My reply to a questionnaire from the DNC

1.-How did you participate in this election?

I created and maintained a web blog Where the hell is my job George-The Yobo Report.
I talked to my friends and family and made them discuss the election and the issues.
I drove family members to the polls.


2.Is this the first time you participated in election activism?

Yes and no. I marched in the March on Washington in 1993 and been involved in
gay pride marches over the years. I also attended pro choice rallies.

3.How would you like to continue to stay involved?
(Volunteering, phonebanking, fundraising, local organizing, etc.)

I would like to offer the Dems assistance in creating and maintaining a viable
web presence for communication and organization. There is nothing like the
immediacy of the web. Could be used on the local and national level for a ongoing
communications tool to be utilized as part of a long term strategy to defeat and "conquer" the Republicans once and for all.

I had a friend who delivered pizza part time for cash. He said he would go into
the poorest home. They would have no air conditioning, older looking clothes. But
there they were on a computer surfing the net. We've only begun to tap this resource. As a multimedia designer and web hack I'd like to help anyway I can.

4. Did you feel the actions you took were effective?

Yes and no. I think it helped. I think we need to realize as I say below that the Repubs have successfully aligned themselves with God. And that the church is the second largest organization in this country next to the federal government itself.
We need mass media marketers using the web and TV to overcome their advantage.

5. Was it a good experience for you?

Yes, frustrating because we lost. Fascinating because we lost. George Bush lost more jobs than any other president in history, yet he was reelected. They kicked our butt by being able to successfully bury the jobs issue and draw the attention to Swift Boats and Vietnam. Unfortunately kudos to them, and a lesson for us.

6. How would you make it better?

I observed a real shift and disconnect between the Kerry campaign from before he became the nominee and after he was declared the official nominee. Grassroots feel before, "official and unreachable" after. I could send an email to the Kerry campaign before, but could not after he was awarded the nomination. For contacts we were directed to our local parties.
I liked the feeling, even if it wasn't true, that John Kerry may actually get to
read my email. And I liked getting a response, even if it was scripted. It was a
feeling like they were listening. Post "nomination" I didn't get that feeling.
You guys need to market the candidate so hire a marketing team . Not a political one.

The local and national democratic party needs to utilize the web more for communication.

Starting now, the democratic party should hold local fundraising and social events for local dems to gather and network and build relationships that can be utilized in 2008 and beyond.

7. Please share other thoughts and comments you have about the 2004
election and what Democrats and the Democratic Party should do going forward.

Want to know the real reason we lost? Because Kerry and the powers that be in the Democratic party have spent too much time trying to out "Republican" the Republicans. Same mistake Al Gore made.

You think the party would have taken a clue from the outrage that immediately appeared when Hillary wasn't initially invited to speak at the convention. The Democratic Party is still led and driven by old white guys (no offense intended).

We need a different outlook, a different look, a different strategy and that's because we are different not the same as the Republicans.

Also look at the "exit polls" to get an indication of what really happened in this election. The surveys show that the number one issue in this election people who answered exit polls said was "sting moral character". Hello!!! Its the Republicans who turned out in record numbers. Cause that's a damn Republican answer. If is was a democrat they would have said the top issue was jobs or security.

Also the Repubs have aligned themselves with the church and God. So if you are anti Repub you're anti God?The church is probably the number one organized structure in this country next to the government itself. Dems used to have unions, but they have lost their effectiveness. And they never were much in existence in the south.

Time for us Dems to do a complete overhaul, afterall we're not the party of the old white guys, we're supposed to be the party of everybody else. So lets start with leaders who look like everyone else.

Also the national Democratic party didn't show up here in Pinellas county Florida until August. Three months before the election. I can bet you the Republicans were meeting last year on how to win the 2008 election and beyond. We won't win until the leadership of the Democratic party reflects the makeup of its members and until we can create a long term strategy. You think that the "moral majority" just disbanded and went away. They went underground and have been creating Newt Gingrich types of long term strategies.

Hillary and Obama in 2008? Lets do it and lets start now.

Also use celebrities like the Repubs, instant name recognition, you don't have to spend millions of dollars letting people know who they are.

Hear me. Oprah, Oprah, Oprah. You laugh. People laughed at Arnold. Think about her angel network and the thousands of Republican women who love Oprah. That is a group that will become swing voters by 2008.

That's the problem I've been talking about. Democratic men need to drop the stereotypes, get the youth and the women as the face of the party and we'll kick the repubs butt. We have nothing to lose cause all we've been doing is losing. Can't get any worse, so why not try?

So start now. Let's not waste our time quibbling about miscounted votes or voting errors. The Repubs have rightly figured out that a close election can't be disputed. And so the only way we'll win is to make sure that the election is a landslide. Start now, but lets not show our hand to the Repubs until the time is right.

I sent this additional response.

I already submitted a questionnaire. But one more thing.
Its' so not about raising money at this point. Take the organizing focus off fundraising and onto gathering with people who support your ideas and beliefs. Patriotism is about our rights, liberty and justice for all. I got the impression that you didn't want to talk to me,if I didn't have money to contribute. Bad message, even if it is true. Marketing marketing marketing. Think about the impression the Democratic party makes.

Thanks for listening.