Whosplayin has the scoop on this one. While undecided, it appears some folks have urged him to run.
"The unvarnished truth is that a number of supporters from across the state are trying to draft me to run; and that I'm keeping all options open and haven't made a final decision yet.
...honestly I have to tell you I may not do it, or then again I may do it. It is a difficult decision. I want to arrive at whatever my conscience tells me is the best decision for the causes I believe in. If I run, it will be because of my concern that the current leadership does not have the vision and drive to deliver in November - win not just a few Texas House seats, but carry the state for the national ticket, Noriega, and our statewide judicial candidates..."
~David Van Os
David Van Os is the 2006 Democratic nominee for Attorney General, a co-founder of the Texas Progressive Populist Caucus which had endorsed Boyd Richie in 2006, and longtime grassroots activist.
June 1, 2008 (EIRNS)-This release was issued on May 31 by the Lyndon LaRouche Political Action Committee (LPAC).
On the eve of the Texas Democratic Party state convention, which opens next Thursday in Austin, the national Obama campaign has demonstrated again that it has no interest in the young voters it has activated, except to have them cast a vote for Obama, then disappear from sight. Texas Party Vice Chairwoman, Roy LaVerne Brooks, who is a candidate for state Chair at the upcoming convention, was told by Rudy Shank, from the national Obama campaign, that she should drop out of the race, "because they would like a convention without hurt feelings."
Brooks, who cut her teeth in Texas politics working with former U.S. House Speaker Jim Wright, asked Kesha Rogers and the LaRouchePAC to back her candidacy for state Chair. She agreed that the content of her campaign should be the concept put forward by Lyndon LaRouche in his "Bind the Wounds" statement, and not centered around the "phenomenon" of Obama. She has run her campaign based on the idea of returning the Party to the tradition of FDR and the American System, and recruiting new voters to this perspective. As a result, she has been endorsed by some leaders among the Hispanic Dems, who are backers of Hillary.
However, she came under pressure last week from the national Obama camp, which pushed her to turn on black leaders who were not supporting Obama. Kesha Rogers advised her she would never win on the basis of racial identity, nor by attaching herself to a media cooked-up rock star persona, and that, instead, the deeper issue to take up in her campaign is that of developing among new voters an understanding of the real issue, FDR vs. the Brits, and winning them over to the FDR tradition, rather than the opportunistic approach of the faith-based, Elmer Gantry delivery system.
Over the last two days, the national Obama campaign changed its approach. Roy LaVerne was contacted by Rudy Shank, who was sent by the national campaign to Texas, to produce an "harmonic outcome" at the Texas convention. As part of this strategy, she was told she should drop out of the race for state chair. If she refused, the Obama campaign would take away her status as a superdelegate.
If she agreed to this demand, her status as a superdelegate would be maintained, even though her term as Vice-Chair ends at the conclusion of the state convention.
When she briefed Kesha on these developments, we told her she should fight this, by going public. She hesitated until yesterday, when it was announced that the incumbent State Chair, and her opponent, Boyd Richie, has endorsed Obama, thus making it clear that the Obama campaign had gone behind her back. Richie, who is a flunkey for the existing Democratic Party establishment in Texas - which is essentially the same DLC-types who have destroyed the state party - had been uncommitted.
So we have a race on our hands for Chair of the Texas Democratic Party. Current Vice Chair, Roy LaVerne Brooks has launched her campaign for the spot currently held by Boyd Richie who is running for re-election.
No mention of presidential politics to any great degree which is indicative more of the "change" message that has two targets. One, a natural concurrence with Obama's message and his delegates (she is an endorsed Obama superdelegate). Two, a message directed towards new delegates who feel the system is broken.
Now, I'm not arguing one way or another. I'm very much planning to enjoy my role this year as an average delegate who's not running for anything or attending with any particular motives. But on the heals of this announcement is an endorsement by Charlie Urbina Jones who ran a populist campaign for State Party Chair in 2006 but came in third behind Boyd Richie and Glen Maxey.
I honestly don't have a feel for this race right now. As I said in my previous post- it's my feeling that much of next week's convention will be based on the mood of the delegates. How the presidential race ends (or doesn't end) next week could be a large factor. Is it a unity convention or a drag out fight for delegates? Will Richie's Obama announcement secure him his re-election or will two Obama superdelegates running change the equation? Will the new delegates that happen to be for Clinton be more likely to pick Brooks over Boyd based upon their feeling about the caucus?
We'll see. For more information on Roy LaVerne Brooks' platform and positions, check below the fold.
(I'll be writing up some thoughts in the coming days as I get unpacked and finish some overdue papers. But here in his own words, Glen Maxey. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
The race is over. Ya Basta
My friend Boyd Richie has my support, my prayers, and my help to move our Party forward. I hope everyone has moved on to the work of winning for our candidates this fall and in the future. I have, for sure.
