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Crashing the Gate

Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics

by Jerome Armstrong, Markos Moulitsas

Foreword by Simon Rosenberg

Activist Center

Welcome to the New Democratic Mainstream

“We cannot wait any longer for the Democratic Party to reform itself. . . . We need an authentic and populist democratic movement to crash the gate and save our nation.”
—Crashing the Gate

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"Dead on." —Adam Cohen, The New York Times

"This is a book that the political establishment will likely fear—but only because it proves that ordinary citizens are ready to take back their government."

—David Sirota, author of Hostile Takeover

"Money is fucking up the Democratic Party and money can save it. Finally, a plan to make the party more responsive to its roots and its beginnings."

—Sam Seder, Majority Report, Air America Radio

Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots and The Rise of People-Powered Politics, the hot new book from DailyKos founder Markos Moulitsas and MyDD creator Jerome Armstrong is taking the country by storm. Moulitsas and Armstrong deliver a no-holds-barred assessment of how the Democratic Party has become ineffective and failed to adapt and respond to new realities and challenges. The solution lies with the vast progressive network of netroots and grassroots constituents who are demanding a people-powered Party. Crashing the Gate is a must-read book for anyone with an interest in the future of American democracy.

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Excerpt

From Chapter 3: The Gravy Train

"I don't get it. When a consultant on the Republican side loses, we take them out and shoot them. You guys—keep hiring them"

—Nationally prominent Republican official

Instead of helping the new candidates by weeding out the incompetent consultants, the Democratic Party continues to thrust the same tired, old, unsuccessful consultants on new campaigns every cycle. And why not? Candidates come and go, their fate decided by voters, but inside D.C., the consultant class and the party officials move on to the next election and more business. It’s a veritable revolving door—jobs abound, win or lose, as long as they are part of their clubby D.C. clique. Consider the case of Joe Hansen, a central character in Sullivan’s news story. Hansen was employed by the DSCC at the same time that he was a partner in a direct-mail company. Hansen, who worked at the DSCC from 1998 to 2002 (first as executive director, then as field director) would begin working closely with candidates early in the campaign. Soon, he would arrange for his company to provide direct-mail services for the candidate. Since he was their liaison to the DSCC (and the campaign contributions that came through the DSCC), the candidates wanted Hansen on their side. What better way than hiring Hansen’s company to do their direct mail? Inside the beltway, such conflicts of interest are ignored with a wink and a nod.

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