Post-Convention Thoughts

Some ideas for the convention (6.50 / 4)

I think having a convention is a good idea, if only to get the hardcore activists together for a while for networking. It's certainly great to see people who are doing great things in their localities to help Democratic candidates and values.

Now, I think much of the general session becomes nothing more than an exercise in self-promotion. I'd like to see, as you suggested, more in the way of training.  Why not help improve the campaign skills of our activists? There are so many ideas for what we could do on this front, but here's a few:

How to organize a Voter Reg drive.
Organizing Under-served Communities
Fundraising 101

I'm sure the folks at the CDP will be paying attention, so post additional suggestions for future conventions here.  

I'm proud to work for Kamala Harris for AG.

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by: Brian Leubitz @ Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 23:00:07 PM CDT

My thoughts. (6.50 / 4)

I didn't stick around to watch a lot of the General Sessions. I was in the audience for Pelosi on Friday and then McNerney & Newsom on Saturday, and finally all of General Session this long Sunday morning.

It wasn't exactly an exercise in futility because for newbies like myself, I got to see the internals of party politics. I suppose next year, it won't have the same excitement attached to it.

A suggestion -- the CDP should work more closely with the CYD. CYD events were held a 20 minute walk away on the campus of SJSU, taking us away from what was happening in the Convention Center. I just didn't want to be so far away for fear of missing something.

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by: dayshaze @ Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 23:09:09 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

totally agree about trainings (6.00 / 3)

That suggests to me that the party should explore ways to use the convention to spur activism and training - to help catalyze political action.

How to organize a Voter Reg drive.
Organizing Under-served Communities
Fundraising 101

Has anyone been to one of those DFA boot camp things, or the DFA (online) "night school"? I think the convention should have a lot of that kind of thing. The trainings should be open to non-delegates too. That way, having the convention in your city can be a big catalyst for building up the party in your city. The convention leaves behind a big force of trained and energized activists.

You can't get rid of conventions! Face time and networking pay huge dividends. I still think fondly on meeting many of you (SanJoseLady! and many others) at the convention in SD a while back. But there needs to be other activities going on.  

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 23:24:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

They did have (6.50 / 2)

A session of "campaign boot camp" hosted by Christine Pelosi. And it seemed to be very, very well attended. I think the appetite for more of that at the convention is there.

And I definitely agree with both you and Brian that a state convention is a necessity. Bringing people together in one place, under one roof, to meet and schmooze and get energized is invaluable. I loved the experience.

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave

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by: Robert Cruickshank @ Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 23:26:41 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Agree on training -- and thanks to CDP staff (0.00 / 0)

Last year in San Diego, Crystal invited me and a couple others down to do a training session on email outreach and netroots fundraising -- two topics that I wish every Democract running for office (or at least their key web and communications staff members) were much more familiar with.  I do this stuff all day long in my day job (on a nonpartisan but progressive basis) and was happy to be able to share what I've learned to help get Democrats elected.  

I think the session was very well received, but unfortunately we really only had about 15 minutes each to cover the basics (and the presentation from Kintera was not as useful as it should have been).  Really, we could have/should have made it a two- or three-hour session so we could go into real details.

I unfortunately couldn't make the convention this year, but does seem that there could be a lot more of this cross-training going on.  Maybe DFA and Courage Campaign (or simply people & trainers from those organizations, acting on their own) could adapt their materials and do a bunch of training sessions in parallel with the convention next year.

And let me echo some others' thoughts -- every California Democrat should give huge thanks to the CDP staff who work their butts off to make the whole event happen.  They're always underappreciated and deserve a free beer the next time you see them.  

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by: willy mugobeer @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 18:09:40 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

That'd be great... (8.00 / 3)

... but in the meantime, if you're looking for that, I highly recommend DFA's Training Academy which is an intensive weekend covering exactly those kinds of topics.  It has the added benefit of being extraordinarily affordable (like $60 for a weekend of training).

There was recently one in the East Bay, just a few weeks ago, so it may be a while before it comes to Northern California again... but there will be one in San Diego on April 5th-6th.

These trainings are notoriously comprehensive and practical.  I heard from Jim Dean this weekend that everyone from Ron Paul to the Obama campaign have cribbed from their program.  I know that when I attended in Stockton in '06, it was really valuable field training.

These opinions are my own, and are not representative of those of any of my employers.

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by: Malacandra @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 00:17:58 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Since you asked for .02 (7.00 / 3)

First of all, I just discovered this blog and I'm so happy I did. :)As a matter of full-disclosure, I did not attend the convention as a delegate, I was there as a member of CYD, so I was not able to vote on any matters.

This was my first CDP convention and I really enjoyed the experience. I found that the Leno/Migden brouhaha really, actually, enhanced the experience. I mean, it was like watching a wrestling match, seeing all these Migden-ites taking on the Leno supporters with mean glares and bright orange signs.

I like my politics exciting.

