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Dr. Arbitrary posted:Attendance is so important. There will also be 'lifers' who once they see you're not just some flash in the pain will do one of two things: try to co-opt you or try to undermine you. Lots of old retired folks treat this as their exclusive club and may not like you coming in and stirring the pot and making them uncomfortable. Some are batshit crazy and have successfully driven away scores of people before you with this attitude. Perservere. Bring friends. Noone lives forever and I guarantee you you will not be the only one who finds them toxic and annoying. Do not let them drive you away. In turn please do not turn into the crazy annoying toxic person who tries to sabotage anyone who shows up looking to help if they don't do it 'your way.'
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Nov 17, 2016 17:42
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Mahoning posted:I got my first taste of actually affecting grass roots level change in my own community about two years ago. There was an issue on the ballot in just my individual precinct of my township to allow alcohol sales at the corner gas station right near my house. Now, the corner gas station was small (the inside convenience store was 800 square feet) and pretty dilapidated. As such, of course, less than desirable looking people hung out there and a lot of (white) people avoided going there if they could. So anyways, I get a letter in my mail box from the company that owns the gas station, it has plans and renderings of what the new gas station will look like. Basically, they were investing about a million dollars into it by tearing down the old gas station and rebuilding a brand new beautiful 2400 sq ft convenience store with state of the art HD security cameras in the parking lot and led lighting. The catch was, they couldn't justify the investment unless alcohol sales were part of the new business plan. The letter mentioned a community meeting to discuss the potential approval of the ballot measure. This makes me feel a lot better. I'm still nervous, but I think I can do this. Thanks! I think the big problem is that most people our age use things like Facebook or Twitter to communicate when events are going on and scheduling and all that. I wouldn't be surprised if the local Democrat wards aren't using FB or Twitter for that purpose at all. There's MA Young Democrats, but I dunno if that's enough. Gonna do a little digging and see if there's more to be found.
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Nov 17, 2016 17:49
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So, this seems like a really stupid question, but does anyone know of some active political groups to get involved with in San Francisco? I want to start going to meetings of my local Democratic party, but their website says they aren't meeting again until January  Would kind of like to start showing up before that.
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Nov 17, 2016 19:43
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nowthatyouasked posted:I'm new to this whole involvement thing, but I've noticed that newspapers have more local information than the web. I live in a pretty big urban area, but even our free local newspapers that you can find outside of restaurants and bus stops have more info than most groups' webpages. Considering that many goons are technologically literate, I'd argue that getting in and pushing to modernize and rebuild organization websites would be a huge help. Letting people easily find and navigate info from home in a pleasant to look at format would be a godsend. If we could coordinate and get everything in a similar style, even better.
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Nov 17, 2016 21:30
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Just joined the local young democrats and going to a meetup for the local DSA chapter over the weekend.
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Nov 17, 2016 21:34
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Lightning Knight posted:Considering that many goons are technologically literate, I'd argue that getting in and pushing to modernize and rebuild organization websites would be a huge help. Letting people easily find and navigate info from home in a pleasant to look at format would be a godsend. If we could coordinate and get everything in a similar style, even better. If you are technologically literate, especially if you can do web design, you can make some money while you're at it. These campaigns get a lot of money and they spend it on yard signs and mailers. A few hours building a website and a Facebook page will be better than any of the competition.
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Nov 17, 2016 21:51
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Dr. Arbitrary posted:If you are technologically literate, especially if you can do web design, you can make some money while you're at it. Unfortunately I am a teaching/social studies/Spanish student, so I can't web design. I was just suggesting it for those of us that can. A cohesive, friendly web design shared across liberal organizations in the style of Obama's or Hillary's campaign websites would be cool and look professional. I am purely talking about style here, not content.
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Nov 17, 2016 22:24
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HorseLord posted:Worth pausing for a moment and asking yourself, if a bald guy preceding over the shattered ruins of Russia can supposedly control the US election, why didn't that happen when Russia was like, 10000 times more capable and important? I don't think they controlled it, I do think they had an influence that was very downplayed considering they literally said Russians scanned their systems before the election. I think Hillary being a bad candidate was also one of several reasons she lost. Is this report by the Atlantic Council also a conspiracy theory? http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/images/publications/The_Kremlins_Trojan_Horses_web_1116.pdf Maybe I'm overreacting but the huge surge in pro-Putin sentiment I saw from Trump campaigners online leading to the election and the Russian hacks do worry me, especially when I have encountered so many European fascists in recent years. The tensions over immigration are fueling them and it's very easy for someone to take advantage of that. I would much rather be extremely overcautious and paranoid than risk ignoring it, Brexit is worrying enough.
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Nov 17, 2016 22:26
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Guys we all know Putin is funding crazy people in the West. That isn't really material to the thread and I'm sure the US government already knows full well about it.
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Nov 17, 2016 22:33
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Pollyanna posted:
I've been wondering about this -- the actual Democratic Party in RI seems to suck rear end and my local group doesn't even appear to meet. Are the Young Democrats worth getting involved with? The problem with RI being solid blue is that the Dems are either complacent or DINOs. So my issue is I want to get involved and push these sleazy fucks leftward. Young Democrats a good chance to do that or...?
