The time is absolutely now to jump in feet first and test the waters. What? This IS your first rodeo? No worries. In fact that's great, because maybe you won't have preconceived ideas on how to organize and get started.
First of all, don't get distracted by all the rallies, parties, phone banking, and other outreach efforts being thrust at you. The very first thing you need to do is check online and look up your local precinct chair. If that spot is available, then volunteer. If it is taken, contact the chair an offer to help. Maybe even ask them why they've never contacted you before.
The only way we will turn Texas blue is by doing voter ID now. The only smart way to manage that is through the precinct chairs. When a precinct chair organizes with block captains, every household is ID'd. Then every household is called during the week or two of early voting.
To me, phone banking, especially to folks far away is a total drag and probably not that effective. Build friends first; door to door, street to street. If you have the friends, the funds and the votes are sure to follow.
alamObama, the grassroots organizers for Barack Obama in San Antonio, got our public web site up this past weekend.
When you visit, you can
- sign up to volunteer to Get Out The Vote in your precinct
- sign up to receive the weekly e-mail newletter
- view photos of alamObama events
- view the most recent Obama videos on YouTube
- plan ahead to attend our next meeting
- get the latest action alerts
- get precise directions to our office
(Bumpted as the event is tonight. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Come meet your neighbors and cheer on Obama!
Watch the final primary results come in this Tuesday from Montana and South Dakota. Also get the latest information regarding our upcoming state party convention this weekend.
WHEN: Tuesday, June 3
7:00 PM
WHERE: Scholz Garten
1607 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701
(Kick off's are always fun... - promoted by Matt Glazer)
You're invited to join Andy Brown, newly elected Travis County Democratic Party Chair, and your fellow democrats to kick-off the 2008 Travis County Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign.
WHEN: Saturday, May 17
TIME: 1:00pm
WHERE: Nuevo Leon Restaurant
1501 East 6th Street
CONTACT: Ian Davis
(512) 466-6939
ian@traviscountydemocrats.org
Our goal is to increase the number of registered voters in Travis County from 450,000 to a half-million. If we can increase our margins in Travis County, then we can help turn Texas blue and help Sen. Rick Noriega to defeat John Cornyn. Let's get to work!
(Mark's got some great work done here to make the process as transparent as possible. We encourage others to read through the resolutions here, share thoughts and concerns, and help everyone think through the best resolutions possible. Additionally, we encourage those from other Senate Districts to post similar posts for their Senate District. We're working on a "County Convention" box where we will help track everything. - promoted by Phillip Martin)
This post constitutes the report of the SD 26 Resolutions Committee. With the permission of the BOR staff, and as chair of the committee, I am posting the SD 26 resolutions here so that:
Everyone will have the opportunity to read and discuss the resolutions before the convention takes place.
Democrats outside of SD 26 are welcome to express their views on these issues of statewide significance. (Our party can withstand healthy discussions on important issues, even when there isn't a consensus of opinion!)
Democrats across Texas will recognize the potential of the resolutions process in amplifying the voice of the grassroots of the party, as we have this opportunity to express our views collectively only once every two years. Because delegates assembled in convention represent the highest level of authority within the Texas Democratic Party, we can expect our elected Democratic representatives in state and federal government to pay attention.
There should be transparency in the actions of our committee. Our intent is to allow good ideas to defy gravity and float to the top, even if they began with only a single precinct.
We invite our fellow Democrats out to the Backyard this Saturday to meet Sen. Barack Obama. Enjoy this personal video invite from Councilman Mike Martinez.
Click below the fold to learn more about tonight's Obama debate watch party at Scholz Garten. If you can't make tonight's meeting, then sign up online to volunteer.
Yesterday I wrote about an experience with Boyd Richie that leads me to believe that the TDP could be run more effectively. But of course it is very easy to criticize the work of others and offer nothing in return. The point is to let discussion guide action. We will again face electing a State Chair at the State Convention in 2008. At the 2006 Convention I knew nothing about this important job other than the slick promotional material that seemed to float by at a good rate. Sadly, I'm no better informed today. If we want an effective Democratic Party in Texas we must understand these mechanics and be involved in creating improvement. To that end I posted this:
It seems that there are four tasks at hand.
1. Find out if it would be legal to have a paid state chair and create discussion around this idea.
2. Define the qualifications of a good state chair.
3. Recruit people who meet those qualifications.
4.Generate interest and information on this position before the slick ad campaigns start so that the decision is made on information and not hype.
I did not find an answer to the question on salary with a quick google search.Anyone know the answer or a source?
I still have not found the rules that govern the job of the State Chair. If anyone can help with this I would be most appreciative.
While we wait, we might as well move on to the second task.
In your opinion, what are the qualifications of a good State Chair and why?
Well, Boyd Richie came to visit us in Brazos County today. I found it annoying that he had very little to say and took a very long time to say it. It was also annoying that he seemed to take credit for every democratic victory across the state. He spoke so long that he finally had to be stopped so that there would be time for questions. He spent over five minutes answering the first question with an informationaly void cheerleading session on the right to vote, which left time for only one more question.
I asked him why the TDP was putting so much money into the efforts of single elections and so little into supporting ongoing local organizations. I used the example of our county party writing its own bylaws with no resources from the state. His response was that he had not heard of a need for bylaws. I was glad that the women who have been working on this effort spoke up before I could pick my jaw up off of the floor and say something, because I would have surely used profanity. They were quick to point out that already other counties have contacted them to provide assistance with this same effort being reinvented in their counties.
I was incensed because the state party chair should not need to be asked to assist with the most fundamental of organizational structures. As if that weren’t enough, he then tried to insist that bylaws weren’t necessary because the election code and Robert’s Rules were enough. I’m sorry but that is just idiotic. Of the six boards and committees that I sit on, none operate with out bylaws, except for city committees that do not take in money and are regulated by the city charter.
Bylaws are the least of what we expect from our state organization and are not getting. It is one thing for someone not to understand the needs of the people and organization that they are responsible for but when they come singing their owe praises, they should expect a certain amount of hostility.
Is the state chair elected ever four years or every two?
(Anyone have advice? Thoughts? Suggestions? - promoted by KT)
I'm looking for a little help. Tomorrow Boyd Richie will be in our town. I would like to address the seeming lack of grassroots effort in the structure of the Democratic Party in Texas. The problem is that I do not understand the party structure or efforts well enough to be able to ask the sorts of questions that I would like to.
As I have sought to better understand this issue there has been little clarity. It seems that no one or organization is responsible for supporting or connecting local infrastructure of the party. It seems that huge amounts of energy go into chasing money for specific big races but very little goes toward creating, much less sustaining, a viable party of the people.
No doubt there are local heroes, such as we have here in Brazos County, across the state working to run their local parties. But it sure looks like they are operating in isolation.
Even some of those that we would expect to be the voice of the grassroots, including some of the darlings of BOR, seem evasive on the this issue and effusive when it comes to raising big bucks for spotlight races.
This all looks very corporate to me. And, much like corporate structures, the closer you get to the top the hazier the definition of responsibility becomes.
While talk of the grassroots creates a lot of buzz, it seems to create very little clear articulation of action. What are your thoughts on what should be done to create a bottom up party structure? Whose responsibly is it? Where should the resources come from? What would you like to ask Boyd Richie?
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