Will the Coffee Party Movement be a transformative force in American Politics or is it Doomed to Fail?

The Coffee Party Movement has only a few basic philosophical premises, and it is made clear in their Mission and "About Us" Statements. The Mission Statement says: "The Coffee Party Movement gives voice to Americans who want to see cooperation in government. We recognize that the federal government is not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will, and that we must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges that we face as Americans. As voters and grassroots volunteers, we will support leaders who work toward positive solutions, and hold accountable those who obstruct them."

I have already posted an overall view on how the coffee Party started it can be found here: http://profoundrevelations.blogspot.com/2010/02/coffee-party-usa-political-storm-is.html

This time I am exploring another point of view that explores the basic premises and core beliefs of the collective individuals that bind us all together as citizens of the United States of America. 

The simple mission statement of the Coffee Party Movement is filled with both great promise with equal parts extreme peril. 

Whether the Coffee Party Movement continues to grow extremely rapidly as it is now and becomes a major force in American politics (which I sincerely hope it does) or fades away to become just another footnote in the history of American political movements  will depend on how well they are able to understand and channel basic political belief systems coupled with Sociological insights. These factors need to be properly channeled and balanced on a razors edge.

Don't get me wrong I am a huge supporter of the Coffee Party Movement and I contribute regularity in the forums. I post under the user name Tom.  The purpose is this post is strictly to inform Coffee Party Members and potential members of the perils and pitfalls of a purely grass roots movement. 

The Coffee Party's greatest strength is they truly believe in Government and the collective will of the people. This belief is also the greatest pitfall as individual members may believe that with enough honest discussion everyone else will see their point of view. This belief or mirror to reality is an illusion and is doomed to fail.  Am I insinuating that the Coffee Party Movement will fail? Absolutely not. As long as we understand the basic core belief systems of American's and their political beliefs, we can avoid these pitfalls, only then can we prevail and become a major force in American Politics.

Who are the individuals who make up the entity we call the Coffee Party Movement? My personal observations after reading virtually all the posts in the forums, and contributed to many is, .the Coffee Party Movement is made up of every stripe of the political spectrum. 

There are obviously a few Conservative Republicans, some Conservative Democrats, and a large mixture of Moderates (or Centrists), Independents, Pragmatists, Progressives, Liberals and even a few individuals who lean towards Socialism. I  think it's fair to say that a majority are Independents and Centrist to Liberal Democrats. This is a pretty diverse group.

For such a diverse group with radically different points of view, and who believe in different and often opposing plans for action the group is truly amazing civil in their interactions and discussions in the forums. Different points of view are discussed and debated with little name calling or disrespect. The different opinions on beliefs and what sort of activism we should be doing is truly all over the board. I actually believe that this is one of the major strengths of the Coffee Party Movement. 

How refreshing to be able to have a civil discussion with people of different beliefs and not to have to fear that you may be shouted down or ridiculed in the process. To be honest I actually find it hard not to spend an inordinate amount of time on the site just to read and contribute to the latest posts that I find to be interesting for whatever reason.

Now for the potential pitfalls of such a diverse group. Let's look at some specific examples:

If I were to have a debate with a person of equally strong but opposing political beliefs e.g.- an Ultra Conservative Republican or Tea Party Member Vs. a Progressive or Liberal Democrat, and  I laid out a respectful, honest dialog, and presented indisputable facts, the other person will eventually come around to my point of view!, Right?

Wrong. This belief is absolutely false.

Sociologists and Psychologists have done numerous studies on the political belief systems of Americans. It has been pretty well established that these opposing belief systems are almost hard wired into a particular persons thought processes. It is almost as if we were to both look at the exact same picture we each interpret it differently depending upon our own version of reality. 

A more real world example of this is I have a really, really close friend he is a guy in his mid thirties and he is a hardcore Conservative, maybe "Conservative" is not a strong enough label, I like to think of him as more of a Libertarian Tea Partier. We have had thousands of hours of intense political discussions, and neither one of us has budged not even one inch in our belief systems. I am certain that most everyone has had a similar story in life so I won't dwell on it any further.

The point is Sociologists have done studies that conclusively show that that if you receive information no matter how well laid out or scientifically proven, individuals with strong belief systems will reject it out of hand if it does not match their particular view of reality. Religion and politics are very similar in this manner. 

It has also been determined that it doesn't depend upon rather we trust the particular messenger or not. People who absolutely do not believe in climate change would not believe either Al Gore or Newt Gingrich delivering the same message. They will just look for someone else who espoused the same beliefs as them, and latch onto those facts, no matter how unsubstantiated they may be. 

Of course, this is really an example of trying to convert someone such as a hardcore Tea Party believer and converting them to even a "Centrist" Democrat.  Seriously, it won't happen, no matter what you say or do.

