As the Democratic Presidential nomination limps towards its conclusion, liberals and progressives are wondering what to do. While Barack Obama has revealed himself as an interesting candidate, the more one learns about him, the more he seems closer to the Democratic Leadership Council New Democrats who have dominated the Party for two decades than a candidate representing what Paul Wellstone once referred to as “the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party,” that is the wing that see itself as following in the tradition of FDR, Truman, JFK rather than the Bill Clinton “Bourbons” who espouse triangulation and Republican Lite.
The blogs are alive with discussions of alternatives ranging from talking Al Gore into running to supporting Ralph Nader to sitting this one out. Personally I am not a fan of the latter nor of voting for Nader so John McCain can get into the White House. To me the deciding issue is still the Supreme Court and I cringe to think who John McCain will nominate, especially since he has had to cozy up to the right wing of his Party to nail down the nomination.
For liberals and progressives wondering where to put their energy and their money, I offer an alternative suggestion. It is the best kept secret in America.
Did you know there is an organization that for a $50 contribution will train a future President of the United States or Senator or Representative? That organization is Wellstone Action. The $50 will pay for a scholarship for some possible future office holder to attend a Camp Wellstone session designed to teach them how to run for and win elective office.
As the organization’s website notes,
Founded in January 2003, Wellstone Action’s mission is to honor the legacy of Paul and Sheila Wellstone by continuing their work through training, educating, mobilizing and organizing a vast network of progressive individuals and organizations.
Led by the Wellstones’ sons, Mark and David and many old Wellstone staff members such as campaign manager Jeff Blodgett, Wellstone Action set about applying what some of us who knew Paul and Sheila call the Wellstone triad to rebuilding the progressive movement.
When he was a political science professor at Carleton College and engaging in his early community organizing attempts, Paul Wellstone used to passionately talk about how politics consisted of three equally important areas which he outlined in his book The Conscience of a Liberal:
Good ideas and policy, so your activism has direction; grassroots organizing so there is a constituency to fight for the change; and electoral politics, since it is one of the ways people feel most comfortable deciding about power in our country.
These three principles guide the many activities of Wellstone Action, including engaging members in non-partisan voter mobilization efforts; lobbying Congress on behalf of issues the Wellstones fought for including mental health parity, Social Security and protecting the Violence Against Women Act. The centerpiece of Wellstone Action is Camp Wellstone, a unique experience that may be the best hope we liberals have of re-energizing our country in terms what Paul called “the American justice tradition.”
Camp Wellstones usually last for one weekend and are divided into three strands: Citizen Activism, Working on a Campaign, and Being a Candidate. Each track is taught by expert facilitators, some of whom are former Wellstone campaign organizers or have worked on other campaigns, led community organizing efforts or advocacy groups. Having attended one of these I can assure you that first, there is nothing else out there like it and second, it’s a great time.
Camp Wellstones take place in cities across the country and also on college campuses, so if you are interested in possibly attending one, check the Wellstone Action web site for dates and locations. Now here’s the best deal–unlike a lot of political trainers who charge outrageous sums of money to attend their seminars–the cost of Camp Wellstone is based on a sliding scale based on ability to pay.
Rates are as follows: $200 (full cost), $100 (50% of training cost), or $50 (25% of training cost). This fee covers our book, Politics the Wellstone Way, materials, and three meals during the weekend.
After the 2006 election Wellstone Action announced that 78 Camp Wellstone alumni had won elections. These included several who won House seats including John Hall – NY, David Loebsack – IA, Tim Walz – MN, and Keith Ellison–MN. Fifty-nine alums won seats in state legislatures, and other victories ranged from school board to Secretary of State.
Jeff Blodgett of Wellstone Action notes:
Wellstone Action has now trained 17,500 people to run for office, manage campaigns, and advocate for a broad range of progressive issues. There will be twice that many by the next presidential election in 2012. There are now 4 Wellstone Action graduates in the U.S. House of Representatives and over 200 in city, county and state government.
But Blodgett along with those of us who have contributed to and participated in Wellstone Action harbor a dream:
This new wave of trained candidates and organizers will one day reach a tipping point, and a Wellstone Action graduate will mount a viable presidential bid. And that person will bring to the campaign all the skills and lessons they learned from Wellstone Action, and put to good use in earlier campaigns. They will have built a strong and active base of grassroots political and financial support. And they will be able to train and set loose talented, experienced organizers to reach enormous numbers of voters.
So that Presidential candidate may be the person who received the scholarship I donated to help send someone to Camp Wellstone. In my opinion right now Wellstone Action and the Camp Wellstones may be the best things the Democratic Party and Liberal Americans have going for them. We Democrats like to argue about issues, we get involved come election time, but few of us have paid much attention to the third part of the Wellstone triad–grassroots organizing.
The GOP has been doing this sort of thing for over a decade. Groups on the Religious Right such as the Christian Coalition have been running candidate training sessions since the days of Ralph Reed. If the Democratic Party is to hold on to its majority it will need more efforts like Camp Wellstone to support and attract candidates as well as community organizers who will work for their issues and organizations on a local level and keep the heat on the White House and Congress.
I find it most interesting that the Wellstone’s legacy is named Wellstone Action not the Wellstone Institute or some other pretentious-sounding title. Both Paul and Sheila were unpretentious people, as comfortable in an Iron Range tavern as a DC diplomatic reception. But most of all they were people of action. I’m not sure I ever saw either of them stand still for very long or not be passionately advocating for an important cause.
As we move into what surely will be a contentious summer we need to remember that it is action not words that will decide what direction this nation takes. Even for those like me who are disabled we can all play a role. If you think the Presidential race has left liberals and progressives out in the cold, you do not have to retreat into cynicism and inaction. You can do something.
Sign up for a Camp Wellstone in your area. If nothing else the networking with fellow progressives will reinvigorate you. Think about running for office in your area like the city council or school board. Become active in an organization fighting for a cause you can believe in whether it is ending the Iraq War, fighting poverty or making sure the votes get counted right. Take the skills you learn at Camp Wellstone to that organization or if you cannot attend offer to sponsor someone from the organization.
If you are a college student sign up for one of the many Camp Wellstone offered on college campuses. Learn how to organize your fellow students. Network with people. Stretch your mind.
The coming fight will be neither easy nor fair, for the other side has been playing “take-no-prisoners” politics for quite some time and they will not yield power easily. Most of all, they have the money. But one thing trumps money, as Paul Wellstone personified when he won his first Senate campaign on a shoe string in an election no one thought he had a chance to win, and that is people. Back in the 1960s there was a saying, “Power to the people.” It’s not a bad slogan for today, either.
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