Washblog || Caucuses aren't enough

Caucuses aren't enough

By emmettoconnell
Wed Apr 12, 2006 at 09:42:41 PM PST
Section: Diary Topic: Building the base

Cross posted at Better Donkey

This past weekend at the Thurston County Democratic convention we were all done with writing our platform, almost ready to go home, when we considered one more resolution: to cancel the 2010 precinct caucuses. The reasoning behind the resolution, which ended up failing badly, was that this year's precinct caucuses were too expensive, too stiff and too poorly attended to justify holding caucuses again during an off year.

While I understand why the resolution failed, I still think reforming our caucus system is important. In an non-Presidential year, the precinct caucus process is there to start writing the county party's platform. People don't typically show up because they see little at stake in simply writing a party's platform. In an era of low participation and nearly non-existent turnout to caucuses, the process rewards people who stick through the entire process, not good or popular ideas. An idea only needs support among the few that show up to the convention, not the majority of Democrats in any county.

The caucus system decades ago, when people were politically engaged, when more people simply showed up, were an important way to ensure local interests where represented in state and national platforms. But, today, there are different ways to do things.

Thurston County and the 43rd LD both held topic specific pre-caucus issue forums to kick-start the conversation on writing the platform. I think we should pull the platform writing process out of the caucuses in 2008 and 2010 and do more of what happened in Thurston County and the 43rd. In addition to developing online tools, we need to move away from the stiff caucus/convention format to write our platform.

More conversation, more informal.

< Republican Attack on Eastside DFA Falls Flat | Iraq, Iran ... any pre-emptive war started by this country >

Caucuses aren't enough | 5 comments (5 topical)

1. Caucuses are just to fix volunteer databases,

people don't get involved because all their time on a platform goes nowhere?
and, how about people don't get involved because the process isn't transparent enough, so those who can sit through all the meetings win by default?

how about putting the process on the web?

Meetings, Agendas, Resolutions
- Standard Operating Procedures For Grassroots Organizing

http://www.liemail.com/3MeetingAgenda.html

rmm.

http://www.liemail.com/BambooGrassroots.html

by rmdSeaBos on Thu Apr 13, 2006 at 09:50:02 AM PST

* 3 1.50 2 *

N gives me a 1 cuz I don't agree with by rmdSeaBos, 04/13/2006 04:03:16 PM PST (none / 0)

a small but perhaps significant q about process..

As far as I know, the precinct caucuses are organized by the State Party. The LDs copy the precinct resolutions and so forth at their own expense before turning all of the original materials over to the State Party.

The LDs hold their own Caucuses, mostly a meet and greet for pols, some directed discussion which doesn't scale well, more resolutions are passed, and delegates to some State confab are elected.

On a parallel track, the County then holds a caucus; in my experience this is a complete rubber stamp... affording, of course, plenty of meet and greet time for pols.

I don't know what, really, the State Party does with these materials, which would be voluminous (although the attendee information would be useful to pimp to campaigns).

Somehow, through backroom rewriting by committees which are composed of officials from the various orgs, platforms get proposed.

I note that under State law, these officials are elected by the elected PCOs who reconstitute the Party structures after the Parties are legally dissolved subsequent to the election of PCOs.

So, getting back around to the beginning (it's simple, really):

My understanding is that, in fact, the caucuses have utterly no compelling influence on what the platform (if any whatsoever) may be. My understanding is that the platform has to be adopted, under the bylaws of the particular org, at regular meetings, by regular members (or maybe only PCOs). Am I wrong in that reading?

by m3047 on Wed Apr 12, 2006 at 10:33:05 PM PST

* 1 none 0 *

In Thurston County

The caucuses are the first round of the official platform making. The only resolutions and planks that can be considered at the county convention (where the platform is approved) is at caucuses.

There are a series of meetings between the caucuses and the convention by a platform committee to write a draft platform, but the real approval comes at the county convention.

________________
I blog here.

by emmettoconnell on Thu Apr 13, 2006 at 07:08:35 AM PST

* 2 none 0 *

here is the actual resolution

for your reference:
http://olywa.blogspot.com/1990/04/failed-cancel-caucus-resolution.html

________________
I blog here.

by emmettoconnell on Thu Apr 13, 2006 at 09:51:23 PM PST

* 5 none 0 *

Caucuses aren't enough | 5 comments (5 topical)

PNW TOPIC HOTLIST

WELCOME AND FAQ
ABOUT

Login


Make a new account
Username:
Password:

HELP

Recommended Diaries

Highland Park in the News again; heard about Nickelsville?
My little neighborhood in West Seattle, near the city line, is the mouse that got up and roared when the City
By dinazina (30 comments)
Seattle Musician posts video-A nonpartisan version of song "Yes We Can"
I'm a singer songwriter from West Seattle and I just uploaded a video to Youtube that I think is relevant in
By lmsings (2 comments)
No Tears From Me for Lonesome Brian Baird
For those of you who have not seen this from the Seattle Times, I have taken Mr. Westneat to task just
By The Left Shue (5 comments)
Bernie Sanders to the richest: via Youtube
What Bernie says -- in 2005 the top 1% of earners made more than the bottom 50% in the United States.
By chadlupkes (3 comments)
Terry Bergeson Has To Go - Do The Math
At the Thursday July 10th 36th Disctrict Democrat endorsement meeting, some people spoke in favor of Terry Bergeson. I thought they
By rmdSeaBos (22 comments)
Eye Candy from 08 Pride Parade
A girl has to have SOME fun. Above, 34th District Obama delegates Dinazina (moi) and Jody Rogers. This year I
By dinazina (7 comments)