I sent this to my email list, but there's a great post by Shaula Evans at BOPnews regarding the AGING of the Democratic Party. This is one reason that I have been pushing for acceptance of the DFM crowd; it would be nice to attend a Democratic Party event where the median age was under 35.
This is no slap at our wonderful pioneers, people, it's just that we don't have anybody lined up to replace us!!! I can't speak for anybody else, but I'm past the point where I will put up signs or go door-to-door. We need to be training YOUNGER people for this, and DFM seems to be heading that up in the Memphis area. We need to support them, because we have to build a strong foundation for the future.
8 comments:
I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything when I read this, it would have gone right out the nose...LOL
Thanks for the DFM plug Leftwing Cracker. There are young people active in local movements, they just don't trust the Shelby County Democratic Party. To be honest, they shouldn't. Rebecca Jordan and Jacob Flowers are some of the most capable people in this city. DFM has and will continue to work with them. They progressive groups with all the young people just get sickened by the backstabbing and corruption of the party. What differentiates DFM from these groups is that we always knew politics is down and dirty. We didn't come in with Mr. Smith Goes To Washington idealism. Some goals are more important than my personal sensibilities. I've already been disgusted by local politics several times in the last two months, so I go home, spray myself with lysol, and get back in the sewer.
Frank is away from his password, he asked me to post this response to DemoBitch above.
Well Demobitch, thank you for proving my point. With attitudes like that it's a wonder anyone new takes part in the party. As for idealism, I certainly have some. In a perfect world I would have joined the green party, but it's not and that's why I'm a Democrat. As for Memphis being a particularly nasty political playground, it is. It is one of the last major cities with remnants of political machines. Plus, we are blessed with having two.
Thanks for the link, LeftWingCracker.
I had the pleasure of visiting Memphis, far too briefly, a few years back, while on a raod trip that originated in Dallas where I was living at the time. I need to go back with enough time to do it right.
You can pass on to soandsodem for me that I have actually had the conversation in a campaign office on the merits of using the under 12 month set as volunteer paperweights...problem is they tend to leak. :( But yes, everyone has their contribution to make. :)
The anecdotes I've read on blogs in response to the original article have, unfortunately, been consistenly along the lines of "Locked out by local party? No kidding! That's whyI work through DFA...." I'm grateful for the great work and the existence of DFA, but we need to address the bigger problem that has created the urgent *need* for DFA.
PS You have a great blog here. :) I hope you'll be leaving some comments in the future when you're reading on BOP as well--you are most welcome in the conversation.
I think you miss his point. The rules of the game as it is currently played do NOT favor progressive ideas. Therefore, we can either play the game according to the rules, which may favor people who kowtow to the current regime (hint, hint).
Or we can attempt to change HOW the game is played by making politics less dependent on money and more dependent on people. I sense from your argument that it's all right for young folks to come in as long as they don't try to change things.
Changing things, and for the better, is EXACTLY what we need.
Let's, for the moment, separate the MSDIA (who were complaining about the money and then turned on DFM in the SCDP officer elections)
from the DFM, who seek to change the rules.
I agree that the coordinated campaign did a fine job with no money, I've said that until I'm blue in the face and I STILL don't know why some of the MSDIA were upset.
The DFM, on the other hand, did NOT complain about that, to the best of my knowledge.
Hello leftwing cracker, thanks for posting that for me today. I really don't want to get side tracked from talking about ideas. In the past 2 weeks on this site, I have posted my thoughts on hispanic outreach, the living wage, trying to get young democrats clubs up and running again in the area high schools and colleges, using the headquarters as a place for democratic clubs to meet and establish themselves, and clean money elections. If use of sewer images was too extreme, I am sorry. But the local democratic party has a perception problem in the activist and progressive community. Until the party develops the ability to look at itself through the eyes of those outside it, the party will continue to alienate these groups. Most of whose members vote democratic but don't participate in the local party. The simplest piece of advice I can offer the party is to listen to what people have to say about the party.
Becky,
many of you (as I did) made contribution to the kerry/Edwards campaign. However, in their infinite wisdom, THAT MONEY NEVER CAME BACK TO TENNESSEE
KE2004 wrote off Tennessee, leaving the SCDP to raise money ON THEIR OWN to promote the Democratic ticket, which was more than just KE2004.
Your money DID go to attempt to defeat Bush, it probably went to ohio instead of here.
Regarding my comments on DFM, I know I'm more upset about the officer elections than anyone in DFM; I felt this was to be about blowing it up and starting over, not just cozying up to one side or the other, which is exactly what happened.
In the end, the 2005 convention wasn't about change at all, it was about revenge, which was obtained. We'll see where the party goes from here. Trust me, I'll be watching.
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