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by: dayshaze @ Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 23:04:51 PM CDT

It was definitely exciting. (6.50 / 2)

The Leno-Migden fight was compelling politics, no doubt about it, well worth the "price" of admission. But your comment also reminds me of some of the other high points of the weekend for me:

-Hanging out with Gavin Newsom at the Calitics table

-Watching Jerry Brown give a barnburner of a speech that might have been a kickoff to a 2010 gubernatorial campaign

-Sitting with Zoe Lofgren for an hour as she told stories of her insurgent, successful grassroots campaigns

-Not just meeting, but getting along very well with, some exciting politicians like Fiona Ma, Debbie Cook, Manuel Perez, and Tim Goodrich

-And of course, hanging out with the Calitics crew. They are all awesome people.

Were you at the youth vote panel on Friday afternoon? That was a great discussion, something that the party convention should have emphasized more. It would have been a great opportunity for the kind of coordination between CDP and CYD you called for in a comment above.

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave

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by: Robert Cruickshank @ Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 23:21:58 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Geeking out politically, as a matter of speaking (7.00 / 3)

I love CA state politics, and so convention was my opportunity to "geek out" without being looked at as a complete weirdo. I could express my opinion and know I was surrounded by like-minded individuals, and if not like-minded, then those who knew the ins-and-outs of the issues.

I did not go to the youth vote panel on Friday. Damn 9 to 5 didn't allow me to get to convention as early as I would have liked, and quite frankly, with no frame of reference on what convention was like (this was my first one), I don't know if I would have rushed there anyway.

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by: dayshaze @ Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 23:45:07 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

saw your pic with Ma (6.50 / 2)

in the other diary. Cool!

What an amazing list of experiences you have there to show for just a couple short days! Why were you questioning conventions? Seems like you spent most of that bullet point you were praising them, despite starting out with "Overall I am left wondering whether the party convention is a good use of time and resources." Were you just thinking of reconfiguring the schedule, or ?

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 23:55:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Heh (7.00 / 3)

In my exhaustion I think I failed to be more specific. I was left wondering if the party convention as it exists today is a good use of time and resources." I didn't feel as if I wasted my time, but throughout the weekend I kept feeling that the convention could harness in a better way the activist energy that was coursing throughout the building.

In short: definitely keep the convention, but consider some reorientation. Perhaps even radical reorientation.

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave

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by: Robert Cruickshank @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 00:04:00 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

ah (8.00 / 1)

Yeah at the SD one, I felt a little lost and bored most of the time. Sometimes I felt a little bad that I didn't have the knowledge to have a horse in the race on a lot of the things (I was a volunteer, manning check-in for local-type elections). But at the same time, I kinda decided that most of it really was not that interesting to any but those very few involved. And that's coming from a political junkie. So it needs to be made more relevant to all, definitely.

I read just a bit about the immigration town hall. Sounds like mixed reviews on how that one in particular went down, but that kind of event sounds good--where there's real and open hashing out of things, not just everybody doing relatively vapid things like "visibility."

PS: if I may, about the Ma photo, you're quite a looker! :-)

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 00:23:50 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I think the immigration town hall (8.00 / 2)

Was a good concept, but not executed well - the main hall wasn't the best place for it, since few people paid it the attention it deserved. The acoustics weren't great so folks couldn't hear, and there wasn't much back-and-forth between the panelists and the delegates. But as you say, the "real and open hashing out of things" is a concept of great value.

And thanks for the compliment! :)

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave

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by: Robert Cruickshank @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 00:56:10 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Youth Panel (8.00 / 3)

The Youth Panel was actually a partnership between the CDP and CYD. Obviously, perhaps a little easier to partner given my party office and position on the Young Democrats of America Board, but the YDs and I worked together. We brought out some of the top national youth vote experts and CYD used it's "caucus time" for the event. We will be making an electronic presentation of it to get out to grassroots organizations.

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by: cstrait @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 03:21:05 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Really? Fantastic! (0.00 / 0)

Then that's a perfect example of a successful partnering. Put that down as a plus, but also a delta - the panel ran out of time, and I thought there was a lot of energy in the room that a more interactive experience would have really capitalized on. Maybe have some of the YDs in the audience speak of their own experiences organizing young voters or running for office, and get feedback from what was an extremely good panel - each one a kind of rock star in their own way. Thanks for helping make that happen.

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave

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by: Robert Cruickshank @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 10:10:18 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

welcome to calitics! (8.00 / 1)

I think you could say we try to be exciting here, right guys? What part of CA are you from? I'm in SD. cheers.

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 00:48:52 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

what a party! so sad I missed it (6.50 / 2)

My main thoughts, as an outside observer, are about repurposing the convention just a bit, as described above in response to Brian. Other thoughts:

I'm not sure what to feel about contested primaries. Removing the incumbent advantage seems like a no-brainer. But I can see some pluses to having endorsements. Hmm...

I think the obvious joy and energy and camaraderie gushing out of your last your last bullet point underscore the real reason to have conventions. Wired as we are, there's just nothing like face-to-face. And like the best spices, it only takes a little sprinkling of it to go a long way. I still remember how happy I was to meet SanJoseLady in SD! And Ron Shepston, Todd Beeton, OrangeClouds and bunches of others of you. Seems like yesterday, hard to believe it was a whole year ago.

