Open Left

I am currently building (4.00 / 2)

a polling archive.  I am happy to post it anywhere people would suggest - if OpenLeft is interested I am more than happy to give the informtion I have.  Ideally, though, we could identify a group that would agree to build the archive, since the actual work of building the data collection is tedious to say the least.  

One of the reasons that I did my research two years ago about polling history was because I knew that it was being used to effectively stiffle dissent within the Democratic Party.  The Presidential Primary process is in fact far more open than largely believed, the effective gatekeepers are really the press.

Polling data is extremely effective in rebutting the assumptions of the national press corp.  

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by: fladem @ Sat Jul 11, 2009 at 14:02:46 PM CDT

Sounds Interesting To Me (4.00 / 2)

I'm not management, but just speaking personally this sounds like a very good idea.

However, the Soapblox software we use--which is wonderfully versatile and cost-effective for its intended purpose--might not make this the best fit directly on the blog's site itself.  Still, creating an online archive using Open Left as a portal would be almost the same thing from a user's POV.  So I'd definitely support the idea.

"Senate passes expanded GI bill despite Bush, McCain opposition"

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Sat Jul 11, 2009 at 14:22:19 PM CDT

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Good Idea! (0.00 / 0)

The polling archive is a great idea!

The more we pool our various tools, inventions, innovations for democratizing the political process, the sooner the emerging progressive majority is going to get control of government.

You are right on about the efforts to stiffle dissent with the Democratic Party. That's what most formal organization do as they mature. They shove their original mission into the background and concentrate on preserving the power and prerogatives of those who are running the organization and, in the case of party candidates, benefiting from its existence.

Once voters at the grassroots start creating self-organizing political networks around shared policy agendas and consensus forming mechanisms, they will be able to break the monopoly of organized political parties. For they will be able to compete with party units at the local level in terms of agenda setting and running and electing candidates in primaries and general elections.

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by: Nancy Bordier @ Sat Jul 11, 2009 at 18:50:43 PM CDT

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