With huge kudos to javaz for conceiving of and inspiring this, SueInCA for organizing, Chernynkaya for writing the Mission Statement and all the other members contributing, following is a list of all names suggested for a new populist organization that would truly represent those wanting to promote the rights of the American people over those of corporations and other powerful interests.
Since there are so many great names to chose between, you may vote for up to 10. We will then present the top 10 vote-getters for a final vote. In case a tie would cause more than 10 finalists, we may include one or two more but if it would mean adding more than that, we will just have to flip a coin. Any names that are slight variations of each other that make it into the top 10 will be narrowed to just one entry, the one with the most votes.
Before presenting the poll, here is the Mission Statement drafted by Chernynkaya:
“We are a group of citizens united to ensure the continuation of democracy, which is imperiled by the corporate takeover of our government.
We stand united against the corrupting power of corporate money – money that mutes our voices.
We insist that the voice of Main Street be heard.
Our mission is to unite our country against the threat to our nation – the rise of corporate influence and the consolidation of the media.
We urge all Americans of any political party to join us in this one goal: “A government of the people, by the people and for the people.”
Below is the list of all names submitted (tongue-in-cheek ones excluded), in alphabetical order. You may select up to 10 favorites.
A few hopefully helpful suggestions that may help you narrow down your choices (there are so many good ones!):
a. Look for names that best describe to you the mission and/or attitude of the group as clearly and concisely as possible.
b. Consider all possible nicknames that could result from a selection, especially the worst ones that detractors could use to demean it.
c. Names with acronyms that have some descriptiveness are a plus but brief names that have no real acronym are just as strong and just as easy to say.
d. Say the name out loud, sometimes a name on paper can come across differently when spoken. Imagine telling a friend the name as a group you belong to or a newscaster announcing the name. Does it sound strong or does it sound quirky? Does it sound like a populist group or a fringe group?There can sometimes be a thin line between noble and silly, as The Teabaggers found out.
And now, the poll:
Name For New Populist Group - Vote For Your Top 10 Favorites
- Grass Roots Over Washington (GROW) (45%, 13 Votes)
- By The People (34%, 10 Votes)
- Democracy’s Voice (28%, 8 Votes)
- Demand Democracy (28%, 8 Votes)
- Americans Empowered (21%, 6 Votes)
- American Voters Unite = AVU (21%, 6 Votes)
- 4MainStreet (21%, 6 Votes)
- Informed Democracy (17%, 5 Votes)
- Main Street NOW! (17%, 5 Votes)
- Main Street United (17%, 5 Votes)
- Majority Rules (17%, 5 Votes)
- Main Street Coalition Against Corporate Influence (17%, 5 Votes)
- American Voices Unite = AVU (17%, 5 Votes)
- Main Street Voters Unite = MSVU (14%, 4 Votes)
- Defend Democracy (14%, 4 Votes)
- Kitchen Table Politics (14%, 4 Votes)
- One Voice – Many Votes (14%, 4 Votes)
- Main Street Movement (10%, 3 Votes)
- Main Street Matters (10%, 3 Votes)
- Americans for Informed Democracy (10%, 3 Votes)
- Main Street Caucus (10%, 3 Votes)
- Middle Class Matters (10%, 3 Votes)
- Making American Progress (7%, 2 Votes)
- Middle America’s Voice (7%, 2 Votes)
- One Nation UnderGround = ONUG (7%, 2 Votes)
- 21st Century Main Street (7%, 2 Votes)
- Middle Class Voters Unite = MCVU (7%, 2 Votes)
- For Main Street (7%, 2 Votes)
- One Voice, One Vote (7%, 2 Votes)
- Mainstreet Americans Progress (3%, 1 Votes)
- New Main Street (3%, 1 Votes)
- Middle Americans United (3%, 1 Votes)
- Democracy Rules (3%, 1 Votes)
- Main Street -A Better Future (3%, 1 Votes)
- Our Voice As Truth In Our Nation (3%, 1 Votes)
- Bring Back (the) Middle Class (3%, 1 Votes)
- CurbCorps (3%, 1 Votes)
- American Voters Speak = AVU (0%, 0 Votes)
- Middle Class Counts (0%, 0 Votes)
- Forward to Democracy (0%, 0 Votes)
- Main Street Kitchen Table Talk (0%, 0 Votes)
- Main Street Counts (0%, 0 Votes)
- Democracy Listens (0%, 0 Votes)
- Our Voices as Truth in our Nation (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 29
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SueInCa
choicelady
AdLib
Kalima
Khirad
AlphaBitch
AdLib said: (under Vox Populi)
I will go along with whatever the majority decides but I would disagree with the course you describe beginning at #5.
I don’t see the questionnaire approach as worthwhile, politicians, or their staffers who would more likely answer most of them, would just reply with all the right answers.
