I don’t think the Texas grassroots Democrats are going to be an effective force until they understand that they need to do issue work in addition to turnout. And to be credible doing issue work, they will have to demand more from elected Democrats in terms of an agenda that is actually targeted at the nonvoters and the working class voters.
And when PCs and others ask and push for answers there are only excuses or they push the issue to "later." And later comes and their answer is still later.
Oh. Well, those offices are essentially a waste of time because the party doesn’t have control over its elected officials. Activists should focus more on elected officials. Party chairs, precinct chairs, SDEC…all mostly ineffectual.
Thanks for an informative article. It is great that grassroots groups like MFD are engaged in efforts to get the voters out for Democrats. There are other groups also engaged in such efforts including the volunteers from the Democratic party organizations in counties. Hope there is some coordination going on to ensure that we don't knock at some of the doors multiple times but miss many others. Sometimes valuable resources are wasted by different groups reaching out to the same set of Democratic voters such as with mailing the forms for absentee ballots for senior citizens in January.
Beto is leading an effort too through his PxP organization to register new voters through VDRs. He is encouraging this time for those VDRs to build relationships with the voters they register so that they vote, as last time many such newly registered voters didn't vote in 2022.
This is where technology can help to some extent through the Reach app, as it has the ability for different campaigns to track the voters in the networks of their volunteers. The Texas Blue Action Network started using this app around September of 2022 through their 2 Million Texans project. They have some good initiatives going on for the elections this year and are coordinating with TDP. Other organizations like SAAVETX are also using this App for their own campaign to increase voter participation among South Asian voters. Reach is based on the same TX voter DB for Democrats called VAN. Hopefully, the Texas Democratic Party can monitor that through these different campaigns we are reducing overlap and covering more voters in TX to increase voter participation by Democrats in Nov. Thoughts?
I'm so far impressed with the level of coordination I've seen with grassroots groups this year. I think everyone knows that we're stronger when we do things together, and I've seen some overlap in coordination. There are two separate monthly/weekly calls various groups are doing to talk to each other and make sure everyone is on the same page.
""Stand where he tells you to stand, wear what he tells you to wear, and do what he tells you to do."
This is the wedding night advice offered to brides by Josh Howerton, a senior pastor at Lakepointe Church in Dallas, Texas. Lakepointe, according to the Dallas Morning News, is one of the biggest megachurches in Texas, with over 13,000 people a week attending its main location. "
Marocotte- Salon
The reason there are some many MAGAite womwen are voting against their own self interest..........the clubbiness of church...you cannot dissent in Church so it reinforces the MAGA horeshit.......and some argue Protestant Church leaders have become much more msyoganst.....so whats a dissenting mom with a husband and 3 kids supposed to do when her own religion denigrates her?
and maybe u didn't know cause who reads a platform but this; "The Texas Republican platform, additionally, calls for the state legislature to "rescind unilateral no-fault divorce laws and support covenant marriage."
Republican women in many red states have voted to protect abortion rights in successful ballot initiatives. Voters don't have to broadcast how they have voted and so can always vote to protect their interests. During door knocking for Democrats for recent elections, I came across a few couples where the men were staunch Republicans till recently and their spouses were staunch Democrats and vice versa.
Thanks a lot for an informative and encouraging article. Hope there will be better coordination between such grassroots organizations and the Democratic Party in various counties. As you had mentioned in a previous article, if you want to flip Texas blue then become a Democratic Precinct coordinator to start building relationships with local Democratic leaning voters. Democrats should also look into the Reach app supported by Texas Blue Action to leverage relationship based campaigning in ensuring that your like minded friends and family members vote. Thoughts?
The REACH app was useful to remind others. Not enough people use it, there are still so many who do not use technology the way we use it, specially in areas like the RGV.
as a single white guy of a certain age i can honestly say i lost all of my friends to Trump and 2 pretty good gal pals..........who knew they were waiting all these years for an orange Hitler to show up and rescue them from the clutches of Joe Biden... the few neighbors who are D want to keep it on the downlow cause they don't want to upset their friends or colleagues.....they have actually told me that..............
Any MAGA cretin, at the Home Depot, in the grocery store, fixing the plumbing, has no problem bragging on the lying abuser fraudster and raggin on Joe. Such is the wimpification of Texas D's.
