More on the SDDP Cuts--It Gets Worse
Apparently the cuts to the South Dakota Democratic Party DNC funded staff is not merely a South Dakota deal.
It appears that DNC Chairman Howard Dean pulled all of the DNC funded positions from every state.
So much for the highly successful 50 state strategy that paid off with a Democratic President, Democratic gains in the House and the Senate, and an overall increase in Democratic voters.
I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I am about this. I thought we had a great team in place at the SDDP. They were making inroads in local organizing. We made a net 3 seat gain in the state legislature. South Dakota was in play up until the end of the Presidential race.
Some of my Democratic "friends" have criticized me for posting this information. I want to win. I want there to be two party rule in this state. I want more Democrats in our statehouse and courthouses. But South Dakota needs national resources to help the state and local parties. We can do a lot on our own but we can't do it alone.
After the success we had election night at both the state and national level, this is very deflating. It is bad news for the Northern and Central Plains, where we Democrats were starting to make real gains.
I would take this as a sign that Howard Dean is not running for re-election as DNC chair. That's a shame. He did an excellent job and put together a winning strategy. But we need to keep driving the nail into the board.
And one clarification of my original posting: the staffers are not let go until the end of the month. Some consolation. I know of people who gave up good jobs with the promise of a position through 2010. It's a terrible way to treat people who lay it all on the field for the party.
It appears that DNC Chairman Howard Dean pulled all of the DNC funded positions from every state.
So much for the highly successful 50 state strategy that paid off with a Democratic President, Democratic gains in the House and the Senate, and an overall increase in Democratic voters.
I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I am about this. I thought we had a great team in place at the SDDP. They were making inroads in local organizing. We made a net 3 seat gain in the state legislature. South Dakota was in play up until the end of the Presidential race.
Some of my Democratic "friends" have criticized me for posting this information. I want to win. I want there to be two party rule in this state. I want more Democrats in our statehouse and courthouses. But South Dakota needs national resources to help the state and local parties. We can do a lot on our own but we can't do it alone.
After the success we had election night at both the state and national level, this is very deflating. It is bad news for the Northern and Central Plains, where we Democrats were starting to make real gains.
I would take this as a sign that Howard Dean is not running for re-election as DNC chair. That's a shame. He did an excellent job and put together a winning strategy. But we need to keep driving the nail into the board.
And one clarification of my original posting: the staffers are not let go until the end of the month. Some consolation. I know of people who gave up good jobs with the promise of a position through 2010. It's a terrible way to treat people who lay it all on the field for the party.
Posted on Friday, November 7, 2008
by
Todd Epp
in 2008 Election, S.D. Democrats and Related Groups
|
4 Comments
Todd Epp
in 2008 Election, S.D. Democrats and Related Groups
|
4 Comments
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Reader Comments (4)
This is one of the things I grudgingly admired about H. Dean. He said he wanted to boost the state organizations and did just that. It seems to have helped.
I just wish the RNC had done the same thing, And I wish the SDGOP leadership and staff weren't so lazy and complacent.
Hi Todd -
Yes, it's true - the DNC State Partnership Program (SPP) staff have been released at the end of November. But this is not a surprise and not necessarily the end of the chairmanship of Howard Dean or his of the deployment of the 50 state strategy.
The Obama campaign was the embodiment of the 50 state strategy. The Democratic primary election/caucus schedule both allowed and forced the Obama team (and Clinton team) to play everywhere. And in the process the Obama team built the ground force that helped them win in an unchallengeable national victory.
But now Senator Barack Obama has been elevated from the Democratic Nominee to the President Elect, and it is to be expected that he will direct his national party accordingly.
Apparently, only the "President of the United States" can appoint a new Chair of the Democratic National Committee, therefore the appointment cannot take place until after the inauguration. Let's all give the new team the benefit of the doubt and our patience.
Fortunately, for those of you who, like Todd, support the South Dakota DNC team (and we really thank you), we're not going anywhere.
I learned in Montana politics that you should never hire anyone who wouldn't volunteer. We were South Dakota Democratic activists before we were DNC employees, and we'll all be activists afterward. Don't get me wrong - it's much easier to keep up the work with a paycheck!
What remains to be seen is what the Democratic establishment (Sioux Falls) plans to do to move forward. You can be sure all of us west river activists are still fired up and ready to go! You can be sure that all of us DNC staffers will be there on December 6th in Pierre to talk over very important issues and develop the two-year plan for Victory in 2010.
And you can also be sure that all of us who supported Barack Obama the candidate will support Barack Obama the President of the United States. We'll be there at the Inauguration, the U.S. Capitol, the State Legislature, the County Commission and the City Council. Count on it.
Informing South Dakota voters about what is really happening in their government, about their true interests and reflection of their true values, is a process, not an event.
Let's carry on with the spirit of cooperation and teamwork. Thank you for your advocacy. Jane
Jane:
As ever, you are the voice of both passion and reason. Damn, girl, you did a GREAT job out west. I want you to keep doing what you're doing!
Thank you for your excellent efforts, good humor, and team spirit!
You da WOman!
Epp
Howard Dean sets out a policy that contradicts Rahm Immanuel or however it is spelled and RI gets on the White House and I imagine we will be back to the reward the winners only so that when Democrats are in the minority, they are guaranteed to be forever in the minority.
Of course if Daschle, Johnson, Herseth-Sandlin did not view a state party as a threat to their little hired personal machines, they would be putting significant money into building a continuing Party.