Has MoveOn.org jumped the shark?

[crispini]

I just got yet ANOTHER email from MoveOn asking for dough for a contribution so they could run yet another ad. This one is about the bankruptcy bill. I dunno, maybe it's just me, but it seems to me that almost all I get lately from MoveOn is 1) cough up some dough or 2) sign this petition. Donate, sign, donate, sign, donate, sign. It's just starting to seem old. In the run up to the 2004 election, the houseparties and the decentralized phone banks to register voters or encourage people to come out to vote, the video previews and all of that stuff -- it just seemed much more, well, FUN and enthusiastic back then than the stuff they're doing now is.

Am I imagining it, or does anyone else feel like this? I wonder why this is?

Edited to add: Nobody seems to be getting my point, which is that they're still asking us to do stuff but the stuff they're asking us to do is much more ordinary than it used to be. Just seemed to me like they had some really creative ideas (the bake sale, etc.) which they don't anymore.

[Randi_Listener]

1. No.

[ProgressiveConn]

2. Someone has to do that stuff.

I'm glad its the people at moveon and not me having to do it. =)

[BrainRants]

3. No, just not as prevalent as the run up to '04.

n/t

[SteppingRazor]

4. No.

This is what organizations like MoveOn should be doing in off years. If you want it to be like it was before the election, just wait till 2006.

[Joe the Revelator]

5. No...its the off season...Moveon will be important starting this fall nt

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

12. I find that kinda hard to swallow. What line of business is it? (nt)

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[NoPasaran]

17. Now we know what freepers do for a living

[crispini]

19. That's some funny stuff, eh?

A freeper actually thinks we'd believe that their boss would FORCE them to donate to MoveOn.org? Sheesh.

[Melynn]

20. That's just plain stupid

It's so stupid, it's funny. Can't the Freepie people think up better stuff than that? On second thought, I guess they can't.

[htuttle]

15. I'm calling bull on that

Your boss is pressuring you to donate to MoveOn?

Bullshit.

[Just Me]

25. It's so off-the-wall,...it's hilarious!!! I'd call that straight up

P-R-O-J-E-C-T-I-O-N,...in addition to total bullshit!!!

[sui generis]

7. I'm getting hit up for dough every time I turn around

starting to wonder if some enterprising republican is masquerading as one of ours and laughing all the way to the bank; especially the orgs that I don't recognize right off.

MoveOn - I would feel more comfortable with them if they gave out a financial statement, kind of like HRC does.

I still give a little a lot but yes it is annoying? that's the word.

[Stephanie]

8. I've stopped reading their emails.

They send too many. I just delete them.

[Terran1212]

9. They seem to be getting at political hackery as opposed to..

trying to be a real political action group with a real message. After they decided not to endorse the anti-war protests on the 18th, I knew something was wrong with them.

[latebloomer]

10. Why did they decide not to endorse them?

That doesn't sound good!

[Terran1212]

16. MOVEON didn't endorse the antiwar movement recently because

their members were split on what to do. A lot of Moveon people think the US should leave, others think that would lead to worse. Thus, they jumped ship (probbaly hurting our numbers during the protests GREATLY). Truemajority, ANSWER, and faith-based groups made up the majority, unfortunately.

[madfloridian]

11. I don't think that is quite true.

I think they are concentrating on other things instead.

[SoCalDem]

13. Too late for the bankruptcy bill.. They should have been ON it

2 months ago..BEFORE the election and then immediately afterwards too..

Running ads against a bill that's sure to pass or already passed is counterproductive:)

[mattclearing]

18. With their non-response to the election fiasco, absolutely.

If they put Al Gore on another speaking tour, I'll reconsider.

[WilliamPitt]

21. They are taking credit for PDAs work on this bill

and that sucks.

[madfloridian]

28. Will, I get both mails.

I just checked, and I don't see what you mean. How did they take credit?

[tinanator]

22. oh hell ya

Im not even going to back that up, I just know from what Ive seen and heard that they are compromised as any large player probably is doomed to become (ahem)

[madfloridian]

23. Why don't we all step up and shoot each other?

I'll shoot at one group, you shoot at another, then we will all turn around and shoot in another direction to be sure we hit all of the targets who are working hard for us.

MoveOn has done great stuff. I admire them tremendously.

Ready,aim, fire.

:shrug:

[Just Me]

26. *LOL*,...whew,...crazy, huh!

I'll abstain!!! :bounce:

Besides, there are so many more gratifying objects to hunt down! :hi:

[crispini]

29. Oh, yawn.

It's called "constructive criticism" and the OP was in a spirit of curiosity and wanting to open a discussion with others to see if they have observed the same phenomenon.

MoveOn has done great stuff, mostly due to the hundreds of thousands of volunteers and donors (of which I am one), but lately, for some reason, their campaigns just aren't as original as they used to be, at least that's my perception. I also happen to think it's worth discussing.

[Just Me]

31. What if the impact of your "intention" is discouragement or ,...

,...disillusionment or destruction of an organization that has done far, far more positive actions than negative?

