__ _ __ T AiN ARBOR EssA-r Drinking Liberally The progressives go to the pubs By Jason Z. Pesick, Editor in Chief Drinking Liberally member Emily Sickler enjoys a cold beverage at Ann Arbor Brewing Company on E. Washington. T e conventional wisdom among young Ann Arbor progressives is that the last few months have been good for their local movement. To many Michigan residents, a progressive revival in Ann Arbor might seem like a revival of the profit motive at Wal-Mart - utterly redundant. In most of the state, the city has a reputation of being a liberal stronghold. Its association with the University only strengthens that connection in many Michiganders' minds. But many young Ann Arborites think the people who run the city see the University's students as a threat to their property values, not the source of their town's vibrancy. As these progressives tell the story, things may have begun to change this sum- mer. In a piece in the summer Michigan Daily, the Washington-based former Ann Arbor blogger and former Michigan Daily writer Rob Goodspeed wrote, "Conditions are ripe for a perfect storm that could revolutionize Ann Arbor politics." This summer saw the near victory of a student can- didate for City Council in the Democratic primary. A group called the New West Side Association also formed to represent renters' interests in the city. In addition, in June 2004, a website called arborup- date.coin launched, and it has quickly become one of the best sources of information for all things Ann Arbor. Now, these like-minded townies have their own quasi-social, drinking club. Two weeks ago, an Ann Arbor chapter of a nation- wide confederation called Drinking Liberally had its first gathering at the Ann Arbor Brewing Com- pany. (The next get-together is tonight at 8 at ABC.) Drinking Liberally's website www.drinkingliber- ally.org calls the group "an inclusive Democratic drinking club." According to the website, there are 96 chapters in 39 states and Washington, D.C. About 20 people, mostly Rackham twentysomethings, showed up at ABC, and every one of them was still a little miffed that John Kerry isn't the president. Drinking Liberally isn't intimately tied to the New West Side Association or Arbor Update, but it's similar because it is largely a reaction to con- servative progress - only on a national level rather than in Ann Arbor. John Redmond, a graduate student working toward a doctorate in mechanical engineering, started the chapter. Redmond is not the stereotypical left-wing activ- ist. He's not even a nostalgic former Howard Dean supporter, like so many of the other former Dean for America and current Democracy for American members who came. Redmond grew up in Farm- ington Hills and went to high school at Detroit Country Day. He supported the Gore campaign but became more interested in politics in college, when the Bush administration took over and began to take the country to the right. Redmond said Drinking Liberally can help like- minded people make connections in a social context and then translate those connections into the politi- cal arena. "It takes an activity we'd do anyways and makes it more productive," he told me a few days ago. The conversation that first night wasn't stilted - partly because Redmond had some of his friends Drinking Liberally isn't intimately tied to the New West Side Associa- tion or Arbor Update, but it's similar because it is largely a reaction to conservative progress - only on a national level rather than in Ann Arbor. come in case no one showed up - but it also wasn't only about politics. Occasionally, someone would try to shift the conversation into the political realm, but rarely did anyone take the bait. Even though Drinking Liberally is a "Democratic drinking club," many of the people who showed up seemed to feel awkward talking about politics. Instead, the conversation focused on what the group would talk about at future meetings, where those meetings should be, how The Michigan Daily works, the ability of alcohol to provide "social lubrication" and of course, the Internet. Well, not just the Internet, but blogs, forums, websites, RSS feeds, podcasts and some form of video podcast that sounded interesting. The conversation was esoteric, but not when people were talking about politics (Although one person did mention Howard Wolpe, the Demo- cratic party's 1994 candidate for governor.). The conversation was the most difficult to follow when it turned to technology, which seemed to be every- one's true passion. It shouldn't be surprising that the people who showed up like the Internet. A number of them are former Deaniacs, and it was the Dean campaign that brilliantly utilized the Internet to bolster its success. Even the older attendees, including the 49- year-old Washtenaw County Clerk and Register of Deeds Larry Kestenbaum, participate in a number of online communities. In fact, the relaxed structure of these Internet communities is similar to the atmosphere preva- lent at the meeting and similar to Drinking Liber- ally's nonhierarchical structure. The organization is a social club for liberals, not an activist organi- zation with an agenda. Redmond himself told me members will not be making calls or knocking on doors. This model makes a lot of sense in red states; if you live in Alabama and you're a liberal, you might not want to talk politics with the regulars at the local bar. But in Ann Arbor, finding like-minded people to have a beer with isn't really a- problem. Especially if you're looking to kvetch about George Bush, finding someone who will agree with you is not difficult. Finding a young Ann Arbor liberal who has any interest in local politics, though, is difficult. Given that the challenge for Ann Arbor's young progres- sives is to get the city to stop picking on students and younger residents, Drinking Liberally could fill a much-needed function in the city: It could help those younger residents connect so that they can take on the city's bigwigs together.