Ran a coffee party meeting this weekend

So last Saturday I helped organize a Coffee Party meeting in my city. I was one of the main coordinators for the group. It was... intense. We were expecting maybe 30 people, I think our final count was somewhere in the 80's, which if you've ever done any organizing, this was a minor miracle. This was mostly spread by word of mouth and our facebook page, but the organization has been getting lots of national exposure, and we got a small blurb in the Sac Bee that morning. The crowd was so big we had to split off to another venue just so we were under fire marshall occupation limits.

The group was very impassioned, very energetic. I was suprised to see that there were barely any young people there, the median age was probably in the 40's, and I'll spare you the "all walks of life" speech. The issues that seemed to be biggest were "health care", "education", "campaign finance reform" seemed to be our biggest three issues, but seeing as we had so many people we could barely brush on everything. It was a blast, i was on a high from it all later that day at work.

Just thought I'd share my experience, open myself up for discussion, whatever

the makeout hobo said:

The issues that seemed to be biggest were "health care", "education", "campaign finance reform" seemed to be our biggest three issues

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So what were people's stances on these issues?

reefedjib said:

So what were people's stances on these issues?

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Right, sorry. Mostly it was that something needed to be done about them, a lot of people who proposed ideas did so from a liberal or progressive viewpoint, though some more or less centrist than others. Yes, it is mostly a progressive crowd, but does that really surprise anyone? I mean no one cares that the tea partiers are mostly conservatives.

what drinks were served?

the makeout hobo said:

Right, sorry. Mostly it was that something needed to be done about them, a lot of people who proposed ideas did so from a liberal or progressive viewpoint, though some more or less centrist than others. Yes, it is mostly a progressive crowd, but does that really surprise anyone? I mean no one cares that the tea partiers are mostly conservatives.

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It doesn't surprise me. I am bothered that on the one hand we have conservatives getting active with the Tea Parties, while on the other hand we have progressives getting active with the Coffee Parties. On the gripping hand, where are all the moderates? They aren't getting active.

Within days of announcing Coffee Parties, you get publicity (nationally) and you are able to organize through FB and get a blurb in the Sac Bee and produce 80 people.

I am the chairman of the Virginia Whig Party and we are trying to generate publicity and gain members. Many moderates and independents fall into the category that politics is disgusting so they won't participate. It's difficult.

Specifically on those issues, what do progressives believe should be done? Pass this healthcare bill? Do what with education: we already spend top dollar for education but don't spend it wisely? Is corporate contributions to campaigns really that big of a deal? I say so what.

spud_meister said:

what drinks were served?

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Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, whatever people ordered. We held it in a coffee shop where I'm friends with the owners. They were so apologetic about how long the line got, since they weren't expecting the business. I felt bad for them.

reefedjib said:

It doesn't surprise me. I am bothered that on the one hand we have conservatives getting active with the Tea Parties, while on the other hand we have progressives getting active with the Coffee Parties. On the gripping hand, where are all the moderates? They aren't getting active.

Within days of announcing Coffee Parties, you get publicity (nationally) and you are able to organize through FB and get a blurb in the Sac Bee and produce 80 people.

I am the chairman of the Virginia Whig Party and we are trying to generate publicity and gain members. Many moderates and independents fall into the category that politics is disgusting so they won't participate. It's difficult.

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Part of it is that you have to catch the zeitgeist. Mention on CNN and in the Bee are good, but if people aren't receptive no one will come. Maybe people aren't as receptive as you think. Though if you want me to give you some friendly advice on organizing, drop me a pm.

Specifically on those issues, what do progressives believe should be done? Pass this healthcare bill? Do what with education: we already spend top dollar for education but don't spend it wisely? Is corporate contributions to campaigns really that big of a deal? I say so what.

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We had various viewpoints on what to do, I'm not quite up for going into details on the nitty gritty.

the makeout hobo said:

Part of it is that you have to catch the zeitgeist. Mention on CNN and in the Bee are good, but if people aren't receptive no one will come. Maybe people aren't as receptive as you think. Though if you want me to give you some friendly advice on organizing, drop me a pm.

