MyDD :: Do you know the structure of the Democratic Party in your state?

Do you know the structure of the Democratic Party in your state?

Yes	27 votes - 25 %
No	37 votes - 35 %
Sort of	18 votes - 17 %
I wish	22 votes - 21 %

104 Total Votes

Return to Entry :: 32 Comments :: Post a Comment

Thanks, Elena (none / 0)

I appreciate the detail because I had also asked more than once why the Eastern Caucus was "closed" when that contradicted the DNC Charter.

As for "the press being there," that doesn't mean much. WaPo's story was written by Dana Milbank and comparing his story to the blogs, I don't think he was at the same event. For all I know, he made up the quote from Jim Dean.

I hope this is one of the things that change, should Howard become the next DNC Chair.

by KimPossible on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 01:15:15 PM EST

Re: Thanks, Elena (none / 0)

That comment about the press being there absolutely killed me!! Do any of those people realize what the MSM did to Dean, and then Kerry? Have they watched or read how they cover Bush?? Do they seriously expect us to put any faith in what the media says? And would they really want to trust that responsibility to the press?

I was watching Dana Milbank for awhile, and I remember thinking to myself- I wonder will his account of what happened here today be anything at all like what mine will be? Needless to say, our perceptions were amazingly different. Thank God most bloggers had similar accounts of the event- or I would have thought maybe I was losing my marbles!!

by sneemteam on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 05:03:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

thanks for this diary (none / 0)

i hope more people read it.

Visit us at TexasKAOS, where we're taking Texas back!

by annatopia on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 01:41:16 PM EST

just curious (none / 0)

when you were told you'd be shut out, did you try to get in touch with any of the DNC chair candidates' offices? I am wondering if they were/would have been any more helpful in applying leverage.

by emptypockets on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 02:05:03 PM EST

Re: just curious (none / 0)

To my knowledge, we didn't. I didn't. I wonder if it would have been appropriate to have done that. I also wonder, as they were campaigning, if they (ironically) would have been hesitant to challenge decisions so directly. Is that too cynical?

by Elena on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 03:10:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: just curious (none / 0)

I'm the Leighton that Elena mentioned in the diary. We didn't try to get in touch with any of the candidates for help, and the reason is that we didn't wish to appear to be forcing our way into the meeting on behalf of any particular candidate. And that was entirely true: Driving Votes as an organization endorsed Dean very early in the process, but we were very careful not to mention that in our messaging inviting people to attend (save for when talking to DFA members) because we didn't want anybody who supported another candidate to feel as if they weren't welcome to join our contingency. We even removed mention of Dean from our website for the days leading up to the meeting, so that nobody would think that the reason we were organizing people to attend was to boost Dean's standing, which it emphatically was not. I suspect that even if we had appealed for help from the candidates, we wouldn't have gotten it, because they, too, were protective of the integrity of the process and I imagine would have been reluctant to appear to be trying to put together a cheerleading squad. Anyhow, I think that the state party personnel were fearful that by opening up the caucus, they would turn the event into a spirit rally, which was a) very condescending -- at times it felt like the party leadership regards the grassroots as a bunch of children, and b) completely contradicted by the evidence, since the Sacramento caucus was open and by all reports went very smoothly. And for the record, I understand that the Orlando meeting was nothing close to the "circus" we were being told it had become.

by Woodhouse on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 04:38:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: just curious (none / 0)

"And for the record, I understand that the Orlando meeting was nothing close to the "circus" we were being told it had become."

Although, Matt and I did go onto a wicked bungee vertical slingshot that was near our hotel.

by Jerome Armstrong on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 06:05:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Thanks from a Rosenberg supporter... (none / 0)

I am a Rosenberg supporter and you DV folks made me feel plenty welcome.

I was surprised though to find that there weren't a ton of people driving cross state/coutnry to see Tim Roemer speak. Shocking. Don't they know that he's "strong"?

Future Majority / Young Philly Politics

by Alex Urevick on Thu Feb 03, 2005 at 09:13:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Democrats or Communists? (3.00 / 1)

Yo Elena!
Thanks again for all your work and help!

The opaque nature of the DNC makes it seem more akin to a Communist Party than to a Democratic one. I tried asking a bunch of different people how one goes about becoming a DNC member, and they either shrugged or changed the subject. Hell, some of the people pushing DNC vice-chair candidates couldn't even tell me what the heck a DNC vice chair does...

How are we supposed to feel like a vital part of this party when we can't even see how the party elects its leaders (other than the chair) or who those members are to begin with. I know you can dig up the info on some blogs, but shouldn't it be easier to get into the know? When I sent the list of PA reps to my father he told me that 2 were career (read: corrupt) party-hacks, the third was a complete dirtbag who had sued my pops for libel on behalf of a criminal client (who ripped off poor people) who my dad was bringing to justice (anyway the scumbags both lost). Can we afford to have the corrupt money grubbers in postions of power in this party? I think not.

