A friend's insight on the sorry state of the Democratic Party

[Hawkeye-X]

went to the Durham County Democratic Party meeting last night. It was pathetic. I live in a liberal area of NC. A county with over 150,000 people. 23 people showed up. 12 of them were Dean supporters.

When I hear Dean talk about taking back our party, I know what he is talking about. He is talking about us going to those meetings, becoming precinct officers, taking the reigns to help develop local policies. In well organized precincts, voter turnout is ten times the turnout in unorganized precincts.

None of the other candidates push for us becoming active democrats. All they want us to do is vote for them. They need us to get into office, and when the election is over, they leave us on our own. Dean represents the ONLY campaign that actively pushes us to be more aware of what's going on in our party, and for many of us, local politics are seriously messed up. Dean's legacy will be that he has improved the situation for Democrats in Durham County, NC. That legacy will live longer than his candidacy and his presidency (god willing).

I'm ashamed that so many Democrats miss the point. I'm ashamed at how hard they push the status quo. I'm ashamed that Democrats, DEMOCRATS use the same tactics against Dean that the right wing used against us at the Wellstone memorial.

Ican make my party strong again in my community, but I can't make other Democrats understand what it's about or why it is important. I can't make other democrats Good People when they choose to be Bad People. All I can do is hope that there are more of me than there are of them. If I went by the internet, I'd shoot myself.

[opihimoimoi]

1. There is HOPE and there is PROMISE. Millions more out there

support the Dems and their quest for a better America for ALL not just a few. Yes, it is Sad that many don't know it that they supposed to get involved.

Coming soon, the Answers.

The Opi

[lancdem]

2. I'm not as pessimistic as you are

because that huge caucus turnout in Iowa gave me a jolt of encouragement. However, I do totally support the idea of people getting involved, and Dean deserves much credit for reinvigorating our grassroots.

[democratreformed]

3. I think this is place where we may

need to concentrate our efforts - on the local level. My local Democratic club generally has 50 - 100 attendees. This year, one of our members came up with a plan to increase membership and attendance.
It's a contest between current members and offers free membership to newcomers for one year. The plan awards points to current members based on the age of the new member they bring in.

We are working very hard. We have a busy year this year with local, state, and congressional elections.

[Hawkeye-X]

4. kick

back to top

[goodhue]

5. disagree

There is nothing sorry about the state of the democratic party other than folks who thought the script had already been written feeling sorry for themselves. There is a lot of positive energy in the party right now and its going to carry us to victory in November. You don't need Dean to take back your party for you. Just do it.

[Nadienne]

6. Some credit should definately go to Dean

and some should go to Bush*, for being so despicable.

[democratreformed]

7. Can you at least agree

that getting more people involved is a GOOD thing? To me, attracting more active involvement is definitely a positive for all candidates and the Democratic party.

I'm not talking about taking the party back. I've never subscribed to that either. What I am saying is that, our party could stand a little "rebuilding" and, to me, that is best done from the ground up. By rebuilding, I mean getting more people involved and working.

It's time to stop the loss of traditionally Democratic offices to Republicans in my state. I intend to work for that with all my heart.

[goodhue]

11. Certainly

We need many more people to be active in the party. Here in MN, we have five weeks to get as many people as possible to turn out March 2. The DFL is a dinosaur that in fact does need taking back. Its been 14 years since the Wellstone alliance last shook it up. But I'm very hopeful that the progressive vision is spreading like a virus.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. And goodhue knows

that the Kucinich campaign is overflowing with positive energy, because he was at the same meeting I attended last night.

[chiburb]

9. Do you REALLY want to feel better?

"(CBS) After rising in public support following the capture of Saddam Hussein, President Bush gives his State of the Union message next week with a decidedly less positive audience.

A CBS News/New York Times poll of 1,022 adults puts the president's approval rating at 50%, matching his lowest ever, and the largest number ever – 45% - disapproving.

This decline (from 60% approval the week after Saddam's capture) comes after former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill's criticisms of the administration in a book and in interviews, and after continuing attacks on American troops in Iraq.

And there is other bad news for the president.

Story

What accounts for these abysmal numbers? Haven't we heard for weeks now that Bush is "riding high" because of so-called positive economic news, his stealthy and cowardly trip into Iraq to present a fake turkey to a handpicked audience, and Saddam's capture?

Wha hoppin?

Bush Fatigue happened. The voters are awakening to the fraud that is the Bush presidency, the Bush War, the Bush economic plan, the Bush aircraft carrier landing, the Bush space vision, the Bush environmental, education, health care, immigration policies, and on and on.

The Bush Fraud.

But it isn't only Bush's miserable failure in each of those realms that is serving as a bracing wakeup call for the American public.

Democrats are fighting back.

And what happens when Democrats get fired up and begin to fight back?

We win.


Read the whole, positive, uplifting piece here:
http://www.mediawhoresonline.com/

[LuminousX]

10. Major Kick

:kick:

Taking back the party is what this is about. We know the people support Democratic policies more than Republican policies but we don't have the on-the-ground organization to get the people involved. The RW has the fascist radio programs, Fox News, Pat Robertson, and countless other sources mobilizing and directing the Republican voters.

We have, uh, a comedian doing fake news on Comedy Central.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

12. We have the opposite. Used to have 25 at meetings - NOW have 125

In addition - a bunch of them are Republicans who are jumping over to the Dem Party.