[Vision2020] Spirited Liberals Tap a Democratic party

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's 7 magazine (www.spokane7.com) -

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Spirited liberals tap a Democratic party 

Frank Sennett
Correspondent

The Red Lion Pub on Division Street wasn't quite prepared to host a gaggle
of spirited progressives last week. At the end of a festive three-hour
gathering of Spokane's new Drinking Liberally group, the
frazzled-but-friendly server said, "If we knew there were going to be so
many of you, we would have added staff."

But who in their right mind would expect nearly 20 local Democrats to show
up for nothing more than conversation and cold beers on a summer Wednesday
evening? As one participant joked, "We can't all fit into a phone booth
anymore."

It may not represent a progressive renaissance in conservative Eastern
Washington. But the weekly event - which kicks off every Wednesday at 7:30
p.m. - provides local liberals a welcome opportunity for fun and fellowship.


Spokane is the 87th U.S. city with a Drinking Liberally chapter, and only
the 15th out West. Martha Wilson, charming vice president of the Spokane
County Young Democrats, started the local club after hearing what a blast
the Seattle-area gatherings have been. (The Emerald City already boasts two
chapters, naturally. Other Washington groups meet in Pullman and
Bellingham.)

This boozy movement poured forth two years ago in New York City, according
to drinkingliberally.org. The idea is that "Bars are democratic spaces - you
talk to strangers, you share booths, you feel the bond of common ground.
Bring democratic discourse to your local democratic space - build Democracy
one drink at a time." The site emphasizes that participants needn't be
policy wonks.

Still, I dropped in on the Spokane group's third go-round expecting to find
a handful of earnest young activists strategizing over pints of microbrew.
Instead, a wide range of Democrats - ranging from hip twenty-somethings to
the sage middle-aged - passed pitchers up and down a long table in the pub's
back room as they swapped stories and engaged in some informal networking.

A regional organizer for the National Organization for Women, visiting from
Seattle, stopped by to make new connections. Nearby, a group of young men
and women tipped back a few with a veteran activist and discussed what it's
like to be gay in Spokane these days.

Instead of bringing in speakers or providing group discussion topics, this
Drinking Liberally group simply lets its hair down. One guy talked about how
everyone he meets around Spokane assumes he's a Republican. Others nodded in
sympathy, and looked around the table with a sense of relief. For once, they
didn't feel like they were in enemy territory.

During a break in conversation, I asked Wilson if the folks she'd been
huddling with had managed to fix Social Security.

"That's not the point!" she chided with a laugh.

But then the NOW representative brought up a plan to make Social Security a
big issue on college campuses this fall. The discussion soon touched on the
notion that dozens of universities holding mock impeachment trials might
force the national media to examine the president's possible Iraq war
deceptions more seriously.

As the beer flowed, the Jim West scandal inevitably popped up like an
insistent IM buddy. Wilson expressed a bit of consternation that local
Democrats haven't jumped into the mayoral recall fray more forcefully. But
she said she expects the party to pitch in if the effort gets to the
signature-gathering stage.

Then web developer Jay Cousins piped up, "Has anybody seen a 'Don't blame
me, I voted for Tom Grant' button yet?" 

It was probably just the beer talking.

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And yet another fine website:

Drinking Liberally 
Promoting Democracy One Pint at a Time
http://www.drinkingliberally.org/

Take care, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." 
 
--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.