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 23:37:18 PM CDT

This was my fourth convention... (7.57 / 7)

... since getting elected through my AD four years ago as part of the DFA wave of '05, and I concur with Eden's assessment.

For many, many years prior to that time there were several attempt to create a progressive caucus within the party, but it was the new blood who helped get it done. And that's been an important development.

There's a growing conflict between the "culture of incumbency" represented by the folks pulling out the stops to prop up Migden... and the "culture of activism" which has been pushing for the party to act in accordance with its precepts.

It would have been nothing short of a travesty for the CDP to adopt a platform that includes strong language on political/election reform... while simultaneously endorsing an elected official who has been cited - to the tune of $350K - for dozens of violations of existing laws.  Someone who is challenging such laws as unconstitutional... despite having voted for them.

The conscience of the party is speaking out, and we see our role as a party to be something more than merely being a protection racket for our elected officials. And especially so when we have alternatives.  There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that while Carole Migden has been a progressive voice in the Senate, Mark Leno brings (IMO) a progressive voice that's accompanied by better temperament and judgment, as well as greater respect for his constituents.

We're demonstrating that we're different from the Republicans who circle the wagons and defend illicit and/or undemocratic conduct among their own.

To my eyes, that looks like a win/win.

The party talks endlessly about increasing voter registration and participation. Or bringing young people into the process. To make those kinds of gains, though, we have to battle apathy - if not outright cynicism - by walking our talk.  Today was an excellent example of us doing just that.

Through my participation as a delegate this year, I feel that I am a part of an ascendent network that operates within the party - but also alongside it, through insurgent organizations like DFA, PDA and Courage Campaign, all which have similar objectives of reforming the party.  

And, of course, Calitics is an important vehicle for shining light - and heat - on the entire proceedings of the party, and California politics.

I'm proud that this progressive network has helped to elect and support Debra Bowen - a true profile in courage.  She's an exemplar of someone who serves with integrity, safeguarding the democratic process and the public interest.  And that is the model of the kind of service and governance that we should aspire to as a party.

I know that for some people, especially those who aren't as close to SD-3 as I am, the Migden/Leno battle may have seemed a distraction. For me it was a signal event for this party, representative of a real desire for not just "more", but for "better" Democrats as well.

Make no mistake, in a few short years a new grassroots/netroots movement has burst onto the scene... first infiltrating the AD committees, and then increasingly the central committees... and the state standing committees. We're influencing the platform, the candidates, and the resolutions that define the party.  I'm heartened by how far we've come, and how fast.

I'm also aware that it can easily be undone. Success needs to build upon success, and relationships and alliances need to be nurtured and continue to expand.  But we're going in the right direction.

BTW, Robert, I'm sorry I didn't have an opportunity to meet you. Maybe next time.  

These opinions are my own, and are not representative of those of any of my employers.

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by: Malacandra @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 00:01:02 AM CDT

Great convention (8.00 / 4)

Next year we should try to do a dinner for bloggers, I should have tried to organize one down here, but was overwhelmed with stuff I was doing.

I voted to pull the Migden endorsement, and I voted to endorse Leno (and helped gather signatures on Saturday night, man, that was a real killer, the sigs had to be in before 11 pm,. and they didn't start until 7 because of how long it took to count the caucus votes).  This is my eighth convention, and they are getting GREAT, but we should have some party politics blogs so we can effectively work to change some of the way the party does things.

Did get to meet KidOakland, that was fun, what a great person he is!  And I am exhausted.

Now, time to win the White House back : )

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by: SanJoseLady @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 00:22:18 AM CDT

Since this was my first convention (8.00 / 2)

I don't really know how it works in off-years, but it seemed like there would not have been much going on if not for the Migden-Leno endorsement fight--the networking aspect of the convention was fun and I enjoyed the hospitality suites, but I would have liked more in the way of training sessions.

My Blog, The Watchtower

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by: msrpotus @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 01:29:21 AM CDT

Great Feedback (8.00 / 4)

Thanks, Robert and everyone for their thoughts. It was great meeting you (and others) in person! I love the feedback. I'd like to do more of a  "formal" survey shortly, but in the mean time please keep the feedback coming. I'm all about doing pluses (the positives) and deltas (things for improvement) after all projects.

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by: cstrait @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 03:14:00 AM CDT

before matt and penny scold me... (8.00 / 2)

I am sorry I didn't sign my name...

Crystal Strait
Political Director
California Democratic Party

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by: cstrait @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 03:15:11 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

All I know about high-speed rail... (8.00 / 1)

is that those psycho LaRouchies are pimping it, which almost makes me want to reflexively oppose it.  Sigh.

Didja hear them singing yesterday in the lobby about how FDR was a Nazi?  Lovely.

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by: BruinKid @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 03:35:31 AM CDT

Great post Robert (8.00 / 2)

and great to meet you in San Jose.

