Democratic Boot Camp Trains Politicos (about time IMHO

[Florida_Geek]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-CVN-Future-Politicians.html

July 24, 2004
Democratic Boot Camp Trains Politicos
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 2:36 p.m. ET

BOSTON (AP) -- Move over, James Carville. More than 2,000 young Democrats drilled on Saturday to become future party politicos, complete with blogs, their omnipresent cell phones and unquenchable desire to get Democrats into office.

But before they take over the party, the Democrats want to teach them how to help John Kerry win the presidential election in the battleground states.

While the professional Democrats are celebrating over at the Fleet Center, young Democrats will be at the Hynes Convention Center learning the political skills they need to take home and work for Kerry and the Democrats.

Called the ``Kicking Ass Training: 101 Days, 101 Ways to Victory,'' that boasts training sessions with names like ``Takin' It To the Streets: Getting Out The Vote'' and ``Fear Factor: Campaign Finance 101,'' Democratic GAIN (the Grassroots Action Institute and Network), clearly wants to speak on the level of its 18-to-35 target audience.


..more at PA

[brainshrub]

1. The Cons have been doing this kind of thing for years!

It's about time we started doing this.

[loudsue]

2. I wish they'd teach the DLC grown-ups how to talk to "the grassroots"

and quit talking only to corporations!

It IS about time the Dems got "organized", and frankly, I thank Howard Dean for that!! Even the corporate money/addicted party leaders figured out they could do something that at least made them APPEAR to be trying to get Dems elected.

Sorry to be so grumpy about this, but it's about time that our party remembered the "grassroots" citizens for a second, and realized that there was, indeed, an alternative power base....besides the global corporations!! Now, if we can only remind them that their "MESSAGE" is supposed to support the little guy, and NOT the corporate elite, then we'll really be getting somewhere!!!

:kick::kick:

[mom cat]

3. Amen. Once we win we will be on their case like stink on shit!

I don't think that we are going to roll over and go back to sleep.

[Democat]

4. The article should have talked about Camp Wellstone too!

http://www.wellstone.org/camp/index.aspx

[JM]

5. Pennsylvania Dems had this

as of three years ago, but it disappeared. Glad they are doing this nationally.

PA had courses on how to run a campaign, how to be a finance manager, how to be a press secretary, how to be a speech writer, etc.

JM

[lostnfound]

6. Are there any websites that teach best approach for talking to other side?

I feel fairly incapable at doing this..It would be great to have a website that would offer good tips and role-playing.

[SoCalDem]

7. I hope they teach them nuance and language skills..

There are many ways to "say something"...and the way we have been "saying it" has NOT been working..

The repubes have mastered the "code speak", and the media understands their language.. Our representatives in the public arena seem flatfooted by comparison..