Would that motivate you to reevaluate how you apply your "intention" to impose "constructive criticism"? Would you consider directing your "constructive criticism" at the MoveOn managers rather than publicly expressing your negative opinion of them?

:shrug:

[tinanator]

33. do you spose "we" could be more destructive than "them"?

MoveOn as a favorite whipping child of the fascists is probably the best thing about them. They are already neutralized, ineffective and complacent. I dont think its a matter of how much money you can raise against a rigged election system or how many emails or electronic signatures you can solicit when the fascists upstairs dont give a damn what you think as long as you dont do anything effective or say anything they havent positioned you to say. As long as angry people pay more attention to the curtain of clowns on the fascist media, or faux topics dujour rather than the real issues that would unite and bind ALL Americans, they dont have shit to worry about.

[KoKo]

24. Just think about Delay, Jarvis, Mellon-Scaife, Ridenauers, Abramoff and

maybe you will think twice about giving a couple of dollars to Move On.org.

The Repugs are in charge just because they gave the dollars and shut up about complaining. You want to complain about a Democratic 527! Pleeeeeze.... (Look I'm probably a DU Left Wing purist) but we've got to support one of the two or three groups who are trying to support us.

In our case we are desperate. Monitoring results of our littl 527's isn't important at this point. We've got to grow and grow big to put fear in the Repugs hearts.

Those little Grannies who sent 5 and 10$ built much of this with the help of the Fat Cats....and those Grannies didn't complain about what Jarvis and Vigerie were doing for them...they didn't ask for their money back and complain.

We gotta do this Crispini.....give the little money and one day we will be as big or bigger than "them."

Complaining ...yes...send it to MoveOn. But, don't discourage others here from donating to the little we have between us and Armaggedon.

:shrug: just a scolding here...

[Just Me]

27. Hey, KoKo01, I would also prefer to focus the negative on common

enemies rather than engage in petty bitching about imperfections of our "friends".

I simply think the barrage of petty crap carelessly thrown at the least of our problems is creating a breakdown of our greatest strengths.

It's just crazy that we keep doing this to one another under the circumstances,...crazy and destructive.

So, your appropriate "scolding" is acknowledged by "Just Me".

[crispini]

30. 'Scuse me?

How so is it "petty bitching" to observe, that IMO, MoveOn came up with some great and creative campaigns pre-election, and the campaigns they've done since then have not been exactly the same, and to wonder if my perception is shared by others and what could be improved?

[Just Me]

32. Try "being" the object at which you throw "constructive" daggers.

If you have issues with them, why not direct your issues to them rather than advertise your negative criticisms?

I mean, seriously,...do you really, genuinely believe that negative-bearing posts are helpful or exact your "intentions" to improve that organization?

Just,...set aside your intentions and seriously consider the impact of your actions. Sometimes, our very best intentions can be executed in such a way that leads to the complete opposite outcome.

I know,...I've caught myself too wrapped up in my passions to recognize that I'm doing more harm than good. At least I am getting better at taking a look,...at what I'm doing in spite of what I'm "nobly" pursuing.

Please, just,...don't get too wired,...okay. We are not enemies. We really want the best for everyone.

[crispini]

34. Let's revisit the OP, eh?

"Am I imagining it, or does anyone else feel like this? I wonder why this is?"

and

"Nobody seems to be getting my point, which is that they're still asking us to do stuff but the stuff they're asking us to do is much more ordinary than it used to be. Just seemed to me like they had some really creative ideas (the bake sale, etc.) which they don't anymore."

This is what you're calling "daggers?" Seems pretty mild to me. Not like I'm frothing at the mouth going, "MoveOn sux! They're HORRIBLE!"

See, here's the deal: I posted an opinion, some people in the the thread agreed, some disagreed, that's what I was looking for, it's all good, it's a discussion. But getting told that I shouldn't have that opinion, or I shouldn't post that opinion here? Whatever. How is that contributing to the discussion? Please, feel free to enumerate all the wonderful, innovative things that they've done since the election. I'd be interested to hear other opinions on the topic at hand.

[theboss]

35. I don't think MoveOn's priorities are in the right place

I think they need to steal a page from Scaife and be the well from which other liberal think tanks, papers, magazines, foundations, etc grow. MoveOn.org's problem, to me, is that it is trying to be everything itself, whereas I think it's real success will come once it accepts it's role as a type of liberal clearinghouse.

[madfloridian]

36. There is a movement from the far left to discredit MoveOn.....

as well as a movement from the right. I know, because it is happening in an extreme way by some who will recognize no compromise, no working together. It is happening mostly because they are not yelling get out of Iraq.

When a group is being attacked by both sides on the far ends of the spectrum, then pretty soon the goals of those groups become the same. Hurt MoveOn, hurt the party, hurt the chairman. Some groups have Dean in their targets because he is not "liberal" enough for them.

I am not speaking of the OP at all, but I am speaking of the fact that this is going on. This is not about the person who posted this. It is real, and we need to be on guard.

MoveOn is great group, the party is rebuilding, and Chairman Dean is doing his very best. I belonged to one group for a while that I thought was just progressive, but I realize they are not ever going to be satisfied with anything the DNC does. It takes a while, but we need to on guard.