Then we get into an issue I have a little familiarity with from starting up a website. Until you “are” something, it’s difficult to encourage anyone to join you. With just a Mission Statement and a Platform paper, it would not seem to be a going concern.
Next, the press will not have anything to publicize about a group until it does something that catches their eye.
So, I would still suggest the steps I described as the order of things I could see getting the group off the ground.
Bottom line for me, I think this group needs to create protests that help publicize it and attract members and media by doing so, not the other way around.
As for making it truly populist, I’m all for that.
Also, I will be happy to help on the email and internet stuff, setting up an email address that is web accessible is very easy. I’d suggest the group starting out here and once big enough, we could set up a sister site for it. However, we would need to find someone to help admin that, I’ve got my hands full here!
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Okay, and the questionnaire is not meant so much for the politicians, but for the movement members’ talking points and to give an idea of the type of candidate we as individuals would be voting for or as a group supporting.
Maybe questionnaire was the incorrect word.
And I was thinking more along the lines of grassroots Internet activism, initially.
I didn’t mean that we should start up a website for the movement until later, after the ball gets rolling and more people take an interest.
I’m suggesting that once we get the final movement nailed down that we send it out to every source available to let them know we exist.
And once we actually organize for a protest, we send it out again to announce the protest and possible number of people attending.
I’m just tossing out ideas and am open to any and all suggestions!
I’m more than willing to go with the consensus.
Any approach for change is better than no approach.
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If you want to keep the group from being at odds with each other and partisan, I would suggest not focusing on candidates at the outset. If your goal is achieved and there are Dems, Indies and even Repubs in the group, getting them to agree on supporting specific candidates would be a Herculean challenge and ultimately divisive.
As for publicizing the group before it’s done anything and is still in an organizational phase, I don’t think there’s any harm in doing so but I think it’s jumping the gun.
To attract complete strangers to join a political group, I really think there would have to be at least one protest under our belt to prove we’re for real and worthy of a commitment of time and energy.
Then you could go around the internet and link to the video of it on YouTube. People could see exactly what the group is about and what it does and that it actually exists and functions. And if we were lucky enough for the video to go a bit viral…we could see a lot of new members.
I’ve gotten emails from friends and colleagues trying to start up activist groups and websites and to be honest, one isn’t left with the impression that it’s anything more than an aspiration unless there is something concrete to show, a website, a video of a protest, etc.
This is the whole thing about putting something together. Focusing available resources and time like a laser on the things that can be accomplished.
I am very confident that if an initial protest of some kind was seen as the first main goal of the group and was performed, that will begin to open all the doors we’re talking about.
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WOW, i was gone for 24 hours and you got really really busy. We also need to think about how we divide up the “chores” of maintaining everything. I am willing to be responsible for anything you want to give me to do. I am best at research, organization, letter writing.
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Hey Sue, if you’d like, you could start researching other online sites that share the idea of stopping corporate influence.
When I googled names as we were suggesting them back on the other thread, I found several sites with the identical names, and I should have started a list then.
We could use just a list of sites that are out there for the future for when we get ready to advertise and ask people to join our movement.
I’m thinking really BIG, and hoping that we can organize a protest this summer in Washington DC on the mall and we’ll need to advertise that march as many places as possible so that like-minded people will join us.
Think BIG.
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Will do. I will put together a list in an email that could be very easily sent to Admin here at PPOV.
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Great!
Thank you!!!
Bravo to this effort! I’ve been trying to pry the populist outrage of the “teabaggers” away from the Republican Party for several months, now, in my columns.
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However, I’m a bit concerned by the use of “Main Street” in the mission statement for several reasons. The term appeals to the few remaining small busniss men and women who still exist, not most folks who are employees of larger companies. It is narrow and exclusive (not the right tone for a Populist movement).It also leaves out rural residents (I being one, although I usually support in-town merchants, although not the Chamber of Commerce they all seem to revere). It’s a cliche, and Obama may think it works, but it’s becoming a bit cloying to me.
I would suggest that the words “The People” replace “Main Street” in both the mission statement and in the suggested organizational names. “The People” is expansive (big tent) and congers images of our early (revolutionary) history.
Main Street vs Wall Street is a slogan that’s been used recently, and even rural towns have a Main Street.
None of us are going to agree 100% on a name, and I think that as we work through the process, the name can be changed if someone comes up with something better.
I like: People Movement – of the people, by the people, for the people.
But Main Street is fine, too!
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This was my concern as well. I admit that my submission of One Nation Underground does sound a little militant, though I was surprised to not see my submission of The Picket Fence Patriots included which I thought was spot on reflecting the American dream and the desire to resurrect some national patriotism. I mean, even the Tea Baggers have to get behind something with the word Patriot in it, right?…LOL~
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All the same, happy to see momentum.