Charlie Urbina Jones became a special friend. He’s an asset to this Party, and I know he joins me in the sentiment that we are now on a road toward building county and local infrastructure that can win elections.
To everyone who supported me and my vision of the Texas Democratic Party of the future, thank you. I’m proud of your work and commitment. I’ll cherish it for all my years.
I sincerely hope that everything articulated during our campaign is achieved for our Party. While I won’t have the platform to do these things from within the Party Chair’s office, they still should be done. I don’t think Chairman Richie ever disagreed with a single idea or concept we advanced.
So I want to encourage everyone engaged in this discussion, no matter who you supported, to begin work today to assist our leadership in rebuilding our Party.
I always have said to whomever starts a sentence with, “Somebody out to….”, that the person who “ought to” is the person with the idea. I said a lot of “somebody out to” types of things in this campaign, and I’m ready to assist in doing them. So I want Chairman Richie, the SDEC and the staff of the State Party, to know that I’m encouraging everyone to step up to the plate to make the Texas Democratic Party the best state operation in the nation.
Together we can make a difference.
I've included Maxey's floor speech and concession speech in the extended entry. -KT
Well, it seems that some people can't read instructions on this site but what can I say, this race has brought a lot of people out of the woodwork. =)
While tomorrow may prove me wrong when official convention business gets underway, indications are that this convention may not be the most organized, nor will the TDP Chair election be calm or pretty. There is a reason that in the last two days, everyone from David Van Os, myself, Charlie Urbina-Jones, Glen Maxey and others offline have called for a reasonable reduction in divisiveness.
I fear this weekend will get uglier before it gets better and I pledge personally to report (when I can) on what is simply going on without personal analysis. It may be drier, but come Sunday we will have a chairman elected of the delegates of the convention.
Notes and stories today-
1) The inner convention hall looks awesome, far better than the Houston floor plan and there is wireless everywhere.
2) Apparently 40 rooms for SDEC members at the Hilton across from the convention center were somehow not taken care of and lost. Reportedly, many have transferred to a hotel 7 miles away and are not particularly happy.
3) Word from the SDEC meeting also leaked that Chairman Richie's personal assistant for the Party quit/resigned yesterday due to issues with organizing the convention. A fiery letter was sent to all SDEC members. Reportedly the locks of the Austin TDP offices were changed by the TDP Executive Director following her departure.
4) A comparison of the Chair candidate's rooms could be described as follows. Chairman Richie has a pretty swank pad on the backside of the convention hall with windows. Maxey's room is nearer the entrance but about 1/3 the size. No rooms were reported for Urbina-Jones or Rogers at this writing.
5) The first mini-issue erupted around 10 pm tonight. The convention center staff notified the campaigns that signs may not be attached to the walls with tape or any adhesive in order to maintain the paint. Maxey's campaign confirmed confirmation from the convention center staff and director that hanging signs with sting over protruding object on the wall would be allowable. Needless to say, certain TDP/Richie staff members were not excited to learn of this news seeing as how all the sign locations have now been filled. Tomorrow morning will tell what happens to the signs.
6) There is word that hundreds of copies of yesterday's Austin American smear piece on Democrats, specifically Glen Maxey are sitting in Richie's HQ. No confirmation on plans for distribution if at all. Going hard negative may win Richie a campaign, but it doesn't do a single thing to build or unite the party (which is what all candidates are here to talk about). Negativity coming directly from the campaign, rather than surrogates as both campaign have in he past, may be the most effective, but most prone to backfire as delegates look for forward thinking solution over ad hominem attacks. Hopefully all sides will refrain from these over the next two days.
7) The LaRouche people are here as usual handing out their material. While the Party has officially requested / made a requirement that Lakesha cannot talk about LaRouche in her convention speech or official material, I pretty sure no one expects her to actually follow that guideline. The Richie, Maxey, and Urbina-Jones campaigns' reaction is pretty much a non reaction, as each one of them looks to try to pick up the few scattered Lakesha delegate votes for a likely runoff.
From Eye on Williamson, this historical perspective as well as an additional report.
The last time state delegates to the convention were asked to decide the party’s leader, Ronald Reagan was President and Bill Clements was Governor. The delegates met that year 30 miles away in Dallas, and were joined by a “Pillsbury Bake-off” of Democratic Presidential hopefuls for the 1984 campaign: then-U.S. Sens. Gary Hart of Colorado, Alan Cranston of California and Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina, former Florida Gov. Reuben Askew and former Vice President Walter Mondale appeared to make speeches and test the political waters for a Presidential run.
