[Iowa-dx] Local vs. Statewide

[Richard Johnson]

That was certainly the case in some townships in Louisa County this
year.  Even a few Greens in a county like Louisa could make a HUGE
difference in those races.

Rick


On Thu, 16 Nov 2006 18:54:27 -0600, "Kelley Putman" <kputman@mchsi.com>
said:
> For those who live in a rural area, Township Clerk and Township Trustee
> positions can be won with as few as two write-in votes sometimes.
> 
> Kelley
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Richard Johnson" <seiowagreen@fastmail.fm>
> To: "IAGP Discussion" <iowa-dx@lists.gp-us.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 2:46 PM
> Subject: [Iowa-dx] Local vs. Statewide
> 
> 
> OK...Iowa is now firmly in the control of the Democrats.  While that may
> only be a slight improvement over the previous situation, it is still an
> improvement.  As with any long journey, one must start with the first,
> small step away from the starting point.  Our starting point was a
> corporate dominated government that was out of touch with the common
> Iowan and dominated by far too many conservative legislators.  That was
> our origin point on the journey.
> 
> Where are we now?  We will still have a legislature that is far too
> friendly with the corporate interests of this state, and still out of
> touch for the most part with the needs of the average citizens of the
> state.  However, even if only marginally, it is an improvement, and it
> builds a small bit of momentum for future changes.
> 
> The question that is now before us is how do we build on that small bit
> of momentum.
> 
> For the past three election cycles the IAGP has run candidates for the
> top of the ticket.  After Ralph Nader's results in the 2000 campaign we
> benefitted by having access to the ballot as an official party AND by
> having the check-off for our party added to the income tax forms.  I do
> not have the figures in front of me, but as I recall the check-off
> brought in around $3000 for us (Holly please correct me if I am wrong).
> 
> Since then we have seen the following:
> 
> 2002 - Governor/Lt. Governor: Jay Robinson/Holly Hart - 1.4%
> 2004 - President/Vice President: David Cobb/Patricia La Marche - 0.076%
> 2006 - Governor/Lt. Governor: Wendy Barth/Richard Johnson - 0.74%
> (Unofficial)
> 
> For a variety of reasons we have not been able to repeat the results of
> 2000, in spite of the hard work and money we have put into our efforts.
> The best showing of any state-wide candidate under our banner was in
> 2002, when Brian Depew pulled in 2.18% of the vote.
> 
> I believe it is time for us to re-examine our approach to building the
> party in the state.  Specifically I would suggest that we turn our
> attention away from the top-of-the-ticket races and focus on putting
> candidates into down-the-ballot races.  I know that these races do not
> draw the attention that those at the top of the ticket do, but I believe
> that we have the people and the infrastructure in a few counties to have
> some success with this approach.
> 
> Each county will have its own unique situation.  For example, Johnson
> County might well not run anyone against Joe Bolcom for several good
> reasons.  However they may have good openings on the city council,
> county board, conservation board, or community college board of trustees
> that would be excellent places to run candidates.  Here in Des Moines
> County we have a representative that may be vulnerable, and running
> someone from the Green Party might be a good move.  Under this approach
> there will be no "one size fits all" solution.  Each county will have to
> work as they see fit from their vantage points.
> 
> Yes, this will dilute our money, and possibly our strength in some
> areas.  However, I believe the chance for success is greater with this
> approach.  Success under the state-wide approach has been defined as
> getting the 2% needed to obtain ballot status.  Success under the local
> approach might well be better defined as winning the seat.  And if our
> goal as a party is to see candidates who run under our banner win
> elections, it is the local approach that I feel offers the greatest
> opportunity for success.
> 
> But more importantly for the future of our party, a local approach gives
> us an opportunity to connect with and mobilize Greens in our counties.
> Johnson, Linn, and a handful of other counties are doing a great job (at
> least from where I sit) in connecting with their local voters.  However
> other counties have a hard time making such connections when there is no
> local candidate to drive interest.  They also have a hard time keeping
> folks involved if there is nothing locally to hold their interest (refer
> to my earlier e-mail for thoughts on this).
> 
> We've been doing the big picture for several years now.  We've fielded
> good candidates.  We've campaigned well.  We've all worked hard to
> support the candidates.  We've made new contacts and tried to hold their
> interest.  But in the end has our party shown growth?
> 
> Should we take a breather from the top of the ticket races and focus
> during the next cycle on local races, local party-building activites,
> and connecting with other progressive groups in our communities?
> 
> Rick Johnson
> 
> -- 
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> 
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