christinebarry.com

MDP Rule Change - Part 2

I view the Michigan Democratic Party through a very small window provided by some fellow Democrats I’m lucky enough to call friends. They are watchdogs. They spend hours evaluating, questioning, strategizing, philosophizing. How do we build our grassroots network? What’s our most effective method of mobilizing our resources? How do we create a bottom-up State Party? How many labor unions does it take to keep MDP Chair Mark Brewer in power? And on that note, who is the real author of the 30-day rule?

That final question was one that actually made it to Mark Brewer. On October 31, they received his answer in an email:

“I am the author of the proposal which is designed to end years of discrimination against precinct delegates and Party members who have been denied the right to be State Convention delegates.”

If you say so, Mark. (Careful those strings don’t get tangled, or you won’t be able to move.)

There are a couple of ways Mark could have responded to the criticism of this rule change. One is to take the high road; acknowledge that there are legitimate concerns, and then reassure the critics that the proposal is sound. Another approach would be to reach in the garbage, pull out a Mehlman, and re-define the criticism.

“Attached is a detailed memo I prepared responding to the false information which has been circulated.”

And in the memo:

“There has been a lot of misinformation creating confusion”

“This memo is to address this misinformation and confusion.”

I wonder if Mark would like a Talking Points Ken doll for Christmas?

But I digress.

“The Rules change simply takes a State Convention delegate selection system - that all precinct delegates and Party members can be delegates to a State Convention - which has been used successfully for many years in 11 of 15 Congressional Districts and applies that system statewide.”

That’s true, in a manner of speaking. We allowed any members in good standing to go to State Convention. But “good standing” requires more than filling out a form by a particular date. Members have to show up for the monthly meetings. In order to vote at State Convention, they have to ask another member in good standing to add them to the list of delegates. So although anyone could be eligible to vote at the State Convention, they did have to follow a procedure that provided some checks on the system.

“Unfortunately, large numbers of precinct delegates are being denied the right to be a State Convention delegate”

That may be true in 4 of the 15 districts previously mentioned. But why is it necessary to change the rules for the other 11 in order to fix those 4? Couldn’t problems in individual Counties and Districts be addressed in those Counties and Districts?

“many congressional districts and counties have for many years sent all of their precinct delegates and Party members as delegates to State Conventions. There has never been even an attempt to take over these delegations.”

Prior to this rule change, an attempt to take over the local delegations couldn’t have worked unless the locals allowed it. A group of people would have to attend several meetings before being allowed to vote at State Convention. Under the new rule (which is also a very old rule), there was a successful takeover of the 1968 convention for George Wallace.

Mark Brewer concludes his memo by reassuring us that there cannot possibly be a “takeover” in the future:

“The MDP Chair can call an emergency meeting of either the Executive Committee or the entire State Central Committee before the State Convention, and take whatever actions are necessary, including emergency changes to the Rules.”

“The Convention Credentials Committee can decide whether to credential suspicious delegates.”

“Even if a “takeover” occurred, the State Central Committee can refuse to recognize the [State Convention] results.”

Emergency meetings, taking “whatever actions are necessary”.

Withholding credentials from “suspicious delegates”.

Refusing to recognize the results of a convention.

Tell me again how this new rule opens up the party to the people?

Next time … why the rush on the rule change?

If you like this post, subscribe to my new email newsletter, and read me at the Detroit News Political Weblog.