Chris Christie will find this, from the communications shop at NJDSC, an inconvenient video. Particularly if you post it to your own facebook, Twitter and other places where you can help remind people that words have consequences beyond getting a media-savvy governor on teevee, and on stages in Republican strongholds across the country in front of adoring audiences.
Easy to bluster. Easy to strut. Easy to talk tough. Much harder when those words cycle back at you. Just like your mama told you in 4th grade - actions speak louder than words. From the NJ Democrats:
Last week, then-Republican Chair Jay Webber sent a public letter to Democratic Chair John Wisniewski to "get the process jumpstarted" on redistricting public hearings, stating that "we believe those hearings have been delayed long enough" and that they were "eager to hold multiple hearings to listen to New Jerseyans' views on this once-a-decade event.
They apparently weren't all THAT eager though, based on my experience today. More details below the fold.
Sean Downey, veteran of Chris Dodd's presidential campaign, Evan Bayh's All-America PAC, and Joe Lieberman's Senate office, has been named the new Executive Director for the NJDSC. He starts January 3, 2011. The state Dems have been without a captain since Rob Angelo went to take his "dream job" as Northeast regional representative of US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, and that was 3 months ago.
Downey will be our guest on Blue Jersey Radio tonight at 7:30pm. What should Jeff and Jay ask him?
DSC Chair John Wisniewski:
I am thrilled to welcome Sean Downey as the new Executive Director for the Democratic State Committee. He brings experience as a leader, strong fundraiser, excellent organizer and talented communicator who has been involved with campaigns and government on the Federal, State and Local levels.
It's interesting that Wisniewski hired from out of state, although Downey did grow up in Long Valley. In this state, we can't seem to prevent the North Jersey and South Jersey Democrats from competing parochial interests, and the busload of political corruption arrests helpfully arranged by Chris Christie just before his governor's election launch (plus the fact the scoundrels appear mostly to have been guilty) leaves a stain on the Democrats that is still a defining one. It's completely arguable that any corruption infecting NJ Democrats is easily matched in Republicans. But we're talking about perception, and that, plus the fact New Jerseyans think what they're seeing every day is a media-savvy feature story of a governor mow down Democrats who haven't figured out how to coordinate yet ... well, you can understand why the Democrats might want to bring in somebody who doesn't seem to owe anybody here anything, a fresh breeze.
The DSC news release touts the desire to "build a more grassroots focused organization". That's a term a lot of us are used to seeing claimed by infrastructural Democrats, but we don't always see it transacted. We'd like to see it transacted, and it would be good to see a 21-County Strategy here; to really run one we need to de-emphasize the centralized power county chairs have, and strengthen the party from the ground up. In the age of Obama, these are goals the national Dems don't appear to have. But it would be great to see that happen in New Jersey first. New Jersey needs it.
A little more on Downey's background after the jump. Or you can listen in Wednesday when he's our guest at Blue Jersey Radio, and maybe even call in and talk to him yourself. We're so glad he's making time for this interview.
There is an old adage in legal circles that "If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither on your side, pound the table." This Governor has done an awful lot of table thumping this past year. As we head to the end of Christie's first year leading the state, we now have a much larger sample by which to judge his work. While many here at Blue Jersey were among the first to be critical of the Governor, polls show that the more people who didn't have an opinion of his style and policies see, the less they like. Not only has Christie's approval dropped over the year, but his disapproval has risen by 18 points as people learn more about him.
The Governor would tell you that he has been successful regardless of the results because the debate has changed. He has laid out his case just like a prosecutor, giving only the facts that make his point and omitting or attacking anything that undermines his claims. While the debate may have changed, the solutions of this Governor have only further placed the burden on struggling middle class families and seniors at the expense of giving away more money to millionaires. And the style with which he goes about developing those solutions serves to distract from the true impact they will have.
