Sometimes, the only thing that’ll unite stubborn people is a crisis, a problem so big that it just can’t be ignored any longer.
This is the state that Monroe County Democrats find themselves in after last week’s elections. Dems prevailed in their barely-competitive City Council and school board races, won re-election to the Irondequoit Town Board, and picked up at least one Town Board seat in Sweden — showing that the party can win outside of the city.
But the rest is very bad news. The Dems were defeated in every other contested election, including the top-prize county executive contest and in their County Legislature races.
“If this wasn’t a come-to-Jesus moment, I’m not sure what is,” party chair Jamie Romeo said during an interview the day after the elections; lawn signs, campaign handbills, and call scripts were still strewn across MCDC headquarters.
Democrats knew the odds were against them heading into Election Day, but the results are still deflating. The teetering party has taken a pummeling this year, beginning with the defection of District Attorney Sandra Doorley to the GOP in January, extending all the way to Mayor Lovely Warren’s choice not to endorse in the county executive’s race.
The Democratic Committee is also close to broke. Some big donors, put off by the party’s disarray, are holding on to their checks. It doesn’t help that Warren and other high-profile Democrats such as Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle and House Representative Louise Slaughter aren’t raising money for the party.
The question is where do the Democrats go from here? Party leaders talk in general terms about rallying together and working as a team; Romeo and Warren are talking about how the party moves forward, Romeo says. And she says that the committee’s door is open to anyone who wants to work with their fellow Democrats.
But leaders also say that they can only unify people who want to be united. In other words, the party’s future depends on county Democrats setting aside their differences and working for MCDC’s greater good. That responsibility isn’t just on the mayor and her supporters, but on the other party leaders and members who are at odds with them.
Voter turnout is another major issue, Romeo says. Roughly 29 percent of registered voters in Monroe County cast a ballot in the county executive race, slightly below average for a non-presidential, local election year.
“What are we doing?” Romeo says. “People in this community feel so beaten down, or whatever it may be, that they don’t think that their voice actually matters. That’s a problem. That’s a problem not just for Democrats; it’s a problem for everybody.”
The party needs to get out and talk to potential voters, Romeo says, to find out why they aren’t casting ballots. During an appearance on WXXI’s Connections, Henrietta Democratic Leader Simeon Banister, who lost his bid for a County Legislature seat, says that his committee plans to do just that. It’s important for local Democrats to talk to people in their community outside of elections, he said, and to build relationships with them.
Banister also said that the party needs to refine its messaging. It needs to explain issues in a way that sticks with voters, he said, instead of frequently veering off into policy wonk territory.
But the party has little time to get its affairs in order before the 2016 campaigns pick up. Slaughter will be up for re-election, and she’ll face another challenge from Gates Supervisor Mark Assini, who she barely beat last time. All state Assembly and Senate seats are on the ballot, too.
Next year is also a presidential election year, and the public is generally more engaged in the political process during presidential elections. Romeo says that county Democrats need to try to translate some of that interest into future interest in local elections. A more politically engaged public could mean more voters, a bigger candidate pool, and more party volunteers, she says.
“It’s the one beautiful thing about politics: it never ends,” Romeo says. “There’s another cycle.”
This article appears in Nov 11-17, 2015.
The Democratic Party has been a mess the enitre time I have lived in Monroe County. From the time I volunteered to bring the Gates Democratic Committee back to life to my time with dfaROCHESTER, outsiders have been treated with suspicion and fear.
During the Howard Dean campaign, fear and distrust of new and highly energized active members in the local Democratic scene were rampant. While our endless energy to serve as workhorses was used, new ideas and new leadership was never welcomed.
If a group or individual did not fit into one of the very few narrow channels–Morelle or Gantt people or whoever the ego of the month was– there was no welcome mat.
Factions with factions, insiders and outsiders and disarray have been the hallmarks of the local Democratic Party. That is why I left the party. The need to control who candidates would be was top priority. The party could never simply let all interested candidates run without interference and fighting.
Only when someone realizes it should never, ever be about the politicians will things be able to change. The Democratic Party needs to take note of the Green Party, where progressive ideals and the needs of the citizens are the focus.
I showed up not knowing a single person in Monroe County in Fall of 2012, worked hard with Democratic candidates and have found myself on the staff of State Senator Ted O’Brien and, currently, the County Legislature, as well as being a trusted presence and go-to guy at Democratic Headquarters.
I can only speak for myself, but I have not experienced one iota of this “suspicion and fear” outsiders are supposedly treated with. Likewise, on any campaign I have been even marginally involved with, those who are willing to work are welcomed with open arms.
I felt compelled to share my experience because I do not want interested progressives to be turned off from the local Democratic Party. Those who show up and are willing to work are quickly entrusted with increasing responsibilities. Like any organization, you have to be willing to start out doing some of the muck work. And in an almost all-volunteer operation, that never goes away. Elected officials and their top staff are out there making phone calls, walking door to door, passing out literature, and giving rides to polls almost as much as volunteers.