Kudos to all those at the CDP who made this possible and great to see all these comments from tired convention goers like me echoing your great post.

k/o

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by: kid oakland @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 07:09:43 AM CDT

After taking this year off (0.00 / 0)

We're gonna have to get back to having an official blogger event next year.  Not sure if I want to organize it every year, but I can.

I'm proud to work for Barbara Boxer

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by: Lucas O'Connor @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 10:26:46 AM CDT

Disagree somewhat (0.00 / 0)

"After the vote was finalized Eden James argued that it was a representation of the power of the grassroots within the party"

Eden is slighly wrong in this instance.  The Leno operation is run by Sacramento legislative staffers.  The Speaker had his organizational people down there that ran an operation to whip for Mark for both the caucus vote and the signature gathering/floor vote.  At least 40 of the signature gatherers were current or former Assembly staff.

What I think this represented was evidence of what happens when the grassroots and the leadership (in this case the assembly democrats) work together on a cause they really care about.  Don Perata's operation got out-organized and out-hustled by this combined force and it bodes well for our chances in moving towards 2/3.

In speaking to more than 25 people who signed the petition to vacate Carole's endorsement, who were not aligned with either campaign, the concensus was that her behavior in the Women's Caucus event and during the rest of the convention was the primary factor in their decision.

 

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by: jackfolsum @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 11:32:42 AM CDT

Kinda New, Kinda Not to CA Politics (0.00 / 0)

I was one of the first-time conventioneers/volunteers, and I came away with mixed feelings. I was in the Press Room all day Saturday, so I only saw "the magic happen" from a feed and reporters and camerapeople editing what they'd just seen.

Wish I'd met more of y'all, I chatted with Brian briefly, which was nice.

I'm Region 9 (SCruz) and I ventured over there a couple of times to see who was present. It made me wonder if I should have tried to become a delegate...but I haven't decided if I'm going to get locally involved.

Great site!
Stephanie (Lexicon on dkos, mydd, myleft everything...LOL)

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by: Lexicon @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 11:57:27 AM CDT

My thoughts and thanks... (8.00 / 2)

This was my third convention since returning to California from Arizona, and my fourth convention overall.  It was definitely one of the best conventions I've been to (political or non-political), and there are so many elements to these things it is almost impossible to point to one specific thing that made it great.  I'll try to give some of my thoughts, if anyone cares:

* - Since I get a unique view of these things, let me say that a great part of this convention's success was the work of all the CDP staff.  There is not one staff member who did not put in tons over unpaid overtime to get things working and working well.  Whether it is making sure we have enough volunteers (too many this year - again a good thing) to rushing around trying to get a room's temperature turned up or down because delegates are uncomfortable, convention time is no time to be lazy, and the CDP staff are anything but lazy for these conventions.  Most of the staff have been with the party for years now, and they've been through several conventions before, so they know what to expect, how to plan, and how to get things done.  They are professionals with the experience needed to keep things running smoothly, and this last convention shows that they are damn good.

* - To make a convention work, a lot of planning is required.  In fact the planning for the 2009 Convention started before the 2008 Convention even happened.  Planning will consume time on an occasional basis between now and 2009, until about 2 months before the next convention when staff hours get longer and longer, weekends start disappearing as they come in on Saturday and Sunday, and the madness of the convention cycle fully materializes about a month out.  

* - Want to get an idea of what goes on?  Well, how about this little exercise.  Open a new document on your word processor.  Now type out a list of 6 speakers that you want to get for the next year's convention.  Type out a list of the top 4 workshops that you think is mandatory for 2009.  Save it and wait until 2 months before 2009 convention to open it and see how relevant things on there are (there should be at least half still relevant).  

* - That's all just the logistics stuff, the things behind the scenes to make it work.  Now just imagine trying to juggle things like a caucus is upset because last year they were too early and this year you have them scheduled too late.  Another caucus needs a larger room, but won't change their time slot and the biggest room you have is taken up by the party's biggest caucus.  (Remember, rooms cost money, a LOT of money, and the convention is also supposed to be a fundraiser where you raise funds to help beat the Republicans.  Every penny you spend is a penny that does not go to electing Democrats to office. Penny pinching can be bad, but when you start talking thousands, you're dealing with real money).  

These are the things that go on behind the scenes, and 99% of the people attending the Convention have no idea that they happened.  Nor did they hear the discussions about how to keep the choir from disrupting the event without stomping on their free speech rights (not quite phrased that way, but the implication was clear).  Also, the ways of trying to keep people with signs from blocking views of others while still letting them hold their signs up...

It's not about keeping people out, it's about how to include their voices without stomping on the rights of others at the party.  In essence, an example of what it means to be a Democrat in action.  Republicans would never have allowed Code Pink in the main hall during a speech by a former President.  Democrats just tried to make sure they didn't disrupt things or block the views of people watching the speech.  The result?  Code Pink's banner for stopping the Iraq War was right in front of the audience on stage right, where almost everyone could see it if they bothered to look that way.  There were no police officers arresting them and dragging them away for their audacity in protesting.

