Joho the Blog
An Entry from the Archives

Zack Exley was one of the leaders of MoveOn.org, and was in charge of the Net side of Kerry's presidential campaign. But in what he's just posted about the nature of grassroots leadership he draws primarily on what he learned as a union organizer during most of the '90s. His Organizers' Guide to Trusting People works on several levels: It's a pragmatic guide, it's an exhortation to trust the people, it's an indictment of progressives' arrogance, it points to a grand strategy, and it's rooted in Zack's hands-on experience as a real-world organizer on one side and in progressive principles on the other.

There's too much to quote, but here's one snippet:

...we've just got to open our minds to the possibility that the people are just as radical as they were when millions took part in sit-down strikes and the Unemployed Councils. We've got to recognize the possibility that the wisest, boldest leaders have been consciously refusing to participate in our campaigns because our goals have been too modest and our strategies shaky as hell.

This is an important piece. And it's a hopeful piece.