It seems that nearly everyone in the blogosphere has covered the Washington Post article about the Democrats in Virginia targeting the GOP in the 2007 election, as if that were some kind of surprise. It’s been discussed nearly everywhere that the Democrats are looking to gain control of the General Assembly in 2007. Chalk it up to a slow news time – after the elections and before the session starts.
One thing in the article caught my eye (emphasis mine):
Political analysts say Webb, who brought several thousand activists into the party for the first time, Kaine and Warner may prove a formidable team.
There is no doubt that the Webb candidacy engaged a lot of people who have not been involved in party politics. But, at least from where I sit, these activists have not joined the party.
Webb won all but four of the precincts in Norfolk, where there are some 105,000 registered voters. About half of the Norfolk voters consider themselves Democrats. Yet membership in the Norfolk City Democratic Committee hovers around 100 members. I suspect that the same may very well be true for the other committees across the state.
Among the many reasons why the committees are so small compared to the voting population is that each candidate builds its own volunteer base. As the result, the activists get involved to support that particular candidate, but not the party as a whole. From where I sit, I think this is a major problem. Instead of party loyalists, we have candidate loyalists. Every new candidate has to reinvent the wheel. (There is other problems associated with the small committees, but that’s another article.) People come out and support a candidate and then disappear.
I’ve spoken time and again about the need for people in a successful campaign. I applaud the activists who worked tirelessly in the Webb campaign. But while Webb won, the Democrats failed to capture a single additional Congressional seat. That, in and of itself, should be enough of a wakeup call to Democrats across the state that this model is not working. We have an election in Virginia every single year, yet every single year this process of recruiting campaign volunteers repeats itself.
I know we all consider ourselves Democrats. But until and unless we figure out how to turn activists into party supporters, we will continue this ever-ending cycle of activists-in-a-box: pop out when you have a candidate you can fall in love with and pop back in when your candidate’s race is over.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
But the party’s DNA is built around finding the one person who can unite the different coalitions (factions?) – or enough of them – and then supporting that person for elected office. Therefore it is natural that volunteers sign on for a candidate, but not the party. Until we leave this feudal (futile?) system, we’re going to be stuck with this.
Unless you’re pretty gung-ho about tedious political and book-keeping details, a party committee meeting can be, well, boring. It makes sense that action-oriented individuals support candidates and campaigns: there’s action! Committees have a hard time replicating that, since every year is an election year, and there’s always a candidate that needs volunteers …
As someone who doesn’t work a 9-to-5 schedule, it’s very hard for me to be involved in a local committee. I think it might be time for committees to move into the 21st century and have involvement opportunities that fit more than one kind of schedule, more than one kind of activist, and more than one kind of Democrat.
You can’t schedule a time that pleases everyone – but couldn’t you have a “Second Shift Democrats” group that meets once a month over lunch? Or a Sunday morning interfaith group? How about precinct committees (I know, a lot of counties don’t have those) meeting on Saturdays for a canned food drive? Couldn’t votes be held over a period of weeks before being tabulated at the “official” meeting?
That won’t solve the “hero-savior” mentality the party has concerning candidates, especially for president, but it might give more people chances to participate in the party apparatus. And the more people in the party, the more people the party can reach.
How about a “Sunday Supper Club” that meets every month for a speaker or movie, discussions, and local political news reports.
There is no conflict with the work schedule and it allows people to stay plugged in…..that is what we do in Fauquier County. It started right after the 2004 election as a way for we activists to remain active.
sundaysupperclub.org
I don’t think the “hero-savior mentality” is the driving force here. This is more a result of the movement to mass electronic media and consultants. The hired guns who run campaigns nowadays tend to be loyal to the candidate (their paycheck) first, and they structure “their” campaigns so they have total control. Local committees, even in the good old days, were of uneven quality and, more important, had too much variance in approach, too much of the “that’s the way we do things here” attitude. The people at the top want predictability, so they do things in a top down manner and tune out the locals. It’s the corporate way. To an extent, it’s the American way.
This is far more pronounced in federal campaigns than it is in state campaigns. The 2007 General Assembly candidates will have much closer local ties than would-be Congresscritters do, and will work with, and contribute more to, the local committees than a US Senator will. Even so, the House and Senate caucuses in Richmond will have a lot of control, especially in “hot” races with winnable challengers, and they hire the same consultants and produce the same centralized approach.
The net result is that the local committees are reduced almost to irrelevancy. They do what they can for these campaigns, and try to attract new blood from the people who turn out for the candidate. There are always a few who join, but not enough to form a real grassroots–not enough to shake the hold of the consultants.
One last point about the Webb campaign. Like other Web-organized (pun intended) campaigns we’ve seen (e.g. Howard Dean’s), it was dominated by Internet people who saw themselves as “mavericks” bringing in a “new paradigm” that was somehow going to overwhelm the “old politics” and render it obsolete. In short, there’s a lot of hubris there. It’s going to be hard to integrate those people into the existing Democratic organizations as long as they think they’re better than all that.
Vivian –
I think part of the problem is the old boy mentality that a lot of the so-called Party leaders still have. Many really don’t want a whole lot of participation from new folks in the Party itself unless they know they can control them. They also selectively use or ignore governing Party rules as it best suites their purposes. Why, in that case, should new folks even bother to get involved with the Party? What’s the point?
Examples? Well, I take it that you have direct experience of this when you ran for office. You were not part of the “club” so a whole lot of Party types just were not there for you.
But, hopefully things will change, though I won’t hold my breath. A good test might, in fact, might be the situation with Senator Lambert in Richmond. Will the Party follow it own rules that specifically state that any Democratic Committee member must be removed from the Committee when that member publicly opposes the Party’s nominee? If you read the Party Plan it’s a no brainer and Lambert is out of the Richmond Democratic Committee. But, will this really happen? I’m highly skeptical but I suppose we will know soon enough, I guess.
Tom
It sounds like I live in the same county you do. The local committee leaders here say that it’s their committee and do not want any new blood and disdain grassroots activists and activities. And yes they ignore the Party rules and the Party establishment looks the other way.
For what it’s worth, I know several people who joined local Democratic committees in the course of the Webb campaign, and several more Webbies who are on the verge of taking the plunge.
There is another issue here for the local committees, and that is finding out who the Webbies actually are. The Webb campaign, like most, was extremely possessive of its volunteer list. Our local committee only knows those Webb volunteers who have identified themselves to the committee.
From what I understand, they finally did turn the list over to DPVA after the election, and we should see it some time around New Year’s. Then, perhaps, we can make an organized outreach to the Webb folks.
Adam – I agree that the committees need to figure out how to make the meetings different and more accessible to folks who work different hours. (I don’t do 9-5, either.) And I think the business meeting should be a separate meeting, since it is, boring.
Tom & Sleepless – I agree. But don’t get ahead of me. That’s the topic of another post 🙂
Randy – yes, way too much of the “that’s the way we do things here” but I don’t think that has changed. Again, topic of another post. And committees being irrelevant is certainly the topic of another post 🙂
I know the campaigns have been slow to turn over the volunteer lists to the committees. At the same time, if the committees had the volunteers – as opposed to the campaigns having them – it wouldn’t be an issue. However, the question is not how we ended up here but how do we move forward? How do we figure out a way to get the candidate volunteers involved in campaigns other than the one they just finished, ie, involved in the party?
Or perhaps that is not a goal?
I think they are working on it, I can’t tell you how much mail, email, and phone calls I have received from Democrats SINCE the election reminding me to donate, or whatever the case may be. In fact, I just got some mail from them today…
Terry – who is the mail coming from? The national party, the DPVA or the local committee?
See – if you are a donor, I can understand getting mail from the DNC or DPVA. But unless your local committee is wealthy, you aren’t going to get anything from them.
Besides, the DNC or DPVA asking for money isn’t the same thing as getting volunteers involved in the party.
I can’t remember which one the call came from. As far as the mailings, they are coming from the DPVA. I have never made a monetary donation to any political campaign or organization, I’m in college and am much better equipped to use my time than my wallet to help out. The letter I got today was from Richard Cranwell and “The challenges and opportunities that lie ahead are great and numerous.” The party needs your involvement and financial support, and I am here to tell you that if we continue to come together and work together toward a common purpose, we will create a better future. We all want good schools, safe streets, quality health care, good paying jobs, and protection for our seniors to ensure they are able to live out their lives in a health, independent, and dignified way. Together we have done much to envision and build a better state. We must continue these efforts. The Democratic Party is built upon a connection between thousans of hardword men and women of VA and their elected officials. If you have ideas or concerns you would like to share please feel free to call us” then it gives the phone number and other contacts.
Not the same as asking for volunteers, but at least they are keeping in touch. Which is more than I can say for Republicans (for some reason I get a bunch of mail and phone calls for donations from them too, so do other memebers of my family who actually ARE REPUBLICANS), but they haven’t called any since the election.
What exactly would they need volunteers for this time of year, anyway?
Interesting. I haven’t gotten that letter.
Not much going on right now but getting folks lined up for 2007 is critical. All of the candidates are going to need help – the campaigns are underway, although they will be on hold pretty much until after the GA session is over.
Vivian, As usual you host a fantastic blog and dialogue. I’m getting hooked on your site!
This is a very interesting discussion, very important, and I agree — the past is the past. As I see it, one of the main problems is the lack of unified guidance and support from the DPVA. My dealings with them have been….”well there’s nothing we can do” and that is probably right. That needs to be fixed possibly by modifying the Party Plan to allow some intervention when committee Chairs are not “leading” and doing the proper work to elect Democrats. This lack of Chair performance is a problem, know it for a fact, in more than one county committee. The folks who want to “know and do” aren’t getting the information they need. Too much information is hoarded.
I understand from an attendee at the Staunton meeting that the Political Director is seeking to form a focus group. A good step would be to ask, statewide, for input….via their new website. Then a focus group would have a better grip on what needs to be done. I’m hoping it’s not going to be just a select few in Richmond surmising what needs to be done. The Democratic blogging world is so full of smart folks who could give so many ideas. See RK’s Democratic Technology Partnership diary!!!
From Terry’s comment, the DPVA letter from Mr. Cranwell states “If you have ideas or concerns you would like to share please feel free to call us” then it gives the phone number and other contacts.” Well that’s a start but I didn’t get the letter either. Enter the website …
Here’s a suggestion: Get a group of folks together to update and republish the Party’s Leadership Manual for the masses. (Quote from the manual: “This handbook has been revised to be not only a day-to-day guide for you as a Party Leader, but also to be a “How To” training manual for you and Party Volunteers”. It’s good material on how to run a committee. It needs to be gotten out to committee Chairs and ensure that the Chairs distribute the material to all members. I had no idea it existed until someone gave me a copy (no link to it on the DPVA website and I’m told the local county Chair didn’t want it distributed….he just likes the title). I can’t tell you how many folks I’ve met are seeking guidance on how to do the various jobs of grassroots organizing.
http://fredericksburgdem.org/organization/state/2005/PartyLeadershipManual2005.doc
Getting volunteers is a perennial problem for the committees. And it’s common knowledge in the volunteer communities that no one is going to volunteer for a committee task if they don’t how to do the task or how long it is going to take them. Training and information helps.
I disagree with those who argue that the CD/local/county Democratic committees and the DPVA are irrelevant.
The DPVA did a whole lot more that it gets credit for during the 2006 election. Shawn O’Donnell highlighted this fact when he released on a few of the blogs some of the numbers on money, mail, and other vital campaign efforts by DPVA that were presented at the recent Steering and Central Committee meetings in Staunton.
As for my committee — the 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee — I suggest you ask candidate Andy Hurst, the only Democratic congressional candidate in Virginia to garner more than 100,000 votes — if he feels the 11th CD committee was irrelevant. The 11th CD contributed and raised more than $50,000 for Hurst. Members of the committee were very active participants in his campaign. Furthermore, 11th CD committee members like Larry Byrne, Kate Wilder, and Sue Langley, among others were very active in the Webb campaign. 11th CD member Rick Bochner with his wife Burma were the architects of the DPVA’s statewide absentee ballot program that brought in many votes for Webb and our congressional candidates across the state.
At the county level, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee mailed more that 107,000 pieces on behalf of Webb and our congressional candidates in the 8th, 10th, and 11th CDs and sponsored canvasses throughout the county. Currently, the FCDC is working closely with the DPVA and Senate and House caucuses to recruit and support candidates for the 2007 election cycle.
In Arlington and Alexandria, the local committees and the 8th CD committee went into high gear with activities that resulted in record turnout of Democrats.
The other committee actross Northern Virginia and beyond were very involved, not bystanders as some well-intentioned newcomers to politics sometimes suggest.
It is true that we can always improve on our organization and on the performance of may local committee around the state and I think the new crop of activists will find they are welcomed. But in order to participate in the committee process, people have to formally become members of the Democratic Party of Virginia and work to enact change from the inside. That is how all organizations function.
To those who find resistance, I encourage you not to give up and keep knocking at the door to get in. Come and participate with an open mind and leave your preconceived notions at the door. You will find a lot of activist like yourselves who work hard to elect Democrats.
— George Burke, Chair
11th Congressional District Democratic Committee
Falls Church, VA
George, Outside of Northern Virginia, it’s a very different world. I used to live in Fairfax and know the enthusiasm and talent of the Democratic Party there. But we south of you aren’t as lucky. You mentioned that there was a DPVA statewide absentee ballot program….I never heard a word about it until you just wrote about it and I am organizing my precinct (because the committee doesn’t want to) and I’m on the DEMO memo distribution list and I checked the DPVA website frequently. In my area, my jaw dropped when I had to explain absentee ballot rules, provisions, and deadlines to the local (long-serving) “leaders” and they ignored what I told them (and my county is a commuter county). Some counties aren’t as lucky as others in good leadership. And the local leaders here are not budging an iota come December (they’ll be making sure they’re re-elected….believe me no one in the county knew of the 2005 reorganization until the very last minute and the membership dropped by more than half.
DPVA has several problems to which I’m sympathetic. But we can’t win elections unless we fix them. The DPVA must do a much better job of leading the state’s local committees where the workers and volunteers are ….period. They must ensure constant communication (keep your website up-to-date); frequent training; online and written organizing tools…at a minimum. Until that’s done, how would we out here in no man’s land ever know what’s going on.
The 11th Congressional District Dem Committee sounds great. Wish I lived there.