Proposed: Year-Round Precinct Organizing

If Bernie’s supporters follow his example and become involved in the Democratic Party year-round, and Hillary’s supporters practice what she preaches and promote kindness throughout society, “whether it’s to a friend, a neighbor, a colleague, a fellow student, or in the classroom, doctor’s office, or business,” as she put it, we can transform the Democratic Party and our nation into compassionate communities dedicated to promoting the general welfare.

Considering Bernie’s strength among young people, the future may be ours. The Democratic Party could lead a political revolution.

The Party’s structure is democratic and its membership is diverse. With some tweaks, grassroots activists can strengthen the Party.

Trying to form a new national organization or a third party would be much more difficult. We don’t have to establish a new decision-making process. We already have one.

The Democratic National Committee, which directs the Party, is composed of over 200 members elected by Democrats in all 50 states and the territories, as well as the chairs and vice-chairs of each state Party Committee who are elected by registered Democrats.

On the basis of one person, one vote, the national convention adopts the Party’s platform every four years. The latest platform is solid. But it can be improved to better reflect the will of the vast majority of the American people.

At present, the Party focuses almost entirely on electing Democrats to public office. It does not fight for its platform year-round by nurturing neighbor-to-neighbor relationships. With concentrated effort, we can turn the Party into an activist organization that serves unmet needs and fights for the Party’s platform throughout the year.

Nation-wide, political precincts (or voting districts) contain an average of about 300 registered Democrats. If ten or more of those 300 Democrats cultivate with one another cost-effective, potent, face-to-face connections, we can promote the common welfare and build the Party. If we are patient, persistent, and humble, we can empower one another and ourselves and grow a stronger sense of community with like-minded neighbors who engage in right action together.

Even in heavily Republican precincts, Democrats can work together to push for progress. One example is to act on the appeal from the national party to urge Senator McConnell to hold hearings on the President’s Supreme Court nominee.

By organizing precinct-based clubs, Democrats can get to know their neighbors through house parties, political action, and other rewarding activities. Possibilities include peer learning, public forums, registering voters, social events, mutual support, social service, and environmental cleanup, as well as get-out-the-vote during elections.

Most precinct club members might only participate in one monthly meeting (in a member’s home or community center) and work on one specific task between meetings. In addition, members with time available could engage in activities like volunteering together at a soup kitchen, participating in a political demonstration, helping one another compose a letter to an elected official, meeting with an official or their representative, becoming more familiar with their neighbors, welcoming newcomers, registering voters, organizing activities like a picnic, or raising funds to pay for special projects.

Each club would organize its own activities and share with the Party updated information about the residents in their precinct. At Party conventions, club members could gather in sessions to share notes about their efforts.

To promote year-round precinct organizing, Democrats can do one or more of the following:

• Sign the “Dear Bernie and Hillary: Transform the Democratic Party” letter  by posting a comment there or sending an email to <wadeATwadehudsonDOTnet>.
• Share this statement with friends and colleagues.
• Distribute and discuss these ideas at a Democratic county committee meeting.
• Let me know about any year-round precinct organizing already underway so I can share that information.
• Help develop one or more models by experimenting in your own precinct. Contact your local Party (as I have done) and tell them you want to work on organizing your precinct year-round. Perhaps they will give you their voter list for your precinct or connect you with someone who has it so you can start reaching out to neighbors.
• Report on the results of your efforts to me so I can facilitate horizontal communication between those who explore these possibilities.
• Vote for candidates for local and statewide Democratic Party positions who support year-round precinct organizing.

If this effort develops, we might post petitions (including one on the White House site directed to President Obama) and discuss these issues during campaign events. We might also circulate a pledge asking Democrats to promise to engage in precinct organizing if and when the opportunity arises.

Ideally, perhaps after the Democratic nomination is resolved, both Clinton and Sanders will encourage their supporters to get involved with year-round precinct organizing. Eventually, hopefully, the Democratic National Committee will invite every Democrat in their database to engage in consistent precinct organizing and ask them to help organize a club.

No one organization is the solution. We need many organizations that specialize on specific issues. But we also need one major coalition that enables us to overcome our fragmentation and occasionally unite behind a timely priority.

The American people need a bottom up, grassroots organization whose members help one another be all they can be and help this country live up to its ideals. The Democratic Party can be that organization -- a grand, inclusive coalition that enables neighbors to cultivate face-to-face community with one another.

Our situation is urgent. One way or the other, we must transform this nation into a compassionate community.