good bye (for real), and good luck
Remember a year ago when I was supposed to move to Colorado? Well, we finally sold our house and I’m ending my long goodbye. This is my last post for Sticks of Fire.
Hold your applause. Please.
I’ve already said so long and those thoughts still stand. This past year has been tough, but an extra twelve months have been a blessing in so many ways. I got to meet more of you gems, participate in the governor’s race, and spend time with loved ones who will be mourned and missed.
Read it again. I meant every word.
Now - allow me to look forward for a moment. Colorado Springs…
My new home is known as the Evangelical Capital of the World. Most residents are to the right of Rove. My family of four will effectively double the Jewish population. This is a bit scary. Yes, moving next door to Focus on the Family is frightening to my liberal sensibilities. Yet such a move also provides me an opportunity to make a difference. To get in there and ruffle some feathers, convert conservatives and help out my fellow activists.
Because they are outnumbered, liberals in The Springs are a tight knit group. During my many visits, I’ve been welcomed with open arms and look forward to working on issues relating to tolerance, choice, and other ways to make the area a better place to live. My experiences with new neighbors, writers, activists and bloggers out west leads me to look back at my old peeps in Florida one last time and offer this bit of advice:
Get your act together.
Republicans are kicking your tail when it comes to organizing and fundraising. They hustle and recruit where you have ignored and neglected. Please move into the suburbs and get to know families who are making their home there. Don’t blow off rural voters waving confederate flags, such people are voting against their own self-interest because Dems have forgotten them.
Local liberals - stop talking and listen for change.
My party is catering to those who wouldn’t give Jim Davis the money he needed to win. Yet who can blame big donors? They opened their wallets for Betty Castor and Mel Martinez still walked away with a victory. I wouldn’t want to flush my funds down the toilet either. Not for a party that doesn’t know how to win.
Too many activists are waiting for calls that never come. Boston, up to its eyeballs in Democrats, excels at utilizing the talents of local players. Busy bees running the show for Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and President Clinton opened the door and allowed me to walk in and participate. Local precinct captains couldn’t get enough of my wick ed ways. Such inclusion shows. Dems run the show there. Florida Dems lose more elections every year and couldn’t care less about young movers and shakers. Republicans take them though. And again, it shows.
Unpopular w a r and unpopular President and we still didn’t do as well as we should have in the last election. Results were shameful. And a direct indictment of how our state party and local party conducts itself.
In the midst of all this - how do bloggers respond?
They’re too busy arguing over who is really progressive to give a sh*t.
Real productive, guys.
Hard-working writers out there who champion Democratic candidates are being booted out of the tent because they also write about their kids or art or love toys.
Lonely libs, in case you haven’t noticed, we can’t afford to lose any more people. Bloggers who attract those uninterested in politics or those who lean to the left but are unsure should be embraced instead of scorned. Make room for everyone who wants to help the progressive cause. Even if they only work for us part time. Stop focusing on what divides us and build a bridge or two. Wipe away the h a t e from your eyes and discover what we have in common.
Or continue to isolate yourselves from those who don’t tow the company line completely. Which makes you as bad as those neo cons you rail against.
Pay attention, I’m almost finished - You are driving away potential supporters because you embody all that is ugly and distasteful about politics.
As you look around at a landscape that rejects your values because you can’t articulate them in a way that includes everyone, I gotta ask: How’s that working for you?
Oh, keep on keeping on, elitist Democrats, don’t let me stop you. Keep isolating yourselves and erasing all that is noble about the political process.
And keep crying the morning after elections.
There. I’m out.
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May 21st, 2007 at 3:46 pm
5/21/2007 10:14 AM (original time of non-successful posting — apologies for any length overrun in comments) This is a post about this above ‘writer’s’ missteps and an attempt to cover up what she started and it needs addressing and then hopefully she’ll let it die an honorable death but perhaps not. Whatever …
Mrs. Robinson, this “article” is droll, coming from you, of all people. I recall you to your post not so long back where you started all this divisive rigmarole.
The above post taken from Ms. Robinson’s blog because she sits and talks to herself on the taxpayer dollar all day at her blog and I don’t have time for that type reading. The Hillsborough County school marm is not paying me to blog. LOL !
Mrs. R. You truly do spin just like the worst breed of NON-Democrat NON-Liberal, NON-progressive folks (bad republicans) I try not to be judgmental because some of my best friends are high-ranking and very decent Republicans. I’m sure you wouldn’t know them, because they are decent; not your type of Republican.
You started the nasty anonymous commenting. (about myself and others at my blog, your blog and pushing rope)two weeks ago or longer.
It’s all in black and white on your blog and others, where you let it remain in an attempt to discredit me.(and others)
Then you ‘take the high road’. If you truly represented those on the high road we’d be in more trouble in America than we are right now.