For all the talk about 2010 being the new 1994, and for all the talk about anti-incumbent Tea Party fever, I never thought those national trends would take much root in New Jersey. After all, we bleed blue, and the New Jersey Democratic State Committee manages one of the most effective political machines in the country. I have no love for the machine, but I'm willing to take the good with the bad if it means having effective progressives like Rush Holt and Frank Pallone re-elected, and if it means a Democratic party that is willing to fight instead of roll over and act like DINOs.
The State Democrats mashed up some of the NJ-3's more embarrassing statements of late. We have that video below.
Blue Jersey already ran Runyan's stunning answer on a general knowledge question that has stumped unprepared candidates like Sarah Palin and Christine O'Donnell before him. Amazing that none of his handlers saw the question coming and prepared him. Well, maybe not so amazing. But I hadn't seen his answer on loopholes that let companies ship jobs overseas. Wow. Just wow.
With Chris Christie spending most of this month out of state for GOP political trips - sometimes with a powerful GOP lobbyist along, sometimes getting in the face of people with questions - NJDSC produced a video primer of our Governor, with some of the things he might not be mentioning as he helps Republican candidates rake in the money in the days leading up to the November election. Here it is, called "Consequences of Christie. Does it tell the story?
The State Democrats first picnic is on. Officially on, and starting in a few minutes.
There will be cover, so it should be comfortable, dry and fun.
Here are the what-when-where details for today's event. The BBQ starts at 12:30pm but goes all the way till 4:30pm, so there's plenty of time to get to Burkes Park. That's on Washington Road in Sayreville.
In the lead up to a show-down on Gov. Christie's decision to cut out state funding for un- and under-insured women's access to basic health care, the Democrats are announcing a phone bank:
Tuesday, Sept. 14
5:30-8:30pm NJDSC HQ
196 West State Street, Trenton
The purpose of the calls is to reach out to supporters to remind them to ask their own elected officials to vote Yes for to override Gov. Christie's veto on women's health care a few days later, on September 20. No doubt many of you who show up - men, how cool it would be if you'd be there too - are experienced phone bankers. But I should also point out that calls to allies - as these calls will be - are the most rewarding calls to make. Easy.
Blue Jersey's own Senator Loretta Weinberg has been front and center, the strongest advocate in the Senate to find and get approval to replace the funds and continue to make cancer screenings, HIV testing and pre-and post-natal care available to people who have no other reliable place to go for care. The Christie administration has nixed the alternative funding source suggested by the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) but thusfar has provided no reason why those funds should not be used. The governor wants this to go away.
Can you be there? Email Heather or call 609-392-3367.
What I want to know is why the New Jersey Democrats could spare 10 lawmakers for a Summit in Atlantic City, to spend one entire day chattering about gambling, horses and tourists. And let Loretta Weinberg and Linda Stender walk into a room by themselves to be ambushed by GOP staffers one-upping them with news that women's health funding just lost all key GOP support.
What about this confuses you Democrats, in terms of priority?
Does nobody in the Democratic Party get the disastrous optics of this? All that Dem firepower all day long to rescue gambling industries that on their best day are fun places to spend leisure money and on their worst are a regressive tax on poor saps we tempt into risking their mortgage money while distracting them with half-dressed women, colored lights and booze? While what's at stake for the women of New Jersey is maintaining access to health care for at least 40,000 women? That is necessity, not leisure. Are you kidding me?
Tell me all you want that the AC Summit was about jobs. Union jobs. Good.
Shut the GOP out of your summit because Christie's Hanson Commission was hand-picked and secretive. Whatev.
Suit up to fight off a Christie takeover AC plan that's GOP incursion on your Democratic-controlled city. If you must.
But you did not look good doing this. You let the conversation in the papers be about your decision to shut out the GOP. No less outrageous than the governor's choices, but way more public, and thus more publicly petty. Particularly when you start trotting out old turf wars North v. South, which was some time after the bugler dressed in a red costume get-up opened the summit like he was blowing the start of some race. Do you feel me here?
