People wonder what it means to be a Democrat. Today, it often means nothing more than being able to vote in the Democratic primary. Yet, there is an older version of a party. I’m talking about a party with actual people you know, who work together beyond any single campaign. While different activist groups like Berniecrats, Sunrise, Sierra Club, NOW, and others have a grassroots membership, the party has done less to strengthen their own organizations. While there is a formal party infrastructure in every county, beneath these parties are Democratic clubs. While these clubs exist in many places, they are barely advertised.
I get endless messages from the Democratic party asking me to donate. Yet, I never get an invitation to any Democratic club. I’m sure those who belong to a local club would much more likely to donate and volunteer in future elections.
The Democratic party has lists of people, and could invest in building stronger local Democratic clubs. The party would simply need to find local organizers, and then invite everyone on their list to these events or 1-on-1s. This is basic organizing. Yet, the Democratic Party doesn’t seem to do this.
Are they afraid of empowering local groups? Why is the Democratic Party so focused on a fundraising and then media strategy? Even much of the volunteering is done in a way that minimizes building long-lasting relationships.
Technology should not merely be about building a fancier fundraising machine or figuring out how to run more sophisticated social media ads. We need a Democratic party that can build an electoral machine founded upon strong relationships and organizations.