Let's hope that Dean, or whomever gets the nod, will be able to push for a little more transparancy and accountability from our state parties. The future of our party depends upon it...

Future Majority / Young Philly Politics

by Alex Urevick on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 02:19:30 PM EST

How to be a vital part of the Party? (none / 0)

Whatever are you talking about? They're always ready to have you "get involved"--i.e., take your contributions! ;-)

by wishful thinking on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 04:31:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Come now, let's not go bashing the CP (3.00 / 1)

Hey, Alex!

It should all be easier, shouldn't it. Unfortunately, we can't rely on Dean or whoever winds up as chair to push for more transparency or accountability. It's up to us to do this. Let's start by sharing the information we gather and how we get it. It should be easier to access this information, you're absolutely right. Fortunately, it's not secret information. We just need to publicize the fuck out of it.

by Elena on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 04:36:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "crashing" the Party (3.00 / 1)

Elena, thanks for this insightful report. DV rocks!

In California, we (DFAers and MMOBsters) are lucky because many people here were already local Dem Party activists. I think, because Dean gave his famous "What I Want to Know" speech at our 2003 convention, he captured the hearts of many Party regulars that already wanted what Howard had the guts to demand. So they helped teach the rest of us how the local Dem structure works.

Our Western caucus in Sacramento had an open "Listening" breakfast as well as audience seats for grassrooters because grassrooters were already part of the host California State Party system. We had an ace woman who's a county chair up there that made it happen.

I have learned that understanding the Party structure isn't hard, just hard work. Show Up, as Dr. Dean says. Many times it is: show up at local gyms or union halls for long and really boring meetings ;-)

Because of the DFA network, we all got the info and Showed Up at our Assembly District Committee re-org meetings last month. (That's the entry level.) And we got tons of progressive DFAers elected as delegates to our next CA State convention. Like any volunteer org, it is the delegates that work the hardest and make an impression, that will get elected to the next level. Like high school, you have to show up to decorate the gym, if you want to run for student council.

I do think that if Dean wins (cross fingers), there will be more communication around Party structure. Each state is its own fiefdom, though, so everyone's milage will vary.

by candace in sonoma on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 06:47:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come now, let's not go bashing the CP (none / 0)

I was also there with the driving votes contingent, but I did have a slightly different experience with the DNC here in NYC. I called the number listed on the Driving Votes site the Wednesday before the Caucus and spoke with a secretary at the DNC and was told that the meeting would be open and I could show up, but because of the high level of interest they couldn't guarentee entry.

Also I did stay for the Vice Chair Session. I was interested in see who these people were, especially since one of the chairs is responsible for Voter Registration and Participation.

It may also be of interest to some to know that there are five vice chair positions - 3 of which will be reserved for women and two for men (gender parity when you count the Chair). It was a diverse group of candidates and it was noted by the moderator that such diversity would have been nice to see at the Chair level. The Eastern Regional Caucus was the only one at which the Vice Chairs were given an opportunity to speak.

Candidates for Vice Chair are as follows:
Mike Honda - A Congressman from CA, I believe
Alvaro Cifuentes
Nelson Diaz
Marjorie Harris - Done lots of Voter Registration work, Sharpton
speech writer
Linda Chavez-Thomspon - Exec. VP of the AFL-CIO, current Vice
Chair.
Denise Wilkinson - State Sen. from MA (I liked her a lot)
Nancy Jane Woodside - Grassroots Organizer from Utah, opened
1st Party Headquarters in UT (red stater,
a big blue heart from what I could tell)
Susie Turnbull - Former (or current?) Head of the of the
Democratic Leardership Forum

by brookeb on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 11:16:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come now, let's not go bashing the CP (none / 0)

OK- but what do the vice chairs do right now? I asked a woman at one of the VC candidate's table and she really couldn't tell me. She said that there was a hope that they would have a clearly defined role under any reform plan, but for now, she didn't know.

Does anyone know what the heck the VCs do?

Future Majority / Young Philly Politics

by Alex Urevick on Thu Feb 03, 2005 at 09:08:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

bendygirl, can you help us out? (none / 0)

Bendygirl, could you post an explanation of the roles and responsibilities of the vice-chairs?

by Elena on Thu Feb 03, 2005 at 09:38:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Good job! (none / 0)

Elena,

Thanks so much for pushing our way in--for those of us who were able to be there because of your efforts and the efforts of other DV members, it really meant something.

Thanks also for helping me out personally--I had completely given up on the idea of making it to New York, and your efforts made it possible--I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated it.

