Preparing for 2012

Today is July 5, 2011 and we have received no definitive information from our State Chair or his inner circle about strategically preparing the grassroots community and/or the Democratic Party as a collective for the upcoming 2012 elections.  I am not trying to be antagonistic or disrespectful in this assertion, but as they say in the streets, “It is what it is”.  By my calculations we have about four months in this year to get the grassroots interested in voting.  I say four months because November is the beginning of the holiday season and it is highly unlikely that anyone will be interested in politics during that time.  My suggestion is that we must formulate a plan of action soon to take advantage of this window of opportunity. 

The things I have done up to this point have been to try and encourage individuals to run for office at all levels and collect platform issues that can be used by all the candidates.  I am encouraging individuals to run for office, because I believe that my responsibility is to the citizens in my county and not to just the business owners and the politicians. 

I believe that it is healthy to have competition in the Primary’s whether you are doing a good job or not.  If our elected officials are challenged by those with new ideas and willing to serve, it will make for a more dedicated politician who will understand that he/she is a servant of the entire community and not just the business community and it will also keep our base energized and focused on what is needed to make all of the community better.   

I believe that we are losing our votes at the local level.  It is the needs that are not being met at the local level that reflects the poor turnout for statewide elections of our Democratic Candidates.  If we do not identify and then address those issues that are important to our voters at the local level how do you expect for them to have confidence in you correcting issues at the state level and beyond.  And if our state elected candidates don’t take an interest in the injustice that is being done to their constituents at the local level how do you expect them to be excited about voting for you during election time.  I don’t know about your county, but in my county apathy is not a voters issue but a politician issue and it does not appear that they want to take responsibility for their insensitivity.

As always, this is just my opinion and that doesn’t make it right.

Lee Walter Jenkins