15 Comments
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Martha Merson's avatar

I'd like to see us work in the other direction too--build support for Chop Wood Carry Water and Hubbell's daily news. What if we could propel their readership to 10 million??

The Agentic's avatar

I strongly agree. The most effective ecosystems are those that are fully integrated. You see this a lot along big YouTube streamers: cross-pollination strengthens all the communities involved.

Susan Troy's avatar

I agree. Cross pollination is essential. Nobody can afford to donate/become a paid subscriber to everything 😊🙏

The Agentic's avatar

I couldn't agree more. We have the infrastructure to create the movement we need. It's just a matter of moving from the more profitable doom and gloom orientation toward focusing on action.

Jody Kass's avatar

You’d think the pundits would want to duplicate how successful Rachel Maddow is. She spotlights impactful activism in communities across the country on almost every show.

Do we in the Democracy movement need to do a better job of packaging, messaging and sharing our successes? Does our movement need a central PR point person to collect the success stories and push them to media outlets?

Mary Flett's avatar

YES! YES! YES!!!!!! We need places to vent and complain, but we need more places to shout "Hurrah!" I am tired of the Doomsday Pundits. I am working on being patient but planning a HUGE VICTORY PARTY come November. The work I am doing now locally is going to continue to pay off well beyond the mid-terms. I measure success in seeing how many conversations I can have with folks I haven't gotten to know well yet with the goal of creating connection -- not challenging ideas -- just connecting. That's a WIN!

Sarah O'Neill's avatar

Well said, Susan, and it needed to be said. Bravo. I'm glad to see Jenny A put links here to Robert Hubbell and Jessica Craven who do promote the grassroots activities which I think does help grow the grassroots. And yes, we can all promote them and not waste time on ones that don't do positive work.

Yeah, maybe if each writer thought how can I help save democracy every time they started typing, they might approach it differently.

There are tons of people who might get on board to help if they were cheer-led to do so and hand-fed ways to help.

Onward!

Sandy Drayton's avatar

Susan, What an excellent piece. Thank you! I agree entirely and have shared with friends asking them to do the same. The grassroots energy, mobilization, commitment and success is being overlooked and we need to change that.

Network NOVA LIVE's avatar

I so agree. I can tell you that the grassroots community is where progress is made - and friendships - relationships - and these matter. Working together - we are unstoppable.

sara kimbell's avatar

Excelent article. Thanks.

Susan Wagner's avatar

Please circulate to

your club and ask them

to forward it in. Post on their social media and use it as a comment. I am trying to get it traction. The more it is circulated, the more likely it will get to the right eyes.

Susan Troy's avatar

Thanks for this. It helps and I wish I could share this everywhere 😊👍

Dee King's avatar

Every paragraph of Susan et al’s Substack is a gem, a golden nugget! Inspiring, true, encouraging, leading to action & community!

C’mon, Big Guys! Join the party!