Also, great poll question--I am trying to get involved with my state party, but it is really hard to get any information out of them! So far they haven't even listed the date/time/place for my town's caucus--and most of them happened last week!

Thanks again, KB

Katherine Brengle Massachusetts

by Katherine Brengle on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 03:08:15 PM EST

I was there (none / 0)

And no offense, it was very full with people coming and going during the session.

Some form our delegation didn't show, I'm sure there were many others of similar issue.

I was curious why so few stayed for the Vice-Chair session. We need excellent Vice-Chairs and I do recall the shirts from the morning, but not the afternoon.

Our committee was told that the list was closed off (we had our names in two weeks in advance) for space and space alone. I'm glad you got in, but I'm curious why it is this session didn't have a central organizing committee that set up how to handle these inquiries. Instead of it having been a personal issue with rank and file it simply seemed in need of more structure before the event to ensure that everyone who wanted to attend could attend.

by bendygirl on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 04:02:31 PM EST

Re: I was there (none / 0)

The reason people were coming and going during the session probably has something to do with the fact that in the end event organizers had resigned themselves to allowing it to be an open session, thanks to Elena's hard work. Even if that would have been the case anyhow, the problem still remains: they were telling people that the caucus was closed, spreading the word through the ether that the grassroots were not welcome. So even if, in fact, you could just show up and get in, how many people did not show up at all, because the word on the streets was that they wouldn't be allowed in the door?

by Woodhouse on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 04:42:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I was there too and... (none / 0)

I found the "space" arguement that organizers used to be just completely ridiculous. This is NYC, for God's sake- it's not like it would have been impossible to find a place that could accomodate a larger crowd. I also was annoyed because the organizers weren't expecting or prepared for a crowd of ordinary dems to turn up. Why wouldn't they have expected us? People had turned up at every other caucus- did they really think that no one would show up in NYC? Or did they think at all?

I want to say though that the people who worked the caucus were very patient and gracious, and they and Elena handled very well what otherwise could have become messy. I loved the fact that there were so many really young people working there; They're the future of this party. I was so glad to have gotten the chance to attend; it was truly a wonderful experience.

(I personally didn't stay because I had a 12 year old who had a soccer game to get to, but some of the driving votes folks did go back to watch the afternoon session.)

by sneemteam on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 04:48:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I was there too and... (none / 0)

I'm reluctant to jump to conclusions, but based on the meager information that was being provided to us, it appeared that the "space limitations" excuse was worse than ridiculous -- it was a lie. After we were told that the reason they were closing the caucus was because of the room size, one of the folks who signed up with Driving Votes to attend called the Roosevelt. The hotel staff told her that the room seated 700, and that the caucus organizers had booked the room with a total list of 340 names.

by Woodhouse on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 04:58:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I was there (none / 0)

No offense taken. I just want to clarify, I saw the empty seats when I was seated in the balcony (I entered right before the meeting started). I am glad if those seats filled up. I'm simply pointing out that we brought over 60 people and everyone had a seat.

As I said, there was no system for accomodating the rank-and-file. A lack of such a system, and an unwillingness to create one, indicates a disinterest in including the rank-and-file. Or at least an aversion to change. They should've reacted to the public interest and established a procedure for allowing us to attend. Instead, they deliberately misinformed us.

I did stay for the Vice-Chair session. That certainly WAS an empty room! I'm glad I did, though. Those were the most interesting speeches to me because the candidates talked more about party policies and procedure and there was a little less theatrical. Or maybe it just seemed that way because there was no press and all the observers left.

Interestingly, I was not even aware that the Vice-Chair candidates were speaking until I arrived there. The NYSDC had told me the session would last until noon. We had told those who had contacted Driving Votes that the session would last until noon, so I suppose most of our attendees had only planned on staying until then. I think it was Nancy Jane Woodside who mentioned that it was the first caucus the VC candidates had been invited to speak at!

by Elena on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 05:13:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Really valuable - great issue to organize around (none / 0)

It would be very transofrmational if we could have access to all of this information about who can attend, and all of the W questions about the Democratic Party meetings.

It seems clear that some embedded people do not want the access to be as open to those of us who do want change in the party, this probably includes those in the party infrastructure and in the media which does such a rotten job of covering the democratic party.

