November 9, 2016 brought Democrats, heartbreak, pain, and despair. It also brought a realization, things could no longer go on the way they were. We were at a crossroads, our old message and tactics just weren’t working anymore. We could go the way of the South, pining for the more genteel days of the past, and passing out of relevance and competition, or we could modernize and weaponize, the choice was ours.
First thing was we had to elect a new Chair for the DNC.It was a spirited, intense affair, more so than normal because of the intense interest in the race, this one race could be critical to our future. It finally came down to Keith Ellison and Tom Perez, new blood and ideas vs old guard establishment, or so it was said. When Perez won, he didn’t just pay idle lip service to Ellison, he very smartly gave him a seat at the table in the reconstruction.
Some of the comments and feelings after the DNC election tended to be “so what? Who cares who is in charge if they don’t do jack shit, and they’re not going to change the party”. That would have been true at almost any other time, but not this time, and for one good reason. This time they had pressure, and they had competition, “The Resistance”. No more sitting back spouting good sounding bullshit, the base was energized, and if the organization didn’t take corrective action, then goddammit the grassroots would. I wrote a DIARY about 10 days ago, chronicling the positive outcome for Democrats in IL in the local elections, and the IL rep who on her own set up a series of “boot camps” for new candidates, showing them the ropes, and it worked.
Now the DCCC seems to be catching up, but not at the candidate level. This level is unsung, but just as important, if not more important than the person on the poster. NBCNews.com is REPORTING today that the DCCC has already begin a series of “Campaign School” training classes, not for candidates, but for campaign staff! To quote the article;
Over 1,300 aspiring campaign managers, field directors, and finance chiefs have so far enrolled in what the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is calling "DCCC-University."
The criteria and goal of the classes are original and should be effective too. Rather than interview, it seems that pretty much anybody interested can enroll. The classes are being done “American Idol” style, with the best and the brightest going on to a national Candidates School in DC.
Now, this is how you rebuild from the ground up! Here at the Kos we all know that even those of us without poli-sci degrees and political pedigrees can make a difference. Politics is something you live, not something you learn, and the DCCC finally seems to be catching up with the 21st century. “Previous Experience Required” is not something that belongs in this job search;
It's a roving school that will train those in eight cities across the country and online this Spring to meet heightened demand for next year's midterm elections, when Democrats hope the backlash to an unpopular president will give them a chance at re-taking the House.
"It's all about getting people out there on surfboards," said one of the instructors, Democratic consultant Dave Gold. "Otherwise, the wave might come and it crashes on the shore and nothing comes of it."
I look at it this way. If Trump University had been set up like this, Der Winzig Daumen (Tiny Thumbs) Dumbkopf would have saved himself $25M, and not made a horses ass out of himself over a federal Hispanic judge. And it’s not just broad, sweeping political philosophy we’re talking about here, it’s down-in-the-weeds, practical stuff;
Gold taught a a course on "Rolodex fundraising" — the art of mining a candidate's social network for potential donors. And he lead another one how to get the most bang for the buck from campaign consultants, who do much of the behind-the-scenes work on congressional campaigns.
Two officials with the Texas Democratic Party offered lessons on how to write and maintain a campaign budget — and stay within the law while doing it. And students heard from local congressmen other DCCC officials.
This is no joke, and it’s not just some glamour campaign meant to simulate progress, this is a critical part of organization infrastructure. Officials note that too many times down ballot races are run by first time campaign staff, and they so burn out from the stress of learning on the job, that they never return for another campaign. The object here is to get these people trained up in advance, give them the skills and confidence to be successful, catch the bug, and be hooked on the rush of winning for years to come. And what kind of confidence does it give to a new candidate, to have someone with the knowledge of “the ropes” to help grease the skids for him or her?
If it is properly run and funded, this has the potential to be a game changer, and immediately. Think of how many down ballot GOPasaur incumbents have the luxury of seasoned, veteran campaign staffs, and they can sit back and watch a freshman candidate opposing them, with a neophyte staff stumble and fumble with the basic mechanics. Imagine their surprise when they’re suddenly faced not just with an enthusiastic candidate, but a staff that not only knows how to fund raise effectively, but then to use what they raise effectively, to craft and get out their message. Think there are going to be some shocked faces?
You want “Change you can believe in”? This is how it looks. Outside groups like Emily’s List have held training sessions for campaign staff, but nothing on this scale or complexity, and never starting this early. This IS your bench folks, this is the future. Think about it, once these people are trained, they never lose that training. They can either follow their successful candidates up the ladder for statewide and national races, or they can stay behind locally, and be there to tutor the next wave of new candidates to success. Time will tell, but at least to me it looks like the DNC is finally serious about getting its shit together and getting back into the game, and with a vengeance. If any of you sign up for one of these, please write a diary and let the rest of us know how it goes!