Wisconsin: State Democratic Party Leaders not helping

[Scuba]

Tate and Zielinski both need to go.

http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/noquarter/top-democratic-aide-compares-scott-walker-with-jeffrey-dahmer-3990353-194403111.html

Top Democratic aide compares Scott Walker with Jeffrey Dahmer

Shortly after prosecutors announced they closed the John Doe investigation of Gov. Scott Walker's aides, Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski took to Twitter to begin ripping the first-term Republican governor.

It wasn't long before he posted three tweets drawing comparisons between Walker and Dahmer, who gained international notoriety for saving and eating his victims' body parts.

"@GovWalker had better lawyers than Jeffrey Dahmer in beating the rap. Clear that he committed crimes," Zielinski wrote in one of his tweets.

Zielinski later apologized to Walker and to the victims of Jeffrey Dahmer.

First of all, it's unfair to Dahmer, who only killed a dozen or so people. Walker's policies have condemned thousands.

Second of all, for the No. 2 guy in the State Party to tweet this shit is just making us look bad. Sometimes I think these guys are moles for the other side.

[mokawanis]

1. Really, really dumb

Even if it was tweeted in a rash moment of anger it was a dumbass thing to say.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. We need a Lemon Law for politicians in this state.

[BeaverDem]

3. Let us be honest for a minute

While what he said is stupid, I think it highlights some of the fundamental structural problems we have in the DPW.

1) We seem to be alterating between fresh face leaders (to mix it up) and old guard leaders (to right the ship after the fresh faces screw it up) We need someone with a clear plans (Financially and strategicly) to move the pieces long term towards a sustainable democratic majority.

2) We are terrible at recruiting , training retaining new talent, both campaign staff and candidates.

3) They are entirely too focused on Madison and Milwaukee, which means we are constantly fighting election battles on the fringes of what should be solid blue areas.

4) And most importantly they are wholy and unapologeticly reactionary. From the Barrett campaign forward Everything we do is about opposing Walker/RPW, we are not putting ideas of our own out there and untill we give people alternatives and plans and something to vote FOR I doubt we will win anything substantial.

We need to blow up the structure of the party and rebuild it from the ground up into a party that can contend. We have lost the high ground and need to regroup

[Scuba]

4. Agreed, although I'm not sure any "old guard leaders" ever righted the ship ....

It is heartbreaking to see the Party totally ignore and waste the commitment of 30,000 volunteers who actively sought to help recall Walker. These folks could have/should have been the engine to drive Democratic politics in our State for a generation. Instead, poof.

That's not leadership, that's incompetence. At best.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. We could do a lot worse than to revisit the ideas of the Progressive Era

of 100 years or so ago.

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Political-and-Social-Reforms.topicArticleId-25238,articleId-25192.html

During the Progressive Era (1900–1920), the country grappled with the problems caused by industrialization and urbanization. Progressivism, an urban, middle-class reform movement, supported the government taking a greater role in addressing such issues as the control of big business and the welfare of the public. Many of its accomplishments were based on efforts of earlier reform movements. The federal income tax and the direct election of senators, for example, were a part of the Populist program, and Prohibition grew from a pre-Civil War anti-alcohol reform tradition. Although the Progressives formed their own political party in 1912, the movement had broad support among both Democrats and Republicans. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft (Republicans) and Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) all claimed the Progressive mantle.

[BeaverDem]

8. I know

but I think you are also illustrating my point to a degree. They had strong leaders, clear goals and caught establishment Republicans with their pants down. Sadly the Progressives of the 1900s have more in common with the teabaggers than with the current DPW.
My larger point is not that we need to change our values or what we believe but rather who is carrying the flag of progressive values.

[PeaceNikki]

6. Agreed.

They were followers in the recall elections until grassroots organizers did everything, then and ONLY then did they step in like they were supportive/responsible for it all. Lori Compass is the perfect example.

I also think that we should have tried to organize better and coordinate the Walker recall with the general election.

Lastly, they have become notorious for making dumb-headed, knee-jerk remarks in the heat of the moment.

[Scuba]

7. See this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10846873

[sybylla]

9. Party elections are this year. Find someone to take Tate on.

I hear people say Tate needs to go, but I never hear anyone talk about doing what's necessary to challenge Tate and his crew.

Tate's done some good, especially compared to his predecessor, Wineke, but he spends too much time protecting friends in his employ rather than doing what's necessary for the good of the party.

A good challenger stands a chance of winning.

[Scuba]

10. I know just the guy. I'll talk to him, see if I can get him to run.

[Big Tent]

11. DPW

I would like to see the DPW turn to a different page. Th leadership in the DPW should be on the same terms as the Democratic elected officials around the state.

I think we are top heavy with positions in Madison. For what we are spending I don't think we are getting a lot in return for it. The year the DNC hired a staffer in Eau Claire we picked up 2 State Senate Seats. I hear that the DPW is considering using their own resources to do this again and that is good.

As far as field I think its important that the people hired understand the local district they are in. Plus the DPW needs to understand how to be flexible when times call for it. During the recalls knocking on doors was absolutely horrible, and the organizers were told to tell the volunteers to keep knocking on the same doors multiple times even if the resident said NO!