For Dean's To Do List - Electing Precinct Leaders in 50 States, Resurrecting Dem Meetups by Precinct

by susan, Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 11:39:20 AM EST

I'd like to propose some specific ideas for structuring local grassroots organizing for Dean's to do list, and please share your ideas, too, in the comments.

Here's one key item for Dean's to do list:

Every precinct in the country should have a Democratic precinct leader, and maybe elected precinct leaders. I also think the Party needs to develop a more effective structure for local gatherings (e.g., Meetups, grassroots house parties, precinct meetings) that allows for 2-way communication and strong GOTV.

In Santa Barbara where I live, we've been working on this for about a year and have leaders of about half the precincts. I suggest that Dean encourage the Democratic Party state leaders to create elections for precinct leaders, for states that don't already have them. I have found that elections bring out a lot more people than simply asking for volunteers. These precinct leaders will also be point people. The GOP uses an Amway-style pyramid structure for their top-down communications. In contrast, the Dems could have two-way communication where good ideas bubble up and also are communicated from the top. But, a structure with precinct leaders would enable Dems to have point people in every precinct in all fifty states.

An unresolved structural issue is how Meetups, house parties, etc. will fit in. Ideally, people should be gathering monthly or weekly in neighborhoods (or precincts) so that when it's time for GOTV before an election, the organization and relationships are already well established. Most DFA Meetups are regional in location, and not necessarily by neighborhood. Grassroots house parties can be collections of friends who live in different neighborhoods but share common interests. I believe the Dem Party needs to structure this right from the beginning to be as effective as possible in upcoming elections. Can the DNC encourage Dem Meetups by neighborhood, instead of the more regional DFA Meetups? Can these Meetups be social gatherings of neighbors discussing politics? Will they become the "Church" of the Democrats, in terms of a weekly message and a place to build community? In addition to election precinct leaders in every precinct in the country, should we also elect or appoint a few other folks in every precinct - like a political blog reader who can report to the others and then bring ideas from the group to the blogs, or an event coordinator who can organize neighborhood gatherings and community service activities? I know Dean's emphasis is on decentralizing, trusting the grassroots, and not imposing one structure nationally for all locals to follow. I think that's good, but I also think it would be helpful for the DNC to offer some suggested "best practices" and models of local organizing, perhaps on the DNC website.

I've read Dean's Plan for the DNC and think it's great, but it's not very specific. Let's flush out some suggested items for his to do list. Please share your ideas for Dean's "Grassroots To Do List" below.

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comments on electing precinct leaders

Please share your comments on electing precinct leaders in all 50 states. Also, share any comments on the idea of having other precinct positions, like blog reader, event coordinator, etc. I know James Earl in Ohio has posted on related topics in the past, and would love to hear his thoughts on this one.

by susan 2005-02-12 11:40AM | 0 recs

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Setting up permanent precinct captains

is an idea which Carol Blad who used to lead the Democratic Party of the San Fernando valley had been pushing since the mid nineties.

The idea was to model these groups on Neighborhood Watch, meet regularly, have elected officials and candidates attend, as well as deal with local problems...as well to engage socially with one's neighbors is the essence of local politics.

It is something we should aim for in all fifty states...ideally the precinct capt should be the go to person in the neighbor for everything from how to get potholes fixed, to where to go for job training or landlord complaints.

by nanorich 2005-02-12 04:00PM | 0 recs

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comments on structure for Meetups, etc.

Please share your comments on the best way to structure local organizing - Dem Meetups by neigborhood? weekly house meetings by precinct? DFA Meetups, along with 527-group organizations (MoveOn house parties, ACT, etc.) -- personally I find this too disorganized, though it's energetic and allows for people to choose the group that interests them.

by susan 2005-02-12 11:40AM | 0 recs

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one example - the DSC in Santa Barbara

The Democratic Service Club in Santa Barbara (a group of grassroots folks who believe in taking action and formed an official Democratic Party club) started out the 2004 election season with a big bang (not my idea - but the creativity of two people named Phil McCarty and Nancy Miller). In May we held a large, inspirational event. We attracted about 300 Dem and progressive activists (in a small town) to an auditorium where a few big-name people spoke. What was unique about the event was that we had a precinct map next to the check-in table. Each person wrote his/her name and precinct name on the name tag. Then s/he entered the auditorium which was divided into precincts by names (it looked a lot like a political convention only with neighborhood names instead of states on tall hand-written signs). People were excited to meet the other Dem/progressive activists in their neighborhood. They mingled for about ten minutes and then the speakers came on. I was the third speaker and talked about hosting house parties in the precincts from now (May) through the election. After I spoke, we had sign-up tables back in the lobby-- one table for house parties, one table for voter reg tabling, etc. After the event, we had lists of people per precinct interested in hosting house parties, and we followed up with them by email and phone offering coaching in getting their house parties together. We aligned the dates of our house parties with the national house parties so there were national conference calls with big names (John Kerry, Howard Dean, Michael Moore, etc.) as part of the parties. I think the DNC could provide these conference calls now.

