House Passes Presidential Primary Date Move

Well we knew it was going to happen (0.00 / 0)

Let the primary race begin!

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by: sonia @ Sat Apr 14, 2007 at 00:50:51 AM UTC

There still is the Senate... (0.00 / 0)

I have no idea how the Senate feels about this...  Heard a rumor that Sen. Duncan was not a proponent.  He chairs State Affairs committee where election bills are heard.

Anyone know any scoop on the Senate?

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by: Glen Maxey @ Sat Apr 14, 2007 at 01:22:02 AM UTC

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Now how many days off is that? (0.00 / 0)

Glen, what does this mean in terms of organizing?  Candidates will be hammering harder earlier because we now make a difference.  How can the TDP capture those organizational efforts for better across the ticket efforts beyond the primary? Or are we still just try to catch mosquitoes in a fishing net?

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by: Hugh Stearns @ Sat Apr 14, 2007 at 01:24:49 AM UTC

Filing day begins on Oct1st... (0.00 / 0)

I'm not really very hopeful that the Party will use this to our advantage at all.  There surely doesn't seem to be any effort in that direction.  Historically, the TDP has stayed "hands off" during the primary, using the excuse that we don't get involved in primary campaigns.  I've always beleived  that we could creatively assist all the presidential campaigns organize in Texas, and reap the huge organizational benefits of that for the Party.

Because the presidential campaigns now have to organize in about two dozen states between now and Feb. 5th, I predict that we'll not see much ground action at all coming from them.  FEC regulations now mandate most organizing (especially any money raised or spent) be done by the federal campaigns.  You can't independently do much at all (unless you wish to face some heavy fines and other hassles). 

So I think we'll see a TV campaign once again or free media types of activities.

I was really praying and hoping that we'd be harnessing the presidential campaign activity to build volunteer and donor infrastructure for the general election 2008.
Most of my conversations that direction (and a few bills I got filed to allow some Party rules changes in that direction) all got the cold shoulder of the powers that be...so status quo looks like the direction of TDP.  I don't have the energy to push the rock up this mountain.

It's a really sad situation that we'll have the most exciting opportunity to build a dynamic state Party, but we're going to let it slip away.

I hope somebody proves me wrong.

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by: Glen Maxey @ Sat Apr 14, 2007 at 01:47:07 AM UTC

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Godless Texas Democrats (0.00 / 0)

Rolling that rock up the mountain again probably won't change circumstances, and neither will shaking our fist at gods that do not exist.  If the TDP, for whatever reason, is unwilling to harvest and reorganize all of the human energy that has gone into the primaries to help in the general election, to help in state and local elections, to help build party sustainability and energy, shouldn't someone else do it? I realize that this is a naive question that probably has a lot to do with process and regulations, but I'm not proud.  There seems to be a huge amount of energy that goes into maintaining a failed, unresponsive, unpopulist power structure in the TDP.  If you can't beat them revolt.  If they will not do what it takes to organize and motivate at a precinct level, what is to keep others from doing it?

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by: Hugh Stearns @ Sat Apr 14, 2007 at 18:17:35 PM UTC

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I emailed the TDP (0.00 / 0)

about whether they were planning to hold a straw poll about a month ago and they have not even bothered to e-mail me back.

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by: David Mauro @ Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 16:04:10 PM UTC

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Off-topic... (0.00 / 0)

I know this is off-topic, but are State Chair races conducted at every convention, or just every other (2006, 2010, etc.)?

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by: Indigo @ Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 17:44:57 PM UTC

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every convention (0.00 / 0)

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by: David Mauro @ Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 13:28:46 PM UTC

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I'm afraid you're right (0.00 / 0)

I actually see most party organizations, at the state level and higher, as cash flow processing entities.  If that is a valid proposition, it would explain all the other things not happening that we think should be happening:  by their standards, the party potentates are doing their jobs royally well.  Maybe WE are the ones who don't get it.

That's why I don't organize in politics any more:  the dirt on our side of the fence is piled just as high as the dirt on the other side of the fence.  Unfortunately, the view isn't much different either.

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by: Wanderer @ Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 16:09:58 PM UTC

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