Shouldnt Ritchie and Birenberg Resign?

[art3]

Given the bloodbath in TX- the loss of 22 state rep dems including the utterly devastating loss of rep ellen cohen in houston- should state chair ritchie step down asap?

Also-given the debacle in Harris co. where dems finally put up a great diverse bench of candidates to run for 100 offices but got trounced after spending bucks on campaign offices but not on defining the race to voters- shouldnt gerry birenberg finally go? the losses of thiabut, sylvia garcia and ellen cohen beg the question. many voters might have voted for the ticket had they know who the dems were running. it was inspiring- the harris dems ran candidates which would have broken the glass ceiling for judgeships and more. But that angle nor any other was sold.

What a infuriating time again to be a dem in tx. We are now back to where we were in 2002. and the gop has a 2/3 majority in the tx house. i think the party deserves fresh new leadership in TX- and at the DNC- no?

[Melissa G]

1. New, Fresh Leadership sounds good to me. n/t

[The Philosopher]

2. Yes

From what I can tell, there's been no real difference in leadership. I'm in a heavy Republican area and I only find Democrats when I'm hoping someone voting in the Primary isn't a Republican trying to screw with us.

We have to take this opportunity right now to fight the propaganda, the viewpoints of the Republicans, instead of attacking a candidate or whoever is in office. We not only have to explain what it means to be a Democrat, but what it REALLY means to be a Republican and hold those views. Not to demonize anyone calling themselves a Republican, because no one will join you after you call them names; but to show that there's better ideas out there, that their reasoning is faulty, and that the Republicans in the end don't represent them.

If I were the chairman, the simplest thing I'd do is create an online presence. The state party website isn't that great. It's not easy to navigate, it's not all that functional unless you're urban, and it attacks candidates instead of explaining ideas. I'd make a FB page, a Twitter account, everything that's free to register and even run. I'd also fund COUNTY websites with the same design. We have to make it easier for the local Democrats to get together, to meet each other, to talk to each other, and even to find among them someone who can be a great candidate so that we never again have an election where only a Republican is running.

We also need someone who can really push the national party to fund us, and find out-of-state sources of funding. We're really on the verge of being able to turn the state blue, but we need help. We need lots of help. And that means money. We need to run a proper campaign for our Senators/Representatives. The heavier we fight in races that never have a Democratic voice because either a Dem doesn't run or doesn't run a visible campaign, the more we win to the Democrat side, even if we lose that race.

I'd also hold multiple conventions every year, so that more people can attend these events. A lot of people can't go to the county/state convention because of distance or money or it's scheduled on the wrong date for them.

One thing I would not do is accept a Blue Dog as a candidate. That to me is a compromise strategy. You put them up so that Conservative Democrats will vote Dem instead of Republican. I'd rather do the above strategy of explaining why Republican ideas aren't good and run a Progressive/Liberal candidate.

I'd also make it easier for the casual political person to know what's going on in the state House/Senate/Gov. Right now it's not all that easy to know the day-to-day stuff, unlike with the Federal Government. I'd make it clear and simple and easy to find out. That way people KNOW what's going on and BAM, we have a link to explain why the Republicans are screwing them over.

And then, we also need someone who can make these local political news shows less biased. Right now, they seem like Republican ad machines, rather than unbiased news organizations.

[art3]

3. Yes-and lets engage young voters- not just hold rallies please

precicesly. im sue many got this today- a call for the resignation of the hcdp leadership.w e want change. we want fresh leadership. young leadership.i hear bitching about young voters not voting. big surprise. as a young voters and frmr college dem pres at a tx college i can u tell why. there must be a permanent engagement of the youth. not rallies at college campuses. i have no freakin clue why so many pols keep doing this. they arent very effective. young voters have concerns- but they are very diffrerent from the odler folks running the party and country. we need young people, hired by the party, to engage both college and non college folks constantly on their problems, craft proposals to help, and then have the party adopt them and our candidates run on them etc.. young voters feel left out fo the process and ignored except a mo. prior to election day when those pols come to have their rallies. its time get real and get serious. the youth vote is big time progressive as we have seen. youth vote is as progressive as it was for fdr in the 30s polls show. its foolish for the party to not do much more with young voters.

