My Blue State '08

What the "Youth" vote says about the Democratic Party of New Mexico

Who's most skeptical of the Democratic Party? People under the age of 34.

The belief that government can help solve problems facing our communities is what has always separated Democrats from Republicans. However, the rise of the unaffiliated voter shows that a growing number of New Mexicans are questioning whether the Democratic Party of New Mexico still stands for progress when it comes to solving the challenges facing communities today.

Of the 150,000 people who registered and voted in 2004,  56% were between 18 and 34. But when it came to choosing party affiliation, 30% of young voters chose to register without designating a party affiliation. 

It isn't that more voters are joining the Republican party, it's that they're choosing not to join the Democratic Party.

New Mexico is a closed primary state. Voters who choose not to have a party affiliation choose to be disenfranchised in primary elections.

More and more voters are choosing no party instead of our party. Democrats have to ask why? Is the rise of the independent voter in fact a vote of no-confidence in the Democratic Party of New Mexico?

The Democratic Party of New Mexico is no longer the party of the Majority in New Mexico. The question is whether Democrats in New Mexico want to do something about it.

Next: Why Democrats lost the 2004 Presidential election in New Mexico.

Graphs and stats courtesy of Research & Polling.

With Gideon Elliot as Party Chair you'll get:

The Democratic Party of New Mexico is a membership organization and as leaders of the party you deserve:

• A full-time Chair fully committed, always available and always accountable, working for you on behalf  of the members of the Democratic Party of New Mexico
• A commitment to compete
• Strategic vision for victory in 2008 based on real lessons learned
• Strategic vision for growing the party
• Benchmarks for success statewide you can measure in your community
• Quarterly Implementation Reports
• Candidate Recruitment
• Candidate Resources
• Personalized Outreach Resources
• Dedicated Support Staff
• Online Job Bank

Time to take a stand for ethics reform

In 2006, Democrats won control of both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, in part because America had grown sick and tired of the Republican's brand of oversight and ethics. Here in New Mexico, voters of all parties sent the same clear message when they reelected Governor Richardson, who ran on a platform of continuing to move New Mexico forward by putting ethics reform at the top of his agenda.

While much progress was made during the 2007 legislative session, the Governor has said that a second special session will be needed to complete key components of his ethics reform package, including campaign contribution limits and the creation of an independent Ethics Commission.

With every member of the state house and senate up for election in 2008, passage of any legislation limiting campaign contributions means the Democratic Party of New Mexico must be ready to provide its candidates the tactical and technical resources needed to offset the financial advantage of Republican Candidates.

If we don't prepare for this challenge, then we are ignoring the concerns of our incumbents and in doing so, the demands of New Mexico's voters for real ethics reform.

Welcome To MyBlueState08.com

Welcome to MyBlueState2008.com, a site I started to share my plan for the Democratic Party of New Mexico. Really, it's not my plan, but yours. The ideas presented here  don't belong to me, they belong to a countless number of New Mexicans who over the course of the past 3 1/2 years were generous enough to share with me their insights and experiences with the Democratic Party of New Mexico.

Most of the conversations were the kind that only occur amongst friends who feel free to share honest opinions, whether they be filled with hope, disappointment, praise, or anger. But above all, these conversations were filled with the realization of the consequences of loosing in 2004--consequences each of us have seen not just in TV reports from Iraq and Afghanistan or in the papers, but with our own eyes and in our our own lives and in our own communities.

The 2008 election isn't only about winning the Presidency, its about being brave enough to set a new course for our country, one that doesn't circumnavigate challenges but rather faces them head-on with a confidence and determination that can only come from the American spirit of innovation, progress and justice for all.

Make no mistake about it, Democrats in New Mexico face serious challenges in 2008 when our state will once again be a battleground for the presidential contenders.

If we want New Mexico to be a true blue state in 2008, then its up to us to make it happen.

MODIFIED OPEN PRIMARY OR CAUCUS MODIFIED OPEN PRIMARY OR CAUCUS

The Green Papers Election 2000-2004 Glossary:
OPEN PRIMARY OR CAUCUS
In an Open primary or caucus, any voter - regardless of party registration - may vote in the primary of either major party (but not both!): Democrats may, if they wish, pass up their own party's primary to vote in the Republican primary, while Republicans may choose to pass up their own party's primary to vote in the Democratic primary; Independents may vote in either major party's primary. In addition, a voter's party affiliation is unaffected by which primary he or she might have chosen to vote in: for example, a Democrat who chooses to vote in the Republican primary remains a registered Democrat and an Independent who votes in the Democratic primary remains a member of neither major party.

The Green Papers Election 2000-2004 Glossary:
MODIFIED OPEN PRIMARY OR CAUCUS

In a Modified open Primary or Caucus, persons registered with one of the major parties usually may only vote in that party's primary: generally, Democrats may only vote in the Democratic primary, while Republicans may only vote in the Republican primary. However, unlike in a Closed Primary or Caucus, Independents may choose to vote in either party's primary - though there are usually provisions which automatically make an Independent a registered member of whichever party the primary of which he or she has chosen to vote in: this tends to keep the number of Independents who take advantage of their privilege to vote in a Modified open primary or caucus relatively low (making what is called a Modified open primary or caucus, in fact, more of a "modified closed primary or caucus" in its actual operation!)

However, in some Modified Open states, a Democrat voting in the Republican primary or a Republican voting as a Democrat automatically changes one's party affiliation as well; this has tended to reduce such "crossover voting" between the two major parties in those Modified Open states which practice this automatic change in party registration- for many registered party members might very well think twice before casting a primary vote which would have such an impact on their party affiliation.

National Association of Secretaries of State: Election Information

Link: National Association of Secretaries of State: Election Information.

Objective: To create a presidential primary/caucus system designed to avoid the problems currently caused by the rush to "frontload" the presidential primary/caucus calendar, with the following principles in mind:

Respect the rights of the states to conduct their own elections
Provide every state with the opportunity to go first in the presidential primary/caucus processProvide voters and candidates with the opportunity to focus more on issues of regional interest

Goal: To establish a regional rotating primary/caucus system that would be adopted in 2008 and would give voters the opportunity to begin the new process in 2012.

Bush 2004 vs. Bush 2000

Legislative Process Diagram

Democratic Party Overview

Membership

The strength of our party is rooted in people who volunteer on campaigns, active in their precincts  and leaders in their counties. They are the people who know their fellow precinct and ward members, and who call to remind us of meeting times and places. They are the people we elect at the precinct level to represent us at the County level. The backbone of our party are the Democrats who are endowed by their fellow precinct and county party members with the responsibility of representing their shared interests and values-- they're the 360 Democrats who make up the Democratic Party of New Mexico's greatest asset and source of governing authority, the State Central Committee.

Accordingly, Rule 4 of the Democratic Party of New Mexico's By-laws establishes the State Central Committee as the "supreme governing body" of the party with oversight and control of the political affairs of the party and authority for appropriation of state party funds.

But this authority is not without responsibility. Rule 4-1. B. Financing. also states that "the policy of the DPNM is that its business be financed primarily by contributions from each of its individual members as their means allow" and that the State Central Committee has the responsibility of fulfilling that policy  by maintaining a systematic program for soliciting and collecting such contributions.

Conventional wisdom has been that its the responsibility of the Chair and party employees to raise funds for party operations. While fundraising is a critical component of the Chair's duties, the authority  and power to appropriate those funds still lies with the State Central Committee. And if the purpose of the fundraising is agreed upon, such as paying for a voter contact program in underperforming precincts, or to finance trainings for SCC members, then having 360 recognized leaders fundraising  for a common goal is more efficient than relying on one person to do the same.