This why a yard sign or two would be so encouraging.
The Reach App had such a terrible roll out, that it left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouth. I promoted it myself on Living Blue in Texas and a lot of people complained that it was too confusing to use.
Reach app has improved a lot and offers a systematic way to ensure that we all can ensure that our like minded friends and family members vote. It will help avoid duplication of effort in reaching out to voters. It helps even in identifying Republicans among our contacts so that the Democratic Party doesn’t waste money in contacting them. I have used it for a year and a half including the Beto campaign and have found it very useful.
I recently talked with a friend who is also a Democratic Precinct coordinator in Bexar county. He mentioned that for the recent primary, he had sent postcards at his own expense to some Democrats in his precinct to vote. Some of them did vote but he wasn’t sure if they did it as a result of his postcards or some other voter reach out efforts. This is where Reach can play an important role with wide adoption as it knows that if a voter is in my network and has not voted yet, then it reminds me to remind that voter without duplication of effort. We need to leverage its technology and relationship based campaigning to increase voter participation by Democrats.
oh and a landline doesn't get txt messages. you can CALL and leave a msg however. again.....i know this medium makes me sound like a dick.....but i offer all the above comments in good humor.
Dunn and the Wilks brothers are controlling all Texas politics. I still think it’s funny that Midland gave Dunn the middle finger over the proposed school bond for $1.4 billion. Dunn spent over $360,000.00 to oppose this. MISD spent $30,000.00 and won. Dunn sold his Fracking business in Dec 2023 for a smooth $12 billion. I’m sure he will spend lots of this to control all of Texas. Farris Wilks, also a fracker who sold his company for billions is the one pushing the Christian theological button. He has his own church in Cisco, “Assembly of Yahweh” 7th Day” complete with a dress code for the women. Oh and women aren’t allowed to speak in church. Their husbands or fathers will speak for them.
I’ve recently become a county chair and I’m working hard to learn my job and implement what I have learned. Are you helping or asking for an appointment in your county or to help your chairs or just posting snarky comments? LSL has provided great statistical info and is giving us an avenue to connect with others.
I can feel you frustration. I’m feeling it right now. I have gotten numerous people engaged and involved as well as a few groups set up for meetings next week. I’m just having problems getting TDP to respond to me. I requested the appointment. I can’t even get the chair resource manual so I can see what my responsibilities are and learn my job. I’m in Randall County. Amarillo is split between 2counties, Randall and Potter. In Potter County in the primary we had a guy running to primary the current chair. He is a known Republican and last yr was the vice chair for the county Republican Party. Thankfully he was defeated by 80% and for this reason I saw Randall as vulnerable and didn’t want this to happen here. That’s why I asked for the appointment. It’s very sad at the lack of chairs in the26 counties in the panhandle. Dems here feel abandoned. Honestly I haven’t thought about posting on here for the reasons you have given but what you are saying is a great suggestion. Thank you for that.
About TDP i haven't got a clue..MD should know alot. I was ED in Hays County for a soon to be State Chair.......He was a lawyer and was absent from Hays County during the entire GOTV. The idea was he would bring Tobacco settlement money to both the county and state parties...He didn't and brought no political or organizing skills either...that was how we used to pick leadership....how much money can they deliver......we also haven't won a state wide race since.....98, maybe earlier...so that model didn't work.
Randall/Potter..that's a tuff gig.....you have my respect and good wishes..... I went to TTU..that's about halfway between FTW and Amarillo. LOL.
What County? I hope u post here often cause i don't think any others do...
As regards Tarrant County.....i have pushed and prodded them.........i was credited or blamed for the last chair quitting but actually it was MD's articles here that i thought did the trick...We have had 3 selected Chairs meaning they were put in place by the EC and Pct chairs so it always goes to an insider. We have a $350,000 budget most years but our current chair has made the entire enterprise opaque as all get out so i couldn't tell u how much we have now....My pct has a chair and as had the same one for years...I have never heard from her.....As a guy who had the only candidate signs up in my entire Zip code I have yet to hear anything from the CD 12 candidate....whose sign i had up in 2022.......As regards to our current chair, a lawyer BTW, i offered to fund and organize a HC project . She told me to drop dead.
