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 Jeff's Vision

MESSAGING
 
Our messaging must begin by reminding ourselves that we are the progressive liberal party. We need to take direction from Progressives around the state. For instance, issues like raising the minimum wage and accepting the Medicaid expansion dollars were on ballots across Wisconsin in the past year. We ought to be listening and really hearing what local activists tell us. In my experience discussing issues with a variety of constituents, I also often heard concerns about education. For the first time, in the 15 years I've spent trying to get them to pay attention to school finance, voters told me that one of their greatest concerns was the funding of their schools. Many Wisconsinites have also been discouraged by the Republican administations lack of respect for local control. Specifically, I have heard many concerns regarding the legislations around high-capacity wells. In the process of destroying our environment, the Republicans stripped localities of the right to decide for themselves which wells can be built. These issues- education, local control, environmental concerns- are all things that our neighbors are worried about, so we have to stress our commitment to them. 
 
The Republicans currently in office are liars. How about that for a message? They lied when they said the state had a budget deficit in 2011, a claim upon which they relied to justify Act 10. Walker lied (and every legislator on that side are tied to him) when he claimed to prioritize job creation while the corruption that is the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is wasting and giving away tax dollars to pay back favors. Obviously I could go on, but our messaging must also continue to focus on the lies that the current administration has perpetrated.
 
I also often hear Progressives questioning why so many poor and disenfranchised members of our society are voting for conservative Republicans, when we know they are those being hurt the most. Again, it's because we need to HEAR what they are telling us. This sector of citizens deserve our respect and our open ears. Every time we make statements that sound like we believe anyone is stupid to vote “against their own best interest”, we are proving to them that we are elitist and don’t understand them. We need to make a better effort to understand and reach these voters. They don't need the pandering they get from the bible thumping, constitutional liars on the other side. They need us to recognize that we are willing to truly listen and work with them. 
 
Our party has the ability to reach many more voters in Wisconsin- if we are only willing to be honest, focused, and open to considering the concerns of our neighbors. Through these messaging efforts we can reach many more potential Democratic voters in rural parts of our state that have previously been neglected. 

"We need a leader who understands the concerns and challenges rural Wisconsin people and voters face. We also need a leader who will take a bold and creative approach to strengthening our party in rural Wisconsin.
I am that leader."

MEMBER SUPPORT
The key to our success lies in the strength of our local county parties. I can speak to this firsthand. In Eau Claire a small group of us decided they day after the 2004 election it would be a mistake to close our office and wait until the next election cycle to get to work again. Because of some hard work by really dedicated Democrats the Eau Claire office continues to be open and operating on a daily basis since. It is not only inefficient, but it is unfair to the good staff who show up and try, to rebuild county activism each and every cycle.
 
Two years ago the DPW initiated what was called the 72 County program. I greatly support this concept, but unfortunately the program has not gotten the support it deserves from the party. I was one of those three Regional Political Directors hired to support our county parties, recruit and train candidates, and build the volunteer base needed to make any campaign a winner. The successes we had in the 2014 spring elections proved the potential that the 72 County program had. This program must be continued and expanded.
  • We will emphasize the hiring of regional coordinators that will come from the region they will serve. Wisconsin Democrats have the talent and passion needed to win and we just need to support those talents and passions.
  • Field coordinators (or RPDs) would begin running canvasing that would begin to tell how regional messaging would look like. Our focus group is right there in every town at every door. True poll tested messaging will happen when we know what our own neighbors are thinking.
  • Field coordinators (or RPDs) will build the trust and respect we will need among our voters through familiarity with community leaders and ordinary citizens. You cannot expect to get trust and respect unless you reciprocate. It is truly a two way street and we are all in this together. Our Field Coordinators will be so much more familiar with their region and who is best suited win a campaign that we will be better prepared for recruiting and preparing candidates
I feel so strongly about the importance of this program and its successful implementation, I will lower the salary of the State Chair to put money into the pot for at least one more position.
 
