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:
[poll id= “28”]
Grass Roots Over Washington by a mile. Very good!
Adlib, um, am I missing something, or what? I can’t figure out how to vote.
Nicole! Hi there–good to see ya! Just click the blue bar under the ones you like I think.
Hi Cher………great to see all of you. It may take me a month to catch up on my reading though. 🙂
Clicking things isn’t working for me…other ideas?
Always good to see you, nichole! this voting is closed. You need to go to Part two.
http://planetpov.com/2010/02/16/name-that-activist-group-part-two/ to vote.
Thanks bito….great to see you!! 🙂
Nicole, the voting closed for this group but is open for the second group (you can review them and vote here: http://planetpov.com/2010/02/16/name-that-activist-group-part-two/ ).
We will then present the top picks from each group for a final vote beginning on Friday!
Okay, thanks, Adlib!!
I guess ROADMAP (Restore Our American Democracy:Making American Progress, or something like that. A little recursive sure) didn’t make the cut? Oh well, I like GROW too.
My favorite was Main Street Voices, which also vanished. But now that I think about it, it actually sounds more like a literary magazine.
LOL. or a weekend insert. ROADMAP could be a AAA publication.
😆 I’m no good at this naming stuff! I’m too fond of irony and subtext — for me, hidden messages are always better than obvious ones!
Sanity, my apologies! It was an oversight, that makes three suggestions I missed in the list!
When I post the finalists, I’ll mention ROADMAP and the other two as deserving consideration too and may the best name win!
don’t fret. A name is important sure but message is more so. At least that is what I used to tell the bands I managed years ago. If the music is sweet, it really doesn’t matter what you call yourself.
What a great article that would make — a history of band names. Now that I’ve gotten older, most of them seem so corny to me (they seemed so profound when I was young). This was a shock to me: watching music videos while working out at the gym where the sound was turned off. I remember watching Marilyn Manson writhing around and thinking, Man, doesn’t he know how ridiculous he looks?
well, what we are doing is very similar to what bands do (vis-a-vis naming), minus the bong and beer…or maybe I am wrong?
Let’s see:
Nine Inch Liberals.
Smashing Bumpkins
Insane Progressive Posse
😉
YES!! now you are thinking…
and I like NIL and IP(ee)P(ee) for acronyms
😆 Nine Inch Liberals!
That would get the Repubs right in their little inferiorities.
Ditto, e’cat! That would be awesome.
Thanks, AdLib — I love the idea of ROADMAP
Maybe the final five can be the final six?
By the way, I want to know – who came up with OVATION? That was my one vote (among others). 😉
Me + clever acronyms = can’t resist.
Are you going to delete me if I listen to my Devo that I tried to post Friday unsuccessfully, ’cause I’m gonna’ do it anyway so I have something to listen to while I ponder great names or phrases that represent this turning point in our society.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIEVqFB4WUo
(I was using the embed). Now, time for the thinking cap !!
I love Devo— posted it Friday, but now I’ll have to learn embedding!
Embedding is just copy and paste, but is not workable on this site. I didn’t see your post because I got mad when I couldn’t remember how to post music links. I am fickle. 🙁
I’m just glad to see you –and Devo– now, SharonH!
Just change http to https in the link. Just add that one letter. And things should work.
Thanks Nellie but AdLib reminded me; after all I did post the Devo above. Love, smartass sharon.
Nice to see you !
Love ya back! Hope to see you more.
Is there a way to work daily motion, btw, tech guru Nellie?
You can simply copy and paste the embed code (not the link) from a DailyMotion video and it will embed just fine.
Looked at the “Coffee Party Movement” face book page. They are having a slogan contest and wanting to sell coffee cups and t-shirts. Sound familiar?
They also mention something about a LA chapter.
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=304981108326&topic=14875
I love the optimism of this statement!:
“Winners will receive free t-shirts when we get them made.”
The more the merrier!