Legislating with the Governor from Hell must be demoralizing and frustrating. But it's time to get your act together. And leaving two women legislators hanging in the wind to advocate for the most at-risk members of half your citizenry is not it.
I don't know if the Dems have the legislative strength to overcome this veto, now that Christie pulled the leash on GOP senators Diane Allen, Kip Bateman, Andrew Ciesla, Christopher Connors, Sean Kean & Robert Singer, and stopped them thinking for themselves. Is this override just a sinking ship you don't wanna be on? If so, think again. You want to be Democrats, you're going to have to show up for women, and for people at risk. You're not going to do that, you'll have to call yourself something else.
Because the GOP's dominated by the Christies and the Jay Webbers, for whom Roe v. Wade isn't settled law, it's law they don't feel like recognizing. Access to birth control and the prevention of unplanned pregnancy isn't access to health care for them, it's an excuse to inflict their opinions about morality on the rest of us on women, never risking their own lives. Forget pap smears, breast cancer screenings - that's not even on their radar.
We see you Dems who came out for women. Thank you. But, Democrats, for most of you - Your house is burning, and you left your women inside while you went to the track. Get straight.
A letter came to light today, via politickernj, from a Somerset County Democratic state committeeman to John Wisniewski, suggesting Wisniewski resign from the NJ Assembly, and bylaws be drawn to keep elected officials from serving the state party committee forevermore. And at least one Democratic County Chair - Somerset's Peg Schaffer - is on board with that.
Frankly, that's a hard case to make. Joe Cryan, Joe Roberts and Bonnie Watson Coleman all ran the Party from the Assembly. And Asm Jay Webber runs NJ GOP. That begs the question why the hell the Dems should alter bylaws for what only may be an issue right now - if it's an issue at all.
And the public relations here is dicey. Awful, maybe. I'm sure Joel Shain - former Orange mayor, who once primaried and lost to Dick Codey - didn't intend this, but a letter asking the Democratic State Chair to demote himself and have less power than he is already perceived to have, well ...not cool. Even though, face it, with notable exceptions the Democrats have a serious swagger deficiency, despite their number advantages. That's what Shain's getting at, asking Wisniewski to choose, and pick only the Party. But I think there's another problem.
Transparency & accountability: Try to find the state committee folks who represent your county, people in Shain's position -
Or the wiki. Note: NJDSC parliamentarian Regan McGrory is thorough & very responsive to requests for info. I've asked her for that list, and I expect to post it - but I think those names should be listed on their site, and nobody should have to ask for it.
Who runs the show? The reality is that the state committee is a rubber stamp. In theory, NJDSC's primary function - and Wisniewski's - is to enact the will of its members. And committeemen like Shain are elected to express that will - our will. And the Chair's supposed to be guided, at least in part, by those locally-elected to the state Party. In practice ... very different. The state committee may have power they don't exercise, and at any rate we never hear about it. It's top-down, all the way. We know that the people running the show - really running it - are the professional Dems, the class comprised of high-level state electeds, and Democratic staffers. They're good people - don't get me wrong, from time to time, Blue Jersey even lobs a person or two into the front office - and they're fully committed, good Democrats. It's reasonable that key daily decisions are made by them - they're there every day.
The problem is, in their party capacity they're not answerable - except to each other, and for their jobs. They don't report to you. County & state committee people can be a key to change, and greater accountability, but they have to hear from the rest of us that we expect that. And the beginning of expecting them to exercise their power, is seeing who they are, and locally contributing feedback to them. And I expect the NJDSC to work overtime to promote that.
A good start ...I want more: The Party Democracy Act has been a lever to dislodge centralized control, giving party activists (on both sides) a better shot at tracking what really goes on. It's a good process. And if the state committee is actually nothing more than a rubber stamp - except on rare occasions when they make news, or shock the hell out of the party Chair - then maybe we should be asking why that is, and how actually to have our voices heard when our Party takes action, defines itself, or does battle with an impudent Governor who thinks it's his way or the highway.
