MyDD :: DNC Vice-Chair Race

DNC Vice-Chair Race

by bendygirl, Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 05:51:50 PM EST

I hate to cross-post and don't do it often, but...

It seems we're spending too much time on the Chair. Can we hit the Vice-Chairs?

So, isn't it time that we weigh in on these posts, what we expect from these Vice Chairs and what kinds of things we're looking for in terms of activism, fundraising and party unity.

So, I'll start.

This year, the DNC will elect 2 women and one man to the Vice-Chair positions.

I found that Congressman Honda from California, AFL-CIO's highest ranking woman Chavez and Senator Wilkerson were the only members available who spoke to me. I mean really spoke to me and my union background, my fear for the future and my desire to come up against the Patriot Act.
More below the fold...

You can read it on Kos as well:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/31/164752/147

I really liked CiFuentes as well and the Vice-Chair of the Utah Dem Party, but Honda, Chavez and Wilkerson were the three I'd like to see pushed.

So, isn't it time that we weigh in on these posts, what we expect from these Vice Chairs and what kinds of things we're looking for in terms of activism, fundraising and party unity.

First, let me say something about my favorite, Senator Dianne Wilkerson

I was so enthralled by Dianne Wilkerson that I made sure I told everyone I met how much I like her.

Senator Wilkerson is the only African-American Massachusetts State Senator. She votes along party lines about 99% of the time. She believes a party as rich as ours can't support a pro-death penalty anti-choice candidate for Chair. What I loved most about the information and the speech that Senator Wilkerson made was her passion at expressing not just her anger but her profound FEAR of where this country is heading.

For more information about this outstanding candidate, please check out these sites:

http://www.unityfirst.com/pressreleasejohnpkee.htm

http://massscorecard.org/MA-Senate/Dianne_Wilkerson.htm

http://www.mass.gov/legis/member/d_w0.htm

My final thought on this race is that we need to elect a SLATE of candidates. Starting with Dean isn't enough if he isn't given the tools to work with by way of the Vice-Chairs. I'd recommend Vice-Chairs who's passion and drive match that of Dean and who's résumé's spread out the love we Dems have with Diversity, Civil Liberties and the rights of working Americans.

One last note on Wilkerson..

For those who've heard her, anyone want to see her takedown the Right Wing? She's one of the few out there who could do it. the power, the passion the intellect. Go Senator!!

Can you post a paragraph on the other candidates? Please write something up so I can update the Diary with the new info.

UPDATE

Added Turnbull and Harris...anymore you'd like me to add info on?

Susan Turnbull.

http://www.democrats.org/about/bios/turnbull.html

Susan Turnbull is also a dynamic speaker, as almost all were on Saturday. She has a long history of Women's Democratic Action.

Marjorie Harris

Marjorie Harris has a nice biography listed on of all places, Tucker Carlson's PBS site...

http://www.pbs.org/tuckercarlson/guests/guest_63.html

There was a nice bit of work done after the Sacramento Regional meeting. Maybe this will be of help as well as we sift through the candidates. http://keever77.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/23/42155/4050

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4 Vice Chairs (none / 0)

The DNC will actually elect 5 Vice Chairs (though one is the ASDC President elected by ASDC Members). 3 need to be women and 2 men. Since the ASDC chooses its President first, you'll see a last minute effort for the extra male or female slot.

by Yellow Dog on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:26:02 PM EST

Re: 4 Vice Chairs (none / 0)

Thanks for explaining this. I didn't really want to explain it...boring old me.

by bendygirl on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:31:13 PM EST
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Re: 4 Vice Chairs (none / 0)

Antime. If you had to choose a third woman to be vice chair or a second man to be vice chair who would you choose?

by Yellow Dog on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:57:21 PM EST
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Re: 4 Vice Chairs (none / 0)

My second man would be Cifuentes. Meeks was caled out by my delegation for nor coming through on promises. And when he was, he didn't apologize, he blamed...didn't like that.

The other gentleman there was really cool and very impassioned then I think he went off script and totally lost me.

As for the next two female choices...I'd pick the woman from Utah (whose name escapes me) and the "Susie."

You?

by bendygirl on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 07:01:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: 4 Vice Chairs (none / 0)

For the sake of full disclosure Dean is not the only candidate I like for Chair, I also like Fowler and the work he's actually done for the greassroots, just so you know where I'm coming from.

For a longtime it has seemed that the the Vice Chairs are a largely ceremonial position, and that once elected folks aren't that involved. I would like to see Shackleford and Chavez-Thompson as the first two female vice chairs, but would choose Turnbull as the third (as a former Deputy Chair, I think she would be active).

For the men, I think it would be historic to choose Honda, and he has been active as a vice chair, but I think I would go with Cifuentes since Honda already has a platform to be active in the Party as a Congressman.

Toughts?

by Yellow Dog on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 07:07:38 PM EST
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Re: 4 Vice Chairs (none / 0)

Re: Susie Turnbull:
I posted this on kos on the sister thread:
Susan Turnball is a great DNC membe rfor the state of Maryland. She is universally loved by all the state central committee members in MD. These are not your insider types for the msot part (although some are). They are grassroots activists who hold spots on their county committees (in MD the state commitee is technically composed of all the county central committee members, which numbers in the hundreds).
In my short time on the state central committee since my election in 2002, Susie has always been open to hearing what I have to say (despite the fact that as the youngest member in the whole state, I'm probably one of the least connected). She is always open to grassroots suggestions and is genuinely a nice person.

And she is also an occasional blog reader. She walked up to me at the last state central cmte meeting and said "I saw something you posted about me on a blog [kos]." Even though I posted under a moniker she was able to recognize me and went out of her way to thank me.

I am very happy to support her for vice-chair.

by Lavoisier1794 on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 07:08:03 PM EST
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Re: 4 Vice Chairs (none / 0)

I'd actually put Nancy Jane Woodside (the "woman from Utah") in my top three, along with Cifuentes and Wilkerson.

Woodside is an incrediby smart and progressive woman who lives in what is possibly the most Republican county in the U.S. - Utah County, Utah, home of Brigham Young University. She fights an uphill battle every day, and comes out looking great in the end every time. Being a woman in Utah is a tough task already; add the Democrat political life and it's adding insult to injury. But Nancy Jane is up to the task, and would be a great asset to the DNC.

My pick of Cifuentes over Honda is by a thin, thin margin, but I think that Cifuentes could create more change in the DNC than could Honda, who already has power in the House.

Want rants? Get 'em here: randomduck.com

by DCFD Rudi on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 07:31:18 PM EST
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Re: 4 Vice Chairs (none / 0)

At least 4 vice chairs will be elected by the DNC Members, so you get one more choice. The ASDC only determines if it is 2 men and 2 women or 1 man and 3 women (since all the Chair candidates are men).

by Yellow Dog on Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 07:48:34 PM EST
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