Four Marches, Two Weeks, One Destination: The New Hampshire Rebellion To Get Money Out of Politics

In his "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”

King was well aware of the power of a march. The New Hampshire Rebellion is too.

What began last January as a walk by a handful of people turned into a statewide march involving over 200 – and included an international media campaign that reached over 3 million people, raising awareness about the corrupting influence of money in politics.

Then, taking that initial New Hampshire Rebellion momentum into a July 4th weekend march along the state's coast, more than 500 people showed up. In the year since its founding, organizers of the New Hampshire Rebellion have proved not only that they don't walk alone, but that they have no intention of turning back.

This Sunday, Jan. 11, the Rebellion sets out on another march, leaving from all four corners of the Granite State, to raise further awareness and recruit growing numbers of people to demand that all presidential candidates campaigning in the state answer the question: “How are you going to end the system of corruption in Washington DC?”

“This is the issue that leads to all other issues,” says Jeff McLean, director of the New Hampshire Rebellion. “There's recognition across the spectrum that sensible reforms are not being implemented because of this issue.”

Indeed, the Rebellion is a full-spectrum revolt against money in politics. As Lawrence Lessig, the Harvard Law professor, campaign finance reformer and founder of the group, says: “It's not left vs. right, it's insiders vs. outsiders.”

By that he means that we, the people, are the outsiders, while corporate money and the politicians they fund are the insiders. With unlimited cash to influence legislation, the insiders steer our government and usurp the rights of the people in the name of corporate gains.

As the first stop in the presidential primaries, after the Iowa Caucus, New Hampshire traditionally has the eyes and ears of America when it comes to election season. And in a state with almost split numbers for Republicans and Democrats, plus growing Independent registration, it's clear that candidates will have their hands full trying to sway the hard-won voters of this swing state.

And it's precisely this skeptical, politically savvy, libertarian-leaning population that the Rebellion seeks to harness as it presses candidates to address the issue of money's influence in politics.

“If there are a critical number of people who are making that push, there’s a chance that there is a candidate or two who begin to say, ‘Okay, this is my chance,’” Lessig told the Concord Monitor.

Building on their actions last year, the January march will include four different routes aiming for maximum media coverage. On Jan. 11, the march from Dixville Notch will begin its 150-mile walk towards Concord. The date is particularly important for Lessig as it marks the 2-year anniversary of the death of visionary hacktivist Aaron Swartz, a close friend of Lessig's and the inspiration for much of his anti-corruption advocacy.

On Jan. 17, a 64-mile march sets out from Keene, NH. Then, on Jan. 18, a 42-mile march leaves from Nashua and a 47-mile march departs from Portsmouth.

Finally, on Jan. 21 – the fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision on Citizens United, which opened the floodgates for corporate spending in elections – all four marches will arrive in the New Hampshire capital, Concord.

Beyond the media they hope to generate, organizers say the marches are a great grassroots recruiting tool. With an estimated 300 to 400 people already signed up to go, they hope more New Hampshire residents get inspired by the call to purge money from the political process, and join them in the streets.

It's not just a droll walk through wintry New Hampshire, either. A variety of events are scheduled every day, including activist trainings, presentations, screenings, dinners, MLK celebrations, and a theatrical play about the renowned “Granny D,” Doris Haddock, who inspired the marches through her 1999 walk from L.A. to DC, at the age of 89, wearing a “Campaign Finance Reform” sign on her chest.

At the conclusion of the march on Jan. 21, a large action is planned in Concord where supporters will meet at the State House for a rally followed by a program of speakers at the Capitol Center and, finally, a Granny D birthday celebration.

After the march, plans are already motion to keep momentum building and maintain focus on the 2016 presidential primaries. The next march is scheduled for July, like last year, and an even bigger New Hampshire Rebellion walk is scheduled for January 2016.

McLean gave some insights as to how the Rebellion would continue its forward push outside the realm of the physical marches. "One tool is the speakers bureau, where we have supporters sign up to speak in neighborhoods and community centers to educate people on the issue,” he explained. "The other way is bird-dogging – asking candidates to make sure that they address this issue.”

The Rebellion is developing a digital app that will let residents know when a presidential candidate is scheduled to appear in their area, and provide them with a platform to upload videos of both their question – “How are you going to end the system of corruption in Washington DC?” – and the candidate's response.

In other words, it's digital and boots-on-the-ground activism at once.

To join as a solidarity walker with the Rebellion from wherever you are, sign up here and walk from anywhere in the U.S., submitting your miles, pictures and stories to the New Hampshire Rebellion team. You can also help spread the message to #GetMoneyOut of politics with other Rebellion supporters like Shepherd Fairey, Zephyr Teachout, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, using Facebook and Twitter. Also use these sites to stay tuned for news and updates during the marches.

The power of a march, like the power of a democracy, rests on the people who engage. Saving our democracy from the corrupting influence of money is everyone's issue. From the four corners of the U.S. to the four corners of New Hampshire, let's march.