The Indiana Democratic Club and Drinking Liberally: Indianapolis

[descolada99]

(note, the two organizations mentioned in the subject are not linked, just two things I happen to be involved with. the IDC doesn't sponsor Drinking Liberally)

Hoosiers,
I am a former Dean Meetup co-organizer (Indianapolis-Downtown. My name is Jason Borneman for those who may have attended). After the Dean campaign wound down and things didn't go the way we'd hoped, I wanted to look for "what to do next."

Instead of working with the new Democracy for America (a great group) I decided to "get local" and look for local groups and actions I could do, considering the poor state of the Indiana Democratic Party outside of a few counties.

One of the things I have done is join the Indiana Democratic Club. It's the "oldest continuous democratic club in the nation", since 1901. I've recently been named the club's Webmaster (link further down) and to the Board of Directors as well, which is a great if nerve wracking step for a 27 year old only a few years into political interest.

Anyway, for those not familiar, what is the IDC?

It's a club for Democrats all over the state (but largeley attended by metro-Indy Democrats) that meets once a month. Most meetings have basic discussion, a guest speaker (ranging in topics from Black History Month to an expert on the Internation Criminal Court). Many members are elected officials, including a number of Marion County Judges who kept us up to date on HB1703 that attempted to take away Marion County voters' right to vote for judges (thankfully defeated).

It's also a way to network and make social connections to other Democrats who have been working in the "nitty gritty" for many years. It's a great contact for finding out how to become a precinct captain (which I have also recently done), find out about little known bills that need support or need vocal opposition, and meet people ranging from township board members to Congresswoman Julia Carson (also a member). And if you want to run for office, these are the people you want on your side.

But the club needs new members. We need new, young energy in the club to hopefully help it become (in addition to a social and learning club) a club that can tie together all the new groups that have been springing up in Indiana the past 4+ years.

One of the biggest problems I see with all the new web-energized Democrats is that they don't know about the existing clubs out there. If we can coordinate them, find out what each other are doing, we can be more effective.

So if you'd like to come here are the details:
4th Tuesday of Every Month at 7:30pm (this month it's the 22nd)
Julia Carson Government Center
300 E. Fall Creek Parkway, 2nd Floor

Also our new website is up and running at www.indianademclub.org (although we have yet to send out the link to IDC members so you'll be there before most of them are). It's blog format, although still in need of more content (which is why I'm going to try to watch the DU Indiana forum more for links from around the state). Right now I'm posting action alerts from the Indiana AFL-CIO, as well as a few news stories I find and updates abotu the IDC. WOuld love to do more linking to news stories (although trying to keep commentary from me personally down. can leave that to the comments on a given story link) There's also a forum at the site too.

I'd like to make the site a good, central place for a Hoosier Democrats blog. But to make that happen I need help from people like you in finding links and op-eds from around the state that would be of interest. So I'll keep an eye open here, or if you want to email me you can send links to [e-mail] or use the Contact Form on the site.

Also,if you are a member of a Democratic Club for a township, county or city in Indiana, let me know via the same way.

Who knows how it will really turn out, but it's worth a shot.

Also, to plug something else I'm involved with, I'm the organizer for the Indianapolis chapter of Drinking Liberally. We meet every Thursday (tonight!) at 7pm at the Union Jack Pub in Broadripple (924 Broad Ripple Avenue). we have a small group of regulars, but would love to meet more people.

We like to treat Drinking Liberally as a place to vent, bitch and moan about the current state of things so that way when we go to our other meetings we are involved with (IDC, DFA, MoveOn, etc) we don't feel the need to bitch as much as get things done - we get our bitching done over beers! Also it's a great way to network and find people that share ideas with you for things you'd like to accomplish - three of us became precinct captains here in Marion County after meeting at Drinking Liberally.

Thanks for putting up with my verbosity. Stop by the site, leave me a message, or run me out on a rail for never shutting up. ;)

[hippiechick]

1. Welcome Back, Jason !

Haven't seen you in awhile ! :hi:

Do please also consider attending an Indy DU Meetup (see my sig line) in the future - one of the subjects we've discussed at the last couple meetings is exactly what you refer to above.

Having several discordant groups who seem unwilling or unable to get behind one 'BIG ISSUE' and gain some power in the media and in the Statehouse, we progressives here in Central Indiana are screwed and the Right Wing will continue its blitzkreig, unopposed.

[descolada99]

4. Good to be back.

I'll look into the DU Meetup. I've got so many meetings anymore... yikes. heh.

My hope is to be able to make the Democratic Club a good clearninghouse for the various other groups to meet, keep abreast of what everyone is doing and coordinate a bit, as well as be involved with what the IDC does regularly. It'll take some time to move the Club in that sort of direction (or even just add that sort of capability on - any 104 year old organization is gonna have some rust), but hopefully we can make it happen.

[kliljedahl]

8. Same night as ours isn't it?

Can we do a joint meeting that night?

[hippiechick]

9. This month they're on the same night ....

:hi:

[descolada99]

14. which is the same night as who's?

Which thing, the IDC or Drinking Liberally is the same night as yours (by yours do you mean the DU Meetup?)

Can't do anything about when the IDC meetings are or make that joint-anything, since it's a pretty structured group (Roberts Rules of Order, all that jazz) but if it's your DU meetup the same night as a Drinking Liberally, that'd be great to do it jointly once a month. Would you be willing to have it at the Union Jack in Broadripple or do you guys have a place you normally go? We get great service there and they've been awesome to us since we started back in October.