I'll post the elected members of the NJ Democratic State Committee, reps from all 21 counties, when I get it. Meanwhile, consider this an Open Thread on Shain's letter to John Wisniewski.
Blue Jersey, what do you think? Text of the letter is after the jump.
Before I talk about my next step, I wanted to take a quick look back in time. Over 7 years ago, I was a field organizer in Northeast Iowa on the Howard Dean for President campaign. I would read the Dean for America Blog at night and write to people from New Jersey who would post. One of those people at the time was Juan Melli, a student then at Princeton University. We started talking Jersey politics and as I stayed in Iowa following the Dean campaign to manage a Congressional race in 2004, we kept in touch.
When I returned to NJ following the 2004 elections, I would eventually meet Juan at Princeton when he was involved in the filibuster against Frist in 2005. He told me about this idea for a blog and the next thing I knew in September 2005, I was a founding member of the then BlueJersey.net
Through the years, my jobs have changed and my involvement in Blue Jersey increased as I began to write more regularly, became the Technical Director of the blog and started co-hosting Blue Jersey Radio with Jeff Gardner.
As much as I have enjoyed my ride here on the blog, it's time for my next step. I have been offered the position to become the Communications Director of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. I recognize that the position probably wouldn't even be available to me if I had not been involved in this blog, but I also recognize that this blog has never been and cannot simply be an extension of the state party itself.
I'll be following in the footsteps of the many front pagers that have come before me and moved on to make an impact within the Democratic Party and in the media itself. Before JRB was writing for Salon and Huffington Post, he was posting here at Blue Jersey. Prior to Juan Melli working for Dawn Zimmer and Jon Corzine, he founded our little site. Jay Lassiter worked on the campaigns of Rob Andrews and John Adler after he was Blue Jersey's statehouse correspondent. Before Thurman Hart was writing an online column at NJ.com, he was taking people to task on this blog. Brian McGinnis handled Blue Jersey's morning roundup before moving on to Garden State Equality, followed by Pam Lampitt and Lou Greenwald's Legislative office. Before Jeff Gardner was a Party Chairman, he was and still is a front page blogger. While Rosi is busy actually running the blog, she also has her hands in more going on across this state than I can even name. And the list goes on and on with involvement from the people here at Blue Jersey in the party, in government and on campaigns in New Jersey.
So much has gone on in my time at Blue Jersey which has not only been fun to be a part of, but a source of great pride. We had huntsu on the trail of Chris Christie before anyone else wanted to pay attention to what was going on. We caught a staffer on Tom Kean Jr.'s campaign astroturfing the blog from their own headquarters, which is still cited in her wikipedia page. We've covered live events with everyone from Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, to Bon Jovi and Jon Corzine. Hosting the radio show with Jeff Gardner, Adam Lambert, JRB and whoever else wanted to join us has been an absolute blast. Having my name even associated with the Think Equal campaign and the ads that were created for the Marriage Equality push was an honor. Seeing first hand photos from Rome of the Coliseum lit up when NJ abolished the death penalty literally sent chills down my spine. And recently we even helped lead the fight to save the SCI from the power grab of a Governor.
Someone once told me that Blue Jersey helped serve as the conscience of the Democratic Party, which I often took great pride in. They said we served as a farm team giving progressive Democrats a platform to hone their message and communications skill. Just as I have followed others in moving on to influence the party in a different capacity, I hope other readers here will take advantage of the opportunities Blue Jersey presents and the potential it holds. Thank you all for an amazing ride and I look forward to continuing the fight, just in a different capacity and forum. It has been an absolute honor for me to be associated with Blue Jersey and the people who contribute to make it what it is.
The NJDSC just put out a statement, headlined: Wisniewski: Maybe Schundler was right...apparently Republicans aren't proficient in math. How do you react, Blue Jersey? I'll print the statement verbatim:
One of Governor Christie's main reasons for opposing the previous incarnations of yesterday's Democratic proposal was its effects on small businesses. The new threshold eliminates any of those worries.
