Last Days to Be Eligible to Vote in Congressional District Conventions

Lines of communication in 2nd District are terrible. (4.00 / 3)

This district is dysfunctional. There is a google group but nothing has gone out in months. I don't think too many people know what is going on. Maybe the leadership wants it that way. Maybe we need new leadership. Is there really a Joseph Zainea? I have heard the convention will be held at the China Buffet in Ludington but have seen nothing official on this.

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by: michmark @ Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 06:03:27 AM CST

There ought to be websites for every District (4.00 / 4)

and the MDP ought to be paying for them with the Districts doing the updating.  Geez, this would cost less than $300 lousy bucks.

Still, I guess for now the most important thing is the deadline in Thursday for being a MDP member so you can vote in what is really a second primary and for putting in your form to run as a delegate.

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by: philgoblue @ Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 06:33:54 AM CST

[ Parent ]

There should be web-sites (4.00 / 3)

But I think the Districts should pay for their own.  It's high time the Districts got off their butts, raised some money and recruited some volunteers in order to create functioning political organizations.  If District leadership isn't capable/willing then it's time for new leadership.

Julie--who thinks the entitlement mindset has been as big an obstacle to the Dem party as the Rethugs and their gerrymandering

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by: JNelson @ Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 11:30:59 AM CST

[ Parent ]

agreed (4.00 / 4)

I'm not so much interested in who funds it but if funding and know-how are the main problems (and hopefully they are), then a MDP initiative that gave folks funding and a tutorial (or a little more funding by hiring a website developer who could create a basic design for each District and County Party and then turn over updateable content to the locals who would have a volunteer or pay someone $50/month to update their website).  I nominate myself for the Third District!

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by: philgoblue @ Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 12:02:58 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I think it's at WSCC (4.00 / 3)

good luck getting in touch with the 2nd CD chair. I know the VC and could give her a call.  

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by: AikoAdam @ Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 07:45:29 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Adam, that'd be great (4.00 / 3)

Thanks.  Let me know what she says.

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by: philgoblue @ Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 07:51:12 AM CST

[ Parent ]

2nd District Convention (4.00 / 5)

The information I received on the 2nd District convention site is as follows:

The location for the 2nd District convention is
West Shore Community College
3000 Stiles Rd
Scottville, MI

You may confirm this info by emailing the Communications chair below.

Denise Garn at dmgarn@altelco.net

Smike

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by: Smike @ Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 08:37:16 AM CST

Thanks (4.00 / 3)

Why wouldn't MDP membership in the 2nd CD be informed of this?  The lists are fairly easy to get and they could email or call the membership to let them know when and where. hmmmm

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by: AikoAdam @ Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:13:41 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Actually it is the duty (4.00 / 4)

of the District chair to send out the call to convention.  Just as when it's a state convention it is Mark Brewer's job and a county convention, the county chair's job.  The MDP has reminded the District chairs to do this BTW.

Just throwin' that out there.

Julie
 

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by: JNelson @ Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 11:41:23 AM CST

[ Parent ]

That is what I meant (4.00 / 3)

for the district to get the lists and contact the state party membership (since they are the ones who can participate).  

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by: AikoAdam @ Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 12:03:04 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I'm going to write a report on the State Central meeting Saturday- (4.00 / 5)

which I will post at Michigan Liberal, since it is not specific to W Michigan.

Very briefly, NOTHING was brought up during the meeting about the whole primary/caucus/delegate situation. It was just not there, as far as the DSSC was concerned.

Following the meeting, Mark Brewer ran a training on the district convention process. Most of that followed the Delegate Selection Plan, nothing new if you have read that.

There were only a few things my ears perked up at -

1) Each caucus at the convention (Clinton, and Uncommitted) will have a temporary chair, whose job it is to run the election for a permanent chair. In the case of the Clinton caucus, her campaign will designate the temporary chair, but for the Uncommitted caucus, Brewer will do so, looking (he said) for someone who will NOT run for permanent chair, who has some stature, will run the election for permanent chair and then get out of the way. The permanent chair of each caucus will then run the election of delegates within that caucus, so it should be someone with authority who knows what they are doing. The Uncommitted folks in the districts might be thinking about who could do this to make things run smoothly.

2) Brewer said that each delegate must be elected by a MAJORITY of the caucus, not just a plurality. This means that if there are multiple candidates for each slot, and no one gets a majority, the candidate with the lowest vote total is dropped, and the caucus votes again. Each time, we'll be going through the proportional representation calculation (weighted by county), so if there are a lot of votes, this could get pretty complicated. For the 6th CD convention, I'm going to offer a spreadsheet with the proportional representation formulas already written, to save time and possible errors.

3) I heard through the grapevine that the state party is still looking for more delegate candidates in the 6th to run for the Clinton slots. Seems strange that there are not enough folks who want to be delegates, especially in one of the most hotly contested primary seasons we have ever had. of course, the uncertainty about whether the delegates will actually be seated has a lot to do with it. Any other districts having this issue?

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by: memiller @ Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 18:15:20 PM CST

Must file by tommorrow (4.00 / 3)

to be a delegate:

An individual can qualify as a candidate for district-level delegate or alternate by joining the
Michigan Democratic Party and by filing a statement of candidacy with the Chair by 5 P.M.
February 28, 2008 at 606 Townsend St., Lansing, MI 48933. An individual can join the Party
by completing an application and submitting it by hand-delivery, mail, FAX, e-mail or at the
Party's website. There is no financial requirement to join the Party. Any statement of candidacy
or membership received after the deadline, regardless of the reason for delay, will not meet this
qualification

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by: michmark @ Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 15:27:50 PM CST

All MDP Members Will Get Notification (4.00 / 4)

about the Congressional District Conventions in the mail in a week or two.

I just heard from someone who would know that the MDP send the CD parties the list of MDP members in their district as soon as everything is updated after the 28 February deadline.  Once those are sent to the SC parties, they will send out information to all MDP members about the Convention time, place and other info.

SO, look for that in the mail and we'll be sure to post that confirmed info later.

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by: philgoblue @ Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 10:39:25 AM CST