I can’t speak to how people were treated during the Dean campaign more than 11 years ago, as I was still in high school. But in the Monroe County Democratic party of today, I welcome all Dems to come on in, the water’s fine!
I’m afraid my experience is closer to Tom Janowski’s than Thomas Morrisey’s. Headquarters was interested in using me and my allies’ as workhorses, nothing else. Want to canvass? Sure. Want to phone bank? Sure. Want to lit drop? Sure. Want to try something new? No. Want to run for something? Not unless it fits in with our scheme. Want to win over new voters? No. Want to be part of the conversation? No, that takes place behind the Chairman’s doors. Actually contribute novel ideas as a rank-and-file Democrat? Sorry, that’s not how the ‘Democratic’ Party works in Monroe County.
Maybe as a pure outsider, coming from outside Rochester, with prior extensive experience and connections that works. But unless your last name is already Morelle, Clifford, Conklin, Wilmot, Gantt, etc., don’t expect to be given a paying job in the Democratic Party. Volunteer your heart out. But don’t expect to do anything but grunt work. And unless you’re in the ‘in’ faction for the moment, you’re not going to run and win in the realpolitik of the city, Brighton and sometimes Irondequoit. It’s one reason so many Republicans started out as Democrats. They get no support from H.Q., no support on the ground and get tired of losing for not being a cozy insider like Molly Clifford.
So Thomas, you were part of Ted O’Brien’s team. How’s his 2nd term working out for you? You made the unlikely jump from outsider to insider. Congratulations. Most of us are not nearly so lucky.
I grew up being told that the Democratic Party was the party of inclusion….everyone was welcome. This changed in early 2004 before the NY presidential primary. There was a candidates’ rally planned by MCDC. Overnight, that event was changed to an MCDC rally for John Kerry. Howard Dean supporters showed up at this event. As we waited in line to get in, some recognizable Democratic insiders asked us to open our coats.. Under those coats were Howard Dean sweatshirts. We were told to either take off anything with Dean’s name on it or leave. We left.
Standing outside in the cold, a van pulls up and Ted Kennedy stuck his head out the window. We told him why we were standing outside in the cold. Ted Kennedy told us to come inside. As we followed his van into the parking lot, the thugs guarding the parking lot stopped us. So, the local Democrats chose not to be welcoming.
That may have been many years ago, however that sticks in my mind. I believe in all people are equal. On that day in 2004, MCDC made a decision that stated something very different.
“That may have been many years ago, however that sticks in my mind. I believe in all people are equal. On that day in 2004, MCDC made a decision that stated something very different. “–Tom J.
Tom, maybe your allegiance is for the wrong party. The dems don’t believe in equality. If they did, they wouldn’t be always trying to divide everyone into hundreds of separate groups.
The other party believes in freedom, and freedom = equality.
Johnny, I have been registered Green for several years…all is good now.
Final comment on this topic: after being an outsider looking in for many years, one thing became very clear to me. I never wanted to be an insider. If I had become an insider there would not have been enough soap in the world that would have been able to make me feel clean again.
The rally at the Laborer’s Hall was not a MCDC rally just for Presidential candidates. It was a Kerry Rally, rescheduled from the previous week before after Teresa Heinz Kerry and then Kerry himself ended up canceling on a rally in the Gym of MLK school number 9 . They felt bad at the last minute cancellation and wanted to make it up before super tuesday because the Edwards campaign also had strong support in our region and Edwards had done a campaign stop. (Dean had dropped out by this point)
Senator Kennedy and I believe John Kerry’s daughter and sister attended to support Kerry. Kennedy was amazing as anybody there remembers. There were rumors of people planning to disrupt the rally. Tom, not letting in supporters of other campaigns, as long as they weren’t going to be disruptive, was wrong though. I was the Regional staffer for the Kerry campaign and remember that supporters of other candidates were there, mainly to see Kennedy of course.
Larry…if not mistaken, you spent quite a bit of time watching me and others on that day. Strange that now you admit people were warned about us in advance because the official word back then was that it was overzealous people at the door acting on their own. No one had any reason to believe DFA would be disruptive, but like I said before, the establishment was fearful of the new people and that is what is really sad.
There were other occasions where the Dem operatives were stalking and spying on our events. If the Dems used their time and people on worthwhile efforts, you might find yourselves in a better position now.
Your comments prove my point and offer just another example of why I am thrilled to no longer be associated with the Democratic Party.
Tom I believe you are mistaken in part. There were fellow dems that were friends or people that I knew supported other candidates that I recognized in the crowd. Nothing nefarious from my end. My strongest memory of the day was the few minutes that some of us was able to spend speaking with Senator Kennedy before he spoke, not worries about protesters. I appreciate the dialogue though. Too often comment threads end up in rant filled ditches. Perhaps we can continue it in person.
Just found this interesting tidbit– The address Molly Clifford used as her “official residence” in Charlotte is now for rent (after the election- hmm). I don’t think she actually lived there anyway. A D&C reporter lived there.
http://rochester.craigslist.org/apa/532540…