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Sure, thanks. I PMed you. I agree with your zeitgeist comment. We get some people with that spirit. Congrats on your big turnout!

We had various viewpoints on what to do, I'm not quite up for going into details on the nitty gritty.

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I am most definitely a compromiser. My primary out to a lot of these core disagreements that come along, where it seems there just isn't any middleground, is to invoke the 10th Amendment and defer to the states, so that liberal states can go their way and conservative states can go the other. This doesn't work for "human rights" type issues or "civil rights" issues, like abortion or black and women voting.

I know you said you didn't want to get into the nitty gritty, but I just want to say...

I am for healthcare reform, just not this turd.

I am all about improving education but 1) we spend a crapload of money already, 2) it's a local issue, 3) I like the changes Obama is proposing for NCLB, but 4) I think part of the solution is to increase the difficulty of what we are teaching starting at the first grade....make the kids work!

I think corporate money will find it's way into an election regardless (candidate direct or 527 indirect or ...). We may as well have it up front and have transparent reporting. I disagree with rules on orgs not candidates that have political messages. It impinges on free speech, IMHO.

I'd be so proud were I you!

The phony astroturf Obamanoid Coffee Party national event this past weekend turned out to be a complete flop, despite vigorous promotion on behalf of the corporate media, with just handfuls of people showing up to meetings in major cities.

As we reported last week, despite nearly a year of demonizing the Tea Party as little more than an umbrella for racist extremists, CNN and the rest of the establishment media lavished the Coffee Party with favorable coverage in anticipation of National Coffee Party Day, which was held on March 13th.

The difference in treatment was undoubtedly explained by the fact that the Coffee Party was founded by an Obama campaign operative, Annabel Park, who campaigned for Obama in 2008 and was one of the organizers and operators of the influential United for Obama video channel at YouTube. Park was also a former strategy analyst at the New York Times, another establishment mouthpiece that afforded the Coffee Party sympathetic coverage.

Claiming to represent a grass roots alternative to the Tea Party, which has to a large extent been hijacked by neo-cons, the Coffee Party is little more than an attempt to re-energize the Obamanoid base behind big government and socialism. A video presentation by Park provides few clues as to what the Coffee Party actually stands for apart from limitless immigration and putting unwarranted trust in government.

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Obamanoid Coffee Party Event A Flop Despite Vigorous Corporate Media Coverage

And from something a little less... excitable then prison planet

Don't we all feel better just knowing that the federal government is the expression of our collective will and the fountain from which all blessings flow? But, those obstructionists who defy the collective, they will be held accountable! At least the coffee party movement really is authentically grassroots...oh no, not again! Le-gal In-sur-rec-tion gives us a little history on coffee party organizer Annabel Park.

A Korean-American filmmaker is in charge of creating video clips that are playing a role in increasing support for Senator Barack Obama, the frontrunner for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

"I found that people have little understanding of the change that Senator Barack Obama is advocating. I thought from my experience in using videos for civil movements that videos would be the best way to promote the need for change and for Obama. That's why I decided to work for the Obama campaign," Annabel Park said.


Now that most of the country has a better understanding of the change that President Obama has in mind, the recruitment of foot soldiers for his war on prosperity has become a real challenge. Still, regardless of their repeated failures, the wheels of the permanent Obama campaign keep rolling over the faded green fields of Astroturf in search of some new momentum. Strike three!

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American Thinker Blog: Coffee Party Brew: Decaf filtered through Astroturf

Nothing says "tool" like being part of an Obama Organization idea.

80 people willing to be told how to think, what to say,a nd guillible enough to think they are part of a "grass roots" organizaton! I think it's funny as hell to be honest.

And whose funding them? SOROS!

The Coffee Party USA site under Donations leads you to Democracy in Action who takes in all the donations for this leftist radical organization. On Democracy in Action’s about page, at the bottom (last paragraph) is proof that they are Astroturf, a front for George Soros.

Democracyinaction.org: About us
“Financing

DemocracyInAction is funded by a mixture of service fees from the organizations using our tools, private grants, and individual donations. You can become a DemocracyInAction donor here.