We have 2 corporate types and 1 lawyer....none could sell a popsicle in the Sahara. What they all have in common is they won't reach to out voters...and can't find quality candidates.....What they have managed to do is turn FTW from blue to red......
What is needed need is a sales and marketing type as Chair, not a bureaucrat to come in and rearrange the deck chairs...again. Finally our communications team is gone , pushed out or quit. who knows?
There is one group, NW Tarrant Progressives who are doing stuff, so they need to be commended. A group or individual did host one Happy Hour 4-5 months.....so more of that TCDP if anyone is listening.
If you will note, the Soros/Beto alum group is not targeting Tarrant County. I assume having written us off.
I have contacted many other counties about LSL...far flung counties that get ignored......I know what that feels like even in the middle of FTW...............
I make the argument that our County Chair , as the only county wide elected Dem, needs to speak for all Dems...letters to the Editor, articles by political reporters , rebuttals to our heavily conservative loaded local opinion columnists.....so far silence from Sais. Our R opponents have no problem getting press.
a little friday laginape to boil the blood....Straus is jewish....Dunn runs Texas.
"Former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said on Thursday that Midland oil magnate Tim Dunn, one of the state’s most powerful and influential GOP megadonors, once told him that only Christians should hold leadership positions in the lower chamber."
and just like that.........let me go back and review all ur posts............whoops big ole blank.....that's how blog posts can easily come off, no matter what the intent....
IMHO, and i don't what MD intends, but the strength of LSL is not that the subscribers read, but that they post what is going on in their counties ..other wise its just a couple of people's thoughts and opinions. I post a lot because TC is vital to state and national success and there is no communications from county party or even candidates......I hope at least one person from TCDP EC reads here . Who knows what going on or even what they are thinking or planning to do with the money they raise. Certainly not any voters...
I don’t think the Texas grassroots Democrats are going to be an effective force until they understand that they need to do issue work in addition to turnout. And to be credible doing issue work, they will have to demand more from elected Democrats in terms of an agenda that is actually targeted at the nonvoters and the working class voters.
And when PCs and others ask and push for answers there are only excuses or they push the issue to "later." And later comes and their answer is still later.
I think I agree but who are PCs?
Oh. Well, those offices are essentially a waste of time because the party doesn’t have control over its elected officials. Activists should focus more on elected officials. Party chairs, precinct chairs, SDEC…all mostly ineffectual.
precint chairs - mostly new ones.
And the grassroots also has to understand that the donor class is the enemy, not a friend.
Thank you for this great information!
Thanks for an informative article. It is great that grassroots groups like MFD are engaged in efforts to get the voters out for Democrats. There are other groups also engaged in such efforts including the volunteers from the Democratic party organizations in counties. Hope there is some coordination going on to ensure that we don't knock at some of the doors multiple times but miss many others. Sometimes valuable resources are wasted by different groups reaching out to the same set of Democratic voters such as with mailing the forms for absentee ballots for senior citizens in January.
Beto is leading an effort too through his PxP organization to register new voters through VDRs. He is encouraging this time for those VDRs to build relationships with the voters they register so that they vote, as last time many such newly registered voters didn't vote in 2022.
This is where technology can help to some extent through the Reach app, as it has the ability for different campaigns to track the voters in the networks of their volunteers. The Texas Blue Action Network started using this app around September of 2022 through their 2 Million Texans project. They have some good initiatives going on for the elections this year and are coordinating with TDP. Other organizations like SAAVETX are also using this App for their own campaign to increase voter participation among South Asian voters. Reach is based on the same TX voter DB for Democrats called VAN. Hopefully, the Texas Democratic Party can monitor that through these different campaigns we are reducing overlap and covering more voters in TX to increase voter participation by Democrats in Nov. Thoughts?
I'm so far impressed with the level of coordination I've seen with grassroots groups this year. I think everyone knows that we're stronger when we do things together, and I've seen some overlap in coordination. There are two separate monthly/weekly calls various groups are doing to talk to each other and make sure everyone is on the same page.
""Stand where he tells you to stand, wear what he tells you to wear, and do what he tells you to do."