Now he has a simple choice to make. Side with over 600,000 seniors who can't afford a $315 deductible, a doubling of their prescription co-pays, and elimination of their property tax rebate OR give a huge tax cut to 16,000 people making over $1 million a year.
Because he and his Republican colleagues don't want to have to make this choice they are arguing against last year's surcharge instead of the revised plan introduced by Democratic Legislative leadership yesterday. Governor Christie put out a press packet attacking last year's surcharge, then when Republicans realized that's not what we were proposing, they used out-dated OLS numbers to discredit the new proposal.
Governor Christie's fraudulent 'shared sacrifices' rhetoric needs to be backed up with action, and Democrats are taking that action. He can rail against 'politics as usual' all he wants but this isn't about politics it's about priorities. Apparently Governor Christie's priority is millionaires. We don't see the 600,000 plus seniors who will benefit from our proposal as a special interest, we see them as our priority.
Throughout his campaign for Governor Chris Christie constantly repeated that he planned 'to get things done through cooperation, and when that didn't work through confrontation.' Time and again he completely bypasses any attempt at cooperation.
"Some very good Democrats stood up and supported this issue on the floor of the senate," said Wisniewski. "To hurl a broadside against the one party that stood up for this and say the effort wasn't good enough is throwing the baby out with the bath water."
Um, no it's not. It's not anything like that. There are no babies being thrown out here. As a clever friend put it on hearing the Chair's statement:
No, they are taking the baby out of the cold, slimy, dirty bath water and then giving it a big, warm hug with a fluffy nice towel.
The baby is the group of legislators who stood up for civil rights and equality.
The cold, slimy, dirty bath water is the party organization that refused to stand up for civil rights and equality.
What the Wiz should have said was "I understand where they're coming from." Or "we're going to continue to work to earn the support of all our members." Or even "I hope in time they'll reconsider their decision." Nope. None of the above.
Instead, he went on to say simply that "Not all of our members will agree with other members," though I'm not sure what point that's supposed to make. Well, guess what? Not all of your donors will agree with all of your members either. And when they don't, why would they want to give financial support to those members? (Answer: they wouldn't.)
But, they did, and do, and will continue to support the very good Democrats (and others) who stood up and supported this issue on the floor of the senate and elsewhere. It would have been far more productive and encouraging to hear the Chair acknowledge that fact, and to pledge to help heal the still-fresh wounds from the recent legislative loss.
A big tent doesn't just welcome the donations of time, money and support from a diversity of communities. It stands up for all those communities when it matters most, and works its hardest to keep them in the tent.
Promoted from the diaries by Rosi. Blue Jersey, please weigh in on this.
Principles- then a plan.
As you know, I was recently elected Chair of the NJDSC. I want to make sure that the BlueJersey community knows where I stand and accepts my invitation to be a vital part of the New New Jersey Democratic State Party.
A stronger party from the bottom up. A commitment to new ideas, new media and new voices. An unwavering dedication to the Democratic values of inclusion, fairness and justice. And working to elect Democrats in every corner of our state and at every level of government. These are my guiding principles.
One of the first items I read when I decided to pursue becoming Democratic State Chair, was Rosi Efthim's excellent diary entry, An Open Letter to the next Democratic State Chair. I urge every Democrat to read this, as it has been very useful in helping shape and support my plan for building our party from the grassroots level up. In fact, I've been talking about many of Rosi's very practical, on-point recommendations almost everywhere I go.
John Wisniewski, Dana Redd, Janice Kovach, and Rubin J. Ramos, Jr. were elected last night - by unanimous voice acclamation - as NJDSC's Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary & Treasurer. Good luck to all four, and to Paul Bontempo, elected to the DNC to replace Wisniewski, who now votes as Chair.
