Next week, the Democratic Party will be having its Central Committee Meeting in Tonopah. (December 4th.) I attended my first of such meetings between the Primary election and the General election and it disproved (yet again) the idea that we live in a democracy. I attended the meeting with several of the DeVoe campaign activists, including Rick DeVoe and George Matthews, the campaign manager. When we arrived, we discovered there was free pizza, and enough for everyone, but there were not enough copies of the agenda.

Agendas be damned, the meeting was called to order and Adriana Martinez chaired the meeting under the strict direction of Rebecca Lamb, executive director. There were many representatives from all the different Nevada counties (called “rurals”) who gave reports on their Get Out the Vote efforts, and there was your typical treasurer’s report, no details, no written copy, no transparency, no chance for asking questions. There was encouragement and advice based on statistics of voter positions, and warnings about talking to potential voters about hot-button issues. Certain issues are approved for talking about- others, like the war, were more divisive. It’s all right there in the statistics- we should not be talking to our neighbors about the war, about abortion rights. Interesting how that’s what people are talking about now anyway.

Once old business had concluded, and we’d heard everyone’s reports, it was time for new business. According to the agenda, after new business was over, there was to be an optional canvassing training session- you know, one of those things no one actually stays for, but it looks good to offer. However, a strange thing happened: Rebecca kept motioning to Adriana to somehow manage to skip new business. Hmm.. What could be going on? The Chair (Adriana) started talking about unrelated things when Rick DeVoe asked the Chair when new business was going to begin. Instead of the Chair answering, Rebecca answered that she wanted to do the cavassing training first, then new business. This deviation from the agenda would effectively assure that no one would stay for new business, because the training session would break up the meeting and people would go home. Adriana recognized some people in the back who reminded them they’d driven four hours to cover new business. At this point, Rebecca moved that we do training first, then new business, and the entire room shouted the loudest “NO!” I’ve ever heard. Now *that* was unity! Defeated, they began new business.

George Matthews nervously walked up front, knowing what he was going to say was going to hit hard. A few of us in the meeting held a stack of copies of page 6 of the NV Democratic Party Bylaws when he started speaking. He started by saying he felt awful that he had to be up there teaching Democrats how to be democratic. He then explained that there is one bylaw that states it is unacceptable to endorse or promote primary candidates over another before the primary election. The rationale behind this is obvious, but to spell it out, party leaders should not pick a candidate, *the people* should. George was holding a list in his hand of four giant provable examples of this bylaw having been broken by the NV State Democratic Party, and all in one race: the race for Congress in Congressional District 3. Yes, Tom Gallagher. George read the crowd and made a gut decision to only attack on one of these issues. Debbie Trudell, who is the NV State Democratic Party Treasurer, took a paid position on the Tom Gallagher campaign well before the primaries. He moved that she be removed from her office as Treasurer. Rurals were gasping for air, I think Rebecca was blue, and everyone was talking at the same time. I passed out those bylaws as fast as I could, while Adriana tried to call the meeting to order. Of course, Debbie Trudell was not in attendance at this meeting, most likely busy campaigning for Gallagher. While everyone was reading and interpreting the admittedly vague bylaws the way that suited them best, the tension was thick. It was decided in the end that, as stated in the bylaws, a letter would be sent to Debbie informing her that at the next Central Committee meeting, her position as Treasurer would be voted on because she’d knowingly broken this bylaw. The rurals seemed completely disgusted at the conduct of those who let this kind of conflict of interest happen. There were some, too, who felt we should have kept quiet about all this until after the Kerry campaign was over. “Bad timing” we kept hearing. Well, is it our job to keep quiet about things or is it the Officers’ jobs to be honest? Bad timing on *their* part, I’d say. Not one of those people, though, felt that Debbie Trudell taking a paid position with the Gallagher campaign as Treasurer of the NV State Democratic Party was acceptable. I also heard a lot of patronizing remarks like ‘just accept that you (Rick) lost and get over it,’ etc. etc. It wasn’t about Rick, it was about democracy, but maybe from their perspective, they’ve forgotten that some fights are not motivated by personal gain, that some people do actually fight for what they believe in. Somehow they’re so cynical that they can’t trust that.

There was another motion passed, too, and that was that we attempt to get a motion in front of the Nevada State Legislature to move the date of the primaries to an earlier date so that the pressure on the Parties to pick a candidate to start backing even before the primary elections would be alleviated. It was half-hearted, and I would bet my right arm no one has done anything toward getting this done.

