Activists gather to “reboot democracy”

BEND, Ore.--More than 200 young activists gathered here the weekend of March 26-28 for the "Rebooting Democracy" conference, sponsored by the Oregon-based Bus Project.

The mission of the conference was to develop "people-powered politics" and "build a movement" that is not left or right, but "forward." While the Bus Project largely concentrates on mobilizing young activists into volunteering for Democratic Party politicians and adopting a lobbying-based strategy, many conferences attendees were interested in more activist, bottom-up approaches.

So while conference organizers kept the subject matter of the conference focused on electoral politics, many attendees questioned this strategy and were open to more far-reaching alternatives.

The contradictory character of the event was apparent from the keynote speaker--David Frohnmayer, author of the "Frohnmayer Report," which calls for the state legislature to privatize Oregon's public universities. A stalwart Republican, Frohnmayer used his turn at the podium to attack teachers unions and public education.

During Frohnmayer's speech, at least half a dozen attendees walked out of the room. However, he was followed by Rev. Lennox Yearwood, president of the Hip Hop Caucus, who emphasized the spotty history of "democracy" in the U.S., which has been repeatedly denied to women and people of color. He issued a fiery if vague call for radical change to address the crises young people face.

The official talks and workshops of the conference often stood in sharp contrast to the conversations among activists. Many meetings were focused on how to mobilize for electoral campaigns, or on "public policy" issues, including one speaker who called for regressive measures, including a sales tax and public spending cuts in a session on "revenue innovation."

These session, however, also offered an opportunity to challenge Democratic Party leaders. During a session on organizing around "wedge issues" Democratic state Rep. Nick Kahl compared pro-choice and immigrant rights protesters to tea party protesters, and called for "caution" against "irresponsible" protests. I pointed out that the gains of civil rights movement of the 1960s wouldn't have happened without such protests.

A small-group lunch discussion with state Rep. Brent Barton, also a Democrat, turned into a lively debate over the health care reform bill. About half of the table expressed disappointment or outright opposition to the bill and support for single-payer health care.

While the Democrats' main strategy has been to sell the bill as positive simply because it's a success for the Obama administration, they can't hide the restrictions it places on choice, the cuts it makes to Medicare, the costs to workers of the "individual mandate" or the taxes it places on union health plans. These criticisms of the bill were routinely voiced by activists at the conference, opening the door for larger discussions about the failure of the Democratic Party to win reforms for working people.

The activists who attended the "Rebooting Democracy" conference represented a full range of politics, from centrist Democrats to emerging radicals. Dozens of staffers for the Democratic gubernatorial campaigns of Bill Bradbury and John Kitzhaber were present. So too were many youth who identified themselves as members of the Working Families Party, the Greens or as anarchists and democratic socialists.

And whereas the conference organizers tried to funnel all of the energy of young activists into the Democratic Party, a large number of attendees were looking for more radical alternatives and systematic change. The conference showed the contradictions of liberalism in the U.S.--grassroots activists often want to see dramatic changes but are directed into political activities focused on electing Democrats, a strategy that leads nowhere.

But events like the "Rebooting Democracy" conference can provide an important place for activists to discuss and debate strategies for change.