January 15, 2011 12:11 AM UTC

CDP Reorganization Time

• 11 Comments
• by: nancycronk

The Democratic party state and county offices are reorganizing in the next month or so. Each county needs to elect their slate of officers: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, etc. Same with the State offices. There are also positions for platform committees, house and senate district officers, rules committees, etc.

This is the time of year when everyone who has been involved before, throws their hat into a large ring, jumps in and takes a new hat, and places it on top of their head. Occasionally, someone who threw their hat in, does not wish to take another out, and a previous bystander has the opportunity to jump in and take their hat.

And so it goes.

As a community organizer and long-time party member, I’ve seen the dance before. It’s entertaining, but entirely predictable. I want a new dance.

Somehow, somewhere, we need to change the music, change the tempo, open up the dance hall so it pours into the streets and becomes a celebration for miles. We need to have more kinds of music too — some that sounds like it always has, but also some with a stronger beat, more drums, more rap, more harmony, more sing-a-bility. We need some jamming, along with the planned sets. We need more voices, whether they are singing the same verse, or another verse, creating a round. We need to mix all kinds of instruments into the band — not just wind and strings, but horn, rhythm, mouthpipes, shells and beads, thumbs and drums, voice and scratch.

We need singers, dancers, shakers, clappers, whistlers, hummers, tappers, and some who just sit quietly and feel the music, waiting until they are inspired to do more.

The Democratic party’s beauty is in it’s diversity. There is a place for everyone at the party, and if you can’t find your new hat, create one.

That’s my vision. What’s yours?