Many thanks to our foundation grantors, the Surdna Foundation and the Open Society Institute, for their support.”

Soros funded Obama. Soros owns Obama. Soros is funding this organization, Soros owns the organization.

Progressives

Marxists

Astroturf

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Soros? Open Society Funding The Coffee Party Astroturf Mob PUMABydesign001's Blog

Oh man, you've been USED! But I doubt you'll accept any of this, you'll keep attending and telling yourself you're really part of something special... well it is special I suppose. But not in the way you think.

From thier "official" website:

FAQ #2: Is the Coffee Party USA liberal, centrist, progressive or conservative?
The Coffee Party USA is not liberal, centrist, progressive or conservative. It is American...

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Uhm you all lost that when you made it an opposition party to the tea party movement.

We are 100% grassroots. No lobbyists here. No pundits. And no hyper-partisan strategists calling the shots in this movement. We are a spontaneous and collective expression of our desire to forge a culture of civic engagement that is solution-oriented, not blame-oriented.

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Founded by an Obama apparatchik, funded by soros... yeah right. :lamo

MrVicchio said:

And from something a little less... excitable then prison planet

American Thinker Blog: Coffee Party Brew: Decaf filtered through Astroturf

Nothing says "tool" like being part of an Obama Organization idea.

80 people willing to be told how to think, what to say,a nd guillible enough to think they are part of a "grass roots" organizaton! I think it's funny as hell to be honest.

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Annnabel Park is the person who did kick things off and she is nominally in charge, but 1) the group is waiting for the local groups to set the agenda, that's one of the things last weekend's meeting was about. That's not exactly anyone telling people how to think. 2) Just because she did volunteer work for Obama doesn't make her an "operative." To be an operative she would have had to been paid for her work, bit difference. She supported a candidate, big ****ing deal. Lots of the Tea Party folks supported Ron Paul, I don't see you saying it was started by Ron Paul operatives. It's not like Davis Axelrod called up some random volunteer and ordered her to start this... she was frustrated that people seemed to think the Tea Parties represented all Americans, so she started a group to offer another viewpoint.

Also, you guys seem to have no idea what astroturfing is. When a McCain operative was writing letters to the editors and signing them from local voters, that was astroturfing. When Freedomworks was paying organizers and instructing them how to make demonstrations "look homegrown", you may call that astroturfing. To be astroturf, we'd have to been paid by the powers to be to make something that looks like its being done by volunteers but isn't. Seeing as how the entire organization is volunteer, and how it started in lieu of any funding from anyone, it's not astroturf. Educate yourself what astroturf is, not what some biased source claims it is, and get back to me. I hate to say check wiki, but even it knows more than you do.

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing]Astroturfing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

I ghost-wrote letters to the editor for the McCain campaign - Iraq war - Salon.com

How Grassroots Organizing Has Been Co-Opted - Newsweek.com

Reverend_Hellh0und said:

From thier "official" website:






Uhm you all lost that when you made it an opposition party to the tea party movement.

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Being against the tea party doesn't make you any less American. It's attitudes like that which are one of the reason this Coffee Party thing started in the first place.

Reverend_Hellh0und said:

Founded by an Obama apparatchik, funded by soros... yeah right. :lamo

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Oh, more blogs. My lucky day. Right now, as far as I know, the Coffee Party isn't incorporated in a way to take donations. So we link to a sympathetic organization to help us with that, and that other organization happens to have Soros as one of their backers. So we are run by Soros. Nice house of cards, rev.

Well every thread needs a couple people being dicks in it to make it complete. Glad we had those visit.

Good job Hobo. I am not at all sold on the Coffee Party, but I really do love people who care enough to do things like this(Coffee or Tea). It sounds like it had a real, positive effect on you, and that is the best part.

Don't listen to those who want to **** on anything and any one they disagree with, keep on caring about the country you live in, and working to make it better.

Redress said:

Well every thread needs a couple people being dicks in it to make it complete. Glad we had those visit.

