Do you go to your precinct convention?

[redqueen]

Poll question: Do you go to your precinct convention?

Do you stick around to vote on resolutions?

[redqueen]

1. Please feel free to comment, too.

Sorry, I didn't give much impetus to do so with my OP...

It amazes me how few people are even aware of the practice... I usually work the primary election and make sure to tell everyone about it, but hardly anyone ever shows up.

[cosmik debris]

2. Usually only two or three show up

And we ask for volunteers to attend the county convention. It is painfully dull.

[redqueen]

3. Yup.

You're in TX too, right?

[cosmik debris]

4. My county party is controlled by a few lawyers and large donors

They don't lead, but they do control. Consequently there is little enthusiasm and only minimal participation. It is a great opportunity to learn about real-politik.

[redqueen]

5. Yes, well...

it is Texas.

[NoPasaran]

6. I guess this year I won't have a choice but to stick around

Since for the first time this year I'll be precinct chair.

In my precinct though we usually discuss resolutions that people feel strongly about and just pass everything else up to the county convention.

Personally, I think resolutions are like prayers. They make some people feel good, but I don't think they really affect anything.

[redqueen]

7. In my precinct there usually *aren't* any resolutions,

except the ones I bring. :rofl:

I think the support shown at precinct conventions for some resolutions can affect the way they're received at the county (or SD) conventions. We've had SD conventions in my area in the past, but I think we may be switching to county... not sure.

[redqueen]

8. C'mon...

there's gotta be more than that!

Doesn't anyone here go to their state convention?

[hfojvt]

15. we don't have a precinct convention

I am a precinctman in my precinct. I was elected by a vote of 13-1 running unopposed. We have monthly meetings and other activities. You cannot vote unless you are a precinct person, but you can attend. I have been to a couple of state conventions. I helped out at the Edwards table at the last one. You cannot vote at the state convention unless you are a County delegate or alternate and I was neither. Nobody else from our county was there though, not even our state Reps or senator (all three of which are Democrats). Between renting a car, paying for gas and a hotel room, it was an expensive way to participate in politics. Our guest speaker was Harold Ford :puke: and that was a $75 ticket that I did not purchase.

[redqueen]

16. Yes it IS expensive.

Which is offputting, to put it mildly.

I've never been to a county convention, as we had only senate district conventions (at least last time around, not sure how they're doing it this year), however we did have one representative show up, I think.

[hootinholler]

9. What are you talking about???

Seriesly1!11 I have no clue :shrug:

-Hoot

[redqueen]

12. After you vote in the primary... this is in most states I'm sure,

but maybe not all... but anyway after you vote in your primary election, there is a precinct convention held, usually in the same place you voted. That's where you elect delegates to go to the state convention and you can also submit and vote to approve any resolutions that you'd like to see added to your state party's platform.

It's how I got started in this whole politics thing. :)

[Parche]

10. Only If You Deliver

:rofl: :rofl: :hi:

We have vote by male............it works great :hi:

[redqueen]

13. You are so bad...

:spank:

[derby378]

11. I'd better, since I too am a precinct chair...

And we have so much work to do at the convention as well.

[redqueen]

14. Yup.

I don't even wanna go this time.

[geniph]

17. We have caucuses here

The conventions are comprised of the delegates from the precinct caucuses. And yes, I go to the precinct caucus, and then the conventions (county, legislative district, congressional district, state, and in 2004, I was a National delegate). We'll see how far I get this year. I think there are going to be a lot more people running for a delegate seat than in 2004, which broke a lot of records.

The precinct caucus is usually pretty small. I'm the precinct committee officer for my precinct, and we have about 200 active voting Democrats in the precinct; about 8 of them showed up to the precinct caucus in 2004.

Oh, and no, I don't stick around for the resolutions. I HATE that part of the conventions. It always ends up with a couple of factions of utter ideological purists arguing over the placement of commas in some resolution having to do with Israel-Palestine at the county convention, and it strikes me as a form of masturbation. It ought to be done in private.

[derby378]

18. The precinct resolutions are the very reason the Democratic Party exists

To take part in the caucuses and argue over the resolutions is to shape the destiny of the Democratic Party itself. I have resolved not to shun it, but to welcome and absorb it into my own sense of being. This is where grassroots activism finds its strength.

[redqueen]

19. Here it's precinct, then county or SD, and then straight to state.

There's no way I'd ever make it to national. Too much competition for seats. Maybe in 10 or 15 years if I can stomach it that much longer...