All these small grass roots groups can work independently — and then get together for some Big Activism.
Tea is for elitists.
Tea Parties are a corporate cozy.
Feel the buzz, bean the dream.
Tsst. Give me tea or give me death!
Sounds good to me to end our voting tomorrow, Tuesday 2/16, at 6 pm, if that’s good with everyone else.
Also, Nellie mentioned having a final vote on the top 5, I originally suggested doing so with the top 10 but I think choosing from 5 would be better.
What does everyone else think? Is going with the top 5 cool?
5 is cool with me. 😎
Since the voting is clustered, I say the top 5 is fine.
Same here.
Good afternoon.
I think voting on the top 5 tomorrow is a good idea.
I’ve got a suggestion for the youtube vid, if you’re interested.
I don’t quite understand youtube, since we’re unable to access it, but is it true that youtube vids gain popularity by the number of clicks?
(I don’t even know how you make a youtube vid or place it online)
Anyway, once you develop a youtube vid, and post it, would that mean everyone with access to youtube should click on the vid as many times as possible?
Does the main page of youtube or other similar sites list the current popular vid by the number of clicks?
Is that how it works?
The way YouTube works is it counts the number of views from unique IP addresses. It’s a plus to get as many views from members of The Planet or the new group as possible but the trick is getting the link to it or getting it embedded on other sites or emailed to people who may pass it along.
No one can plan for a video to go viral but I can share my experience with my National Organization for Marriage parody that went somewhat viral (over 70,000 views). I posted it in response to an outrageous and preposterous ad that many out there were as pissed off about as I was. People seem to have specifically searched for the name of the organization, probably to see the actual video they heard about and probably found my parody come up as well. Thanks to people enjoying it, they shared it with other people, posted it on their blogs and Facebook pages, etc.
So though one can’t plan going viral and it shouldn’t be seen as a requirement, if some kind of video, be it a news clip, ad, whatever comes out that outrages people, it could be a good marketing plan to release or revise a pertinent video so it contains the words that might be entered in a search to find the original outrageous video.
Tags are all important, as you know.
OK, I refrained from saying this for days now, but “Grass Roots Over Washington” keeps reminding me of my favorite menu item at Denny’s: “Moons Over My Hammy”.
(Never mind. 😉 )
I keep wishing that it was “Grass Roots over Korporations”, so we could call ourselves GROK.
How geeky is that?
Not geeky– you are just a “Stranger in a Strange Land”! 😉
Then we could have the motto, “Do you GROK?”
Personally, I like Grass Roots Really Rock!
GRRR!
We could make Denny’s the official meeting place around the country and ask everyone to order that dish by saying, “I’ll have Grass Roots Over Washington…with extra pork, please.”
How about “Grass Roots Over Washington Loudly!” (GROWL!)
Or
“Grass Roots Irritating Congress Happily (GRINCH)
I know you’re joking, but making Denny’s the official meeting place around the country actually sounds like a good idea to me.
We could call it the Grass Roots United Breakfast — GRUB
The first part I’m serious — that last part is a joke…
Is it time to think about narrowing down our list and voting on the top 5? Do we have timeline for that?
I don’t know, Nellie. As I recall, our last voting experience lasted about a week? (When I didn’t win for best post! :lol:)
My dog, Zorro, just looked like the RCA Victor dog when I played that video!
That’s a celebratory greyhound “rooing” session.
You want a howl dog.
Champion howlers — Alaskan malamutes:
There’s no howl like the wild one.
I prefer talking dogs! In English anyway:
Nellie, kidding aside, I like the wild sounds best too.
That pup sounds like a wolf! I volunteer once a year at an animal sanctuary. Last summer we were painting a building and we were surrounded by several acres of wolves. Every once in awhile they would start up with their howling. It was fantastic!
Cher, I LOVE that video.
I adore dogs – I have two. They’re just like this…
I have one who says “Awwww” every time I tell him no.