As in other mydd coverage today, I believe the Washington DC Democratic Party and office holders are one faction at the root of those who are killing this party, they muct be deposed.

by leschwartz on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 04:08:01 PM EST

Re: Really valuable (none / 0)

I would have assumed the same thing at first, about the party officers inside the Beltway. But I have to reiterate what Elena mentioned: the DNC national organization was extremely helpful, indeed instrumental, in opening up the caucus to the grassroots. D.C. DNC employees were in a delicate position, because they have to stay neutral in the race and it was quite obvious that the overwhelming majority of rank-and-file who wanted to attend were behind Dean (to other candidates who may have felt this is "unfair," I call bullshit because the Dean campaign played no role in organizing rank-and-file to attend, Dean just happens to be more inspirational than the rest of the field and there's nothing "unfair" about that), but instead of going the easy and expeditious route of telling us there's nothing they could do about it, they went with principle and attempted to resolve the situation in favor of openness and transparency. It's important to give credit where credit is due, and in this case, I give a lot of credit to McAuliffe's staff. The problem here was at the state level (I should also mention that the state parties WERE NOT blocking access in the West, so this is really evidence of a problem at the state level in a particular region, though I suspect it's not limited to the Northeast).

by Woodhouse on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 04:29:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

thank you for emphasizing that (none / 0)

by Elena on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 04:40:51 PM EST

love your quote: (none / 0)

Great post Elena, I love the line, " Things are not good when you have to organize to gain access to your own party" That is so telling!

The NY Times had an article about Dean and the Repug's feeling satisfied w/ him because they still consider him a "scream"...and a few Dem's quoting in the thinly veiled negative...more wood for the fire in an already fragmented party, which is why I hope your quote is read by many, many staffers.

Keep up the good work and I look forward to more DV events.

by HooperLady on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 05:27:41 PM EST

Great post (none / 0)

Elena, thanks so much for your effort, and for sharing the experience with everyone.

by Jerome Armstrong on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 06:02:43 PM EST

Interesting (none / 0)

It sounds like the NYSDC folks are a closed club used to operating in the shadows and out of the public eye. Interesting to hear the behind-the-scenes story, although I'm not sure whether the movement to the "grassroots" means we should be trying to penetrate that closed club, or what.

I will add my voice to the chorus of praise for Elena and the DrivingVotes team. Despite the chaos brewing under the surface, the situation felt completely under control from the moment I was greeted at the door by a volunteer 'til the end of the day.

I wish that kind of organization could have been running the PFAW Cleveland election protection center I worked on election day. A massive chaotic clusterf--k all the way around. Lots of really bright law students from Yale and Howard that will think twice before volunteering again :+(

Oh well. On to 2006.

Go Dean.

by ProgressiveChristian on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 09:39:06 PM EST

Join your local committees! (none / 0)

I'd like to echo Mr. Buckley's suggestion. I got involved in the political process via the Dean Campaign. The head of the Dean Campaign here in Rochester, NY told us the best way to get involved is by joining our local committees. Many of us did. At Democratic Headquarters during election night this last November I was amazed how many former Deaniacs were there and involved in a number of local elections. These were people who were new to the process, pulled in by Howard Dean, getting involved, learning how to run campaigns, learning how to be leaders. Many of the local committees here in upstate New York are in need of assistance, they need and want our help. Getting involved and growing the party at the local level is one way we can win America and our party back.

by wmaguire on Thu Feb 03, 2005 at 08:27:52 AM EST

Re: Join your local committees! (none / 0)

This experience will serve as an impetus for us all to get involved with our local NY committees and I'm sure you're right that many would love to have our help. I agree with you and Mr. Buckley that we need to get involved on a local level.

Unfortunately, I don't believe Mr. Buckley was giving me that advice in the same spirit that Howard Dean does. We should all be involved, and meetings should still be open and accountable to the public.

by Elena on Thu Feb 03, 2005 at 09:22:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

A Different Viewpoint... (none / 0)

I too was there, and I too was told the event was not often to the public. But luckily, thanks to the blogosphere, I knew that the event really couldn't be closed to the public, so a friend and I attended with a good sense that we would be able to get in the door.

However, had the event been publicized as a come-one, come-all event, well, oh my god, the voting delegates could have been outnumbered by the public 10 to 1. And the very open caucus would have been a disaster. A real mess.

So practically, as if the practical ever matters, I'm not sure what the NYDems were supposed to do. The event was supposed to be a chance for voting members to interact with the candidates and their coteries. It was televised. And even though the public wasn't invited, we were in fact very welcome. So?

by trueblue on Thu Feb 03, 2005 at 12:10:44 PM EST

Re: A Different Viewpoint... (none / 0)

The Sacramento caucus was open to the public, and the organizers never felt compelled to mislead anybody about that fact. The grassroots showed up by the hundreds, and no disaster ensued. I find it disturbing that there seems to be an image out there of "the grassroots" as some unruly mob of angry provocateurs. From what I've heard, the delegates at both the Western and the Eastern caucuses were far more rambunctious than the rank-and-file audience.

by Woodhouse on Thu Feb 03, 2005 at 04:11:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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by bgreen68 on Tue Dec 25, 2007 at 04:31:25 AM EST

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