Is DFA partisan or non-partisan?

[Kire]

Our meetup is small, but we are committed. We may be isolated, though, because we seem to be having the same argument over and over.

Are we partisan, or non-partisan?

I say we are fucking partisan. A progressive political group takes progressive political positions.

Others say we are not partisan, that we want to reach out to a big tent and attract more and more people to come to our meetings - we are in a red area in a blue state.

It's just pissing me off.

:rant:

[Kire]

1. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

I agree with Dante, that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a period of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.
There comes a time when silence is betrayal.

[elshiva]

2. Yep! Partisan, but there is nothing wrong with that!

Bipartisanship is a nice idea, but it's good to be solidly liberal and/or Democrat sometimes. DFA is a good place to stress what it means to be a Democrat.

[Capn Sunshine]

3. DFA can be whatever you wish

If by partisan you mean "Democratic Party organization". Many parts of the country find DFA acting as a bridge between the Democratic party and independents, Greens, and even Liberal republicans. Our own county DFA groups find lots of participation of those non-dems. I know in California we have a partisan leaning due to the overwhelming numbers Howard Dean acrued in the primary.

However,in places like Arizona and Montana DFA has a decidedly less "democrtaicParty" flavor, as lots of old guard Dems find DFAers too energetic and change oriented for their taste.

Remember, you are doing this from your home ground up, not the other way around.

[mandyky]

4. DFA is not and should not be partisan

Just as Howard Dean attracted a lot of independents and republicans, I feel DFA should continue trying to do so. DFA is more than pro-Democrat. I imagine we'll support Bernie Saunders. He is not a democrat. DFA is anti-bush (and GOPers like him), not anti-GOP voters. I'm blue in a red/purple area myself, so I understand your frustration. I think there could be such a thing as a progressive GOP candidate, and we'd like their politics. Now whether DFA would suport one is another matter. As much as I dislike the rank and file GOP politicians, I do not like being partisan, and I do not like opponents who are partisan. Just my 2 centavos.

[ImADeanDem]

5. We've been having this same discussion...

We still haven't resolved the issue, but my thinking is that "partisan" vs. "non-partisan" are actually terms of art (relating to campaign finance laws), and they might better be described as "affiliated" (with a political party) vs. "unaffiliated." I see us as PROGRESSIVE, but officially "non-partisan," because we are not officially affiliated with the Democratic Party. I want us to remain independent, and able to support fiscally responsible, socially progressive candidates no matter what party they happen to belong to. (As a practical matter, they'll probably be mostly Dems, but that doesn't mean that we're a "Democratic Club.")

In the official sense of the word, DFA (HQ) is officially "non-partisan." And, by the way, so is MoveOn.org. (It's a 501(c)(4) "issue advocacy organization.")

Edited to add: By "we" I'm referring to my state and local DFA groups.