Great links, Nellie and Cher.
I love your wolf story. It is one of my most favorite sounds.
Hey e’cat– Today is the second day of the Chinese New Year, where it is customary to treat dogs especially well!
LOVE all the Doggies !
Roooooooo!!
ok — I didn’t know whether we had set a deadline. I’m so ready to get started with this.
Do we need to vote on a time line? 😆
Hey, Bito– Those meds are AWESOME! Can I have some of what you’re having?
Mine! ALL MINE!! 😀
I suggest we close the polls Tuesday @ 6:00 pm PST.
Be that way then. And because I am soooooo agreeable(even without one crappy pill), OK, I’ll go along with Tuesday at 6 for the start of the runoff poll.
Bito, you are having way too much fun!
You are wicked! 😈
It would make sense to me with all the other groups out there with similar missions that the when this group has coalesced, it take the initiative and send them emails telling them of the existence of this group. Set up an email listing telling them of events that are planned such as the U-Tube video that has been planned. The very least this will be is a start at uniting all the other groups.
Of course this cannot be done until a separate website is set up. I’m sure that someone here at PPOV has thought of this already and is prepared to do that when the time comes.
Peace Out
I like that idea, dgraz.
dr’graz, j’avaz, How do we go about forming a national coalition? there seem to be many groups with the same similar endeavor: end of corporate power and good governance. Some of the sites I look at are both ahead of us and behind us in forming a group/movement.
Anyone have an idea? Is it the U-tube/demonstration thing we need to go to first?
We would need to contact the leaders of the other groups and talk to them about their goals and our goals. That would be my approach.
I know this is in the future, but we will have to have a designated correspondence person that will state our mission and wants.
nellie, if you have couple of spare minutes you can look at these blogs and see if we should contact them. Shouldn’t take too long. 🙂
http://www.leftyblogs.com/
You mean to add our articles to the feed?
I think trying to coordinate all the different groups is a wonderful idea — and I think it may be a unique idea. I don’t know of another group doing that right now. I would like to talk about that as one of our objectives.
The Economic Elite Have Engineered an Extraordinary Coup, Threatening the Very Existence of the Middle Class
There are more and more articles about calling for unity to fight the decimation of the middle class and the article above is nearly identical to the things so many of us are trying to do here on PPOV.
Actually, that’s very good news!
That is a good article. Bookmarked!
Did we miss the obvious? “The Coffee Party Movement”?
http://www.bluevirginia.us/2010/02/annabel-park-join-coffee-party-movement.html
Good morning, b’ito! Hope you’re feeling well today.
This does seem to be a movement that’s on almost the exact same wave length as the one we’re considering. Does anyone think that we, as a group, should try to get in contact with them and do some co-operative work?
Morning k’es, That was my thought, that perhaps we could work together. They seem to be about a month ahead of us on the schedule.
Exactly, b’ito. Strength in numbers! I have a feeling there might be any number of other small groups out there waiting to be discovered. If we can all coalesce, we could be a force to be reckoned with. Here’s where the intertubes can really be a tool for creating solidarity.
Today’s a work day, so I may have to vanish a little later, but I hope to catch up when I get home!
k’es, there seem to be a gazillion groups out there having similar wishes as ours. How does one begin to organize into one voice?
http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/
http://www.corporatepolicy.org/issues/crime.htm
http://www.corporatepolicy.org/issues/constit.htm
Perhaps we can talk about that as one of our objectives — to pull together all these groups for one voice.
Now I’m thinking about the One Voice theme.
We can think about all these factors. That should be fun.
And good morning everyone!
nellie says: “Perhaps we can talk about that as one of our objectives
Bito, I agree with you and Nellie. I suggest though that we need to develope ourselves into a more substantial movement first, or at least get something going?
Cher I agree, that you agree, that we agree. 🙂
We need to get our site up and going before we do much else.
