Stop Future Sarah Palins and Build the Progressive Movement
Submitted by Jeff on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 4:45pm.
McCain's vice presidential pick didn't just appear out of nowhere. Gov. Sarah Palin is a product of GOPAC, a Republican outfit created in 1978 in "an effort to build a farm team of Republican officeholders who could then run for congress or higher state offices later." It was once run by Newt Gingrich, who turned it into a veritable machine for churning out right-wing candidates for state and local office. Although it has produced a number of governors and senators, the ascension of Sarah Palin from small-town mayor to governor to vice presidential nominee in a few short years is perhaps its most dramatic success and a new high-water mark for GOPAC alumni.
There is an answer to GOPAC on the left, and it is called Progressive Majority. It's a great organization, recruiting and training progressives to run in down-ticket races since 2001 and active in eight states to date (including Ohio since January of this year). In this video Gloria Totten, President of Progressive Majority and former political director of NARAL, explains the purpose of Progressive Majority and why Sarah Palin shows that its mission is more important than ever:
