I went to an Organizing for America 2010 Strategy Session yesterday and was psyched to learn about the “You Fight, We’ll Fight” campaign. From OFA’s website:
COMMIT YOUR TIME TO BACK UP CANDIDATES WHO FIGHT HARD FOR HEALTH REFORM
We must show every member of Congress that if they fight for real health reform now, we’ll be there to back them up this election season.
We’re shooting for 10,000,000 hours pledged to spread the word to fellow voters. And we’ll publish the total hours pledged in USA Today, so there will be no doubt that health reform is both good policy and good politics.
Wow. Voting. Not exactly a new idea, right? (In fact, its one that many people consider worthless in our current political climate.) But, its campaigns like this one that aim to increase the power of the political voices of everyday citizens and to pass ground-breaking social justice legislation that have the potential to change this political climate.
Sometimes its damn hard to tell Democrats and Republicans apart. As Talib Kweli says:
You try to vote and participate in the government
And the m**f** Democrats is actin’ like Republicans
If President Obama’s message of change has a chance of materializing into something worth the enormous struggles ahead of us, it will depend in large part upon Democratic politicians legitimately working in service of the people. And this means challenging the staggering influence that corporate lobbyists have on our politicians. We will never come close to outspending the bloodsucking insurance lobbyists, so we have to maximize the power of the tools we do have.
The You Fight, We’ll Fight approach inserts you and me into the equation by pre-emptively strengthening our bargaining power. By identifying ourselves as potential supporters, we are a force to be reckoned with and voters potentially to be lost instead of a disengaged, disempowered public. Plus, it sends a clear message to the Democrats that Health Insurance Reform in 2010 is a deal-breaker for their constituents.
In short, the You Fight, We’ll Fight campaign is one worthy of your consideration. Organizing for America has declared March 8 – March 14 the Week of Health Insurance Reform Action, so now is the perfect time to get involved. Check out Organizing for America to pledge your support and find an event near you. And check out the President’s message to his supporters below:
