General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsToday I went to my Democratic Party Ward Meeting.
Last week, someone from the County Democratic Party phoned up to remind the esposo and I that as registered Democrats, we're entitled and invited to attend the annual pre-County Convention Ward Meeting. On the agenda: Elect a Ward Chair and Vice-Chair, and delegates to the County Central Committee. Our ward is eligible to select fourteen delegates to attend the March 25th County Convention.
They gave us the address for the meeting, and the time- 10 am.
So we went.
Good thing we left early because when we got to the meeting location, there wasn't a parking space for blocks.
When we got there, we signed in, and looked around for the sign that would direct us to the room for our ward, 3A (there were about a dozen wards all using the venue at the same time.) County Chair and Vice Chair candidates were circulating, glad-handing, talking about what they'd do to build a stronger Party in the county, but even they looked kind of overwhelmed by the turnout.
We finally had to ask someone at the registration table which room our ward was meeting in, and got told, somewhat apologetically, that since the turnout was so large, they were staggering the meeting times, and ours would begin an hour later.
So, we ran an errand, and came back, thinking we'd be able to park a little closer when the 10 am meetings were over.
We still had to park 3 blocks away.
Our ward is one of the smallest in the county, in both area, and population. So they'd naturally given us a small room.
We were busting at the seams.
More than twice the largest turnout the Ward Chair could remember. "I've been to plenty of these where I was the only one... or me and two or three other people."
He'd never had more people attending than County Central Committee delegate slots to fill. But it was okay, there were several of us who didn't want to be delegates. So we got all the volunteers signed up, voted them as a slate, and moved on to business.
The Ward Chair said anyone could nominate themselves as Chair or Vice Chair, or even Secretary or Treasurer. We hadn't had a Secretary or a Treasurer ever, but the County rules allowed us to elect one. Usually just him and the Vice Chair were the only ones who wanted to serve anyway, and they'd be happy to serve again, but did anyone else want to throw a hat in the ring?
And a young man spoke up- probably in his early 20s? Not very sure of himself but he said he thought it would be a good idea to have some younger people involved, and unless anyone else wanted to go for it, he thought he'd take a swing at Vice Chair.
All eyes turned to the incumbent Vice Chair, a woman maybe in her early 50s, with plenty of experience. She said "I think that's a great idea. Why don't I run for Secretary, then?"
So we asked if anyone else wanted to be considered. There were a LOT of first-timers there- willing to be CCC delegates, but unsure of the process and not ready to step up. So we voted in our slate- Incumbent Chair to continue, brand-new Vice Chair, and our first-ever Ward Secretary-Treasurer.
Then we started talking about what matters to us as south siders. There's a School Board vacancy right now, and we think that since our ward is right smack in the middle of the county's highest percentage of families with elementary and middle school-age children, we should have a say there.
Retired military guy who's an ESL teacher, seemed smart, steady, and allowed as how he supported teaching actual science in schools, bilingual ed, sex education, etc., STRONGLY, we all promised to support him if he'd go file for it.
We put together the contact list. Collected donations for the County Party, but since they'd come from our ward they'd be earmarked for organizing and supporting activities in our ward.
And that was the meeting.
On the way out I talked to one of the County organizers. She was still flabbergasted at the turnout. "It's never been this big. Never. NEVER."
So I guess that's something Captain Chaos can take credit for.
If he wants to.
happily,
Bright
blue neen
(12,305 posts)Captain Chaos has united us. Thanks for the report!
riversedge
(69,540 posts)TygrBright
(20,727 posts)They have this meeting every year. We've lived here 11 years now, we've always been registered Dem voters. I think we've been called maybe 4-5 times, this time of year?
Betting we'll get a call next year. County Party organization is going to have to be on its toes. We've got a Goob election in 2018.
thoughtfully,
Bright
riversedge
(69,540 posts)flat-!! Great idea.
monmouth4
(9,649 posts)chillfactor
(7,564 posts)The orange one has certainly mobilized our party! What a fantastic turnout!
JaneQPublic
(7,113 posts)JudyM
(29,105 posts)And good on that young'un for stepping up!
BannonsLiver
(16,133 posts)TygrBright
(20,727 posts)BannonsLiver
(16,133 posts)OldRedneck
(1,397 posts)I'm in rural Virginia in a county that is reliably 60-40 Republican; our Congressional District is the same.
