Great points that express how I've been feeling. In 2020 so many of us were relieved Trump lost that we failed to realize that they were organizing to ensure their comeback. They have been playing the long game politically since Obama and even longer on the Christian nationalist agenda (since the 80s). We have to learn what organizing means and execute it. I'll get that book that you referenced. I've been reading the book "Democracy in Retrograde" which I also recommend.
Nancy, BCDP has strategized, organized, and now we are mobilizing since at least 2018.
Probably before. I started in 2018. They offered classes. I’m now in charge of Precinct Recruitment and Training Committee. I feel that most of our Precinct Chairs are mobilizing for the Primary unless they are new. It did take a minute for me to understand what to do. In Bexar County precinct chairs know what to do if they really want to
Good article. I just started as a precinct chair here in Tarrant County and I'm trying to figure out what to do. I have excellent organizers above me though. They are practical, kind and informative. They are following the idea of telling us what the goals are and giving us the freedom to reach for those goals in ways tailored to our talents and abilities.
I got thrown into it. I'm not in Taylor's district, but a county-wide effort was activated at about the time I started. I helped a little. I think the Tarrant County Democrats are doing well. The mindless churn of unnecessary stuff you describe could be the result of living in a very Blue area or a very Red area. I have noticed when there is a lack of competition, people don't necessarily have the kind of fire in the belly they need. That fire in the belly comes from something we used to say in law school. Nothing focuses the mind like a hanging in the morning.
On a related, but slightly different, topic, my opinion about the Republicans here in Tarrant County is they have jumped the shark. They don't have their mobilization in hand. In one of the local articles I read, Leigh told the supporters there weren't enough of them out there on the ground. This is probably true for several reasons.
1. Their supporters are geriatric. They aren't up to it physically;
2. Their natural voters are pissed off about Republicans infiltrating their school boards and making a hash of their children's educations thereby lowering the school's attractiveness which lowers their property values;
3. The reality of the economy, the cruelty of ICE and sheer exhaustion of all the shrill Republican scare tactics have eroded normal people's interest in voting for them.
Leigh out spent Taylor by 2 and a half million. But Taylor's ground game just rolled over hers. We were organized. We were mobilized and we were focused on the result. The people of Tarrant County responded. I door knocked this afternoon for my choice in the Democratic primary for US Senate. Let me tell you, the people are fired up and ready to go. They do not like what Republicans are doing to their city, their county and their country. And they are not buying the story that everything, everywhere is always Democrats' fault.
Tarrant County is the model we need to be looking at right now. That exact same strategy and energy can be applied here and Collin County can flip as well. But, it takes a willingness to want to WIN and with strategy over personal agendas and bureaucracy 😉
Mothers postcards plus Ellis County Dem ones where the only ones I had in 2024. No strategy nothing. I am changing that, precinct by precinct with actual vote goals. In order the flip Texas, CD 6 needs to recruit 100 new chairs across our district. I am running for SDEC because this is what I am already doing, since 2024 I have recruited actual working precinct chairs in our 5 counties, I have even recruited ones for Denton, Travis, Collin and Williamson. But I hold my chairs accountable. I give them goals, I raise money to make sure they have lit and postcards for every election. TDP is stepping up. They are helping. But I can tell you, there is only a strategy from TDP because I worked my ass off to get Kendall elected. And demand an actual winning strategy. I don’t ask for permission. Want to know how many doors I have knocked on in do nothing PC chairs? Lots. And I am done. I will recruit and recruit and if you aren’t doing something in your precinct to win the election then should lose your job. Welcome to the real world. This isn’t something we do for glamor.
Yup, we are working. We can start doing on zoom and have PC meetings. I am going to start using my own precinct which is a little microcosm of lots of places how to organize!
What county is that and who is the Democratic county chair? A good county chair's job is to organize the precinct chairs with the tools they need. Here in Travis, Doug Greco is our Dem county chair and has been working hard doing just that. Maybe your county chair can contact him for help.
Hi Nancy, I'm not a mother but I'm also keen on solving this problem. Curious if you've had further ideas in the past month about designing the equivalent of precinct strategy for the Democratic Party?
I have had the same experience as you for several years now here in Dallas so I just wrote a manual explaining relational organizing, deep canvassing, and why this is what we need now in Texas. It is based on Marshall Ganz's book People, Power, Change, as well as Mamdani's field strategy. It's step by step instructions plus the theory behind it all along with the data backing it all up. I'm happy to share it with you! Community truly is our superpower and precincts are where we build it! I would love to talk to you and coordinate our efforts!
Totally on point, Nancy! As a No Kings organizer, I find ppl respond to that "brand" so I'm going to use it in my Precinct organizing.
Will add that Precinct chair can be a lonely job. We ALL need help and Precinct leaders. Two arms, 2 legs, only so many hours available to volunteer.
I find very few folks even know what a precinct is, much less who the chair is.
And yes, I expect the the next No Kings will have another major call to action -- urge ppl to check their voter reg, connect with ppl in their communities. Last time we had 60 orgs at Aud Shores who were swamped with ppl signing up for them. As a 501(c)3 event, we can't platform parties, candidates, or partisan groups. But you know we have no control over who attends ... in what branded t-shirts, making connections.
Great points that express how I've been feeling. In 2020 so many of us were relieved Trump lost that we failed to realize that they were organizing to ensure their comeback. They have been playing the long game politically since Obama and even longer on the Christian nationalist agenda (since the 80s). We have to learn what organizing means and execute it. I'll get that book that you referenced. I've been reading the book "Democracy in Retrograde" which I also recommend.