We can also build member support through increasing communication and support between existing groups. One of my strengths is consensus building and problem solving. I know I have the people skills and campaign experience to be an asset to the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee and the State Senate Democratic Campaign Committee. While these committees are powerful, the County Chairs Association needs to be more involved and given a greater role as an advisory board for the chair. We are all in this together, yet there is often little trust and collaboration between these groups. The party hierarchy doesn’t trust the county chairs or membership and the membership has lost trust in the Madison leadership. The SSDCC and ADCC don’t trust anyone outside their organization. Meanwhile, the SSDCC and ADCC have paid consultants that get paid if we win or lose, while our county officers and members get involved because they feel passionate enough to put forth the effort with only the best interests in mind. Who should we trust? I put my faith in the County officers and members any day. They have the most to lose, and we all have a lot to gain. I have been more successful than other Democrats in the face of the Republicans sweep through this philosophy. Check out my graphs page under my Platform for real examples of this.
 
So my vision for the DPW is empowering our county parties though financial and advisory support available throughout each year, not just a few months leading up to an election. We need to lay the groundwork for the ADCC and SSDCC for when they are ready to invest effort in an election year the volunteer base and top notch candidates are ready to go. We also must be on the same page when it comes to messaging and engaging voters. Finally, the DPW must really understand that the way to victory in Wisconsin is through strengthening our base in rural Wisconsin, entrusting all progressive voices so they work with us not against us and votes trickle up the ballot not down. With that type of attitude the legislative caucuses and the county parties will find a much better working relationship between them as well as the DPW.
TRUE CAMPAIGN COORDINATION
 
Anyone who has volunteered for campaigns has probably come away wondering if they really knew the definintion of the word coordination. The truth is, a leading cause of consternation from volunteers is that they are told there is a "coordinated campaign" but, in fact, it is more like a "everything is done for the sake of the top of the ticket and it is coordinated if you follow what we say" strategy. We need to mean what we say, and truly coordinate efforts. I will do all in my power to enforce truth in coordination from the bottom of the ballot to the top. The top of the ticket will only benefit when our year-round field coordinators build the base of volunteers and those volunteers are collecting data that hones in on the Democratic message. No more urban-only campaigning. Wisconsin will only be blue once again when we reach and retain rural voters.
COUNTY STRUCTURE
It would be worth it for us to step back and take a long hard look at how we operate from a county and congressional district level. I have been having conversations with folks who have thought about this a great deal and have great ideas. Our county parties often struggle for lack of support or participation while our congressional district model has very little opportunity to actually organize and make a difference. We ought to call a conference to examine the possibility of re-structuring our system that it might be built more along the lines of the political lines in place around State Senate and Assembly districts or some other regional model that would be more manageable and make political sense. Either way, a rules or re-structuring convention could be called to consider the concepts available and to study other possibilities to make the DPW stronger and reinvigorated.
VALUE OUR CAUCUSES
The caucuses, as they are currently organized and formed, have little opportunity to make an impact on the DPW. Currently, the caucuses are organized with elections immediately within the first hour when the annual convention convenes. Beyond that, most caucuses get little notice from the DPW. I propose that the rules are revisited so there is more time given to the caucuses at convention. This way, members have a more substantial opportunity to sit in and learn. It also seems to me that anyone who has the passion and expertise to join a caucus, is probably someone we should listen to. We could utilize that resource by creating an advisory council made up of caucus members chosen by their peers. This advisory council would be our sounding board and, of course, another place where the party leaders are able to get advice and hear concerns. I hear often the call for a "Progressive Caucus". I am very open to that proposal and would like to take it even further. Logically, the entire membership of the DPW should actually be members of the Progressive Caucus simply because we are already members of the progressive Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Let's make that a goal and we can start by creating that Progressive Caucus.
 
Let's get to work!

 

 

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