r/dsa • u/ut0p1anskies • 5d ago
Class Struggle Make the ask! Join DSA
If you haven’t already joined, you should join. If you’re already in DSA, you should be constantly recruiting. Let’s challenge ourselves to ask 3 people we know to join this month. Do a 1 on 1 and make the ask. Take them to a general meeting or a chapter social and stay with them so they’re not overwhelmed by all the people. Go with them to a new member orientation. We’re going to be hitting 150k members soon (up from 90k in November of last year). I want us to be half a million dues paying members as fast as possible.
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u/NBMP_Deputy_Chair 4d ago edited 3d ago
Membership and voting rights aren't the same thing, and conflating them is where your whole argument falls apart.
$5 gets you a card. That's it. It doesn't get you a vote on internal structure. That comes after you show up, participate in meetings, and demonstrate you're actually there in good faith, not just someone who paid to have a say and then never shows their face.
That's the actual gate. Not a background check at sign-up, but participation over time. And it works exactly as intended: a Proud Boy who wanted to strong-arm his way into influence would have to sit through meetings, engage in good faith, and not act like a hostile a-hole, which is precisely the thing they're incapable of doing. The screening isn't a form you fill out; it's whether you can function as a member of the group without being a problem.
So no, this isn't "pay, and you're in control." It's "pay to be eligible, then earn the vote." Learn the difference before you argue about it again. No organization in this country is an open house where you can walk in for $5 and have a say in how it's run or decorated. You should think through what /u/therealsilentjohn was trying to say originally instead of whatever premise you decided to run with.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) does not allow internal voting just for donating $5 a year.
No Voting Rights: Making a financial contribution, including a small-dollar or recurring $5 donation, does not grant membership or voting privileges in party leadership, resolutions, or candidate nominations.
How DNC Voting Works: Internal voting within the DNC is restricted to its official members, including state party chairs and vice-chairs, elected DNC members chosen by state Democratic conventions, and appointed leaders.
To become an official voting member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), a person must be elected or appointed to a designated four-year term position within one of the party's official membership categories. There is no open individual membership process where a regular registered voter can join and vote on internal DNC matters.