Our county Democratic Party meetings usually attract 12-15. This week we overflowed the room at the library -- 50 people showed up.
A few local women went to the march in January and they have formed an Indivisible chapter -- meeting tomorrow, everyone at the Democrats' meeting last week will be there.
We have recruited two people to run against two of our good ol' boy supervisors in November and we already have a candidate to take on our Congressman in November 2018. It will be a long slog but we are on the way.
Someone needs to remind these GOP and Tea Party sonsofbitches -- who call us "snowflakes" -- that a group of snowflakes equals an avalanche!!!!
iluvtennis
(19,716 posts)pat_k
(9,313 posts)Just curious.
TygrBright
(20,727 posts)I guess the words "President Pence" traumatize more than just me.
relievedly,
Bright
pat_k
(9,313 posts)Agreed, Pence is terrifying. But the process of impeachment would take time, and in the meantime, the admin would be immobilized. The chances of Pence escaping fallout would be about nil. (In the face of an attack, I do not see Trump "throwing in the towel" and resigning, ever! So, it wouldn't be a Nixon/Ford thing.)
There is never a downside to holding criminals accountable for criminal conduct. Just think where we would be if Dems had gone after Reagan for Iran contra. Or if they prosecuted Bush Sr. for his part. Or Bush/Cheney for torture. Failure to hold criminals accountable at each juncture paved the road to the hell we are in.
Too often "perp walk" has meant "the perps walk" when it comes to Republican crimes. Enough of that!
We've gotta keep turning up the heat and building momentum to resist.
erronis
(14,853 posts)Make sure all the enablers (repuglicans) are named, tagged, and put away in cold storage.
Pence may have been a set up for the "real" president but I think getting this travesty of government on the stage will deal a blow to all those connivers.
mtngirl47
(982 posts)Our county joint precinct meeting is next Saturday....some years I can barely get a quorum for our precinct! Hoping for a big turn out so we can get things moving!
We had a nice rally/march on January 15th and we're going to rally this Tuesday to get our Congressman to hold a town hall.
zentrum
(9,865 posts)...meetings used to be. Huge, involved turnout.
Maru Kitteh
(28,302 posts)Wounded Bear
(58,362 posts)great to see big turnout and people getting involved. I hope it continues going forward.
Time to beat back the RW attacks on our society and country.
hay rick
(7,495 posts)I served for 2 years ending this month. During that time I felt good that the average monthly meeting attendance grew from about 15 to about 25. Then Trump got elected. In my last 3 meetings the attendance moved to 50, 60, and then 100.
In the February meeting we didn't have enough space for everybody in the room we always rent. Fortunately there was a vacant space with a moveable divider adjacent to our room and we were able to expand. We conducted the business portion of our meeting and then broke into 3 groups- one to write letters to our congressmen, one for social media training, and one for brainstorming. We had "Indivisible Guides" which we sold for our cost of printing. We signed up and collected annual dues from 20 new members.
We live in interesting times.
riversedge
(69,540 posts)Lucinda
(31,164 posts)Gothmog
(143,654 posts)I am glad that you are getting involved. Working inside the party is fun and can be rewarding.
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)ewagner
(18,964 posts)I was involved in local Democratic Party activities for years and I remember trying to motivate Dems to come out and participate in the local party's activities...it was difficult...probably because of apathy...
Some of us who were (and still are) actively engaged in local government recognized and dealt daily with the threats to our communities, schools and even the state posed by the growing and increasingly radical conservative movements that were taking shape and slowly but surely infiltrating our local governments and spreading their poison to the state level. We warned our colleagues of the threat but they always thought we were exaggerating it. I think the rank and file folks got tired of hearing what they thought to be "alarmist" claims of why they needed to get out and vote; why they needed to do the yeoman's work of politics; the unglamerous work of going door-to-door, writing letters to the editor, showing up at rallies and town hall meetings.
I think the folks thought were were exaggerating the threat of conservatives and their radical agenda....
We weren't.
And now, in Wisconsin, the Republicans/Conservatives/Alt Right/Tea Party control the Governorship, the Senate, the Assembly and the Supreme Court....
and the rank-and-file folks...they know the boogeyman is real.
CrispyQ
(36,112 posts)Captain Chaos - love that.
tblue37
(64,860 posts)shenmue
(38,497 posts)Hekate
(89,977 posts)Amaryllis
(9,523 posts)about half raised their hand and I am guessing there were a couple thousand there.