We are going to have a great time together! (Not all of those in the photo are indeed delegates; the two men behind me, on the right side of the photo, are local activists but not heading to Philadelphia.) By the way: the two Hillary delegates in this photo are the two white men in the middle of each row. There are several more DNC delegates from our county on both sides.
Next week I’ll be in Philadelphia for the DNC to represent the great state of Michigan—America’s High Five—with 77 other delegates for Bernie Sanders. Bernie eked out a narrow win in Michigan’s primary, so we have a slight majority in delegates at the district level. I’m pleased and honored to be a Bernie delegate, even at this stage of the campaign season, and I’d like to explain why.
(After the jump, I’ll explain the composition of the whole delegation, along with some details about the delegate selection process, since it is too long and wonky to put at the start of this post.)
First, I will admit to deep fascination with the whole convention process. I am thrilled to be part of the group of people on the floor every night, a role I never anticipated filling. I can’t say that I began my local party activism with the expectation or even the ambition to be part of the delegation, but now that it has come to pass, I am delighted and grateful.
I also had no idea when I tossed my hat into the ring that there were so many meetings, caucuses, and parties to attend during Convention Week. Of course, I knew I’d be meeting a ton of people from around the country, but it simply didn’t occur to me that there would be quite this much hoopla involved. [Please note as well: If you are going to be in Philly next week—give a shout-out! We’re trying to organize a Daily Kos lunchtime meetup. In my post yesterday, I suggested Tuesday, but now Wednesday might be the day after all.]
I do know that I am in this delegation precisely because I have been a local party activist for some time, devoted to expanding the party by making it more inclusive, responsive, and constructive. I have supported Bernie in the primary all along, but it’s my party activism that’s getting me to Philadelphia this year.
Second, I am completely committed to the primary process. We had a Democratic primary in Michigan through which Bernie Sanders achieved a majority of votes and thus a majority of district-level delegates. Fulfillment of that process to the end is a worthwhile goal for us as a party.
Third, I believe we have an important purpose to serve, in encouraging people who might not have considered themselves eligible to be part of the political process to get involved. In my volunteer work as co-chair of precinct organizing, I collaborated with one of the local leaders of the Bernie campaign to recruit more precinct delegates. The new prospects constitute a substantial portion (close to 20%) of our delegates this time. That means not only more people participating in GOTV efforts this year and in preparation for our state-wide mid-term elections in 2018, but also more votes from Bernie supporters at the county party level. Engagement is key, and I’m grateful to have had this boost from members of the Bernie contingent who realize how vital local elections are to our overall effort.
Fourth, we still can make an impact on this election. There are several new organizations springing up to push the movement forward. Locally, there is “A Michigan to Believe In,” which has a Facebook page here. Its mission statement:
Proud progressives, we stand together to elect progressives in the Bernie Sanders tradition to all levels of Michigan government.
One of the SE Michigan leaders, Michelle Deatrick, is indeed running for local office, to become county commissioner from a section of the county that is currently represented by a Republican who would otherwise be unopposed. Michelle is a great organizer as well as an excellent candidate: she has solid canvassing skills and dedication and deep roots in the community. Those deep roots are literal, since she and her family own 80 acres in a northern section of the county. For more information about her campaign, including a donation page, please visit her website.
I participate with Michelle and several others in a closed FB group to discuss business for the Michigan Bernie DNC delegates. Recently, Michelle posted a passionate explanation about why our presence matters in Philadelphia. I asked her to reprise her statement in a form I could legitimately reprint here, protecting the confidentiality of our group’s discussion. She obliged:
The movement is more important now than ever. It was never about Bernie, as he said himself more than once. It was and IS about us, our country, our world. The issues and our goals remain the same: and the presence of Bernie supporters at the Convention is at least as important now as it was a few days ago. At the convention, we will connect: opportunities have already been set up to enable the connection of regional and statewide groups to the national effort.... And we will speak: the progressive voice needs to be strongly present in the dialogue of the Convention, in corridors and caucuses and demonstrations....
Our resolve and presence in strong numbers will be an undeniable statement--to the Party, the press, and our fellow Bernie supporters nationwide--that we are a force the Party must deal with, that we ARE the Party's future.
I've stepped a long way out of my life plan to work to elect Bernie, and now to run for office to help keep the movement going. ... I look forward to organizing with my fellow BERNers for years to come. We are just getting started.
I joined my local Democratic party in a serious way in 2015, stepping up my own activism from the GOTV and committee level to become a county party leader. I did so accepting an express invitation from our current county party chair, Chris Savage (Eclectablog), who is well known here as well as throughout the state and across the country as a strong and outspoken Democrat who is eager to pull the party to the left. Chris and I were not backing the same presidential candidate. But we are both DNC delegates, and we are both happy to work together, constructively, to grow the party and to make the Democratic party leadership and candidate roster more reflective of the true diversity of the party as a whole. Chris recently wrote a fine post discussing our county party’s ability to work well in real life, on the ground, which will continue to be accurate before, during, and after the convention.
On both sides of the presidential primary divide, for example, we are working hard to elect the first black woman to the Michigan Supreme Court: Judge Deborah Thomas, currently on the bench for the Third Circuit in Wayne County. The success of Judge Thomas’ campaign is vital to the prospects of the state, since the Michigan Supreme Court is dominated by Republicans who are indifferent (at best) to the implications of the law for all residents of the state, particularly for black Michiganders and for residents of our cities. If you would like to contribute, please go here.
The stakes are high this election, nationally and locally. Together, we can accomplish much. We do need all the help and all the dedication we can get. I am committed to the principles that Bernie has promoted, and also committed to the growth and success of the Democratic party. I see these as mutually supportive goals, and I hope that you all do, too.
Below the fold, I describe in more detail the delegate selection process as I observed it this spring and summer. My view is impressionistic in parts and should not be considered exhaustive, comprehensive, or official. But I hope that you find it interesting, especially if the process is new to you as it was to me. Fair warning, however: it is long.
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