'm also thinking a 2 year term in the white house. in todays world we can see where things are going much sooner than even a few decades ago. hell or even a one year term. get in, get to work, we will base re-election on the results.
and not have to wait 4 years to do it.
No offense taken. :)
At this point, I will simply agree to disagree with you. With the right candidates each supported by core groups of dedicated volunteers, this is very much possible.
All the best.
back attcha !
Abandon the two party duopoly and set up a Write-In slate of OWS candidates across the nation. Write-In is the best way to by-pass the subverted ballot access that the two parties control. And it can be done with no Wall Street money. Write-In is an easy and free way to neutralize the power of Wall Street and their pet political parties.
I am registered as an Independent but I will change that to Democrat for the primary so that I can Write-In Elizabeth Warren for president. Wall Street hates and fears Warren. That makes her the best choice for us.
no kidding, we need more lights on Warren
Actually, I did not think of doing that in the primary - it wont put her in the white house - but I will do that - thanx
but I cannot abide another scalia-thomas-roberts so I will vote for Obama in the general
Obama's Supreme Court picks have been no better. The Democrats are just as much a bunch of right-wing authoritarians as the GOP.
you seriously say Sotomayor and Kagen are equal to scalia and thomas
SERIOUSLY ??????????????????????????????????
This kind of statement completely destroys any credibility you may have Remember when Nader said there was no difference between Bush and Gore - and we got the Iraq war abd the Patriot Act
SERIOUSLY ??????????????????????????????????
Patriot act? needed, and not anything Honest, Non-Terorist Americans fear.
Iraq war? ask me we had to start someplace, Iraq was just as good as any.
maybe by the time we are done we will have enough friends and allies in the middle east to prevent another 9/11
"we had to start someplace"
how about starting with your house?
sure :) bring it
They just revamped the Patriot Act giving even MORE power to the Feds to track American citizens just because.
Mr. Obama pushed for the expanded act. He was all about getting rid of it, until he was elected. Sorta like he was going to renegotiate NAFTA.
Still waiting.
Give me a break.
Gore would have done the same thing as Bush did after 911.
Sotomayer has been a police state loving authoritarian her entire judicial career. Kagan is as mindless a party sycophant as Thomas.
"authoritarian" "sycophant" - very good with labels, arent you?
Shoes that fit...
11 Reasons Why Occupy Wall Street Protesters Are Hypocrites If They Do Not Call For Barack Obama
To Resign http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/11-reasons-why-occupy-wall-street-protesters-are-hypocrites-if-they-do-not-call-for-barack-obama-to-resign
if you want to nominate your own candidate here is the way to go about it. http://www.americanselect.org/
Thanks, I will check it out.
The Democrats and Republicans are the problem.
Destroying the two parties and the two party system that subverts America's democracy is the ONLY solution.
Again, I'd like to nominate Anton Jackson as he is most fitting to represent OWS.
Please have a look at his works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BNgRpRuWGs
Damn that is the funniest thing I've seen here
hahaha
He has some other great videos but I like that one best. It reminds me of the Preferred hygiene and living conditions of the protesters.
Too late. Tea Party beat you to it.
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