There has been a lot of energy, (otherwise known as hot air) expended over the past ten days about the sad state of politics in this country; including frequent complaints that the elections are too long, too expensive, and the complaint you hear most often, especially at a local level is, there are few good candidates to vote for.If you know someone who is always saying these things, or if that someone is you: Here is your chance to put your time, talent, and energy where your mouth is.
You can walk the talk by showing up at the Lehigh County & Northampton County League of Women Voters "Running for Local Office" workshop Saturday, November 22, 8:00 a.m. - 12:30, at Northampton Community College. Details and contact information is available at www.lwvlv.org.
Many important local offices are up for election next year; county officials, school directors, borough and city council members, township supervisors, commissioners, district justices...and very importantly, mayor of Allentown and Bethlehem.
You may think that as an ordinary citizen you are precluded from having an impact on the political process, but that is not true. Every elected official started somewhere, and most did so on the lowest wrung of the ladder at a local level. This is your chance to make a difference through a real grass roots campaign.
Even if you don't want to run for office yourself, you can learn a lot about how to manage a campaign or how to use your talents as a volunteer, simply by spending a few hours at this event.
You will hear first-hand from an extensive list of presenters: Listening to Joe Long and Bill Platt stand on the same dais and talk about "Working With Your Political Party" is worth the $45 price of admission, alone. But in addition you will also receive a comprehensive printed notebook that gives you a step by step outline of how to proceed as a prospective candidate or member of a campaign.
Speaking from personal experience, I can say that I would have had a much harder time getting my first campaign off the ground had I not attended a "Candidate's Workshop" just like this one.
If you've ever said, "I could do a better job as (fill in the blank...school board member, township commissioner...) then this is your chance to Walk the Talk.
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15 comments:
pam, michael donovan had a similar post on his blog. i commented that it appears impossible for anybody but a democrat to win any seat in allentown. (he evaded directly answering that statement) so i repeat it here, democracy in allentown is limited to democrats.
Dear Michael:
"I evaded?" I think I said point blank that the numbers do tip toward the democratic side, but doesn't that exist everywhere, for any party?
Anyone who is going to win an election and comes from the minority party will have their work cut out for them. They must convince voters that the candidate represents something better. To say it is impossible suggests, perhaps, that we need a parlimentary system where multiple parties often exist and the government must be formed using a coalition that includes members of the minority.
Is it a democratic candidate's fault that the balance tips demographically? How would one explain an election district comprised of a majority of republicans? That exists in many places, too.
I'm not sure what your concerns are other than the party system does cut out the independent, who rarely gets elected. On that issue you are so very correct. I find the party system problematic from that point of view because the world is not divided only in two. It is complex, and most people do have a hard time accepting carte blanche their party's total platform. We call those people, often, moderates. The sad part is when ideologues capture the party, and ruin it for the rest.
The challenge, Michael, is for pragmatic individuals to blend the best of both worlds for the benefit of most of the people. Not easy, but doable.
Again, I do not think that I evaded your question. Like a commentator on your blog remarked, I feel you frequently raise important social/political/economic issues that affect the city of Allentown and beyond. It is unfortunate that you do not get the microphone that you deserve.
Best regards to you and Pam.
Michael
pam, i want to pick up on one small thing you mentioned.
i have always felt the great shortage we have in this community is not candidates, but people who can serve as effective campaign managers.
the most qualified candidates get nowhere unless they can get elected; and the cardinal rule we learn and re-learn every election cycle is that a candidate CANNOT be his/her own campaign manager.
the results are usually much worse than for a lawyer who represents himself.
pam, if you will indulge me to answer michael d. let us say after tom's burke's defeat, who was appreciated by all, and after charlie thiels defeat whose campaign even included billboards, i don't know by which formula a republican can win in allentown. apparently a good record, hard work and ample campaign funds are not enough. the fact that NO republican has won anything in 3 elections cycles is the 800 pound gorilla which must be recognized, and it is NOT mentioned in the leagues candidate guide. of course not, but should not it be recognized at least on local political blogs?