[CoolOnion]

4. Yes--and we need to reach Latinos and low income voters

The people who have the most to lose from GOP victories are the ones not showing up to vote. The TOP wants Arizona-style border control, Voter ID; they want to pull out of Medicaid, cut aid to families in need--we need to hold some free educational events to get non-voters to the polls. And maybe the non-voters can educate us, too. What do they need? Rides to the polls? We can do that. Excitement? We should be able to deliver that, given the thousands of people who show up for immigration rallies. Rallies don't mean much if you're not going to vote.

[PDittie]

5. Keep Birnberg; lose Richie and Kaine.

[Melissa G]

6. Definitely LOSE KAINE!

maybe somewhere in South or Central America, far, far away from us.

[art3]

7. Is it Local OR Natl? Im Leaning NATL PARTY!

Well kaine i never liked as governor either. he opposed gay adoption rights and signed in abortion restrictions for women. When he came to Houston to fundraise for HCDP I know some ROAD Women who slammed the decision to bring the guy here who has not been a friend to women and choice. This is the dem party these days. and this is the core problem. In 2009 the dc dems didnt get how severe people's problems were. they went incremental at best and that in the worst natl economic crisis since 1932 doesnt work! the hcr law is so complex few understand it. its not medicare 4 all which everyone gets and would be very popular. mandating the purchase of private insurance doesnt sound appealing esp with no pub opt. you cant tell the suffering " oh dont worry in 2014 you will get insurance subsidies- if you are lucky!" or "hey grandma vote for us bc in 2020 the doughnut hole will be closed!"

People are out of work and you cant tell tehm "hey bud i know you are stillout of work going on 2 yrs but for us "bc I have no works program to offer you!" millions face forclosure. I see no answer from the party leadership esp WH. Folks are about to lose their houses right before the election and no natl forclosure moratorium was issued. nothing.Dems did some good things in their brief 2 whole yrs of power- but hey could have had a generation in power if the people's needs were not so ignored or underestimated. RX drug costs should have been regulated liek the dems promised to do- instead it was traded away for the hcr bill. every dem in america could have said- im glad you rx drugs are much cheaper now and would have been thanked with re elected bc that would have been immediate and very real. you could have opened medicare to 55 and up- the grp most out of work esp in OH,PA,MI. but that didnt happen and their suffering means big trouble now and in 2012.

As I think about it more and more the real reason so many dems have gone down in Tx and nationally is bc what do they have to sell that is immediate and real for the suffering? a hcr bill unpopular with consrvatives and a good chunk of the left? a bill that doesnt really impact lives fully for 4 freaking yrs?! People turned to dems bc they needed hep and the gop isnt the party u turn to in a economic crisis. Instead of fdr style relief they got crumbs at at best. and sadly ellen cohen, garcia and dozens more in tx paid the price. with no dnc messaging on the issues esp hcr bill and not enough major big relief for millions we will all pay and keep paying.

Ive devoted my life to the dem party. ive been a pct chair. worked on dem club boards, pres of a univ college dem grp, worked for many a campaign, but but Im growing tired of trying to defend these weak tea lame policies that arent helping those hurting so bad. th epeople need help. dems on the hill had a duty to provide it. But somehow it didnt happen. I see this nation going hard right- something I though we stopped in 08. I have grave worries for our country and state and party. I mean what is next? this more than party chair- although we sure could use osme young, fresh faces. I think there is a fundemental policy problem. Look at the map- PA,OH,FL,MI,WI are red. red! something better change fast. Under Dean we made big gains bc dems campaigned on fdr style agenda- reg rx, expand medicare, etc.. The prblems we face i think is more from the natl party than locally-NO?!