What do we know about the Working Families Party, which has had some

[Atticus]

success in New York?

A recent article in The Nation mentioned their success at coordinating with other progressive-minded groups to achieve small but surprising successes in enacting legislation and controlling local politics.

That started me wondering if some sort of "alliance" between liberal groups and associations is being considered. We seem to have more different groups or causes than we have focus. If MoveOn and DFA and Working Families and the NAACP and the Urban League and anyone else who opposes what the Tea Party seems to portend were to unite---I'm talkin' park the egos and drop the petty ideological squabbles---I am sure we would outnumber the unAmerican screamers.

Anything like a "liberal unification alliance" on the horizon?

Why don't we start it here?

[Alexander]

1. In Connecticut, they cross-endorse all the Democrats.

For as long as I've been voting in CT, the Democrats on the ballot have also been listed under the Working Families ballot line.

I voted a straight Democratic ticket (all the candidates I voted for won, thankfully), but I could've voted a straight WF ticket and my vote would've gone to the same people.

[bread_and_roses]

2. In NY, where WFP originated, we do NOT cross -endorse ALL dems

Quite a few Dems do NOT receive WFP endorsement because they espouse positions that do not benefit working families. It is a political party, so is not immune from strategy superceding principle, but it is much harder - and generally rare - for a Conservative Dem to get WFP endorsement. I've been registered WFP since practically day 1 in NY; for a time, it seemed a good and practical way to fight for people over Party. However, will probably prove to have been too little, too late in the game - US has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Multi-Nationals and Banksters, Ds along with Rs. WFP is not strong enough to counter that.

[Chan790]

4. As a freelancer...

I ask you to pull that WFP lever wherever you can for a Democrat. The votes count exactly the same and it provides weight to their efforts for the working class, labor and the poor.

In NY, they've done wonderful things to protect independent contractors and freelancers, from repealing the UBT (a corporate-backed tax meant to explicitly put small businesses and independent labor out of business by making their tax-load heavier than those of corporation competitors) to backing reforms that make it easier for me to get paid when a client stiffs me (Before I had to file a lawsuit, now I will just report it to the NY Labor dept. who investigates and has the power to levy fines of $20,000 per violation and up to 6 months of jail-time for top executives of habitual violators.) and extending unemployment to cover me during down-times when our contracts dry up.

Mind you, the average NYC freelancer is living below the poverty line and we've been getting screwed for years.

[Alexander]

5. We don't pull levers in CT any more.

We used to, but now we fill in bubbles on a sheet that gets read by an optical scanner.

I considered voting straight WFP, and I may very well do so in 2012.

As for now, though, WFP is entirely regional and doesn't even exist in most states. There would have to be similar parties created in every state in order to get a serious national movement going.

[Chan790]

7. Dammit, I move away for a few years and they take away your levers.

:P

I grew up in CT, the first votes I ever cast were cast on those lever machines. I never did understand why they were so huge though.

[Autumn Colors]

8. I'm in CT where WFA endorses candidates

While I could use either line to vote for any Democrat who is cross-endorsed, I will ALWAYS put my vote on the WFA line to show that the reason I'm voting for the candidate is that I'm LIBERAL and want a Democrat who acts and votes like one.

You get my vote, but you also get the reason WHY you got my vote.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Ain't gonna happen. I tried for years to to get groups working together but...

there are different groups for a reason-- everyone thinks they have the right way to go. Working with someone else or, God forbid, working FOR someone else is unthinkable. It's the "not invented here" syndrome.

The teabaggers and other rightwingers have a much easier road-- they don't have to offer complex solutions to complex problems. They simply address the basic anxieties of the public and offer simplistic solutions the public wants to hear. Everyone on their side can get behind that.

[countrydad58]

6. NYer

Here. I voted the working party ticket,other than on Dem line voted reluctantly for my blue Dog congressman who lost.