For progressives looking to bring the movement fully into the Democratic Party, perhaps the next best move will be to take over the party structure from within each state... There is no reason, for instance, why the DNC cannot put detailed information online about every local party election
—Crashing The Gate, p. 169
If you live on the Central Coast, in the 33rd Assembly District, go to the California Democratic Party's Site and you won't find the location of our Assembly District's caucus to elect delegates to the state party. What you will find is a list of people running to be a state delegate. The list includes many of the same people who already hold positions within the party and are trying to double up. Is it any wonder that the event isn't being publicized anywhere else? They don't want "outsiders" to come and vote in someone who isn't part of the clique. We still need to crash the gate here, in 2009.
Using my own money, I've advertised this event on the local Air America station, KYNS (starting tomorrow morning), and I have done my best to publicize this event by e-mail, and through people I know. It's probably not going to be enough to bring new faces in.
In my organizing efforts with other Obama volunteers in organizing our local day of service events, we have actually met resistance from people with positions of responsibility in the local Democratic Party. They want us to kiss their ring for help. The truth is, they resent the fact that Obama organized his own campaign.
When I held my early December Obama house meeting, one gentlemen who has been involved with the local Dems for years, came in and tried to highjack the meeting, and interrupted everyone to remind them of his work. I though I had mollified him, and when I asked him for his support for Assembly District Delegate, he simply signed up to run on his own.
As a Californian, I am proud of the efforts the folks like me have made to bring change to America. So many of us went to Nevada and hit the pavement. But our state is suffering, and needs reform. Californians need to send the message to the mandarins in the state party that we need to support President-elect Obama and we need to reform California, and we need to do it without having to hand everyone a certificate of recognition. Check your egos at the door!
State Delegates are chosen three ways. First, local and state elected officials get to name their own, about one-third (kind of like superdelegates at the DNC). Second, the county level committees get to name some people (apparently not enough to get all of their clique in). Third, there is an assembly-district-wide caucus every two years to elect 12 delegates per district. I am a candidate at the caucus, and would appreciate your support.
Please visit http://electstorm.com for more information, and listen for my spot on KYNS tomorrow and Friday.
If you have any questions, or if you would like me to arrange transportation, please e-mail me at jonerik@electstorm.com
I will be posting updates every day through the caucus to tell you about crashing the gate on the Central Coast.
Update: I acknowledge the comment that the event is now listed. I would hasten to add that it was not listed until recently.