DFA'ers, HELP ME!

[crispini]

I was heavily involved in Dallas for Kerry. TONS of work. We were totally grassroots, nothing at all from national, but that was OK, we did it on our own. I was also somewhat involved with DFA. I totally sat out the primaries.... I was not a Deaniac, I was a Clarkie, but I went to the wonderful DFA and 21st century dems training down in Austin, and I learned so much and was so happy and thrilled that someone was giving me the training that our local DP had not. and I went to some of the local DFA meetups.

Our local DFA mostly did meetups and connected people with campaigns. Dallas for Kerry did blockwalks, phonebanking, events, a shitload of stuff.

Now that the campaign is over, IMO, we have two local groups with the same mission. DFA has the advantage of support and help from a national organization. DFK obviously does not. DFK is reinventing itself, and I am urging that we merge with DFA. Locally, the DFA organization does not have a strong, established culture. There are much fewer of them than there are of DFK activists. For all practical purposes, if this were to occur, what would happen is that DFK would take over DFA, and the culture in the organization would be Dallas for Kerry's, because 90% of the membership and leadership would ours.

The DFA members are neutral, or don't seem to mind, -- have discussed it with members and one of the leaders and he has discussed it with the other leaders -- and the DFK members, a lot of them, are really fighting it.

I am completely floored by this. What I am hearing is that people don't WANT to feel like they are getting "direction" from a national organization, and also essentially what I am hearing is that people are not interested in this because of Howard Dean. That really interests me. I mean, we're all just Democrats together, right? We are all very interested taking back our country. I guess what I'm really wondering is, why can't we all get along?

What is going on here? Can someone explain it to me? I know that Dean is perceived as more leftwing than a lot of the other primary candidiates are, but why should his POLICY positions make a diff to an organiziation which is mostly GRASSROOTS based, interested in ORGANIZING.

I just percieve DFA as a practical way to get things done. I want everyone to play and share nicely together.

Can someone who has been around the block a few more times than I explain it to me?

Edited to add:

I read some of other threads and it seems there is stuff going on on this board I don't know about re: Dean? I'm sorry, I have been very involved with local politics and the voter fraud issue. Please let me assure you this is not flamebait, if you know Fudge Stripe Cookays she can vouch for me.

[madfloridian]

1. My daughter lives in Dallas.

I disagree with you that the Dean folks there would like to be absorbed into your "much larger" DFK. It just does not sound right.

We are rebuilding ours now. I am adding daily to the mailing list we keep. I know Dallas DFAers are not that slack that they would want to be "absorbed".

I think working together is a fine idea, having others come to meet-up is as well. But taking over the DFA there is another matter indeed.

AND if your folks don't like the Dean folks or don't like Howard Dean, why in heck would you want to absorb them.

I will check with my daughter and her friends on this. I question your premise.

[crispini]

2. Well, we just discussed it at the last meetup

And people at the meetup were in favor of the merger because we felt like it would make everyone stronger. I mean, essentially it would mean strenghtening DFA radically.

If your daughter wasn't at the meetup or if she doesn't know the meetup leaders it wouldn't have come up. (PM me if you want to know who, specifically, I discussed it with... I don't wanna name names on a forum.) Maybe I phrased it wrong... I don't see it as a "takeover." I see it as two groups joining and becoming stronger.

I guess what I was really asking is, Why can't we all get along?

What am I missing here?

[Cheswick2.0]

4. Again DFA has a specific purpose and it doesn't sound like the

other group does, but they also don't want to be part of Dean's organization. All getting along together is not the issue. Organizing from the DFA point of view is to make specific changes in the Party, not just "taking the country back".

We are working on making the party more populist and responsive to voters. Candidates we support are fiscally moderate and socially progressive.

I would advise the DFA group to decline to be taken over and continue doing what they are doing.

[madfloridian]

8. DFA is not the same thing as DFK.

PDA, formed mostly from Kucinich folks, were invited to the last DFA meet-ups. That was good. But I think they want to keep their name and be themselves as well as work together.

I know the Kerry group here tried to take over our group, but they were not permitted. Don't know if they stayed together or not. Our goals were NOT the same at all. They wanted the status quo, we did not. We welcomed them, but think Dean is too outspoken...we like it.

I would think it would be good to work together, but I would holler to HQ if I thought the Dallas DFA would let you change their name! And quickly, too.

[Cheswick2.0]

3. DFA has a purpose

If the people of DFK don't get it or don't like Dean they should really just do their own thing and let DFA do the same. I imagine the DFA would be happy to include any of the members of DFK that do want to join.

[crispini]

5. Yep, and it's the same purpose.

Grow the party from the grassroots. Run people for every office. Fundraise small, get corporate America out of politics. I read DFA mission ... I hear what people say they want to be their mission. Same goals. That's what i don't get, we wanna do the same things. why can't I make everyone see that?

[madfloridian]

6. Why do you guys want to take over DFA there?

That is not computing in my brain?

[crispini]

9. It's not "You Guys."

It's just my idea. I've been involved with BOTH. I've been to the DFA meetups and I think the org is great. I think Dean is great! I'm a member of both, and I think they'd be great together.

I mean, here is DFK that, in my opinion, doesn't have a mission any more. Here is DFA that has a mission. Two great tastes that taste great together, right? Like chocolate and peanut butter. I just want to make one really strong really great organization.

Sigh... never mind. I can't seem to get ANYONE to understand me.

[madfloridian]

12. This statement is why.

SNIP..."Locally, the DFA organization does not have a strong, established culture. There are much fewer of them than there are of DFK activists. For all practical purposes, if this were to occur, what would happen is that DFK would take over DFA, and the culture in the organization would be Dallas for Kerry's, because 90% of the membership and leadership would ours."

As I said, I have a daughter there, and that would not be a good thing to do.

[crispini]

14. Ok, when I read that again, I get your point.

It sounds like the borg or something eh? Wasn't really meant to be that way. Like I said above, I like the chocolate + peanut better analogy better.

Guess I'll file this one in the round file. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

[DFLforever]

7. I don't know much about the DFA group there in Dallas

but up in my part of the country, DFAers are not all Democrats. Some are Green, a few are Libertarian, many are independent, some are DFLers. But on the whole they plan on keeping their independence from the local Democratic establishment, including the camp, if any remains (I rather doubt it) of the ex-presidential nominee.

[madfloridian]

10. He welcomes Greens, Indys, moderate Republicans, etc.

It is not just a Democratic group. He wants it kept independent from the DNC.

[crispini]

11. OH. Now THAT makes sense to me.

Thank you very much. Now I am beginning to understand.

[DFLforever]

13. Also, crispini, you may want some input from DU's NoPasaran

from Austin DFA. As you may know, they are one of the most determined, organized and successful DFA groups in the country.

[crispini]

15. Yep, they rock!

But I think you and pretty much everyone else has convinced me this just isn't gonna make anyone happy.

I'll just crawl back into my hole now, thanks. Now I feel really embarrassed that I even posted this thread. Oh well, live and learn. Maybe the mods will lock it so it will just go away?

[DFLforever]

16. crispini, it wasn't THAT bad an idea!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as all our moms taught us.;)