Hope for progressives in rural areas

Click on the image above to view an awesome presentation of a necessary but needy campaign. You have a choice of Quicktime or Windows Media and you should go look -- this is simply the best houseparty video I've ever seen.

Take Back Red California (TBRC) is a serious, apparently grassroots-led, effort to build a Democratic base in the rural areas of the state. They've got a lot of work to do -- as in most of the country, local organization is either non-existent or lost its umph years ago. Meanwhile the right moved in to scare the natives. The difficulties of bringing out a progressive rural vote have been much studied nationally. The battle can be frustrating; as one speaker explains

We've always thought of ourselves as the underdogs, so our political strategy was to be really, really, really annoying.

But now activists have banded together to overcome the isolation of working in areas where being known as a Democrat can doom your business. They are talking with neighbors, walking precincts, and running for office themselves. They know they are in for the long haul.

We need a farm club. In San Joaquin, our politicians haven't done anything to bring people up for the supervisor's seats or the city council ...so now we are hurting for politicians to run for higher office.

If you haven't already, watch their video now.

And toss them some change via their Act Blue page.

H/t to California Progress Report for introducing me to TBRC.