The founding fathers who formed this nation did not have political parties, those came later. The founding fathers were however of two opposing political beliefs, One camp was called the Federalists, who believed in a strong central government and the other camp was known as the Anti-Federalists, who believed in a weak federal government with stronger states rights and powers.

These opposing beliefs were so strong that the United States Constitution was almost not ratified if it were not for what was known as "the great compromise". For those readers not fully familiar with the "Great Compromise", the great compromise  as defined by Wikipedia - "On July 16, 1787, Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, both of the Connecticut delegation, created a compromise for a bicameral, or two-part, legislature consisting of a lower and upper house.In favor of the larger states, membership in the lower house, as in the Virginia Plan, was to be allocated in proportion to state population and candidates were to be nominated and elected by the people of each state. A census of all inhabitants of the United States was to be taken every 10 years. Also all bills for raising taxes, spending or appropriating money, and setting the salaries of Federal officers were to originate in the lower house and be unamendable by the upper house. In exchange, membership in the upper house, however, was more similar to the New Jersey Plan and was to be allocated two seats to each state, regardless of size, with members being chosen by the state legislatures. Members of the Upper House, or Senators, were elected by the State Legislature until the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment, which called for the direct election of Senators by the people".  The compromise passed after eleven days of debate, by one vote—five to four. 

It is not too much of a stretch to say that many of us are descendants of these opposing political beliefs. The Tea Party members instinctively believe in a constitutionally limited Government (Anti-Federalist belief system) which in reality, and historically never really existed, as the Federalist's won the argument. Meanwhile Democrats instinctively believe in a strong central Government (Federalist belief system). These two opposing belief political philosophies cannot  be rectified by honest and open political discussion.

So is there any value in letting these individuals draw us into a debate? How can we counter their influence in politics and make our voices heard as the voice of reason to a majority of American Voters?

Doe's this mean that with civil discourse and honest discussion, we can't bring anybody over to our way of thinking?

Yes, we can.

While many on the far opposite of the political spectrum will not come around to our way of thinking, a majority of individuals do not have a particularly strong opinion on any particular issue. These are the first time voters, non-voters, Independents and disenfranchised Republicans and Democrats. 

These are the individuals without hard wired beliefs and convictions, and these are the people  who the Coffee Party Movement can attract, and persuade to become a united voting block of believers in the Coffee Party values of a free and fair Government, civic participation and honest dialog. If it is approached just right you may even be able to reach a limited consensus with members of the opposing political belief system on some issues, but not many.

The Tea Party tactics and protests have left a lot of people on edge. The extremism expressed by the Tea Party movement make many, many people uneasy. The opposite end of the spectrum are the Liberals also leave individuals uneasy because of their unbending uncompromising stance on certain issues. Many people view this as just as extreme, but on the opposite side of the political spectrum.

A good example of a major figure who was part of the Liberal Democratic wing was the late Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy of Massachusetts a.k.a. - The Liberal Lion of the Senate. He was either the most loved politician in modern times, or the most hated, depending on your political beliefs. Doe's this sound anything like a certain new young President? 

In simpler terms, Most Tea Party Members and Libertarians believe with every fiber of their being that the only form of Government should be a free market economy with little Government regulation, while Democrats, just as strongly believe that "Unregulated Capitalism is the greatest threat to Democracy". 

Many, Many, people in America believe that America's politics are hopelessly broken. Our elected officials can get virtually nothing done, no matter how much philosophical agreement is apparent between the parties. If one or the other agrees or disagrees it shows signs weakness, and factors into  their perpetual re-election prospects. All decisions are based on polling numbers, and spin doctors. Big corporations and special interests donate amazing sums of money, and and receive face time with our elected officials that we could never imagine.

How many of you had tried to meet with your elected official? How did that work out for you? These are the beliefs of a majority of Americans, and this is where the Coffee Party can have the greatest and most long lasting impact on reforming American Politics. These are the people who are most receptive the the Coffee Party's message and mission.  

These are the individuals who believe or want to believe in American Politics, they are willing to compromise and are open to new ideas. These people are open to both sides of an argument and are willing to hear both sides of an argument and form their own opinion based upon the facts presented. 

These are the masses who are totally disgusted with Washington Gridlock,  Obstructionism, and Special Influence. These are the people who crave for something more and have always believed that it was not supposed to be like this. They have most likely given up and are prepared to sit out the next election and the next one after that. 

These are also the individuals who may have enthusiastically voted for Barack Obama and believed in his message of "Hope" and "Change" and are now disillusioned and demoralized because President Obama has been unable to fulfill his promises or implement his vision for America. 

This gridlock is obviously mostly due to the obstructionist policies of the Republican Party and corporate and special interests in Washington, and the yes, the Democrats as well for being paralyzed over fear of losing the next election. All this, coupled with the bizarre spin from certain media outlets like Fox News, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and special interest groups have given rise to, and legitimized the fringe elements like the John Birch Society and the Tea Party Movement. These minority elements were were-co opted and encouraged by powerful political and corporate interests making for a confusing political landscape at best.

