Democratic stuff 101

Depending on where you are in the country, the words will change. If you are in Louisiana, you are organized by parish on a political basis, rather than a county. If you're in Boston you are part of a ward, and if you are in Oregon, you have a precinct. Here, we have a Central Committee, which is the general monthly meeting of anyone who wants to show up. If you're in Durham NC, everyone's invited to the monthly executive committee meeting, but only exec committee members can vote. The structure and divisions of labor will vary from place to place.

You're first assignment is to figure out what's going on in your state and county: here. Call, email, go to a meeting.

You may be lucky and have a great first experience. But you may not.

Remember that in any nonprofit with the kind of reputation as political activism, there are going to be geeks, fussy compulsive people, over-enthusiastic people with no lives, and power mongers.

Your second assignment (if necessary) is to transcend that for the common good. Get past the patriotic gatekeeper, or the apathetic volunteer coordinator, or the person who really thought that Lieberman should have been the nominee, or whoever.

Find the way to get plugged in. Remember that you are saving the environment, working for a more peaceful world, and inserting one more person of good conscience into the political process -- which means (all politics being local) that eventually we will turn this ship of state around and make it a better thing.

Be persistent. Be heroic. Be patient. Be friendly. Find allies. Go as a team with other like minded folks from your social action committee, YRUU group, or whatever.

Be brave. Remember that little flaming chalice and lay it like a seal upon your heart.

The basic business of a county party is to do a few things:

• register and get out the vote by canvassing, phone banking, tabling at events, whatever
  
• organize Democrats in the county by training and spreading news and holding meetings and delegating the business of the party
  
• promote the Democratic party through outreach and events such as parades, presence at major civic and social and arts events, block parties, meetups, and whatever else someone is willing to do
  
• endorse and support candidates for public office
  
• develop leadership, and recruit candidates for office
  
• raise money to be able to do all this through contributions and subscriptions, major donor solicitation, and fundraising events

Probably doesn't look too different from any of the other nonprofits you've been involved with. And just as there are a zillion different nonprofit cultures, each county party is a little different too.

Counties are generally organized on a level of precincts or wards. This is to make each area into some manageable chunk. In a rural area, these can be HUGE because they are generally divided up into chunks by population.

If you want to get involved by canvassing, you may want to become a precinct worker, which means you become part of a team (if you're lucky and there are other folks in your 'hood) who goes out and knocks on doors of your neighbors. This is incredibly important work. one study found that nearly fifteen percent more folks voted when personally canvassed. No other political action (phone bank, direct mail, media appeals) can match this.

Does the idea of canvassing make you cringe? Well, if you can...GET OVER IT. Would MLK have cringed and given up? So don't you, either. Respect the worth and dignity of the person who greets you at the door! Most of them will be nice -- some really happy to see you! -- and very few will slam the door in your face.

We spend a lot of time talking about this stuff, and very little time really working on it.

But if you are really shy and just can't do it, find something else to do. Most of us are talented folks. You may have skills at organizing events, legal issues, nonprofit administration, fundraising, or any number of things that you may even have learned at church. The Democrats can use all of them.

Don't take no for an answer. And don't say yes too often and burn yourself out.

Now go get 'em!