Nancy, BCDP has strategized, organized, and now we are mobilizing since at least 2018.
Probably before. I started in 2018. They offered classes. I’m now in charge of Precinct Recruitment and Training Committee. I feel that most of our Precinct Chairs are mobilizing for the Primary unless they are new. It did take a minute for me to understand what to do. In Bexar County precinct chairs know what to do if they really want to
Good article. I just started as a precinct chair here in Tarrant County and I'm trying to figure out what to do. I have excellent organizers above me though. They are practical, kind and informative. They are following the idea of telling us what the goals are and giving us the freedom to reach for those goals in ways tailored to our talents and abilities.
I got thrown into it. I'm not in Taylor's district, but a county-wide effort was activated at about the time I started. I helped a little. I think the Tarrant County Democrats are doing well. The mindless churn of unnecessary stuff you describe could be the result of living in a very Blue area or a very Red area. I have noticed when there is a lack of competition, people don't necessarily have the kind of fire in the belly they need. That fire in the belly comes from something we used to say in law school. Nothing focuses the mind like a hanging in the morning.
On a related, but slightly different, topic, my opinion about the Republicans here in Tarrant County is they have jumped the shark. They don't have their mobilization in hand. In one of the local articles I read, Leigh told the supporters there weren't enough of them out there on the ground. This is probably true for several reasons.
1. Their supporters are geriatric. They aren't up to it physically;
2. Their natural voters are pissed off about Republicans infiltrating their school boards and making a hash of their children's educations thereby lowering the school's attractiveness which lowers their property values;
3. The reality of the economy, the cruelty of ICE and sheer exhaustion of all the shrill Republican scare tactics have eroded normal people's interest in voting for them.
Leigh out spent Taylor by 2 and a half million. But Taylor's ground game just rolled over hers. We were organized. We were mobilized and we were focused on the result. The people of Tarrant County responded. I door knocked this afternoon for my choice in the Democratic primary for US Senate. Let me tell you, the people are fired up and ready to go. They do not like what Republicans are doing to their city, their county and their country. And they are not buying the story that everything, everywhere is always Democrats' fault.
Y'all did an amazing job! Seriously amazing. Now we need to learn from you and replicate it everywhere.
I can’t take credit. I was honored to have a small part.
All the small parts count!
"the people are fired up and ready to go" -- Music to my ears!
Tarrant County is the model we need to be looking at right now. That exact same strategy and energy can be applied here and Collin County can flip as well. But, it takes a willingness to want to WIN and with strategy over personal agendas and bureaucracy 😉
Mothers postcards plus Ellis County Dem ones where the only ones I had in 2024. No strategy nothing. I am changing that, precinct by precinct with actual vote goals. In order the flip Texas, CD 6 needs to recruit 100 new chairs across our district. I am running for SDEC because this is what I am already doing, since 2024 I have recruited actual working precinct chairs in our 5 counties, I have even recruited ones for Denton, Travis, Collin and Williamson. But I hold my chairs accountable. I give them goals, I raise money to make sure they have lit and postcards for every election. TDP is stepping up. They are helping. But I can tell you, there is only a strategy from TDP because I worked my ass off to get Kendall elected. And demand an actual winning strategy. I don’t ask for permission. Want to know how many doors I have knocked on in do nothing PC chairs? Lots. And I am done. I will recruit and recruit and if you aren’t doing something in your precinct to win the election then should lose your job. Welcome to the real world. This isn’t something we do for glamor.
Liza, I love you! You are a bad ass!
Hey Liza! I just saw you on here too! I wrote to them earlier telling them about the manual! I'm happy to share it and we can do some more training!
Yup, we are working. We can start doing on zoom and have PC meetings. I am going to start using my own precinct which is a little microcosm of lots of places how to organize!
What county is that and who is the Democratic county chair? A good county chair's job is to organize the precinct chairs with the tools they need. Here in Travis, Doug Greco is our Dem county chair and has been working hard doing just that. Maybe your county chair can contact him for help.
It was Doug!
Oh no! Let him know he needs to help that precinct. Tell him about your experience.
Hi Nancy, I'm not a mother but I'm also keen on solving this problem. Curious if you've had further ideas in the past month about designing the equivalent of precinct strategy for the Democratic Party?
I have had the same experience as you for several years now here in Dallas so I just wrote a manual explaining relational organizing, deep canvassing, and why this is what we need now in Texas. It is based on Marshall Ganz's book People, Power, Change, as well as Mamdani's field strategy. It's step by step instructions plus the theory behind it all along with the data backing it all up. I'm happy to share it with you! Community truly is our superpower and precincts are where we build it! I would love to talk to you and coordinate our efforts!
Totally on point, Nancy! As a No Kings organizer, I find ppl respond to that "brand" so I'm going to use it in my Precinct organizing.
Will add that Precinct chair can be a lonely job. We ALL need help and Precinct leaders. Two arms, 2 legs, only so many hours available to volunteer.
I find very few folks even know what a precinct is, much less who the chair is.
And yes, I expect the the next No Kings will have another major call to action -- urge ppl to check their voter reg, connect with ppl in their communities. Last time we had 60 orgs at Aud Shores who were swamped with ppl signing up for them. As a 501(c)3 event, we can't platform parties, candidates, or partisan groups. But you know we have no control over who attends ... in what branded t-shirts, making connections.