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Snuggling up to the NHDP

Mike Vlacich wrote:

Greetings,

Governor Dean and his supporters have revolutionized the way campaigns will be run and supported, and the New Hampshire Democratic Party wants to send a clear signal to all of those involved in this past presidential primary that this party belongs to all of you. We look forward to staying in close touch in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

With the assistance of Alexander Lee, I'd love to work out a regularly scheduled time to chat with you online, on the phone, or even in person. In the interim, please join our BLOG and check out our new website (www.nhdp.org) to sign up for our weekly e-newsletter which keeps you posted on the events and news of the week.

Plans for a progressive caucus in the party are also underway, if you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact us about how to get involved. An organizational meeting will take place on May 15 and we are working to see if that might be coordinated with your planned activities that day. Lastly, we strongly encourage you to consider running for office at all levels this cycle.

Thank you for your efforts, and we look forward to working with you.

Mike Vlacich
Executive Director
New Hampshire Democratic Party
mvlacich@nhdp.org
Phone: (603)-225-6899
Fax: (603)-225-6797

Paid for by the New Hampshire Democratic Party, 2 1/2 Beacon Street, Concord, NH 03301.

This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Then Alex Lee wrote:

Folks,

I think we should definitely take Mike Vlacich up on his offer of a weekly phone call.

Also, I would suggest that we do as much work as possible by email and meet an hour in advance of the progressives on May 15th and then join forces with them for the rest of the day. I don't know if that will fly with them or if it will fly with all of you, but that's my suggestion. There are too many parallel tracks in my opinion and we have enough in common where it makes sense for us to combine our energy.

Roger, can you poll people about a) whether we propose some call times to Mike and b) whether we want to join forces with the progressives for half the day on May 15th? Location is still TBA.

By roger at 04/28/2004 - 16:29 | Democrats | DFNH | login or register to post comments | previous forum topic | next forum topic

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In agreement, but...

Yes, DFANH needs to be its own entity and reflect the values/beliefs of the national org. I'm sure we'll come to an agreement on the 15th about the mission statement,and come close to if not finalize by-laws, etc. Then the challenge is to grow our numbers and actually DO something meaningful statewide.

Aside from urging participation in various issues as part of our ongoing mission, since this is an all-important election year, the most effective way to get behind candidates running as Dems(from Kerry down to local candidates) is to work with the NHDP as local DFANH groups. After the election, the issues we choose to impact will become the priorities.
By Suzanne H. at Mon, 05/10/2004 - 3:04pm | login or register to post comments

suz - local is key - you are right

one of the local active dems in my area said he was a little resentful of all these groups popping up at parallel purposes. he said he feels that working hard on the local level is what needs to happen, and not worry about all these other national orgs.

well, of course i hope that i convinced him about DfNH and the unique role we can play. But i totally agree with what he said about the local groups, which is what suz is getting at above.

lyndeborough won for dean by 13 votes. how do you think it would have gone if us locals weren't on the phone election week bugging the fence-sitters!

that's why i love the meetup structure as our basis. it will work. it's the local groups that the state party needs to support and give a reason to grow. we can help in that through our local grassroots structure.

peace and blessings,
nancy
By ntobi at Mon, 05/10/2004 - 8:00pm | login or register to post comments

NHDP?

Most of my comments were sent by email. In brief there is no doubt about a universal support by Dean Supporters for Kerry as the candidate by default. So far I don't think the NHDP has a clue what it was about Dean and his supporters that made that relationship click. One part was the Bush problem but there was much more to it than that. On the possibility that that quality can be carried forward in a civic/political process it will happen outside the Dem. Party. Undoubtedly it will embrace many Dems, many Independants or what ever they are called in New Hampshire.

Once we have gotten ourselves put together and are underway then we should engage in dialogue with the NHDP. About then they might start believing we have some ideas and values they have yet to acknowledge.

Then there is the actual possibility or working in concert on some things.

My prior letters should be included in the collection of comments.
By Charles Friou at Wed, 05/05/2004 - 10:22pm | login or register to post comments

What I Really Meant to Say...

I think because of my brevity, there was a misunderstanding. Roger and I had a long conversation, while he was cooling down, and I think people misinterpreted what I was saying.

What I am saying is that we need to get our DfA group together, pass some bylaws, and invite the Kucinich people to our table (not vice versa). At the end of the day, though, I believe it is wasted effort if we are not all at the same table. Mike and the Party will be a resource to the Kucinich group. I suggest that at our next meeting we have a breakout session with him for those who are interested in speaking with him at which we nail down a time to do this biweekly phone call with progressives. He will not be playing a major role in the Kucinich supporter meeting, just observing from what I have heard, but it is crazy for us not to meet down the hall from each other and spend some time together. Maybe flip-flop what I said and spend three hours by ourselves and one hour with “those people.” If we can, as we agreed at the last meeting, do a lot of our work over the internet then maybe my suggestion of how to break the time up is not bad.