Good job Hobo. I am not at all sold on the Coffee Party, but I really do love people who care enough to do things like this(Coffee or Tea). It sounds like it had a real, positive effect on you, and that is the best part.

Don't listen to those who want to **** on anything and any one they disagree with, keep on caring about the country you live in, and working to make it better.

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I'm sorry Redress, we'll no longer point out how the whole Coffee Party thing is an astroturf project cooked up by Obama and Co. to get the "base" excited. We won't laugh at the fools trying to say it's an unbiased "answer to the tea parties" all while the people pushing it, funding it, and yes, organizing these coffee parties are hard left political activist.

We won't laugh at how the media, that ignored what was it,a million or so Tea Party protestors in DC are out in full on talking point mode promoting the Coffee Party because the WH told them too.

Nah, we'll just let you guys make our points for us from now on.

the makeout hobo said:

So last Saturday I helped organize a Coffee Party meeting in my city. I was one of the main coordinators for the group. It was... intense. We were expecting maybe 30 people, I think our final count was somewhere in the 80's, which if you've ever done any organizing, this was a minor miracle. This was mostly spread by word of mouth and our facebook page, but the organization has been getting lots of national exposure, and we got a small blurb in the Sac Bee that morning. The crowd was so big we had to split off to another venue just so we were under fire marshall occupation limits.

The group was very impassioned, very energetic. I was suprised to see that there were barely any young people there, the median age was probably in the 40's, and I'll spare you the "all walks of life" speech. The issues that seemed to be biggest were "health care", "education", "campaign finance reform" seemed to be our biggest three issues, but seeing as we had so many people we could barely brush on everything. It was a blast, i was on a high from it all later that day at work.

Just thought I'd share my experience, open myself up for discussion, whatever

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good for you bro; whether or not we agree, items that get the general populace plugged into the political process are a net gain (imo). i've been regretting i can't get inolved in the Tea Parties.


i do think the coffee parties are, well, let's just say CNN"s coverage sounds a little desperate. and as you mention, yeah, it's pretty obviously an attempt by leftwingers to copy/answer the Tea Party. as very little energy is on the left right now, it will be interesting to see how it develops.

MrVicchio said:

I'm sorry Redress, we'll no longer point out how the whole Coffee Party thing is an astroturf project cooked up by Obama and Co. to get the "base" excited. We won't laugh at the fools trying to say it's an unbiased "answer to the tea parties" all while the people pushing it, funding it, and yes, organizing these coffee parties are hard left political activist.

We won't laugh at how the media, that ignored what was it,a million or so Tea Party protestors in DC are out in full on talking point mode promoting the Coffee Party because the WH told them too.

Nah, we'll just let you guys make our points for us from now on.

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Do all that in another thread. This thread is about some one excited about actively working for a cause he believes in. Posting this **** here is just being a dick.

I think I'll organize a coffee party. I really don't see how either "parties" are opposed to each other, so I think I can be both in good conscience.

I'm gonna start the boiler maker party

MrVicchio said:

I'd be so proud were I you!


Obamanoid Coffee Party Event A Flop Despite Vigorous Corporate Media Coverage

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No no...this is a good thing...hopefully the progressives will go coffee, the conservatives go tea...the moonbats go green, the republicans and democrats all lose party membership, the libertarians will not get any votes because they will be too busy pushing for drug legalization...the world will change...

Redress said:

Do all that in another thread. This thread is about some one excited about actively working for a cause he believes in. Posting this **** here is just being a dick.

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QQ

He's excited about being used by Obama and Co. I'm happy for him! If he wants to keep it all rainbows and sugar he should have posted it in say.. the Tavern. This is "General Political Discussion", or is that too hard for you to gt?

I don't care what rich dudes are behind it, if there are any. If this movement does what is in it's mission statement, the country will be better off.

MrVicchio said:

QQ

He's excited about being used by Obama and Co. I'm happy for him! If he wants to keep it all rainbows and sugar he should have posted it in say.. the Tavern. This is "General Political Discussion", or is that too hard for you to gt?

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And you are excited about running some one down for actually taking an active, if minor role in trying to make his country better. Why do you hate America so?