vibinc

That’s What I’m Talking About

Way back in the dark ages of the post election kerfuffle, I wrote about crafting a plan to build the party. I stand by that, and was glad to see that TNDP Chair, Forrester sees the value.

While the article doesn’t get into the details, but the idea of building a “farm team” isn’t anything new. The Republicans spent much of the 80’s electing people to city and county positions, as well as state office to help build their “Contract on America” majority, elected in 1994.

Putting this together in the next two years will be a big challenge, but I’m still convinced that there are people, all over this state, who would be willing to run if they felt they had the technical, ground and financial support. That’s a tough nut to crack, but the key is to hit the ground running after the County Reorganization taking place March 28th – April 5th, in every county in Tennessee. (In Shelby, Ward and Precinct is on March 7th, the convention is on the 28th). By working in conjunction with county parties the TNDP could, in relatively short order, make some real strides to revitalize the “old hats” and the fresh blood that’s out there.

The reality is that we will not build a real farm team in the less than two years we have before the 2010 elections. We may be able to get some new faces in front of the voters, particularly in the 26 House races we left open in 2008, but building a vibrant organization takes a lot more than just supporting candidates, it also takes supporting communities. That means helping the county parties connect to constituents before we start asking for their votes, and taking interest in interested people, to help them grow into the future staff people, and even candidates that our party needs to grow.

Real growth is what the TNDP needs. The only way to do that is by strengthening current relationships and building new ones through outreach and communication. This can be hard to do, but the most important part is to stay ahead of the nay-sayers, and keep the information flowing to all the interested individuals and groups that believe in Democratic values. If you can’t communicate, you can’t grow. They’re on the right path with new twitter and Facebook feeds, but in order to get a handle on the majority of Tennessee, broader media outlets will have to play a big role.

Ultimately, it’s the comprehensive strategy, not the tactics that will make Tennessee and the TNDP stronger. I’m looking forward to see how this strategy materializes over then next several weeks.

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Steve Ross

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  1. vibinc » Blog Archive » That’s What I’m Talking About – ezineaerticles

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  2. Virtual Reality

    Thanks for playing, vibinc, but you know as much about politics as you know about nuclear physics. The ability to type doesn’t make you James Carville.

    Do you know what two groups have played the largest role in recruiting candidates, even for local office? The congressional offices and the governor’s office. The very people that your lord and master, Chip Forrester, ran out of his Democratic Party. Do you really think that Chip Forrester can either tell people how to recruit candidates or that he himself can recruit candidates? Pardon me while I stop snickering.

    Also, tell me what resources you think the state party has to do this grand reorganization of county parties that you keep talking about. County reorganization means that local people will get together and elect new officers. That’s it.

    As for resources, let me tell you what Forrester has: nothing. No staff. Not even a press secretary. No money. In fact, even though the party is in debt, Forrester is paying himself $8,000 a month. The Tennessee Democratic Party is dead.

    But Forrester has brainwashed some of you to the point that you believe Facebook pages and Twitter accounts will save your party. They won’t.

    Finally, do you really envision a day when Democrats or Republicans run candidates in every single state legislative race? Please tell me, since you know so much about campaign politics, when and where that has ever happened. Come on, name a year and a state.

    Reply
    1. vibinc

      Reality,

      1. Chip Forrester is no more my lord and master than any other human being. Your tone is hysterical.

      2. Candidate recruitment is a shared responsibility between the state party, caucus organizations, and county parties. No one ever said it was the sole responsibility of any one person.

      3. I understand what county reorg. is, as I’ve participated in it. My point was that once it is completed it provides an opportunity to foster greater coordination between the state and county parties going forward. Any plans made before reorg. may mean working with people who may no longer hold the office after April 11th.

      4. Forrester was elected with 74k in the bank, and 80k of debt left over from the Kurita nonsense. That he can not currently afford a staff is more a reflection of past administration than anything he’s done in the past 20 odd days.

      5. I said that FB and twitter were a step in the right direction, not the end all be all. READ FACT IGNORER, READ. They’re on the right path with new twitter and Facebook feeds, but in order to get a handle on the majority of Tennessee, broader media outlets will have to play a big role.

      6. I understand that it is virtually impossible for both parties to contest every position, but leaving a full quarter of the state house uncontested is giving up too much ground. Just because 25 of our candidates went uncontested, doesn’t mean that we should follow suit.

      I think it’s funny that because I’ve been supportive of the Party and took part in a fundraiser for the party that you automatically assume that I’m some robot blindly following anyone. That Forrester was the first state party official outside of my county to reach out, or even respond to a question, is more a reflection of what was wrong with the party than any fealty I may have to Forrester, in fact, I endorsed no one, and stated I thought either would be a good choice. I am a Democrat. End of story. The prospect of voting for or in any way supporting any other party, in our current 2-party system is an ideological bridge too far. Apparently, you don’t suffer from such a handicap.

      You and the other nattering naybobs on this and other blogs are projecting your perceived reality on a group of people who are more interested in the strength of the party than the strength of any one group or individual within the party. Parties continue on, politicians are term limited either by law, or as a circumstance of the human condition. Your objections are grounded in some false sense that without (x), (y) is impossible. You charge that Forrester has pissed in too many bowls of Cheerio’s to be effective, yet offer no solutions for any resolution to the problem outside of seeking to discredit Forrester and the party he currently Chairs. If you are a Democrat, you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.

      Finally, I invite you to search my blog for statements I have made that prove your accusations rather than the limited reality you project upon me. You and your cohorts have been pounding me and other Democratic bloggers with little basis other than some predisposed conclusion. This causes us to question your motives. Is your aim to make a better stronger TNDP, or to hold on to some sense of power or patronage that you feel you’ve accumulated?

      You sir/ma’am, do not own the TNDP any more than I do. The TNDP is owned by all Tennessee Democrats. If you feel the election of Mr. Forrester was a mistake, you’re well within your rights to say so, but please, at least base your position on something other than innuendo or false charges. The truth of the matter is that the notion of a weak party, dependent solely on the strength of elected officials was rejected by the State Executive Committee. You can continue to blindly lash out, or take a moment to examine why that conclusion was reached.

      We all do better when we all are better.

      Reply
  3. newscoma

    My only thing about the Twitter account is that it is basically a one-way funnel for information for the TNDP thus far. Twitter, for me at least, is about the conversation going both ways and creating a two-way conversation from folks who might not be in Nashville. But, I also understand they are new at this so there is that.

    Reply

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