Enough about all that, I want to give some thoughts on a couple of other things:

* - As you know from my other postings this weekend, I am on Platform Committee.  When some great men came to pull papers for signatures (to make a Platform Amendment), I called Christine Pelosi and discussed it with her.  She asked me to find them and connect them with her because she had some thoughts on the specific language for their amendment.  This was something that could have been devisive for the Party, but both men were more than willing to work with her, and as a result, everything went smoothly.  They got MORE than the needed signatures, and on Saturday night we were able to get language that everyone could agree on unanimously.  As someone who has opposed the war from Day One (I lived in Arizona in 2003 and wrote letters to both my Senators and my Congressman asking them to oppose the AUMF, fat lot of good THAT did), I am extremely happy for the language urging the repeal of the AUMF.  As a veteran (US Navy 1989-1992), I am happy that the second clause shows our support for our military forces and understanding that their safety comes first.  Finally, as a Democrat who believes in talking first instead of fighting, I am glad we are calling for International involvement in solving the Iraq mess.  The amendment passed unanimously, and was included as part of the committee's official report, instead of having to pull it from the agenda and debate it during the hectic Sunday business.  

This is the Party working with its members, and an example of how things can be done by people working together instead of insisting on confrontation (although sometimes the confrontation is necessary, especially when dealing with the likes of this administration).  

* - A little bit about SD-03.  I've been watching the fight with a little interest, mostly academic in nature.  I like Migden, I like Leno.  Migden's recent embarrassing behavior and her legal problems have leaned me towards Leno although I don't live in their district so it matters only a little.  Frankly, I've always preferred to see a "No Endorsement" vote in that race.

The behavior of Senator Migden herself on Saturday night ruined any lingering support I might have for her in that race (I still like her, and wish her the best, just not as a state senator). When I saw her pushing her volunteers to follow Leno around the hall while she was saying "Get on him, get on him!" made my stomach churn.  The ugly confrontational and disruptive tactics with the Leno signature gatherers made me even sicker.  It is one thing to urge people to not sign and explain the reasons why, but the Migden supporters were being plain UGLY about this, not polite, not friendly at all towards delegates. I signed out of anger over those tactics.

Sunday's vote, I beleive was an expression of several things:

1.  This contest is between two great Democrats, and the members of the Party would prefer to keep its nose out of the race.  
2.  We all know how the game is played for the endorsement caucuses.  In this contest it wasn't so much about the voice of the 'people' in the district as it was about who could stack the deck the best (which Senatore Migden won hands down.).  Maybe we, as a Party, need to look at the Endorsement process and decide if we really want it around in 2010 - and make no mistake, if you are a delegate it's an issue for you to think about, and do something about in the weeks and months ahead.  We've got a good year and a half to put something together and push for a by-law change through the Rules Committee and E-board.
3.  Senator Migden can be a great orator, she can really sway a crowd when she works in the right direction. Unfortunately this weekend was not one of those times and her actions directly resulted in a backlash that ultimately harmed her, and I think that was why Leno had so much support on the second floor vote.  Although it wasn't her who spoke during the floor discussion on the motion to endorse Leno, her representatives caustic attack reminded me of all the other things over the weekend and I raised my delegate badge as a protest against those actions.
4.  In the end, we got what we needed, in my opinion.  NO endorsement in a tight, contested race between two great Democrats.  

One last thing. The CDP only works as long as its members do their best to discuss, listen, learn, and come together on those issues where they can agree.  This year's Platform process was a wonderful example of the power that can come from people working together.  The debates over the Right to Die and the Death Penalty planks was lively, it was passionate, and in the end we did only what we could all agree on.  Those issues are going to come up again, and again, and I for one am dedicated to making sure that the results of the Death Penalty survey and fairly and freely presented for everyone to see and review.

We are Democrats.  We don't agree on everything, but we can all agree that we live in a Democracy where the freedom to hold your own positions on issues, the freedom to advocate vociferously for those issues, and the freedom to respect the results of the Democratic process are intrinsic and irrefutable for everyone.  

The greatest thing about the Internet, and sites like Calitics, is that we won't have to wait for the next E-board or Convention to meet and argue these issues.  We can do it here, and we can make a difference between now and then by working together on these issues.  

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by: dkirk @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 12:16:46 PM CDT

Almost forgot... (0.00 / 0)

Yeah, it was rude of me but I got sidetracked.  There are a lot of people that I wanted to thank for their help over this weekend:

Brian Leubitz & Dante Atkins (hekebolos) - Both of you really helped in getting the Draft Platform distributed on the frontpage and I really appreciate that.  Oh, and Dante, great work on all the language you helped us master for the Platform.  Folks, when you look at the platform and you see some of the most contentious issues phrased in a way that makes you want to shout for joy, those were probably words that Dante wrote.

Monique Pernell - A lot of people may not know her, but Monique is one of those Party staff people I talked about in my post. She's spent a great deal of time keeping the Platform Committee stuff organized and without her help this weekend it would have been a total mess (and that's just the Platform stuff - she had even more stuff she was taking care of and keeping from becoming a disaster!).

