Jim Hightower's Lowdown

Good news from the Democrats, for once


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We know that the unceasing onslaught coming from the Trump administration is a lot to handle, so we wanted to share a little bit of good news that many good people we know and support are still out here organizing. Here’s one example from this weekend.

Jane Kleeb and Ken Martin. Photo courtesy Precious McKesson.

What if the Democratic Party 1) actually became a democratic entity embodying the ideals and policies of grassroots Democrats, and 2) got out of the grip of the Washington establishment to reinvest in and reinvigorate grassroots activists?

Holy Moly, it might actually be happening! This weekend's election of Ken Martin to be DNC Chair and, then, Jane Kleeb's election as president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs, give us progressives the first hope in years that we're finally on the path to real progress. Of course, the Dems old Biz-As-Usual clique is already rushing to stop any change or electoral progress—so now is the time for us activists to rally behind Ken, Jane, and the forces of change.

To get involved in pushing the Democrats back to their working class roots, here are some suggestions from leaders inside this movement for everyday people to help fuel the fires of this rebellion:

  • Write a letter to the editor of your local papers and news websites. Other people in your area need to hear that there are others that feel like they do, and that the pressure is on from the grassroots. Elected and party officials pay attention to these letters and articles more than you think! Here's a guide on how to do it.

  • Call in to your local radio talk shows. Similar to those letters to the editor, your job here is to help reach other people in your area to tell them you're fed up with the status quote and that you support this Democratic party overhaul. Especially in rural areas, radio is still one of the strongest ways to reach people!

  • Find your county committee and get involved. Local and regional Democratic committees are going to be organizing within their states to keep the pressure coming from the bottom up. Sadly, there's no easy national database of Democratic county committees, and thanks to the Democratic Party's previous abandonment of areas they considered a lost cause, many counties don't even have an active committee. That said, you can still search online for them, and learn lessons from other successful local parties in "red" areas.

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Jim Hightower's LowdownBy Jim Hightower

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