A warning against DFA Training

Paul -V- — Mon, 08 May 2006 07:31:05 -0400

I'd like to warn my fellow Democrats about the so called "Training Academy" provided by the political action committee: Democracy for America. (DFA)

You may have heard about DFA, the organization that grew out of Howard Dean's failed bid for the presidency, whose supposed goal is to rebuild the Democratic Party from the bottom up.

I attended the DFA's "Training Academy" this weekend which was supposed to teach us about campaign management, field organizing, communications, grassroots advocacy, and organization building.

Here's the inside-scoop: The DFA Training Academy is amazingly effective. The entire event was planned better than a NASA launch.

For starters, the DFA didn't bring in a bunch of amateur shlubs to do the training; they hired people with decades of experience who understand how to run an effective campaign on every level.

How are Democrats supposed to keep losing ground to Republicans when the DFA provides Progressives with such an incredible program?

We Liberals are so accustomed to learning everything the hard way, that these Training Academies are extremely threatening to the feelings of hopelessness we have come to know and love.

Dammit! I was just getting used to the idea of living under a Republican corporate theocracy and only voting for surrender-monkey DINOs.

How am I supposed to feel hopeless after learning that political campaigns are far more scientific than what I expected? There is no magic involved. The DFA trainers showed us specific equations to plug into a race which measure how a candidate is doing. And, if the numbers don't add up to victory, there are specific steps one can take to make conditions more favorable.

How are Democrats supposed to allow Republicans to control the debate after we have learned how to talk to reporters in such a way that the message can be controlled?

How are Liberals supposed to be discouraged from running for office after we have been educated on how to organize volunteers, produce effective mailings and raise funds?

I've attended many political training seminars over my career as an activist. Most of them have been little more than pep-rallies for the base or bitch-sessions against the old-guard Democrats.

Why can't the DFA waste my time and money like everyone else does?

The DFA Training Academy is, hands-down, the best real-world political training for Democrats I've ever witnessed.

This class should be attended by all Progressives, whether they want to be active in politics or not. It's difficult to over-state how much insight into the political process they will learn from this.

If you are a Liberal who has embraced the fear and hopelessness that the Republicans have programmed you with, DO NOT ATTEND THE DFA TRAINING ACADEMY!

The DFA should be ashamed of themselves for doing such a great job.

Read counterpoint here.

Tags: DFA - Training Academy - Democracy for America - Progressives - Liberals - activism - seminar - classes

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A warning against DFA Training