Christine Pelosi - I can't think of a better example of what it meas to be a Democratic than Christine.  Her leadership of the Platform Committee has been phenominal.  Christine's dedication to the free flow of ideas is unparalleled, and folks, when she says she wants to hear from you, she means it!  Rarely have I met anyone who is so genuinely interested in hearing what other people say, and who not only listens, but processes it and sees how to make things happen that will better our Party and our country.  

I've yet to see Christine dismiss something out of hand as 'too crazy'(except maybe some Republican things). As long as our Party has people like her in leadership positions, the CDP will continue to be strong and will provide real leadership for the future.  We were well blessed to have her with us on the Platform, and I was honored to be able assist in any way I could.

My thanks to everyone...

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by: dkirk @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 12:25:52 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I've got to get more organized when attending these things (5.00 / 1)

I knew beforehand which sessions and caucuses I would attend, but I didn't make good plans to meet with people. I said hi Brian, Lucas, Dante and David (Dayens), but didn't get the chance to meet the rest of you.
I was annoyed that Ron Shepston didn't get endorsed. I have nothing against Ed Chau, and in any other race I would endorse him, but I feel that Ron's put in a lot more time and is a lot more prepared than Ed.
This was my second CDP convention. So, some of the glamor has worn off. During the speeches, I realized they were rah-rah speeches, which I don't need; I'm already and activist and am working hard to get things done. I started analyzing the speeches, listening to how they said their speech and what points they were trying to get across and how well they said it instead of listening to the speech itself.
Bill Clinton and Phil Donahue are really good speakers. Phil's upcoming video looks really good. Got a chance to sit next to Congressman Mike Honda at the dinner. Nice guy.
I was glad to meet a few new people at the Drinking Liberally nearby.
I thought that the caucuses and the party business at the end of the convention were the best parts. That's where the action really is. They're the most important parts of the convention, IMO.
Going there as a candidate for a water district was less rewarding than I hoped. I made a couple of connections in that regard, but most people at the convention just don't care about Dems running at such a local, non-partisan level, even though, IMO, that's some of the most important work: getting Dems elected in the low-level, base offices.

The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is to be governed by men worse than themselves - Plato, philosopher (427-347 BCE)

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by: gary_kephart @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 12:29:39 PM CDT

Yes (8.00 / 2)

It seems like everyone wants to run for US Congress :)

Thank you for running Gary, it's a thankless job you've taken on and you know if there is anything I or the other Gary can do to help, we are right there.

Personally I think we should throw a Two Gary's fundraiser!

OC Progressive
Progress, not perfection!

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by: Ellinorianne @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 13:31:54 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

All offices are important... (8.00 / 1)

It's unfortunate that you feel like people were ignoring you and your candidacy.  Every office is important from President all the way down to dog-catcher.  Granted, the convention is usually a time where the focus is mostly on partisan races whether it is Assembly, Senate, Congress, or President (oh and let's not forget Governor!).  

Have you gone to all the local democratic clubs in your area?  What kind of a response have you gotten from them.  I know local clubs are important.  They provide excellent volunteers for races like yours that are primarly local in their nature.  Your County Central Committee should also be able to help...getting on their slate mailer if possible is always helpful.

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by: dkirk @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 14:08:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yep, been working with our county central committee (0.00 / 0)

I'm actually a county delegate as well. We're fortunate to have a great executive director: Melahat Rafiei. I'll also be working with the other clubs, as well as starting a new one.

The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is to be governed by men worse than themselves - Plato, philosopher (427-347 BCE)

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by: gary_kephart @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 16:50:27 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Process and integrity (0.00 / 0)

Eden nailed it. I voted, in both cases, to uphold popular democracy and smack the machine.

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by: Rusalka @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 15:14:58 PM CDT

Eliminate The Endorsements! (0.00 / 0)

This was my 5th Convention, and I have been in the midst of a couple of endorsement battles.  However, I have come to realize the Party should not be in the business of endorsing candidates prior to the Primary.  That's why we have primaries.

Think about it - We spent much of the convention listening to speakers talk about unifying the Party, in the midst of an official process designed to pit Democrats against Democrats.  Even worse, we get at least one email a month fundraising for the Party, to raise money which will ultimately be spent in support of the endorsed Democrats.

There is nothing "grassroots" about this process, especially when so many of the delegates were there as "proxies", delivered by a lame duck Speaker or a lame duck President Pro Tem.

I believe the AD Caucuses should be a sounding board for delegates, but with no endorsement action.

The Organizational Development Committee is looking at the role of delegates and how to expand those roles through training.  That should be the first priority of the Convention - training and mobilization.

I voted against both endorsements, and would have voted against any others.  The Leno camp mistakenly thought the rejection of the caucus endorsement was a yes vote for Leno, and while there was certainly a faction in favor of Leno, it was clear the Convention delegates are getting tired of these "fat cat" endorsements.

It is time to Stop the Insanity!

