Coffee Parties: Tea Parties for grownups
If the corporatist Tea Party movement is fueled by conservative angst (with a little help from Fox News), then the newly created Coffee Party arose from liberal reaction to so much angst. Where Tea Partiers use anger, Coffee Partiers use compassion. Tea people threaten. Coffee people listen, and they do it with civility.
Last Saturday, the Coffee Party, founded only weeks ago by documentary filmmaker Annabel Park, held its first "national Coffee Day” in more than 350 coffee shops in 44 states. In NPI's hometown of Redmond, Washington, a group of around forty people gathered at the SoulFood bookstore for a two-hour political discussion.
For now, the group is focusing on discussion, but in the future, the Coffee Party hopes to:
Coffee Day was open to people with “diverse backgrounds and diverse perspectives,” yet the Redmond event attracted mostly progressives. In fact, many attendees were disappointed that President Obama is not governing as progressively as they’d like.
Whereas Tea Partiers are scared of the change that they expect President Obama to create, Redmond Coffee Partiers haven’t seen enough change. Their hope in Obama has turned into disappointment. The Coffee Partiers shared a common feeling of disillusionment with the political process and the political parties.
Prominent issues for the group were public campaign financing—keep corporate money out of politics—health reform, the accessibility of higher education and changing our national culture from a “we society to a me society.” Participants didn't feel like they had a way to get involved in the political system and have their voice heard. That strikes me as silly.
Today we are blessed with a universe of tools we can use to get involved, have our say and connect with the like-minded. Take NPI for example. We are a netroots organization supported by individuals and powered by activists. Our blog comment section is always open for discussion.
Americans can Twitter, blog, comment on online news, listen or call in to talk radio, attend a local political party or League of Women Voters meeting, or call, email or visit their legislators. You can even start your own neighborhood discussion group. The Coffee Party was started by a Facebook rant. The power of the Internet!
The group is still searching for a direction and a method of getting there, but for now, participants are enjoying discussing the issues that are close to their hearts. People who attended Saturday’s Redmond event thoroughly enjoyed it, and most attendees stuck around for the entire two hours.
If you missed Saturday’s meeting and want to get in on the discussion, you won’t have to wait very long. A “Coffee Summit” is being organized for Saturday, March 27, to continue the work started last week. Put it on your calendar or try one of the above methods for getting involved in the political discussion. You've got options.
Last Saturday, the Coffee Party, founded only weeks ago by documentary filmmaker Annabel Park, held its first "national Coffee Day” in more than 350 coffee shops in 44 states. In NPI's hometown of Redmond, Washington, a group of around forty people gathered at the SoulFood bookstore for a two-hour political discussion.
For now, the group is focusing on discussion, but in the future, the Coffee Party hopes to:
Transform our disappointment in our current political system into a force that will return our nation to a course of popular governance, of the People by the People for the People.It all starts with talk.
Coffee Day was open to people with “diverse backgrounds and diverse perspectives,” yet the Redmond event attracted mostly progressives. In fact, many attendees were disappointed that President Obama is not governing as progressively as they’d like.
Whereas Tea Partiers are scared of the change that they expect President Obama to create, Redmond Coffee Partiers haven’t seen enough change. Their hope in Obama has turned into disappointment. The Coffee Partiers shared a common feeling of disillusionment with the political process and the political parties.
Prominent issues for the group were public campaign financing—keep corporate money out of politics—health reform, the accessibility of higher education and changing our national culture from a “we society to a me society.” Participants didn't feel like they had a way to get involved in the political system and have their voice heard. That strikes me as silly.
Today we are blessed with a universe of tools we can use to get involved, have our say and connect with the like-minded. Take NPI for example. We are a netroots organization supported by individuals and powered by activists. Our blog comment section is always open for discussion.
Americans can Twitter, blog, comment on online news, listen or call in to talk radio, attend a local political party or League of Women Voters meeting, or call, email or visit their legislators. You can even start your own neighborhood discussion group. The Coffee Party was started by a Facebook rant. The power of the Internet!
The group is still searching for a direction and a method of getting there, but for now, participants are enjoying discussing the issues that are close to their hearts. People who attended Saturday’s Redmond event thoroughly enjoyed it, and most attendees stuck around for the entire two hours.
If you missed Saturday’s meeting and want to get in on the discussion, you won’t have to wait very long. A “Coffee Summit” is being organized for Saturday, March 27, to continue the work started last week. Put it on your calendar or try one of the above methods for getting involved in the political discussion. You've got options.
# Posted by Kathleen : 4:40 PM
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