This is the wedding night advice offered to brides by Josh Howerton, a senior pastor at Lakepointe Church in Dallas, Texas. Lakepointe, according to the Dallas Morning News, is one of the biggest megachurches in Texas, with over 13,000 people a week attending its main location. "
Marocotte- Salon
The reason there are some many MAGAite womwen are voting against their own self interest..........the clubbiness of church...you cannot dissent in Church so it reinforces the MAGA horeshit.......and some argue Protestant Church leaders have become much more msyoganst.....so whats a dissenting mom with a husband and 3 kids supposed to do when her own religion denigrates her?
and maybe u didn't know cause who reads a platform but this; "The Texas Republican platform, additionally, calls for the state legislature to "rescind unilateral no-fault divorce laws and support covenant marriage."
Republican women in many red states have voted to protect abortion rights in successful ballot initiatives. Voters don't have to broadcast how they have voted and so can always vote to protect their interests. During door knocking for Democrats for recent elections, I came across a few couples where the men were staunch Republicans till recently and their spouses were staunch Democrats and vice versa.
Oh yeah, I've read the GOP platform. It's disgusting.
Thanks a lot for an informative and encouraging article. Hope there will be better coordination between such grassroots organizations and the Democratic Party in various counties. As you had mentioned in a previous article, if you want to flip Texas blue then become a Democratic Precinct coordinator to start building relationships with local Democratic leaning voters. Democrats should also look into the Reach app supported by Texas Blue Action to leverage relationship based campaigning in ensuring that your like minded friends and family members vote. Thoughts?
The REACH app was useful to remind others. Not enough people use it, there are still so many who do not use technology the way we use it, specially in areas like the RGV.
as a single white guy of a certain age i can honestly say i lost all of my friends to Trump and 2 pretty good gal pals..........who knew they were waiting all these years for an orange Hitler to show up and rescue them from the clutches of Joe Biden... the few neighbors who are D want to keep it on the downlow cause they don't want to upset their friends or colleagues.....they have actually told me that..............
Any MAGA cretin, at the Home Depot, in the grocery store, fixing the plumbing, has no problem bragging on the lying abuser fraudster and raggin on Joe. Such is the wimpification of Texas D's.
This why a yard sign or two would be so encouraging.
That's sad to hear. Luckily, no one in my family or circle of friends is caught up in the cult.,,,and I like it that way.
The Reach App had such a terrible roll out, that it left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouth. I promoted it myself on Living Blue in Texas and a lot of people complained that it was too confusing to use.
Reach app has improved a lot and offers a systematic way to ensure that we all can ensure that our like minded friends and family members vote. It will help avoid duplication of effort in reaching out to voters. It helps even in identifying Republicans among our contacts so that the Democratic Party doesn’t waste money in contacting them. I have used it for a year and a half including the Beto campaign and have found it very useful.
I recently talked with a friend who is also a Democratic Precinct coordinator in Bexar county. He mentioned that for the recent primary, he had sent postcards at his own expense to some Democrats in his precinct to vote. Some of them did vote but he wasn’t sure if they did it as a result of his postcards or some other voter reach out efforts. This is where Reach can play an important role with wide adoption as it knows that if a voter is in my network and has not voted yet, then it reminds me to remind that voter without duplication of effort. We need to leverage its technology and relationship based campaigning to increase voter participation by Democrats.
i asked you for Adrienne's contact info.......never heard back from you..that includes responses to other emails
what gives?
I’m out and about. I sent a text. Did you not get it?
oh and a landline doesn't get txt messages. you can CALL and leave a msg however. again.....i know this medium makes me sound like a dick.....but i offer all the above comments in good humor.
Dunn and the Wilks brothers are controlling all Texas politics. I still think it’s funny that Midland gave Dunn the middle finger over the proposed school bond for $1.4 billion. Dunn spent over $360,000.00 to oppose this. MISD spent $30,000.00 and won. Dunn sold his Fracking business in Dec 2023 for a smooth $12 billion. I’m sure he will spend lots of this to control all of Texas. Farris Wilks, also a fracker who sold his company for billions is the one pushing the Christian theological button. He has his own church in Cisco, “Assembly of Yahweh” 7th Day” complete with a dress code for the women. Oh and women aren’t allowed to speak in church. Their husbands or fathers will speak for them.
I’ve recently become a county chair and I’m working hard to learn my job and implement what I have learned. Are you helping or asking for an appointment in your county or to help your chairs or just posting snarky comments? LSL has provided great statistical info and is giving us an avenue to connect with others.