"Being stubborn is not a foreign policy" - Bill Richardson

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by: WestLADave @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 15:50:17 PM CDT

brainstorm--"beauty contest" delegate voting (0.00 / 0)

This is total brainstorm/unfiltered thought here--- but what if there were still votes but they were purely "beauty contest", ie no money attached and no concept of endorsement.

So it would be similar to the ultimate outcome of the Leno/Midgen fight, where neither has an endorsement, but Leno has a certain level of bragging rights nonetheless. This would ideally generate enough friendly competition to fuel a healthy level of "visibility" work and infighting, but not the kind of ugly pathological fighting that happened this time with Leno/Midgen.

There would be no threshold for endorsement, just a counted vote. And of course with no official endorsement, there would be no money attached. BUT, somebody who gets 60%+ of the vote would certainly have something to write home about.

...

The main downside I see is to above idea is that it would be useful to have a process that allows money to start flowing to candidates who are in uncontested primaries, including primaries where there is technically another name on the ballot but one that is totally non-viable (for example, someone who has already dropped out). Having a superhigh (eg 90%) threshold for endorsement takes care of that case nicely.

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 16:48:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

This was my second convention but first mission (8.00 / 1)

and as such I missed a lot of the speeches, which I regret.  Even if they're boring, you can always browse online in the wifi area!

Well, the local paper has called, and gone with the storyof the Pettis endorsement being vacated at the convention.

The Pettis camp is spinning it as an anti-grassroots move, disenfranchising the local clubs' votes.  However, that overlooks the current near total disenfranchisement of the working poor communities in the eastern Coachella Valley and in Imperial County.  It's much easier for the predominantly wealthy and retired Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert/La Quinta folks to engage in local Democratic clubs.  The eastern end of the district, most people are farmworkers and hospitality workers with two jobs.  We're working on building those clubs, but we're not there yet.  People are more likely to gather in support of the local school than the local Democrats as yet.  We need to bridge that gap.

Short version: I'm not losing any sleep over it.

It was terrific meeting you there, Robert.  

Disclosure: Union staff, former staff for Manuel Perez, elected DSCC delegate for 80th AD, board of Democrats of the Desert

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by: soyinkafan @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 17:58:37 PM CDT

good job!!! (8.00 / 1)

I see you managed to get that nomination challenged.
Remember I had put that bug in your ear.
Great to see it work out.
I wanted to come over and meet you and Manuel, but got sidetracked with some other folks I was networking with.
I will have to come out to your district to meet you all.

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by: dan in sd @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 21:55:37 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

A million thanks (0.00 / 0)

this convention marked a turning of the tide.  Your help was immeasurable.


Disclosure: Union staff, former staff for Manuel Perez, elected DSCC delegate for 80th AD, board of Democrats of the Desert

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by: soyinkafan @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 22:27:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

why I voted to "vacate" the endorsements (8.00 / 1)

I'm a delegate, and this was my third convention. Voting on the endorsements was one of the highlights of the convention for me, and I agree, much more significant than Bill Clinton speaking. Several people commented to me afterward that it was a great way to end, that the conventions usually end with a whimper.

If I'd known that no one else on this blog was taking pictures, I would have, to show the difference in density of namecards being lifted up during the voting.

I do agree that this was a triumph of the grassroots, even if there were lots of staffers working on both sides.

I knew nothing about the AD-40 race and initially voted to uphold the endorsement, figuring, as the local leader of my Dean club did (she voted yes) that winning with 65% of the vote seemed high enough that it should be upheld.

But then I saw that a number of people I respected were voting no so I asked one of them why. She told me that she'd heard that the district was strongly Democratic and that whoever won the primary, essentially was going to win in November. She felt it was best to let the voters decide.

I thought of the times when we've had progressive candidates locally who weren't part of the inner circle of the Democratic establishment. How my own staunchly progressive Assemblymember hadn't been a party favorite, but had won the primary in an upset anyway. How candidates who are Democrats but aren't party insiders might unfairly have the decks stacked against them even if they are better candidates than whoever the party insiders favor. So I quickly switched my vote to no when they were actually doing the count, and it looked like a number of other people did also.

As for the Leno-Migden race, I'd actually tried to do some homework by browsing the web with my cell phone/PDA on Sunday morning. Calitics was helpful in that regard, but I completely missed seeing the posts about Migden's behavior in the Women's Caucus until just now on my laptop since they weren't linked to the items about her FPPC violations. I still didn't find that post on the women's caucus via the browser on my cell phone even when I checked just now.  

I missed seeing Migden's behavior for myself because I never made it into the Women's caucus, and I didn't hear any buzz from my friends about it on Sunday.

What influenced me was numerous things--besides that Migden so flagrantly flouted the FPPC and I thought it would make the party look bad to endorse her and that we're not Republicans, we don't put up with high-profile corruption!

One, I've seen Migden conduct a Senate hearing several years ago. It was entertaining and one of those situations where I laughed but was ashamed of myself for laughing because she was really being disrespectful of others, while I marveled at how sharp her wit was and how deftly she wielded her power. I saw the bitterness her behavior created in an agency staff person who also witnessed this hearing.