Seriously — how old ARE you mentally?????? Emotionally??? Is there some corrective or cosmetic plastic surgery you can get to ‘fix’ this deficiency in thought/action/self???
It’s all at your “BLOG” in black and white. All the names you called people (anonymously, of course) and the hate-baiting. It’s in the history of your comments where there ARE NONE and then you started your anonymous commenting about myself and all these other anonymous (read YOU) commenters sprang to life. And the blogger id’s you feverishly created so you could shadow yourself in barely disguised agreement. It’s all there in fairly decent English.
As well, you anonymously accuse people (myself and another) of being Jew-haters. My Grandfather and family have a proud history of friendly/familial association with every race/creed in existence. Here’s a heads-up — if you wish to be beneficial for the beautiful Jewish folks you should SHUT YOUR MOUTH. You are making the Jewish people look bad. I believe that’s the same reason that many others feel it should be revealed that you fake being a liberal progressive. You are divisive within the process of the rest of the REAL progressives trying to make things better. You are the one to count on to start the infighting; it’s your only purpose in pretending to be a liberal progressive.
As well, who cares how many Jewish people there are here and there? I don’t check for the # of English/Irish folks when I move OR the number of blacks/whites/latinos or Jewish or any other race or creed. I do MY part as a human being to be part of the human race even when I am in the minority. I don’t even NOTICE the minority. When YOU notice how many Jews there are or not, babe, that makes YOU the racist/creedist/bigot.
You act as though a place can’t be fit for human occupancy if there is not the requisite # of people you feel to be ‘the right ones’ What about that is NOT bigotry???
Kate’s idea of being a feminist and supporting other bloggers is to attack their body parts as though given her 20,000 dollar surgical correction this somehow makes her better and her thighs better. LOL !!
Can’t stroke a stroker and all of that.
Michael Hussey is right. I had already started to notice when he pointed it out to me.
There’s something wrong with your picture. You and one other (name left out til I verify a few things) are the only ones to get away with trashing elia with no retribution. It’s like you’ve been given some type of permission to do so. (hmmmmm) That’s also what I heard from the grapevine. Why doesn’t she threaten to sue YOU as she threatened to sue La Gaceta?? Hmmmmm????
AND, you start elementary-school-slambook stuff (poking at other peoples’ thighs seems to be your forte’) and then don’t like the backdraft. So, you call on your four (or forty but again READ YOU) anonymous friends to help you.
Grow up and stop trying to pull the wool over peoples’ eyes.
I know eleven year olds with better grips on right/wrong/fairness.
Born that way.
What’s YOUR excuse??
There is no excuse.
5/21/2007 10:14 AM
Also it’s very Republican-esque to use the ‘fear factor’ … you better like kate or your candidate will not be elected.
LOL !!! Good, I’m not FOR Hillary.
Mrs. Robinson, Go light a candle and ask forgiveness from the universe.
May 21st, 2007 at 3:50 pm
We will miss you Kate. If they didn’t read you, they wouldn’t post.
Enjoy the Rockies !
May 21st, 2007 at 4:15 pm
LOL. Nothing like lurkers. She reads me, too. And never gives me credit for what she takes from my blog. Like some others. Face it.
We got us a new Rupert in Tampa.
May 21st, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Kate-
You might want to pick up a copy of George Lakoff’s book- “Who’s Freedom?”
To progressives, freedom means the expansion of rights and opportunities; it includes not just freedom to do positive things but freedom from certain negative aspects of life.
I’m getting a real negative vibe off your rant.
I hope you find what you’re looking for in Colorado.
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:43 am
http://www.last.fm/music/Jimmy+Cliff/_/Scotty+%252F+Draw+Your+Brakes
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:45 am
I like Kate. She smiled at me and touched my arm when we met. Made me feel all warm and gooey
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:18 am
Bye Kate! Good Luck in Colorado. I’ll miss reading your posts!
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Kate,
You’re one of the few people who can keep me from getting too cynical. So glad to have known you, no matter how brief.
Much Love,
Dawn
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Your apolitical, apathetic, carnivorous Gentile friend will miss you. I don’t write get-well limericks for just anyone, you know. Best of luck to you.
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Nothing like a big group email to get everyone out in support of ‘the divider’.
Noted by the fact that all of these popped into my email while I was commuting to the office. The only four emails I received; just thought it was funny.
No bounce no foul
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Good luck in Colorado. I hope you make lots of friends from many walks of life and that your family is able to grow together with lots of trust and adventure in the mix.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Colorado is a beautiful state and you are wise enough to draw strength from the eternal power in nature’s beauty.
Be well and God speed, Kate.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Oh, I just love you guys. Even the crazies.
Stay gold.
October 21st, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Can y’all take back this floozy?