This is where the Coffee Party's message resonates loud and clear with a huge majority of Americans, this message of civil and respectful discourse, non-obstructionism and a belief in Government is what most Americans instinctively believe in. Without sounding too partisan, this is what Barack Obama meant when he said "We are the ones we've been waiting for". 

So how can the Coffee Party really make a difference in the lives of ordinary Americans? What could possibly be done to at least bring all these desperate groups to the table and at least talk with the goal being to have an honest and respectful dialog, to attempt a more complete understanding of each others wants and needs? Is it possible to at least talk compromise, and actually get something done?

This is the million dollar question, and it just happens to be another basic premise of the Coffee Party Movement. This statement is included in the "About Us" section of the Coffee Party website.  I believe that this is the most basic, trans-formative and idealistic political statement of all. It is also by far the most important..... It is: "We demand a government that responds to the needs of the majority of its citizens as expressed by our votes and by our voices; NOT corporate interests as expressed by misleading advertisements and campaign contributions."

Wow! these are powerful and trans-formative words, should this come to pass it will change the landscape of American politics as we know it. It is also the most difficult to achieve. 

This is the one area where we can find common ground with even the Tea Party Movement. After all Special Interests and Corporate Influence do not necessarily coincide with their beliefs either. After all, a corporation exist only to make a profit and Special Interests are exactly that, "Special narrow focus interests". They do not represent the 'Big Picture interests of the American Public as a whole. 

We do not have to look very far back in history to catalog all the corporate abuse and excess against the people, weather it be financial, industrial, resources, etc. "We the People" have much broader concerns, e.g.- Clean water, Clean Air, Health Care, Safe Work Places, Secure Retirement, Fair Wages,Security, Education,  Defense, Poverty, Hunger, A Fair Justice System, Climate Change, Infrastructure, Equality, A Good Economy, Nice Safe Homes and Neighborhoods, etc. the list goes on and on. Many of these wants and needs by " Of The People" are in direct opposition to corporate and special interests wants and desires. 

Am I anti-corporate America? No! absolutely not.  There are some very responsible corporations in America who strive to make our life better and I applaud them. I believe that Corporate and Special Interests should not have a greater voice in Government them me or you. They should not get special access to our elected officials, when I cannot. The politician's in Washington were voted into office by the collective will of "The People. 

Just because Corporate or Special Interests have more money then me or you how come they yield so much greater leverage and power  then "We the People"?  I 'm sorry but my vote is not for sale. I am going to repeat myself again -"Unregulated Capitalism is the greatest threat to Democracy".  Corporations often oppose sensible well thought out regulations simply because they feel that it may somehow impact their bottom line, no matter what the impact may be for the rest of us. Special Interest lobbies for certain "favors" that only benefit a few instead of the many.

This is the one premise of the Coffee Party Movement that holds the greatest promise and opportunity. As I stated earlier it is by far the most difficult to achieve. Corporate and Special Interests are fully woven into the fabric politics. Polls always consistently show that a vast majority of Americans are against the undue influence of Corporate and Special Interests. It goes back to our fundamental belief of one person-one vote. Money is the ultimate corruptive influence in America today, and the Corporations and Special Interests have lots, and lots of it to spend.

The recent Supreme Court decision essentially granting "Corporations" person status is a travesty of justice and sets back 70 years of practice and 35 years of law. You can read more about it here:  http://profoundrevelations.blogspot.com/2010/01/we-corporations-of-united-states-of.html    80% of the people oppose this decision, and rightfully they should. This will make the Coffee Party Movements mission harder but not impossible.

Let us not forget that this problem will not be fixed today, tomorrow, next week or anytime soon. But if we persist it will happen someday.  If we let the past guide us there has been several political activist movements that were ultimately successful. 

If we can somehow limit corporate and special interests along with the alternate history and realities they spin to brainwash the populace to gain influence is it really possible that we may one day be able to have true political dialog and discussion? Would the opposition parties be more willing to work together towards a mutual beneficial compromise? Could we actually legislate and create law that is for the ultimate good of the country?  Could the "Tea Party" and the "Coffee Party" find common ground on some issues?  Only time will tell.

Is the Coffee Party  Movement going to grow to be the transformative force in American politics? or will be mostly forgotten and relegated to just another footnote in American history? Only time will tell.

History does not judge us by our words alone, we will judged on our deeds and actions.

I for one am betting that the Coffee Party Movement will ultimately prevail. I am looking forward to the day when I can tell my grandchildren, I was there, and we did make a difference.

 

Finally, for those of you in public office.  I will say to you, we are watching and listening. We are growing stronger and larger everyday. We "The People" will be holding you accountable for your actions. 

To find out more about the Coffee Party Movement go to:  http://coffeepartyusa.com/

Regards,

Tom