On Friday, I'd run into someone from the district who I knew, who when I asked, hesitatingly said he was for Migden. This gave me pause, that perhaps there were good reasons to support her. But, I didn't have a high opinion of this person and in fact had a reason to hold a grudge against him, though I'm not a vindictive person.

Sunday morning, I also asked the opinion of one of the staff people for my Assembly representative who I respect, and the answer unhesitatingly came back, "Leno, but don't tell anyone because I have friends on both sides!"

The reason I kept seeking more information is that I didn't understand why Perata and other leaders would so strongly urge our support for Migden, when she was clearly flagrantly violating important laws and seemed mentally unbalanced to boot, with the hit-and-run crashes she was in several months ago. Perhaps someone can explain this to me, this inclination to protect incumbents at any cost?

I saw an Assembly staffer who I have a low opinion of in the Migden sign parade. I saw a San Francisco environmental leader I respect standing next to Leno holding a sign for him. There was no longer any doubt in my mind.

I shook Migden's hand anyway as I went in the convention hall door, as someone I have respect for as a human being and a fighter. I refrained from asking her about the FPPC stuff, didn't feel like starting a fight.

I then ran around showing Frank Russo's piece to half a dozen delegates on the floor who were my friends, who also weren't informed on the issue, urging them to vote no on upholding the endorsement of Migden. Had I seen the report on her behavior in the caucus I might have persuaded more of them to vote to endorse Leno in the second vote.

I do consider the vote to be a highly cripping blow to Migden's campaign, whether or not most delegates realized this is the impact, because now party resources won't be used to backfill her record $350,000 FPPC fine. Thank goodness.

I wanted to send a message to party leaders: we will not tolerate someone who will flagrantly disregard important campaign finance laws.

I also want to send a note of condolence and explanation to Migden: It's not that we don't love you. We do. We wish you a successful career as a stand-up comedian where we can enjoy your biting wit and your egotism without it breaking any laws. We want our political process to be conducted where people who come to testify are treated with civility. It's already nerve-wracking enough to give testimony and have important things at stake without being subjected to your slapping them around.

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by: environmentalist @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 20:45:53 PM CDT

and also (0.00 / 0)

the hall was full to almost the bitter end. there were few empty seats. people learned from last year's snafu.

and I felt like my vote was meaningful. overall, very gratifying.

Sally Lieber hosted a last-minute forum Saturday afternoon to discuss how we can advance a progressive agenda within California. I thought it was one of the most important things to happen at the convention.

Two major ideas came out of that discussion. One is for the party to start doing issue organizing and making the caucuses meaningful. People are hungry for content.

we talked about training a little bit. I think that training can happen outside of the convention. The convention should be used to help us make decisions on policies, as well as to celebrate our elected officials' leadership and help familiarize ourselves with candidates.

The problem now is that non-profit groups aren't allowed to be "political".  Many people who hold progressive views don't connect the dots between progressive activism and political activism; politics is considered "dirty".

So one way to draw more apolitical people in is to do more explicit issue analysis and organizing as the party, to hash out policies on these very complex issues and help people make the connection between taking action on political campaigns and getting good policies implemented.

Another is that we need a DFA-list for candidates running for state office, or candidates running for local offices. I was shocked how many of my fellow Dean Club members and delegates did not know who Karen Bass was, or who was the more progressive candidate running for state Assembly is in my district.

Calitics and the California Progress Report are the closest forums we have to follow what's going on from a progressive perspective. But the Calitics audience is small and these aren't focused specifically one helping raise small donor contributions for progressive candidates, or doing Move-on style organizing within our state. What would it take to create such?

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by: environmentalist @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 21:10:59 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I am with you guys on this (0.00 / 0)

I am also wondering why we need to do candidate endorsements. Why pin friend with friend in this exercise of intra-party endorsement. Why is this necessary?
The delegate rules definitely need to be revisited so that the insiders can't stuff a caucus with proxies.

I agree that we need to get all the convention attendees to come out of this with something, and not just listen to the same old canned speeches. campaign trainings for those that want to attend.

As for the Migden/Leno fight, I agree that some of the non-endorsement people were really aggressive. Annoying, and were too much like paid operatives. There has to be some rules as to how long before the status quo people can dive in and bumrush you into not signing. Something just did not seem right with that.

Before this weekend, I had read enough about Migden to probably vote against her. Anyone with as many FPPC violations does not need to represent me.

Interestingly, I did not know what she looked like or what she was like in person.
so someone could have just talked to me and told me something about why it's a bad idea to not endorse an incumbent, and probably would have agreed.
That is until I heard her speak and met her up close.
I heard her speak, without knowing who she was, and I thought, I bet those people in her district are embarrassed by her. She is a tad "eccentric".
Then I heard her name, and with my prior knowledge of her FPPC violations I thought, no way can this lady represent me. We can do better than this.
In essence, she was better off not talking to people, because once people put record together with personal contact, it was over.
I voted to vacate endorsement on both AD40 and SD3, and voter for Leno.
Was glad to see AD 80 with no endorsement as well.

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by: dan in sd @ Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 21:31:50 PM CDT