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Nov 17, 2016 23:29
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new kind of cat posted:I've been wondering about this -- the actual Democratic Party in RI seems to suck rear end and my local group doesn't even appear to meet. Are the Young Democrats worth getting involved with? The problem with RI being solid blue is that the Dems are either complacent or DINOs. A friend told me that the RI dems suck, so the real action is with the Working Families Party.
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Nov 18, 2016 00:02
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One of the steering committee guys just sent me the new header for the website, complete with banner text "We're still here!" 
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Nov 18, 2016 00:06
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Organize for your local Strasserite candidate. Trump is just the beginning.
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Nov 18, 2016 11:04
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What advice do you folks have with regards to learning public speaking and so forth? Classes seem like they'd be something I can't really afford.
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Nov 18, 2016 18:10
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Captain Fargle posted:What advice do you folks have with regards to learning public speaking and so forth? Classes seem like they'd be something I can't really afford. Confidence is key. Community theater is a great way to shed a lot of self-consciousness and stage fright. But I also find that if you really formulate the things you want to say, and even play devil's advocate with yourself to better formulate your ideas, the end result is much better as a result. I gave the Best Man toast at two weddings, both times I had people tell me it was the best they ever heard, and neither time did I write a single thing down. What I did do is practice what I wanted to say every day in the car on the way to and from work.
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Nov 18, 2016 18:27
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With the VVD turning more and more racist to steal votes from the PVV and the PVV deciding they're now against "leftist hobbies" like socialized healthcare to likewise steal votes from the austerity pushers in the VVD, the problem with keeping Wilders out is not just getting the man himself behind bars for being a Russian spy, but also prevent Rutte from turning into him. Here is our roster of leftist parties: Socialist party(aforementioned conservative death panels party): regressive energy policy, anti-nato, gmo phobia and isolationist Labour party: Election fraud vehicle for VVD Green-left: entire program centred around regressive energy policy Animal party: lists loving chemtrails on the first page of their positions Group Kuzu/Ozturk: wants to invade Myanmar Pirates: lol Goons with experience in Dutch politics, which one of these would you imagine to be the most receptive to grassroots reformation into something that isn't terribad?
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Nov 18, 2016 18:35
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Captain Fargle posted:What advice do you folks have with regards to learning public speaking and so forth? Classes seem like they'd be something I can't really afford. Check community colleges as an option if you want a class. Also check for a Toastmasters club in your area.
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Nov 18, 2016 19:49
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Captain Fargle posted:What advice do you folks have with regards to learning public speaking and so forth? Classes seem like they'd be something I can't really afford. If you can stomach it get into some kind of sales gig. If you're religious some churches will let you read part of the mass. If you don't mind being, that guy, go to the scammy recruitment meetings mlms have and speak out when they open for questions.
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Nov 18, 2016 20:26
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The other reason to look into toastmasters is that in addition to what they're known for, public speaking, they (depending on the club I suppose) also emphasize running an orderly meeting. They have the sergeant at arms start the meeting to go over the opening announcements, pass the floor to the Toastmaster who conducts the meeting portion, then gives control to the general evaluator, who returns control back to the Toastmaster to announce awards, and then gives the control to the presiding officer who concludes the meeting. The timer is keeping track of how long people speak and records overages to keep things on schedule. Another thing they emphasize is extemporaneous speech, and that's a good skill to learn.
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Nov 18, 2016 21:00
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 THIS poo poo NEEDS TO BE FOUGHT!
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Nov 18, 2016 21:56
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Baby Babbeh posted:So, this seems like a really stupid question, but does anyone know of some active political groups to get involved with in San Francisco? I want to start going to meetings of my local Democratic party, but their website says they aren't meeting again until January Sending you a PM
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Nov 18, 2016 22:07
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That's hosed up. It looks like a state politician though. Is there any practical way a person from the other side of the us can help?
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Nov 18, 2016 22:21
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Ruzihm posted:That's hosed up. It looks like a state politician though. Is there any practical way a person from the other side of the us can help? Right now, just be vigilant about similar laws in your area or even at the federal level (god knows it could happen). Otherwise, just keep an ear open to updates.
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Nov 18, 2016 22:32
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Harper tried to do this when he was prime minister of Canada--and it just worked against him for the most part, but was real for a while. I know a guy who got sued 6.5 million dollars for writing poetry against pipelines. The world is weird.
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Nov 19, 2016 01:03
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The fact that we've reached the point where this kind of poo poo gets no attention should be horrifying to anyone with even the slightest grasp of history.