Bito, you are just too agreeable this morning! 🙂
Wow! Great research, b’ito! How do you do it?
And, yes, nellie, great questions to keep in mind as we move forward here at the Planet.
I must say, I’m getting a little relief from the discouragement that was sort of sneaking up on me without my even being totally aware of it! The fact that so many are thinking along these same lines is beginning to feel like a genuine grass roots movement in the making.
One word, YES
I can hear it now from the Tea Partier’s – Latte Drinking Elitist!
I’m with kes, Sue and nellie – Consolidation, “One Voice”, but will these other groups want to consolidate?
By the way, morning everyone!!! 🙂
If not, collaboration would be worth the contact.
oh and Good Morning to you and everyone else
Morning Sue, just stopped by to see the latest up date on movement…glad to see that there are others who feel the same as we do and that don’t wear funny hats and carry mispelled signs.
I prefer “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Party” myself:
Good catch, b’ito!
There are so many websites with similar ideas and it’d be nice if we all could unite somehow.
Maybe AdLib and everyone else’s idea from Vox Populi last Friday about a youtube vid is the way to go and gain recognition as a start.
Okay, just read the entire Vox Populi from last night and I understand what you all want to do now.
You all had some great ideas and it’s a good start.
Let me know what I can do!
Here’s something very interesting! Just received this in an email from the Dem Party:
That is interesting, AdLib, and thanks for sharing it.
The Brownbag movement sounds great for Progressive Democrats, but don’t you think a movement that crosses all party-lines is better?
I think that a more creative group that approaches issues as we discussed on Vox Populi last night (if you haven’t read it, you NEED to, the whole night was dedicated to discussing this!) and is open to everyone is far better.
Just thought you’d be interested and encouraged that people are available to coming together and being activist on this issue.
I read all the Vox Populi on the main page, but is there a way to read the actual Vox Populi chat?
(we don’t have DSL available in our area and rely on dial-up, so we miss out on the live chat and viewing youtubes among other things)
Javaz, I figured it out. There are 2 vox pops on the main page– go to the lower one– not the after chat. Then, click on the link for the full conversation. But beware! We got silly there for a few minutes. 😉
Thanks Cher!
DOH!
I should have thought of that!
Not at all– I found the second voxpop by accident!
I think they should be considered as a possible partner, don’t you?
I’m against partnering with any group that’s affiliated with any party. (this is simply my opinion!)
I know this is a different approach compared to the original post, but I’ve changed my mind about it because of our mission statement.
I’m thinking now that we form a movement that reaches across any and all party lines.
I want to welcome disillusioned Tea Party people, Republican voters, Independents, Green Party voters, etc – all of us uniting under a common goal of working together to change politics.
The disgust of corporations in our politics is an issue that reaches across all party lines.
But, if someone wants to join the Brownbags or if the Brownbags want to join us, I’m all for it.
Does that make any sense?
I have difficulty at times expressing myself clearly.
Let me suggest the reverse. Once we get rolling, we should invite any groups on any side of the political divide to join our anti-corporate campaign.
That’s true bipartisanship!
Good deal, I can live with that.
I don’t consider partnering on issues in common, actually joining. If we are looking to draw people from all walks of life, it is going to be pretty hard to work with other organizations because they all have an agenda of their own.
I don’t know but do you think we would honestly get any positive reaction from a right group? Or are you saying to keep the group here totally separate with no left, right or middle influence or networking? I guess I am a bit confused because anywhere we go for networking is going to have a political leaning.
Love it, AdLib– I’ll join them at my 2 reps– Long Beach and Van Nuys. Thanks.
PS Please take a listen to the interview I posted–aside from a great interview the site itself is interesting.
(Progs and the Dems)
AdLib said: (under Vox Populi)
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.
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.
Will do. I will put together a list in an email that could be very easily sent to Admin here at PPOV.
Great!
Thank you!!!
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!
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.
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.