I'll post Wisniewski's full remarks as soon as I get them. A good speech, hitting on a common theme last night of troubled times. On the losses in NJ,VA & MA, Steve Sweeney said: Don't be ashamed. This country is in turmoil right now; we'll get it back.
But among fighting words for party faithful, I thought the most moving story came from outgoing Chair Joe Cryan, who walked to the podium, and said:
Being a Chairman is awful.
Biggest laugh of the night. Then called out to me, mentioned Blue Jersey, and talked about how trying to translate Howard Dean's 50-State Strategy to 21-County Strategy came with painful choices.
Cryan told a story about his "worst day" as Chair, when he had to tell a Freeholder candidate running in a COP-dominant county, that he couldn't give her the money she needed to win. She was everything you could hope for; smart, full of ideas, great outreach, doorknocking hard like he always says to. The year was 2007. There weren't enough resources to participate in more than 2 counties. He didn't have the money she needed. And he knew his "no" effectively killed her chances.
He didn't say it, but I think Cryan was talking about Somerset County's Melonie Marano, whose loss was also a heartbreak for us at DFA-NJ; she got our statewide endorsement, and a check.
I was both moved and crushed by Cryan's remarks. Just 1 year later, Somerset County produced more brand-new Dems during the Obama surge than any county. What might have been possible with just a few more bucks behind good candidates like Melonie? Ending, Cryan said I never want John to have that feeling. What are the lessons here? What's the takeaway for Wisniewski? Cryan said he hopes his successor never has that feeling.
By around 8pm tonight I'm going to need a new signature line here at Blue Jersey - it's been a link to a post I wrote - An Open Letter to the Next Democratic State Chair - with a few suggestions for Party reform to bump up Outreach, Transparency and Platform. I'm not the only one thinking reform.
The marriage equality fight was a moment of growing up, and new muscle, for the progressive forces in NJ. Losing says more about you folks in the Legislature - especially some of you Democrats - than it says about us. The new muscle - don't mistake it - grows around the way the leadership & membership of so many formerly-separate progressive groups stood together.
On Party leadership, I've said it's more about what's done than who's elected. Yeah. I've changed my mind. It's also about process. I wasn't thrilled with a press release from Asm John Wisniewski, saying he nabbed endorsement from all 21 County Chairs. The Chairs don't vote - the 113 State Committee members do (bylaws), and the release - while obviously a show of strength for a Chairmanship long ago worked out in a room somewhere - seemed an unfortunate admission that political orthodoxy, deals, and the Way Things Have Always Been Done are what rules.
I would be delighted with a floor fight tonight as the State Committee chooses Party leadership. But given how undemocratic this vote seems like it will be - with candidates stepping back in favor of their seniors, and politico dealmaking long before the vote - I don't think I'll see one (I'll probably get a lot of nasty looks tonight though, c'est la vie).
Dana Redd brought shame on her Party during marriage equality consideration, not only - as Asm Reed Gusciora points out - because she snubbed Julian Bond when he came to testify, but also because she made a point of avoiding the New Jersey citizens and Democratic Party rank-and-file who wanted to talk to her about it. I hope she gets last-minute competition tonight.
The vote tonight - 7pm at Forsgate Country Club - belongs to NJSDC State Committee, not the Chairs, not the dealmakers, not outgoing party structure. I think Asm Gusciora is right in calling on them to consider Redd's recent choices, and I hope tonight's vote is anything but boring.
John Wisniewski's people trumpeted the news yesterday that he has secured the endorsement of all 21 Democratic County Chairs. We bit. We wrote about it - because it's interesting, and people want to know.
But what I want to know, is where Wisniewski wants to take us, and how. I'm less interested in the personalities of who leads the state party than in what - specifically - they're doing to change party infrastructure and methods. Transparency. Platform. Outreach.
