12 Steps to Regime Change

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#6: Stop Squabbling and Make Amends

You may have heard the joke: How do progressives form a firing squad? Answer: They gather in a circle.

Enough! Or, as longtime progressive leader and communications whiz Dan Carol says, "Kumbaya, dammit. There are ways to stand for principles without fighting over crumbs. Start with everyone sharing their vision of what they want and need . . . and check your passive aggressiveness at the door. Let's not forget that the perfect is the enemy of the good."

It is time to declare amnesty. Let's stop worrying if someone doesn't agree with us on every issue, or if we stood on opposite sides of a debate years ago. If the new black majority in South Africa can initiate a reconciliation process with former white supremacists, why not American progressives? Let's bury the hatchet on squabbles, old and new, and join together to collaborate on a common vision for America.

#7: Think Strategically

Make no mistake; progressives are not yet a majority. Clinton won the 1992 presidential race with 43 percent of the vote (with Perot in the race against George Bush). Progressive-leaning Democrats and right-lurching Republicans both hover around 40 percent of the electorate. To win the next election, we need to reach the remaining 20 percent of swing voters. We now need to start thinking about how to win a couple of the red states Bush won in 2000 while hanging on to the blue states Gore won. If you live in a swing state, get to work; if you don't live in a swing state, start talking to all your friends and relatives who do. If idealistic young people can travel to Iraq and Palestine, why not to St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or Tampa?

The Blues: Al Gore won 10 states by less than 6 percent: Florida (which, of course, he really won); New Mexico, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Oregon (all by less than 1 percent); Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maine, and Washington.

The Reds: George W. Bush won eight states by less than 6.5 percent (not counting Florida): New Hampshire (which he won by only 7,200 votes), Ohio, Nevada, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Arizona, and West Virginia.

#8: Acknowledge People's Fears

Fear is the subtext of American politics. The Republicans know that fearful people tend to vote conservative, so generating and exploiting fear is high on their agenda. Expect every kind of Republican surprise over the next 15 months: Code Reds, preemptive invasions of other "dangerous" countries, reports of violent crime waves or disease outbreaks.

Generating fear of "the other" is a staple of Republican politics. In counteracting this strategy we must be careful to acknowledge that fear is on people's minds and not trivialize or deny it. The antidote to fear is joy and courage. It is mutual support and community protection and a clear, forthright policy on national security. Progressive values are about protecting our families and our communities, making our lives safe and fulfilling. But this does not have to mean, as the Bush administration insists, trading freedom for security.

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