I like the name, TRP, Picket Fence Patriots – except for the word “picket”.
I know that sounds silly, but picket could be misconstrued and turn people that are against unions off to the movement.
I think we want to try to be as mainstream and independent of any political affiliation, so that we can bring Tea Party people and Republican voters.
It seems to me that we all share the common disgust of corporate influence, and it can be the one issue that unites Americans.
I hope that makes sense.
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Oh, I see your point. Didn’t even occur to me. I was just trying for the John and Jane Doe, 123 ABC Street, Anytown, USA, sort of feeling. But I certainly see your Union angle.
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I checked, it was at the top of the list, must have been left off like I said, inadvertantly.
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Hmmm…I rememer that on the original list. It might have inadvertantly been left off the list above. I am going to check the list I posted.
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No worries….LOL
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Main street goes back to Upton Sinclair and has been used in politics for years. The term covers many in the center. If this movement is to be more populist than progressive than I find no fault. The term “Main streets” can been used from rural to large because most people are employed by smaller, privately held business (less than 500 employees). I don’t find the same objections as you may. Just my POV.
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Sadly, none of the folks we are trying to reach ever heard of Upton Sinclair (sorry to be ‘elitist’, but Sinclair’s works, which may have been formative to my politics, were well-known 60 years ago).
Don’t get me wrong, “Main Street” isn’t awful. I just think we can do better and we should carefully consider the audience we are trying to reach. No business on my Main Street even comes close to 500 employees, and even so the business owners identify with “Main Street”, but the employees don’t.
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I like that, Daedalus. I think we should change the phrase “Main Street, but feel “the people’ is vague too. How about ‘Middle Class?” Even if people are not technically middle class, most people think they are.
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Sounds better than Main Street… Would agree. I think the name is VERY important, and we might need Grover Norquist to find out what’s good (LOL)!
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Grover Drown-the-govt Norquist?
Here’s what I think of him!
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Hmmmm… Perhaps Drew Weston or George Lakoff would have been a better choice. But you gotta admit, Norquist has been effective.
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Thanks Adlib, Cher, Javaz, Nellie and everyone who gave great ideas. As javaz says, this only works if we stay involved. It is strange that the corporate involvement in government has now been intentially inserted in to our elections. I went to the library yesterday to get some more Baldacci books and found some books on organizing and the religious right. I am going to do a short article on something I read last night that ties in to the SCOTUS decision very closely. I must have been destined to pick up that very book, and not in a religous destiny way either. It was written a few years ago, but the talk of corp rule in our government is so timely I have to do a piece on it.
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Shortening campaign time to 6-8 weeks would help with corporate funding candidates.
Stop corporations from making ads to sway votes like the insurance companies did for defeating health care reform.
Stop lobbyists from bribing our reps.
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Co-sign!
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Thank you so very much, AdLib, for creating the poll and putting together this thread!
Huge thank-you to Nellie, Cher and Sue for all of their much-needed help, and another huge thank-you to all our members that worked at the names!
Thank you, also, to my husband – dgraz – for helping me with ideas and concepts regarding this topic.
THANK YOU!
Would it be too soon, since we have a working Mission Statement, to begin brainstorming on a platform?
We started brainstorming earlier, but got bogged down with the name.
From our brainstorming though, and after reading the Mission Statement, I’m thinking we need to focus on one thing, since it is part of the Mission Statement.
Thanks to you javaz for inspiring all of this.
It might be best to have a dedicated article, once a name has been selected, to develop the mission and game plan.
IMO, the more focused the better. The overall goal can be ambitious but the short term goals should be viable and easy to express and comprehend.
Step by step, I’m looking forward to all of it!
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Thank you, AdLib, for supporting the idea and as I’ve said, I had a lot of help!
I hope that we can keep the excitement level that this first inspired, because I truly believe that we can start a movement and make change.
I’ve been researching how to start a movement, and there are steps outlined out there, but the very first thing on every site that I’ve read so far is that the originator(s) MUST believe in the cause.
My husband is the biggest help for me, because he also believes this is possible to achieve.
We talk about this specific topic a lot.
He said something today that I really liked – he said that “We have to stop complaining about the news and become the news.”
There are a heck of a lot of websites out there with similar action committees, but the ones that I’ve visited haven’t gotten any traction because they are a one-person-cause.
So, us having this website to launch a movement is better, because we have so many people that visit PPOV.
Another thing that my husband suggested, is once we really get this thing nailed down to the final concept, that we go back out to the websites and search for similar movements, and then drop our website and mission statement at those to hopefully unite others with similar ideas to join us.
I’m excited about it!
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Thank you for doing this, AdLib!
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My pleasure, Cher. Thanks for drafting the great Mission Statement!
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