We're possibly open to a new location though, as long as it's a place with beer. I'll just have to see what the 'regulars' in our group think as well.

thanks for the interest. maybe we'll be drinking liberally together here sometime soon.

jason

[hippiechick]

19. Not any more they're not ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=151x2022


Sometimes it's good to be the organizer :)

[Voltaire]

2. I'm liking this idea a lot

Let me look at my calendar. . .

[descolada99]

3. come on down anytime

Drinking Liberally is weekly, Dem Clubs are once a month.

Dem Club meetings aren't exactly the biggest ball of fire, but they're informative and good networking opportunities. Hopefully over time new blood can come in and energize the place as well (not knocking what they do/have done, but I know the new web-energized democrats will crave more "action")

Drinking Liberally is a good excute to bitch about Bush, have good beer and meet some good people. Hope to see you soon.

[Voltaire]

5. Well. . .

I think I will come to Drinking Liberally next week, because nothing goes with politics like...drinking...liberally and then I can spend my birthday at the Democratic meeting. My wife keeps telling me to get off my ass and stop yelling so here's my opportunity.

[hippiechick]

6. Its not your birthday for 2 weeks old man ...

:evilgrin: Or are you planning a VERY LONG bender ? ;)

[Voltaire]

11. Oh Lord

The mind is willing but the flesh is very weak. No, I meant the Dem meeting was on the 22nd.

[kliljedahl]

7. They both sound good

Let me know when & where.Tried to send you an E-mail on your contact form page. Unfortunately it only sends mail if you're hosted by them, I'm not. Don't know if it went through.

[descolada99]

12. Hmm?

did you get an error message of some sort on the contact page? if you did, could you try it again and paste a copy of the error message you saw into this thread. Would love it for debugging if there's an issue.

Also, in what you tried to send what was the content of the email? I got a message from the form last night and just curious if its yours that got through.

thanks
jason

[kliljedahl]

15. The error didn't appear this time

Seems the E-mail went through. Was just inquiring about membership.


http://www.kliljedahl.net

[descolada99]

16. Okay

Good, glad to hear the erorr cleared up.

If you sent the message to the club president on the form, let me know if you don't hear back from him soon. He's not so good at answering email somtimes (in fact, he still hasn't answered MY email trying to confirm that the form is working for him....)

So let me know if you don't hear from him and I'll try to answer any questions you have best I can.

jason

[kliljedahl]

17. Not necessary

I'll just appear on the 22nd since the IndyDU meetup has been rescheduled.

[LiberalFighter]

10. Will try to remember to include info about IDC in our 3rd Dist Directory

If you have any other information... upcoming events or anything else let me know.

[descolada99]

13. 3rd district....

So do you know the DFA group up that way? Tom Fellrath, Patrick McCormick, a few others I can't remember...? I met some of them in my Dean days, went to Chicago to the Grassroots Summit with a few, too.

Are there any of the old "Clubs" up that way, pre-meetup type groups? Or are you guys having to totally rebuild the party from the ground up?

[LiberalFighter]

18. I know Tom from his stint with Rigdon's campaign

Patrick is in another county as an county officer. See them sometimes at 3rd District or county mtgs.

I just attended a DFA mtg for first time last week. Neither was there at that one.

[descolada99]

20. Thanks!

I want to thank those that found this postand came to Drinking Liberally last Thursday. Had three new people (and were missing four regulars), made for a great time. We'll be there at the Union Jack again, this thursday 7pm - whenever.

Also a quick reminder that tomorrow night is the Indiana Democratic CLub meeting. 7:30 at the Julia Carson government center on Fall Creek (east of Delaware, west of Central). I'm not promising a rip roaring time (we use Robert's Rules of ORder) but it's a good group if you want to meet some of the people invovled in the nitty gritty of local politics, espeically Marion County.

[Bzzzz]

21. We enjoyed ourselves...

and plan to be there again on the 31st bringing 3 new people with us. Unfortunately, we can't come this Thursday.

[descolada99]

22. Glad it was a good time

no problem about this week. We want it to be an informal, whenever you can make it type event. I'll have to make sure that the UJ has enough tables set aside for us next week.

[Bzzzz]

23. Thanks, guy...

:)

[descolada99]

24. thanks & welcome

Wanted to thank the people who came to the Indiana Democratic Club meeting last night after hearing about it here/via the website. It was a bit slow at the beginning, with all the club business but some interesting topics were discussed.

Had a great guest speaker on Social Security. I'd heard most of the points he made, but never in one sitting. Made me even more pissed about Bush's plan to dismantle it.

Anyway, there's a write up of last night's meeting on the website, www.indianademclub.org/blog/. Next month's meeting is April 26th I believe. Same Dem time, Same Dem channel.

And a reminder that Thursday is the weekly Drinking Liberally. 7pm-whenever at the Union Jack in Broadripple. We won't have any bagpipes this week (last week the Speedway Pipes came through the bar in honor of St. Patrick's day. Quite a (loud) treat! :) )but we'll still have good beer and good conversation.

There will be basketball going on as well, and there's a nice wide screen flat panel tv up above the dining area we haunt, so we'll be able to catch some of the action as well.

Before I end this new rambling, would like to sign off with a quote from Hunter S. Thompson:
"Disagreeing with Donald Rumsfeld about bombing anybody who gets in our way is not a crime in this country. It is a wise and honorable idea that George Washington and Benjamin Franklin risked their lives for."

[hippiechick]

25. Looking forward to tomorrow night !

Might even bring a guest (if I can drag him away from BASKETBALL!)

:)