MM,
Here's one for the record books: I completely agree with you.
I doubt we will ever see another Republican elected in the city of Allentown.
Michael,
Nothing is impossible except perhaps living forever. In this case, it is highly improbably that a Republican can ever again win election in Allentown.
Pragmatism has little to do with it. The Democratic voters who have tipped the balance are by in large the newer residents who are straight ticket voters.
The Dems have had a registration edge is the city for decades as far as I know, yet many R's have won elections. That's because the old time city voter was at heart an independent who would cross vote for someone they thought could do the job. The newer voters have no such altruistic interests.
Michael, even though you and I often agree, this one can't be parsed into a compromise...the Republican Party is pretty much finished in the city.
Anon 12:09
True; it is hard to find a competent campaign manager, especially for small local races where it's an all volunteer effort.
This is one of those "chicken & egg" scenarios. I come down on the side of the chicken...I think you have to have high-quality candidates first. If you do, people are motivated to work for them and support them.
But your point is very valid which is why I highly recommend to anyone even remotely interested in politics that they should attend the League of Women Voters' Campaign Workshop.
MM,
This is getting scary: We are once again in complete agreement.
The 2004 election where Tom Burke was turned out of office, and where Charlie Thiel, a very qualified, well organized, well financed candidate did not win, was the death knell. It became very clear after that cycle that Republicans were finished.
It would certainly be inappropriate for the LWV to engage in any such analysis. But it will suffice to say that if one is a Republican interested in seeking office or becoming involved in campaign management, they should look to do so outside the city limits.
Final thought. Case in point: Siobhan Bennett won all three cities, handily. Had it not been for the suburbs and outlying regions of the counties, Charlie Dent would have lost.
To all...
In my previous post I incorrectly listed the year that Tom Burke and Charlie Thiel lost their bid for city council as 2004: The year was 2005.
Those seats are once again up for election in 2009.
Thank you Pam and Michael for your well thought out responses.
While I do agree that any community with a majority in a party makes it difficult for the minority candidate to win, I guess that is simply a fact and not a conspiracy. Republican communities suffer the same fate.
There is research that has shown that in the past 40 years districts are no longer voting, say 55-45, but instead 70-30. That means that communities are getting ever more segmented to produce such imbalance.
So, the problem is one of how to get people to work together. Democrats cannot be smug. Republicans and independents cannot give up.
Best regards,
Michael
When one party dominates, either Republican or Democratic, it tends to breed both corruption and incomptenece. What can we do about to prevent a "winner takes all" tyranny of the majority?
1) Follow the lead of other states and ban partisan elections for local office.
2) Reform state election laws to make third party ballot access much easier and much more fair.
3) Adopt proportional voting.
More disclosure of campaign finance and online.
As demonstrated in the Dent race, the demo's win the cities because of one reason. Straight party voting. Nothing is more undemocratic than that. If Pennsylvania politics weren't so corrupt, straight party vothing would be outlawed.
Bernie,
Thanks so much for posting...
I'd like to add one more to your list: Penna. must ban straight party voting.
I believe you had a post about this on LV Ramblings. We are one of only 15 states who still allow it. The practice has been stopped across most of the county.
Anon 8:39,
I just wrote a comment to Bernie O'Hare saying the exact same thing. Straight party voting is in my opinion anti-democratic, that's with a small "d".
With the old lever machines, at least all the candidates names were right there in front of you, even if you did eventually pull the party lever.
With these new "computers" the straight ticket option is the first thing you see. It completely removes you from the options and the decision making process.
I agree with banning straight party voting. It forever changed Maine's political structure, and contributed to a very energetic political environment.
So, let's go change it!
Proportional voting is an interesting technique. I just wonder if we are ready for it...Get rid of straight voting, first.
Best regards,
Michael
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