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Nov 19, 2016 05:59
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Geostomp posted:The fact that we've reached the point where this kind of poo poo gets no attention should be horrifying to anyone with even the slightest grasp of history. Its getting a reasonable amount of attention among left and progressive peeps in WA. Its been in the local news and our state democratic party sent out an email asking for money to 'fight' it or whatever. Democrats useless. There's talk of occupying the capitol building when the bill is heard or whatever. The media in general doesn't report on this stuff, I think because it goes against the narrative that "everything will be ok". Doorknob Slobber fucked around with this message at 06:40 on Nov 19, 2016 |
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Nov 19, 2016 06:35
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Captain Fargle posted:What advice do you folks have with regards to learning public speaking and so forth? Classes seem like they'd be something I can't really afford. Can you write critically? When I speak in public (which is generally a lot, because teaching student) I write an essay and read it over and over. Because it's my own words, presumably backed by sources depending on the topic, it's easier to remember and as you memorize it you boil it down to simple statements you can fit in 16 point font on notecards or a single sheet of paper. It won't work for everyone or for every topic, but it's helpful to me. PowerPoints are also a godsend for the notes part if you are allowed to show one.
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Nov 20, 2016 00:53
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Lightning Knight posted:Can you write critically? I don't know, maybe it's for a specific context, but powerpoint seems like a terrible tool for political speaking. Under anything but the best circumstances it's a crutch. Political speaking is about moving people. You aren't going to do that with a powerpoint. Now, if you're arguing for a very specific policy position kind of thing, like, traffic data to change the light cycle on an onramp, go for it.
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Nov 20, 2016 00:58
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Dr. Arbitrary posted:I don't know, maybe it's for a specific context, but powerpoint seems like a terrible tool for political speaking. Under anything but the best circumstances it's a crutch. I mean I don't like or use them unless forced but they're useful to someone who isn't comfortable public speaking. They're also good for teaching. The context of the thread is about organizing and party politics after all, not general public policy advocacy. We're mostly talking about selling policy to other political nerds at party meetings, not running for office. Obviously if you want to run for office you better be a lot better at public speaking.
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Nov 20, 2016 01:00
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I wouldn't ever count on there being a projector. You may end up at a small town meeting for a proposal and they'll permit public comment. That's a time to spend 5 minutes talking about an idea.
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Nov 20, 2016 01:12
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Dr. Arbitrary posted:I wouldn't ever count on there being a projector. Then don't use a PowerPoint? I mean there's only so much you can do to help someone who isn't good at public speaking without classes or tutoring. I was just trying to be helpful.
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Nov 20, 2016 01:13
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Crossposting this from C-SPAM, hopefully there are some Texas goons reading this thread too.Syndlig posted:Central Texas Goons: Syndlig posted:Sure. I'm not sure what counties they live in, but here's what I can find for this month (or early next month if need be), by County. I plan on going to whatever meetings I can, but I'm really hoping that I won't be the only person at these meetings. Also, if anyone has any information whatsoever on the State-level Democrat organizations here (Texas Democrats, Texas Young Democrats, etc.), because their websites are loving garbage for anything beyond asking for donations or mass-email contact information on almost every page.
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Nov 20, 2016 01:21
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Lightning Knight posted:Then don't use a PowerPoint? I mean there's only so much you can do to help someone who isn't good at public speaking without classes or tutoring. I was just trying to be helpful. I just hate PowerPoint. Sorry  I don't know how useful my advice to new speakers would be because I usually just make a few notes on things I want to talk about and wing it. Passion goes a long way. Here''s a basic format for a speech. Introduce yourself. "My name is Dr. Arbitrary. I'm a resident of xxx and I've lived here for x years." State your thesis strongly and without any room for misunderstanding. "I'm strongly in favor of this policy, it's a reasonable proposal and the detractors are intentionally ignoring the potential benefits." Then, you need to have maybe 3 things you can talk about, lead with the most important. Cut the least important for time if you think it's getting short. "This policy will directly benefit me, and other people in my neighborhood. It blah blah blah" "This policy also helps blah blah blah" "The claim that this policy does blah blah is ludicrous, if it was true, how would you explain blah blah" Conclude I appreciate you taking the time to hearing my perspective. I encourage the committee/council/emperor to take my position into consideration, thank you. Don't go over time, that makes you a jerk. If you know how to troll, this can be really fun.
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Nov 20, 2016 01:24
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https://twitter.com/Slate/status/800223240299937792
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Nov 20, 2016 14:47
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corporations are good?
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Nov 20, 2016 18:12
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Doorknob Slobber posted:corporations are good? They are people, my friend.
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Nov 20, 2016 18:16
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Doorknob Slobber posted:corporations are good? Some corporations are better than Donald Trump. This is not a credit to those corporations.
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Nov 20, 2016 18:17
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Corporations ended abuses of LGBT in Indiana and North Carolina lol
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Nov 20, 2016 18:39
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Doorknob Slobber posted:corporations are good? Much like nations, political movements don't have friends, just interests. The big corporations learned that money is just as green when a minority spends it as it is when it comes out of a white dude's wallet, so they're fairly reliable allies on the subject of minority rights. Just don't mention economic inequality around them, it makes them antsy.
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Nov 20, 2016 19:39
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blue squares posted:Corporations ended abuses of LGBT in Indiana and North Carolina lol Edit: Scratch that, missed North Carolina dropping bathroom law. I'm still not impressed. MizPiz fucked around with this message at 00:41 on Nov 21, 2016 |
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Nov 21, 2016 00:37
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