The meeting was adjourned and migrated outside where there were personal tangles and yelling and finger pointing. Everyone ducked into their busses, drove home, and concentrated on the Kerry campaign. I wanted to do anything other than work with the Dems at this point, but I rationalized that if I didn’t work my hardest to get Bush out, I’d regret it til the day I die. So I did that, but with determination to not let this drop after the election was over.

Yesterday, I received an email about the Central Committee Meeting on Saturday, December 4th in Tonopah. The original email stated that the meeting was “really inside info” and the person who forwarded it to me did so without the knowledge that I would be writing this article. Maybe they didn’t mean it- maybe they really are trying to get the word out about this meeting so that we the people can help grow our democracy. That is why I am helping them by publishing this article. I won’t even charge them for the time and trouble! I am definitely going to this meeting and I encourage anyone who would like to come with me, to please email me. Their only requirement is you must be a registered Democrat to attend the meeting. I am going to insist on integrity. Get the word out on this meeting to any Democrats you know, and see if they will too.

Democracy begins with the primaries. When there are several great candidates running, such as there were in the Congressional District 3 race, it is important to use this as an opportunity to engage voters and to support candidates. When voters feel that their vote in the primaries doesn’t matter, they typically don’t show up. This works very well for party leaders, as it gives them the power to choose instead. Shouldn’t candidates be encouraged? Don’t we want to be governed by people just like us? By blatantly supporting Tom Gallagher before the primary election, the Democratic Party leaders bypassed *the people* and this is the highest crime. Tom Gallagher (CEO of ParkPlace Entertainment, union buster, job cutter, $2,000 Bush donor, etc. etc.) was never going to beat out Jon Porter, and even if he did, it wouldn’t have mattered.

I don’t think the current system is working for the Dems anymore. The current system is basically this: to run a successful campaign, 1. you must have a whole ton of money and 2. you must go have a little talk with Harry Reid who will decide what you will run for and when you will run for it. There is no democracy here in Nevada- we have mindlessly given up our power to these people. What I want to know is when and how this system is going to deconstruct- when are the people going to insist on integrity? Why would a thinking person be a part of a party like this? Coming home to the Green Party is looking nicer and nicer………

Excellent job Genelle; keep up the good works.

Mr.
by Paul Lenart Tuesday November 30, 2004 at 11:07 AM
palan80@hotmail.com 437-8954 3452 Monte Carlo Drive

Genelle continues to play an indispensable role in democratic (small case "d" is deliberate) politics. i only wish I could attend the Dec. 4 meeting. Unfortunately it conflicts with organizer training for SEIU local 1107, which is launching a major drive to unionize more of the hospitals in Southern Nevada. Each of us must use the space available us to expand popular autonomy.

Genelle,
Thanks for the insight into how convoluted and un-democratic the DEM Party process continues to be. There needs to be a viable political alternative to the Republican and Democrat parties. Is it the Greens or a combination composed of Greens, Dems, Repubs, Libertarians, etc. that can all agree on a peace and justice platform?

Personally, I have very mixed feelings about Rick DeVoe. Do I agree with him on the issues? Absolutely. I don't question his substantive positions and ideals, which are great.

What I did question about Rick DeVoe was the man, Rick DeVoe. I had several long, one-on-one conversations with him in different settings, long enough for me to get a good read on the guy as a person, and I did not entirely like what I saw. One conversation was at a restaurant and lasted about an hour and a half.

He came across as a bit full of himself. Not in an arrogant, or overtly obnoxious way. It was something subtle. He had glassy eyes that glazed over when he would talk about certain things. When he talked to me something happened, as if he were staring past me or in a daze or something. He came across as totally transfixed -- pathologically, even -- by the idea of running for office and promoting himself, as if he were in some sort of delusional state. He would not listen to my kind, well-meaning advice, and side-stepped it or ignored it at every turn.

The best description I can give of Rick DeVoe is that he seemed to be "tripping" on something, possibly his own ego. He absolutely did not connect with me as an empathic or affable person, in any way. There was a rigidity to him, a flatness of affect, and a siglemindedness that did not seem to brook a normal dialogue or give-and-take conversation.

I was completely underwhelmed.

I advised him in a NICE way, several times, that I didn't think his idea about accepting only $1 from every donor would work. I told him it was unrealistic and that in order to win, he had to think pragmatically and strategically on issues such as fundraising. I told him I liked his ideas but that his strategy left something to be desired.

He totally ignored and sidestepped my advise, didn't even want to engage in a friendly dialogue about it, and just went on and on talking about himself and his organizing experience.