by susan 2005-02-12 11:41AM | 0 recs

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precinct-based Meetups/weekly call to action

In addition to being one of three California Dean house party coordinators, and helping with our local house party program (post-Dean campaign), I've been co-hosting the Santa Barbara DFA Meetup since March and am one of the founders of California for Democracy. At an early California for Democracy meeting (held in Long Beach in March), I proposed Meetups as a way to coordinate the precinct-based organizing and suggested that Meetups could be like church for the Dems (in terms of a regular meeting place where there is some political coordinating). Michael Faulkner (of the Dean Restoration Speech "Faulkner Remix" and later of the Southwest Voter Express and Draft Dean for VP) and I brainstormed about this while in Long Beach. I then wrote a DailyKos blog posting about Meetups as church -
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/3/27/123215/733
One idea in the diary was to have local Meetup coordinators meet regionally and choose a monthly call to action. This would be similar to the way Right Wingers coordinate on sermons and political action for churches.
I think these ideas mostly got lost in the hustle and bustle of the election season; I'm glad to see they are getting some attention now. We have a lot of work to do!

by susan 2005-02-12 11:42AM | 0 recs

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other ideas for Dean's Grassroots To Do List

Please share other ideas here! I learned so much from the approximately 550 comments to my last postings on grassroots organizing from people all across the country:
http://susan.mydd.com/story/2004/11/21/16446/162
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/11/21/15564/896

(Yes, I've cross-posted this at DailyKos)

Thanks!

by susan 2005-02-12 11:45AM | 0 recs

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Whole-heartedly agree

We've been working on building since December, after the election. Here's a testimonial:

I'm a DFA Meetup organizer, only one for 3 county area. Went to my first Democrat Meetup second week of December, met other Dems who'd never been to either DFA and/or Democratic Party meetings, spoke to them about outreach and next steps. Went to my first Democratic Party meeting two days later; was treated like a rock star when I asked all the stupid questions a newbie might have,like "what are your initiatives" and "why don't you have a website". Ended up on a website development committee that night, along with two other MoveOn newbies who came to the same meeting. Have a couple of website meetings, get it launched in beta as a blog permitting two-way conversation, post links to DFA, MoveOn and other progressive resources.

January DFA Meetup sees the MoveOn people and folks from the Democrat Meetup, talk about framing and outreach. Democrat Meetup the following week, work with same and more people, including a local candidate. Debut blog-website at next Dem Party meeting. Encourage DFA folks to apply for caucus positions and attend county party convention in advance of state party convention. Collaborate with DFA, MoveOn, local Dems on resolutions to present to county party convention. Convince a DFA person to take over the organizer role for abandoned Kerry Meetup (had 60+ members that didn't overlap with Dem or DFA Meetups). Fellow website committee members meet with state senate caucus and get strong approval and support.

First week of February sees new DFA Meetup members who offer to help with outreach to GLBT community. Attend county convention after (7) resolutions presented to county, (6) pass, (1) tabled because it is a strategic plan* requiring more discussion. All resolutions now go to state party convention next week. Attend a congressional district meeting by invite from another DFA member, get named to slate as an alternate delegate. Encouraged to sign on a job with the party by state senate Dems. Other DFA folks who attended county convention may be able to vote at state convention, on same resolutions if they make platform.

A little over nine weeks and

--we've now managed to influence Meetups so that we have a progressive Meetup three out of four weeks in a row each month.

--Established relationships between these progressive Meetups and the local party.

--Influenced creation of the party platform with largest counties through DFA network and state party level.

--Influenced establishment of 2-way conversation locally with blog-website.

--Gained the attention of state party office holders.

Can only wonder what we can do in the next nine weeks after the state's convention, after we make more contacts face-to-face.

What do I think we should do to take back the party and grow the base? Based on my experience, I'd say:

-- work on linking progressive Meetups in each region/county with cross-pollinators (folks who'll participate in two or more different Meetups to share info across communities)

-- work with Meetup organizers so that there are progressive Meetups in each region/county every week of the month (like church, should be a chance to go and meet with other progressives at least once a week). DON'T FORGET WELLSTONE Meetups, too.