Rachel and I recommend a 527 structure and will get you some bylaws and articles of organization by the middle of next week.
By Alexander Lee at Thu, 04/29/2004 - 10:03am | login or register to post comments

The Borg (kidding!)

I am a member of the Democratic Party and have been my entire adult life. I am even the Vice Chair of the Lyme Democratic Committee (and just wrote our fundraising letter). But I think for now, let's keep DFNH on its own. Dialogue with them is fine and important to do eventually, but I agree with Mike Smith that we need to get ourselves organized a bit further before we reach out formally or informally to NHDP. I think we're additive to NHDP, and will help their overall goals but the core of our effort -- grassroots, big-tent (read, not just progressive or even Democratic) politics -- differentiates us in important ways.

I see DFNH as a channel for people who aren't sure they want to be in politics, but who want to get their voices heard; whose opinions don't fit neatly into any one party's platform but whose opinions and views are commonsense; and for all those who feel like politics is a dirty business that could get cleaner and more effective by the input of regular folks.

Alex, great job reaching out to Mike. And Mike, thanks for the very nice note...maybe we can arrange for some of us to meet or talk with Mike after May 15th to start this conversation. I'd certainly be happy to be a part of that group once DFNH is ready.

Suggestion for Mike -- can someone from DFNH to speak at the convention?
By pglenshaw at Wed, 04/28/2004 - 11:25pm | login or register to post comments

Bingo

IMHO what peter says is the core of it - and maybe should be woven into the mission statement somehow:

Peter wrote:

...the core of our effort -- grassroots, big-tent (read, not just progressive or even Democratic) politics -- differentiates us in important ways.

I see DFNH as a channel for people who aren't sure they want to be in politics, but who want to get their voices heard; whose opinions don't fit neatly into any one party's platform but whose opinions and views are commonsense; and for all those who feel like politics is a dirty business that could get cleaner and more effective by the input of regular folks.


peace and blessings,
nancy
By ntobi at Thu, 04/29/2004 - 8:17am | login or register to post comments

No assimilation

I strongly feel DFNH needs to remain separate from the democratic party. I am a registered democrat, but respect the differences I saw among Dean supporters on many issues and know that a huge number of them were Independents, as well as some Republicans. Dean's positions are frequently more conservative than mine, but he possesses personal qualities that are lacking in many in public office: honesty, integrity and forthrightness, to name a few. I see DFNH as carrying these qualities into politics and looking for these qualities in candidates it supports.

The progressives who met 4/18 and are meeting 5/15 are not part of the democratic party and are themselves struggling with self-definition, as we are. I heard repeatedly at that meeting from Kucinich supporters that "every Dean supporter I spoke to believed in all of Kucinich's message" although not supporting him as a candidate. I bristled every time I heard this. In the end, we all need to coordinate to get Bush out of office (sorry, I can't bring myself to word that as "elect Kerry"), but I don't think DFNH and the Progressive group can easily snuggle up together, nor do I think it would serve a purpose to try to do that at this point.
By Elizabeth at Wed, 04/28/2004 - 10:36pm | login or register to post comments

Joining two meetings

While I can't attend the meeting on the 15th, I would like to express the opinion that some work needs to be completed on the "organization" before we hold any joint activity...we will too easily have our mission diluted, I think we need to really have some identity established first...this definitely doesn't preclude future actions, after all that's what we're about
By Michael Smith at Wed, 04/28/2004 - 9:58pm | login or register to post comments

we're not all progressives necessarily but...

I am all for as many people as possible getting under the DFNH tent. We will agree on some things, disagree on others. I just hope I don't get chased away by some of the so-called "progressive" agenda items about which I know I am personally opposed.

There has to be a way to come together in common purpose and respectfully disagree about things too. I see that Howard Dean is able to do this in his support of John Kerry. This is a good role model for me.

peace and blessings,
nancy
By ntobi at Wed, 04/28/2004 - 9:21pm | login or register to post comments

We can play together

Now that we've hammered out what is most important for us to do in the realm of communication, political action, structure and voter outreach, if the progressive group is on board with our goals, they should absolutely join with us. If they have different priorities, perhaps they may want to go their own way (cue song...)

At the very least, let's invite them to join our commmittees now that our committeees have a direction.

Remember, we must all hang together, or most assuredly, come November, we will all hang separately
(Paraphrased from Ben Franklin)
By jocelyndemuth at Wed, 04/28/2004 - 7:14pm | login or register to post comments

Now that I've calmed down...

I think Alex has done us a great service by getting Mike Vlacich's attention. An ongoing conversation with him is clearly in everybody's best interest.

I'd like to see the conversation start with a short face-to-face meeting between Mike and a small group of interested DfNH members. We have a lot of barriers to break down, and it's much easier to start doing that when we're all in the same room.

The last thing I want to do, though, is let the NHDP assimilate Democracy for NH before we've even finished creating it. I don't want our next organizing meeting turned into a general progressive schmoozathon. (Having just spoken with Alex on the phone, it's now clear to me that he intended no such thing. But that's how I interpreted his message.)
By roger at Wed, 04/28/2004 - 6:35pm | login or register to post comments