It was a total one-way conversation. He wasn't mean or obnoxious, just a bit full of himself, with those inexplicably glassy eyes.

I can understand how some frustrated people might have seen hope in his candidacy, what with all the sell-outs and accommodationists out there. Rick DeVoe's clear anti-war message was refreshing, as well as his other stated positions.

But I think that a lot of people didn't see past that, and take a look at the viability and personality skills of the candidate himself.

Rick seemed to have very poor people skills, and was one of the LEAST engaging candidates for any office I've ever come across, in the one-on-one encounters I had with him.

Rick DeVoe is completely irrelevant to this article. It's about democracy.

The Democratic Party has backed candidates before the primaries way before DeVoe even thought about running. There are several races impacted by this practice, including Kennedy/Kaplan, Bernstein, and on and on.......... This was just *my* experience with the Dem Party because I happened to help out a little with the DeVoe campaign toward the end.

Genelle, thanks for the great observations and I might add they are very accurate.

The principal problem with the Democratic Party -- not just in Nevada but in every state, and nationally -- is that it's a party primarily run and driven by powerful insiders and incumbent politicians trying to get elected and reelected, and perpetuating their careers, rather than a movement driven by common interests and policy goals, which is what it should be, first and foremost. (I know this from direct experience with the Party -- and this experience goes very deep, including official positions on the state level and paid positions in DC on the national level.) Everything you have seen at your visits to the Nevada Democratic Party Central Committee just confirms what everyone should already know.

Does this mean that the Party is inherently a corrupt vessel, to it's very core? NO!

Does this mean it's hopeless to reform and renew the the Party? NO!

Does this mean concerned progressives should give up on the Party? Absolutely NOT.

These are the lessons that many thousands and millions of grassroots progressives, young people, and otherwise disaffected Democrats learned during the 2004 primary season, while participating in the Howard Dean campaign. These are the lessons many people learned firsthand from listening to Howard Dean.

Howard Dean is a brave, forward-looking, progressive Democrat, who (unlike Kerry), took a firm, unequivocal stand AGAINST THE WAR.

Howard Dean's name is in the running for the new DNC chair, to replace the sold-out Terry McCauliffe, who is way too close to corporate lobbyists in DC. Howard Dean has the potential to reform the Democratic Party and set a NEW COURSE.

That is why, with all this pessimism, I am cautiously optimistic that something can and will happen. But this movement needs support at the state level -- right here in Nevada.

Did you know that Adriana Martinez is actually bucking the will of those who engineered her ascent to the post of state chair -- those insider and incumbent politicians who would have rather had a "moderate" like Tom Vilsack in the national chair -- and she is endorsing Howard Dean?

Did you know there is a national movement which is saying unequivocally that Terry McCaulliffe -- and the DNC itself -- has been in the pockets of corporate lobbyists -- and that a new course needs to be set for the party, from the grassroots up?

I think in Howard Dean we really have a champion in that fight. Whether he really wants the post of DNC chair or not (and I don't know what he really wants), there is no doubt that his guts, drive, and above all his uncompromising HONESTY -- would be major assets for the party as we move into the coming fight against Republican tyrrany.

Thanks for your input. I understand what you're saying about Howard Dean, but a lot of people forget some things about him. When you say he stood unequivocably firm against the war (or something to that effect) I have to remind you he was one of the nodding heads back before the war started adding to the belief that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. To me, all of those talking heads share responsibility for this war. Also, when he was governor of Vermont, he was outspoken about his support of Yucca Mountain becoming a nuclear waste dump. When he switched directions and decided he wanted to be the president, he was suddenly against it... He supports the death penalty. He supports the expansion of NAFTA and WTO. He lands on the side of Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If you want to read more, go here: http://www.robincmiller.com/dean.htm

I am not saying Dean wouldn't be a better chair of the DNC than what is there now, but I can't fall into this Howard Dean craze #2 without at least bringing up these things about him. Know who you're supporting. There were things that bothered me about Kucinich, but at least I knew about them and had decided that, even still, Kucinich was the absolute strongest chance for change. I think Dean is a great speaker- it's just I really don't think he is as progressive as progressives are making him out to be. I really can't call Dean the be-all end-all answer to the DNC's problems. I think the be-all end-all answer begins with *the people*- not with a superhero-status guy who claims to be progressive. I WISH he was progressive. Really- I would like to get excited at the prospect of a true progressive taking the chair position of the DNC and everything suddenly falling into place. But it ain't so, and the responsibility lies with US, (as it would even if he really was a true progressive). Thanks for listening.