Tom Hayden on MoveOn

[Kevin Spidel]

06.24.2005 Tom Hayden
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/tom-hayden/

Open Letter to a MoveOn Staff member re: Iraq

Friend. Sorry we argued without getting to a conclusion in DC, then I saw the latest MoveOn mailing and it moves me to respond. First of all, MoveOn has been a true innovation with historical impacts and implications, no doubt about that. My concern is with the invisible, perhaps unconcious framework that seems to shape the direction.

First, MoveOn seems very much tied to the direction of the Democratic Party in its posture against the Republicans. That makes it difficult, perhaps impossible, for MoveOn to take on Democrats like Pelosi for their pro-war positions of the past six months, or the general Democratic view that Iraq was a mistake but it would be a bigger mistake to withdraw (or, the war was a mistake to enter, but now we have to win). The result is that the broad and independent anti-war movement can only rely on MoveOn where Republicans are the problem. That weakens the movement by taking away resources and spurring divisions.

Second, the marketing/direct mail philosophy which makes MoveOn successful can also make the organization go AWOL when the anti-war struggle hits a downturn, as during the past six months. As you described in detail, MoveOn not only polls its members with questions that MoveOn frames, MoveOn pours through data to determine how to move voters, say in red states. This is the stuff of the two-party system and corporate marketing, so it must work. But there is no role for leadership when voters slip into confusion, ambiguity, etc. the result is that MoveOn can be missing when times are really hard (the last six months), then seem like the 600 pound gorilla when public opinion is running strongly against the war (as in the present). Again, the result is unreliable partnership (winter soldier versus sunshine patriot).

There’s no simple solution to these issues, but I hope you will keep them in mind. You should consider whether to criticize pro-war Democrats and their silent partners. You should decide whether you are for withdrawal from Iraq, or not, and how to frame your opposition, not poll your members on fuzzy anti-war propositions that have little content. You should think of the independent anti-war movement as your allies on Iraq more than the Democratic Party. You have built much of your many million membership on anti-Iraq sentiment in the public at large, and it’s quite problematic for the anti-war movement if you decide to stop informing your members of anti-war developments.

We are at a strategic moment when everything is going wrong for Bush in Iraq, and a Harris poll shows 66 percent for partial or total withdrawal this year and only 33 percent for the position of Bush and many democrats that we should stay until we finish the job militarily. If marketing, polling and focus groups are scientific, how come no pollsters, pundits or politicians predicted it? Let’s get on the same page and win.

PEACE, TOM



curious from the DU'ers response. Please discuss...

[EFerrari]

1. Tom's right on. If HE can get Wes and Joan to listen to feedback

for one second, he's a miracle worker.

Moveon is having growing pains. Hope they get over it.

[Kire]

2. Hayden's great.

I've had enough of this "support every Democrat" shit. For every bad Democrat we support, we lose 10 good ones.

[katinmn]

3. I agree with Hayden 100%

MoveOn's position on the war does seem hazy. Sometimes they are with us, sometimes they get on board at the last minute, and sometimes they never weigh in.

I respect MoveOn and what it has accomplished. I have helped coordinate MoveOn protests and such in my state. MoveOn has become a heavyweight as far as citizen activist groups. It knows how to raise money.

I believe MoveOn is just a hair's breath away from making the bold step to take a true anti-war stance.

They have years of Internet organizing experience and over 2 million on their list. It would help Democrats win in 2006 and 2008 if MoveOn stopped following corporate marketing strategies and just did the right thing.

If and when they do, it will be curtains for Bush.

[katinmn]

4. kick!