-- cross-pollinate with non-political Meetups like those affiliated with human rights, GLBT, environmentalists, peace activists, fight big media, etc.

-- encourage each Meetup as a small community to share posts with other Meetups in their Message Boards (helps smaller Meetups look more active and draws more attention)

-- encourage each cross-pollinated Meetup to participate with the local county/regional party

-- encourage members in each Meetup to join other groups that may not have Meetups but have political clout (Justice Caucus, in Michigan, for example, Progressive Democrats of America, Wellstone, etc.) and actively work with those groups to support them so that they'll provide quid pro quo support on affinity issues

-- create and launch outreach plans early (NOW!) so that formerly disenfranchised groups are engaged as early as possible and have frequent, regular contact with Meetups and the local party, long before the next campaign begins

-- identify the invisible power structure in local party politics, including those most likely to support reform; work to create critical mass with powerful reformers

-- work closely with DFA members who've gained a foothold in other county/regional party organizations to cross-pollinate ideas and resources (information sharing across this network is great for vetting candidates at state-level)

That's for starters.

* Strategy plan was based on a document shared by a county in northeast where DFA folks had established a strong presence in local Dem party; adapted it for my state, distributed through the DFA state-wide network. Plan outlines everything needed to build a successful local party ready to win a campaign.

We need to be able to share this kind of document in a secure environment, as well as the content of party resolutions. Local folks should not have to reinvent the wheel if they can build on others' work (write once, use many times, as programmers say). This is a resource with which state- and national-level party needs to help.

by RayneToday 2005-02-12 02:05PM | 0 recs

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I don't know about other states but...

... here in New York that is how it is supposed to work. In my county we have two committee seats for every election district (precinct). Not all of them are filled but that is the goal, the structure of the county committee.

My small town has 2 election districts. Therefore our town committee consists of 4 people. As a start this is great. But it still leaves too many people for each committee member to contact on a regular basis and establish a relationship with.

We've got about 380 Democrats in my town. That means about 95 per committee member. But you want your people to reach the unaffiliated voters too. That's another 480 some voters. That means over 200 people for each of us to reach.

I think is where house parties and meetups come in. Each committee member needs to be alerted to the party regulars in their district. They work on getting these folks to hold house parties for their neighbors. Neighbor to neighbor outreach.

Neighborhood meetups are probably impractical. Might work in some urban or suburban areas but certainly not rural.

But house parties... on a somewhat regular, neighborhood basis... now there is a trick that can work.

by Andrew C White 2005-02-12 07:17PM | 0 recs

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Re: I don't know about other states but...

Have two this spring/summer, so overflow can sit outside. Maybe at a local park with a pavilion, potluck.

Have one the weekend before Memorial Day, another the weekend before/after LaborDay. Let the results go from there.

Perhaps they should be cooperative events, co-sponsored by Dem Party, DFA, other local progressive organizations. Living the concept of the Big Tent, yes?

by RayneToday 2005-02-13 05:43AM | 0 recs

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Re: I don't know about other states but...

Yeah... that's kinda the thought process I've been having. Hadn't thought of making it a combined effort between groups... I'm way out in the country and my meetup group is at the other end of the county in the city... but there are possibilities there. Also thought about renting the pavilion at the local state park. Have to check on whether there are any legal issues there but I don't think so. It boarders my town and the next small town north with a similar mix. Perhaps both our town committees could combine efforts on this. We share school districts and lots of family cross-over between towns. Hmmm....

by Andrew C White 2005-02-13 06:57AM | 0 recs

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Re: I don't know about other states but...

Go for it. I look at it this way: we have a LOT more in common with progressives of any group, and must learn how to increase the sense of community amongst ourselves instead of allowing single issues to divide us.

As DFA'r I've got yellow dogs, blue dogs, moderate Republicans, independents, Greens, former Kucinich and Nader folks, other disenfranchised progressives showing up at my Meetups. The least I can do is meet them part way by going to their Meetups as well and demonstrating that the tent is wide, wide open.

And if church groups can use the local parks for picnics, so can we.

Besides, it's a lot easier and cheaper to have a fresh air picnic and allow everyone to bring their kids than to try and have it at home. Easy clean up! Easy scalability! Sharing common space for common good!

by RayneToday 2005-02-13 10:26AM | 0 recs