(Lots of people have asked questions such as "What is the state party doing?" or "What changes are being made?". Kirk's post answers these questions in a positive manner, and is worth a read. - promoted by Byron LaMasters)
During the recent neighbor to neighbor networking event organized by the DNC, I had the pleasure of walking a part of a precinct with Texas Democratic Party Chair Boyd Richie and his wife. This was just days after he had been elected to complete the term of Charles Soechting, and Boyd was already putting his commitment to rebuilding and reforming the Texas Democratic Party into action. It was not the first time I’d had the chance to meet Boyd, as he’d spoken to a meeting of the Dallas County Young Democrats just a few weeks before. It wouldn’t be the last, as his tireless schedule would bring him through Dallas several more times in recent weeks, mostly to raise funds for the state party’s operations. On every occasion, Boyd Richie’s commitment to the Democratic Party, to our progressive values and to building a better future for Texas was plainly evident.
Over the past several weeks, Boyd has been campaigning for election to a full term as chair of the Texas Democratic Party, outlining his vision to provide our candidates and organizations with the tools and support they will need to win this Fall and in the future. Knowing this candidate, knowing what he has done already for our party and his goals for the future, I am compelled to support him, not only with my vote on the convention floor, but with my voice as well.
As I write this
message to you tonight it has become apparent that the race for Texas
Democratic
Party Chair has become a race for the most endorsements. Who gets who
seems to
have become the logic of today’s politics. I believe the true race for
Party
Chair is in the hearts, minds and souls of our people. I have been lucky
enough
to receive the support from numerous grassroots activists but this race is
not
about endorsements, but rather what YOU WANT THE PARTY TO BE. It’s
about
change, the everyday person, it’s about uniting urban and rural Texas,
winning
elections and most importantly it’s about giving the Party back to the
People.
A Republican can
not win the Presidency without carrying Texas. So goes Texas, so goes the
Presidency and so goes the public policy of our nation. While our
Republican
administration is talking about “immigration” reform they seem to have
forgotten
about more pressing matters such as education, healthcare, foreign policy
and
our economy. The opportunity for the Democratic Party to take the lead on
the
real issues that affect our everyday lives, and for the TDP to educate
Texans on
the positive alternatives our leaders offer, is now!
Our “NEW
BEGINNING” starts with one person which grows to a precinct, a county
and
eventually spreads through the entire state. Who we elect for TDP Chair
determines how this process is implemented. I believe that our Party
should be
run from the bottom up, not the top down; providing the necessary
resources and
support structure to all precinct chairs through our county chairs.
With new
leadership our Democratic Party will return to its roots as the Party of
the
People, not the chosen few.
This week, thousands of Democrats will gather in Fort Worth because they care deeply about our Party and the future of Texas. They will take time off from their jobs and away from their families because they know that Texans deserve better than the culture of corruption and cronyism that has been created by one party rule of Perry, DeLay and Craddick.
Texas Democrats are fighting back with the strength of our convictions and a belief that our future is as bright as our proud past. Every Democrat from our statewide nominees to grassroots activists and elected leaders agree that we must make changes to continue rebuilding our Party and elect Democrats up and down the ballot.
Over the past two months, real progress has been made at the Texas Democratic Party and more is on the way. Our Party has begun to make the fundamental changes needed to become a service-based organization that will provide tools and resources for candidates at all levels as well as precinct and county chairs.
We must work every day of the year, not just in the final months leading up to an election, to spread our positive Democratic message to all voters and combat the half-truths and inaccuracies spread by Republicans. We will work every day to win this November then go to work immediately to begin to recruit candidates for 2008 and give them the tools to win.
I’m proud of the work that’s been done, but much work remains. Today, I’m asking for your vote for State Party Chair…and your help. To win, we must join together to take on the Republicans as a unified Party without sacrificing the diversity that makes us stronger.
As I’ve traveled throughout Texas and spoken with many of you, I’ve seen your enthusiasm know that you’re ready to work. I’m ready to work with you, listen to you and have already started making the necessary changes and reforms to rebuild the Texas Democratic Party.
I hope that you will join me. Together, we can, and will, win elections and change the course of our state and nation.
Your friend and fellow Democrat, Boyd L. Richie Young County Democratic Attorney www.boydrichie.com
I am neutral in the Texas Democratic State Party Chair race.
I have known Boyd Richie, Glen Maxey, and Charlie Urbina Jones each for a long time. Any one of them will be a step forward for the party in comparison with the past.
I am offended by the demonizing that is going on of other candidates by some of the supporters of each candidate.
At our April meeting, the Dallas County Young Democrats voted to endorse Boyd Richie for Texas Democratic Party State Chair. Below is the text of a letter sent from members of the Board of Directors of the Dallas County Young Democrats to delegates to this weekend's convention.
The Dallas County Young Democrats are the 2007 Host Chapter for the Young Democrats of America National Convention, and the second largest Young Democrats chapter in the nation.
Dear Fellow Democrat,
As young Democrats and party activists, we have taken a keen interest in the race for Texas State Party chair. As no one candidate can claim to be the sole progressive choice in this race, it's very important that every delegate consider more than the claims and promises presented in campaign communications. We all must carefully examine the personal qualities, past performance, and skills of each candidate for this important position.