I'll tell you a story of something I got very wrong, before I got it right. I host Hunterdon DFA, and I'm one of the people who organized the state DFA-NJ. It would have killed Howard Dean if the surging grass/netroots organizing that grew up behind his campaign came to a dead stop after he stopped running, as Democratic organizing so often peters out behind unsuccessful candidates. So Democracy for America was born. And in the early days of it, some of us got a call: What did we think of Howard Dean running for DNC Chair? Well. I was against it - a solid no. I wanted Dean to re-emerge as candidate for president, again.
But when I took the question to Hunterdon DFA, they set me straight: If we don't have somebody who can fix the party infrastructure, who can change everything, we won't win anything - not the White House, or the House, or the Senate.
Lightbulb. Really, sometimes I can be so slow.
When Howard Dean ran for DNC Chair, he ran on a clear organizing principle: Reform Democratic spending and focus; less to hidebound inside-Beltway consultants, and more to training and underwriting energetic organizers to fan out and work locally (thank you). End the focus on "target" races only; concede no voter, no District, no state.
He told everybody what he was running on. It was out on the table. And he was right. So, John Wisniewski, I want to know your plan.
Taking my lesson from Hunterdon DFA, the challenge NJ Dems face is every bit as critical as the Bush White House that Dean stared down. The vectors aren't ours right now. NJGOP has a reason to live for the first time in a decade of looking stupid. They're high on life, and we are not. We face a GOP executive riding high. And the rootin'-tootin' corruption shooter Chris Christie is our boots 'n spurs tough-talking George W. Bush. The wind isn't going to shift in our direction without change from within. I think we're owed hearing how Wisniewski is going to be New Jersey's Howard Dean.
This is in no way an indictment of Joe Cryan, who I like a great deal. And I was in the room for this meeting too, and I agree about the man Wisniewski is. This isn't personal.
The NJDSC will have a Vice-Chair, too. I'm told in confidence it's likely to be someone I know. I hope she comes forward with her proposals, too, and I hope I never see anything like this happen again. And Steve Sweeney, with the awesome party power of his office, will I hope also be public about how he can and will change the party's paradigm.
Assemblyman John Wisniewski just sent out this statement in a press release:
As the members of the State Democratic Committee prepare to meet on January 27th to elect the organization's next leader, the Democratic Chairs from all 21 counties in New Jersey today pledged their full and unanimous support for Assemblyman John Wisniewski of Sayreville to be the next Chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.
The release then went on to list all the county chairs and quotes from particular endorsers. Whoever the next chairman of the Democratic State Committee is has a difficult task ahead of them. Many Democrats are depressed either from the most recent election, national issues and even the goings on of lame duck. The party will also have to raise money and organize without the financial support of Governor Gorzine for the first time in many years.
Rosi put together this open letter to the next State Chairman following the election in November in which she outlined many things she would like to see from the next leader of our state party. It's a great jumping off point. We'll have to make sure we send Wisniewski a copy. And we'd love to have him come talk about things on Blue Jersey radio, which would go along with Rosi's thought to play with new Media. What do you think of Wisniewski as the next chairman of the state party and what else would you suggest they do to help make our party stronger?
I don't know who the next state Chair is going to be. I hear rumors. Then I don't hear them. And then I hear them again.
But no matter who it turns out to be, there are a few things I want to put on the table. I didn't always agree with Chairman Joe Cryan, but I can't imagine anyone more driven, more alive, and more vibrant in the pursuit of victories. I hope the next Chair has a lot of Cryan's qualities, and maybe a little of his swagger too. I admire him. And looking ahead now, a few suggestions for whoever the next Chair is:
Pretend you're Howard Dean When Howard Dean became DNC Chair, he presided over a transformation in the way the party spent money (on local organizing, not pricey beltway consultants), and a shift in the culture from over-reliance in high Democratic performance areas/states to not conceding any voter, or any state, anywhere. We won everything on the back of that seismic shift. I'd love to see that here. But more importantly, I hope the next Chair has their own clearly defined idea of what the NJ Democratic Party can be. Imagine something different, cast that line far out in the water, and change everything. Because there's a lot in this party that needs to change, and everybody knows it. Imagine what's possible statewide like Dean did nationally. Stick to your guns, and surprise the hell out of everybody. Because that's what it's going to take.
