Nestled amongst the scuffed pool table, brightly-lit jukebox and light-brown panel walls of The Horseshoe Café’s Ranch Room is one of Bellingham’s newest political discussion groups: Drinking Liberally.
Meeting the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, Drinking Liberally is a subgroup of the national foundation Liberally Applied, an organization where left-leaning individuals can get together and partake in democratic discourse while enjoying a particular activity. In the case of Drinking Liberally, attendees can engage in energetic political discussion with friends while snacking on the Horseshoe’s sweet potato fries and downing brews and spirits.
Founded by club head and local activist Dave Willingham, Drinking Liberally is a recent addition to Bellingham’s political scene, having celebrated its one-year anniversary on Aug. 14. And although club members say it’s becoming a well-known feature in town, newcomer and political blogger Elisabeth Britt said she anticipates it will continue to grow in popularity.
“I personally heard about the club when I met Dave while we were both working on the mayor’s campaign together,” Britt said. “But now there are Web sites which can link anyone interested in politics to Drinking Liberally, so I think the group will continue to expand even after the election.”
While the average age of members appears to be around 30-40 years old, the group’s clientele ranges from college students to local folks enjoying their retirement years. This wide spectrum of different generations causes some to believe conflicts of interest will arise due to differing policies, but long-time member and Bellingham native Bob Burr claims these fears are unfounded.
“I’m an older guy, so I was worried I’d feel out of place with a younger crowd,” Burr said. “But everyone here has made me feel very welcome. I absolutely love it.”
Like many members of Drinking Liberally, Burr’s involvement in local political campaigns and rallies has been eating up all his time lately, especially with the local and national elections at hand. And while he loves his work, Burr said Tuesday nights at the Horseshoe are some of the best times he’s had this whole election season.
“It’s a great chance twice a month to get away and spend a night talking with like-minded individuals,” Burr said.
Even though the club is called Drinking Liberally, anyone is welcome to come and discuss politics, as long as it’s done in a respectful and intelligent manner, downtown Bellingham resident Ronnie Mitchell said, relating the passionate discussions that have cropped up between opposing political factions in past meetings.
Fond of passionate political discourse himself, Mitchell came upon the club completely by accident while he was surfing the Internet for left-leaning blogs and Web sites. After reading about a Drinking Liberally branch in San Diego, Mitchell said he began to look for more local branches of the organization.
“I originally read about the club while looking through one of my favorite political blogs,” Mitchell said. “It sounded really interesting, and when I finally found a local chapter in Bellingham, I decided to check it out.”
With no regulations on who can join the club, some might think Drinking Liberally compensates by forming particular cliques within the context of the overall group. However, Western senior Jake Lunden said this isn’t the case, and Drinking Liberally functions as a gathering place where people can get together and discuss not just politics, but life as well.
If a person is looking for a place to openly discuss the policies and practices of a left-leaning political agenda, Lunden said he can’t think of a better avenue to meet and talk with other people interested in politics.
“In the end, what are politics without a community?” Lunden said. “And what is a community if it can’t share ideas with all its members? It’s nothing. That’s why this club is so important and also why I enjoy it so much.”
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