I can feel you frustration. I’m feeling it right now. I have gotten numerous people engaged and involved as well as a few groups set up for meetings next week. I’m just having problems getting TDP to respond to me. I requested the appointment. I can’t even get the chair resource manual so I can see what my responsibilities are and learn my job. I’m in Randall County. Amarillo is split between 2counties, Randall and Potter. In Potter County in the primary we had a guy running to primary the current chair. He is a known Republican and last yr was the vice chair for the county Republican Party. Thankfully he was defeated by 80% and for this reason I saw Randall as vulnerable and didn’t want this to happen here. That’s why I asked for the appointment. It’s very sad at the lack of chairs in the26 counties in the panhandle. Dems here feel abandoned. Honestly I haven’t thought about posting on here for the reasons you have given but what you are saying is a great suggestion. Thank you for that.
About TDP i haven't got a clue..MD should know alot. I was ED in Hays County for a soon to be State Chair.......He was a lawyer and was absent from Hays County during the entire GOTV. The idea was he would bring Tobacco settlement money to both the county and state parties...He didn't and brought no political or organizing skills either...that was how we used to pick leadership....how much money can they deliver......we also haven't won a state wide race since.....98, maybe earlier...so that model didn't work.
Randall/Potter..that's a tuff gig.....you have my respect and good wishes..... I went to TTU..that's about halfway between FTW and Amarillo. LOL.
If ur unfamiliar here is a native son of yours. One of the greats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_AAdQcjlsY
What County? I hope u post here often cause i don't think any others do...
As regards Tarrant County.....i have pushed and prodded them.........i was credited or blamed for the last chair quitting but actually it was MD's articles here that i thought did the trick...We have had 3 selected Chairs meaning they were put in place by the EC and Pct chairs so it always goes to an insider. We have a $350,000 budget most years but our current chair has made the entire enterprise opaque as all get out so i couldn't tell u how much we have now....My pct has a chair and as had the same one for years...I have never heard from her.....As a guy who had the only candidate signs up in my entire Zip code I have yet to hear anything from the CD 12 candidate....whose sign i had up in 2022.......As regards to our current chair, a lawyer BTW, i offered to fund and organize a HC project . She told me to drop dead.
We have 2 corporate types and 1 lawyer....none could sell a popsicle in the Sahara. What they all have in common is they won't reach to out voters...and can't find quality candidates.....What they have managed to do is turn FTW from blue to red......
What is needed need is a sales and marketing type as Chair, not a bureaucrat to come in and rearrange the deck chairs...again. Finally our communications team is gone , pushed out or quit. who knows?
There is one group, NW Tarrant Progressives who are doing stuff, so they need to be commended. A group or individual did host one Happy Hour 4-5 months.....so more of that TCDP if anyone is listening.
If you will note, the Soros/Beto alum group is not targeting Tarrant County. I assume having written us off.
I have contacted many other counties about LSL...far flung counties that get ignored......I know what that feels like even in the middle of FTW...............
I make the argument that our County Chair , as the only county wide elected Dem, needs to speak for all Dems...letters to the Editor, articles by political reporters , rebuttals to our heavily conservative loaded local opinion columnists.....so far silence from Sais. Our R opponents have no problem getting press.
a little friday laginape to boil the blood....Straus is jewish....Dunn runs Texas.
"Former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said on Thursday that Midland oil magnate Tim Dunn, one of the state’s most powerful and influential GOP megadonors, once told him that only Christians should hold leadership positions in the lower chamber."
Well Tim, the medium is just an excuse. You have control of what you say and how you say it. Do better.
just like i can criticize my mother but u can't can't, any poster can criticize themselves but if someone else does it sounds snarky.
and just like that.........let me go back and review all ur posts............whoops big ole blank.....that's how blog posts can easily come off, no matter what the intent....
IMHO, and i don't what MD intends, but the strength of LSL is not that the subscribers read, but that they post what is going on in their counties ..other wise its just a couple of people's thoughts and opinions. I post a lot because TC is vital to state and national success and there is no communications from county party or even candidates......I hope at least one person from TCDP EC reads here . Who knows what going on or even what they are thinking or planning to do with the money they raise. Certainly not any voters...
I’ll email you when I get home later.
Dude. You don’t need to share every thought you have on your own personal communications set up on a post about turnout, you know?