Aggressively pursue 21-County Strategy Concede no voter. Concede no town. Concede no county. Be the sharpest, cleanest party with a mission that can be understood all over the state. And remember that red county parties need more resources to crack open those places and bring change. And in an atmosphere of crushing GOP infrastructure, the Chairs, county committees and candidates need all the training, and connection you can give them. Form a Red County Task Force at NJDSC.
Exist between elections for people - Have cool events NJDSC needs a vibrant events arm. Issues Town Halls, Democrat-sponsored book talks with authors on book tours, movies outside in a park in Trenton, or against an outside wall in Jersey City or Camden. Brainstorm. Keep the idea of Democrat alive in people's minds. Then employ or implore the people who can do it.
Get the Dem State Conference out of Atlantic City, and out of September I'll say this as plainly as I can: It's insane to take 1,000 of the state's most passionate Dems out of play for a whole half-week just as the rest of the electorate is waking up to the fact that there are candidates running. Move the thing to late spring/early summer (after the non-partisan elections). Nothing against AC, but move it out of there or at least revolve it all over NJ.
Make it a grassroots event, not an insiders' schmoozefest. Move it to a college campus. Make it a convention, not a conference. Use the opportunity to develop platform, bump up training, and let the people in attendance help set the direction of the party by involving them in decision-making, platform-writing.
Make part of the convention open source. Some of the most exciting meetings in the country are run this way.
Listen to The Citizens Campaign New Jersey has an idea factory for vibrant civic engagement and good government. They're about clean, fair politics, and they have the sharpest tools in the toolbox to get us there. They don't work for you - and that's good - but they have all the answers. Same suggestion, by the way, for my GOP brothers and sisters.
Play with New Media Webinars for skills-building. Twitter. Show up on political blogs. Write an internship for a vlogger to travel the state and make short videos asking people why they're Democrats, or interview vets about the country they fought for, interview workers on labor issues. Experiment. Do stuff I haven't thought of. This won't cost you much, if anything. It's not about that. Do it right and it'll be fun, and make people see you differently.
Give the party a platform Let the pro-choice ones battle the anti-choice side. Hash out differences on taxes. Make your stand clear on home rule. The party needs to stand for something, and voters need to see what that is. And not inconsequentially, active Democrats need a voice in setting your direction. That's their route in, how they can buy-in to who the New Jersey Democrats will be.
Transparency You have a nifty website. But it doesn't do enough. Publish the DNC bylaws, NJSDC bylaws and bylaws of every county party. Everybody needs to know the rules, and how to work them to get done what they want to. Knowing the rules levels the playing field, and if you want us to believe that Democratic is also democratic, you're going to want to level that field.
Post on your site every member of every Democratic County Committee and how to reach that person. This party should make it easy for Democrats to see who's supposed to be doing the work where they live, and if that person's unresponsive, then the party should make easy for someone to challenge and contribute that work. UPDATE 8/2/10 - State Committee reps should be posted, too.
Let young people in I know the party celebrates its youngest. But I think we can be doing more to provide opportunities, access and resources to them - to College Dems, to Young Dems and to the high school kids working their hearts out in local Dem HQs all over the state. Create committees for them to serve, with real participation, direction and responsibility. Ask the Cory Bookers and the Loretta Weinbergs and the Steve Sweeneys of this party to host Open Houses for kids interested in politics, if they're not already doing that. Do what we did in the 2005 Corzine Connection part of his campaign: host First-Time Voter events where 18-year olds get access to your Senators, your congressmen, your stars. When national political hotshots come here, don't just run a fundraiser, tack on a free event for young people to meet that person and ask questions. Be creative. See where kids get interested, then find ways to up the ante for them. Above all, listen to them. In about 5 minutes, they're going to be running the show. Invest now.
That's it for now. There will be more. This is an Open Thread.
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