SPEAKOUT: A debacle for the donkeys
By Josh Brodbeck
Published May 3, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
What is it about some politicians and their helpers that render them so completely incapable of just admitting it when they've made a mistake and fixing it?
On April 24, the Rocky Mountain News ran a story about a couple of elected delegates to the Colorado Democratic Party state convention (of which I was one) who lost their eligibility to go to the Democratic National Convention, hosted in Denver this August, because they had missed an important deadline to submit some paperwork ("Would-be delegates to Dem convention left in deadline dust").
But the stink of it is that no one from the state party did anything to actively notify thousands of Colorado Democrats - who endured the hours-long process at their February caucuses to get elected as a delegate to their county convention, and then navigated the even longer process at their county convention to be elected to the state convention - what would be expected of them. No postcard. No phone call. Nothing. The state party screwed up.
When I first found out that I had missed this deadline and I contacted the state Democratic Party to find out why I had never been notified, the kneejerk response I got was, and I quote, "We weren't legally required to notify anyone."
When I pressed further, the response quickly evolved into my failure, and that of the other elected delegates who missed the deadline, to take personal responsibility to find out what we needed to do next. When the Rocky later contacted state party Chairwoman Pat Waak about this matter, she repeated the same "blame-the-customer" message of failure to take personal responsibility. I suppose we thought that all of the information we would need was being shared with us when we were elected at our county conventions. How irresponsible of us.
According to state party officials, more than 10,000 elected delegates and alternates are expected at the state party convention this month in Colorado Springs. Based on the Rocky story, only about 2,000 of them beat the paperwork deadline. Do state party officials actually believe that 8,000 of 10,000 delegates from all corners of Colorado consciously decided that they are no longer interested in attending the Democratic National Convention in August, but will still go to the trouble of making hotel and travel arrangements to the Springs and attend the state convention anyway?
Simple logic tells me that the state party risks having thousands of furious delegates on their hands when they find out they aren't any longer eligible to move on to the national convention because of a deadline they never knew about.
However, the real story here isn't about the fact that I and 8,000 other elected delegates have lost our eligibility to attend the national convention. The real story is that the state party had an unprecedented opportunity to embrace a likely record-setting 120,000 Democrats when they showed up to their caucuses in February by engaging them in becoming an active Democrat. The newfound party strength that could have been realized from this is immeasurable. It is now apparent, if the state party's bungled handling of the delegates to the state convention is any evidence, that this opportunity has been squandered.
But Waak can still do the right thing: Just admit a mistake was made, fix it and move on. Extend the deadline and properly notify all of the elected delegates what's expected of them. Waak's deadline to do this is May 17, the day of the state convention. And don't worry, Ms. Waak, in case you're not aware of the deadline, I shall place a copy of this article in today's mail to ensure you have been properly notified.
Josh Brodbeck is a self-employed business consultant. He is a resident of Denver.
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May 3, 2008
6:52 a.m.
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jgd writes:
Froward69
***republicans break the rules and extend deadlines, all the time. not so much for Democrats.***
I wonder if the people in Michigan and Florida would agree with you?
May 3, 2008
7:51 a.m.
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jgd writes:
Forward69
So the Democrats will not be counting those votes in Michigan and Florida? You wouldn't want to place a small bet on that would you? BTW the Republicans didn't make the statement "if you change your primary dates, your votes will not be counted". The Dems did and now they trying to find a way to break their own rules, without look stupid, Oops too late!!
May 3, 2008
9:05 a.m.
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Elwood writes:
I hope the democrap convention commitee has raised enough money to pay for all the extra security, ie national guard from Wyoming. What's that? They haven't even raised enough to pay for the Pepsi Center? Figures, come to Denver, party, riot, and leave the taxpayers with a huge mess!
May 3, 2008
9:09 a.m.
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jgd writes:
Forward69,
The Republicans could care less about your primary votes in Florida, it is the hypocrisy of the Dems that they relish. Don't count the Florida votes, they broke our rules...... Oh wait we can't do that because we can't disenfranchise any voters.....but but if we do count those votes then Hillary will be ahead of our dream boy.... but but wait Hillary has the momentum so she could win and Rev Wright has weaken our dream boy.... but if we don't nominate Obama all of the blacks will turn against us.... but but if we don't nominate Hillary the women will not vote or they might even vote for McCain. And the chaos continues
Afraid of Obama? Not even concerned, he is nothing more than a socialist empty suit, which will come to light if he is ever nominated.
I personally don't like any of the selections for president being offered by either party. I am just enjoying the political infighting and watching the centralist going crazy trying to figure out which one they will vote for and hoping someone who will represent them, will step forward and join the race.
May 3, 2008
9:30 a.m.
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jgd writes:
Forward69
***Obama IS that someone representing regular Americans.***
You could use this as your opening line when preforming at the Comedy Club!
May 3, 2008
9:32 a.m.
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RS writes:
"We weren't legally required to notify anyone."
You expected a different response from a party who can only nominate lawyers to run in major campaigns? This political party threw out working class people long ago - they don't want people who work hard or are self-employed or have other things to do other than focus on getting more out of taxpayers. They DO want their votes, kind of like they want the votes of minorities every election, then ignore them the rest of the time. The party relies on race hustlers and labor "leaders" to deliver the peons to the polls each election, but could care less about these people the rest of the time as they hide in their gated communities, send their own kids to private schools, and socialize with their peers from law school or in the elite conclaves in places like San Francisco or Boulder. They claim to want to help illegal immigrants - which also keeps the cost of their servants low while the working class continues to pay the cost of illegal's education, health care, etc. Wake up people, you are being used!
May 3, 2008
12:56 p.m.
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MrPeabody writes:
From the original letter:
"When I pressed further, the response quickly evolved into my failure, and that of the other elected delegates who missed the deadline, to take personal responsibility to find out what we needed to do next."
What a hoot - from the party that doesn't believe in personal responsibility to use this excuse. Now, they've created another class of victims. And so it goes....
May 3, 2008
3:24 p.m.
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JohnSWren writes:
I’m reasonable informed and involved, but I also neglected the April 17 deadline. It does seem like it was placed too far out. But if that’s the rule, that’s the rule. Doesn’t make me feel good about it, though. It does seem exclusionary.
The Republicans in Denver used to have a 24 hour rule, if you didn’t sign up to run for precinct committee person at least 24 hours in advance you couldn’t run. Every year there were lots of complaints, and the rule was finally changed.
Maybe we Denver Democrats need to work between now and the 2010 caucus to elect leaders that will change this rule.
If you have a strong opinion about this or anything else, join us tomorrow (Sunday, May 4) for the 1st Denver Speakers Corner. 4 p.m. at North Pavillion in Civic Center . More information and optional RSVP at http://cocacop.meetup.com/2
May 3, 2008
6:04 p.m.
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GWM writes:
Josh Brodbeck, whine, whine, squeal, squeal. Not your fault at all? You are not intelligent enough to be a delegate it seems.
May 3, 2008
10:27 p.m.
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peterpi writes:
Leave it to Republicans not to read anything that doesn't confirm their own prejudices. Didn't you guys even bother to read Froward at 6:38 before heaping on the abuse?
I'm active in politics, but within the Democratic Party structure, I'm a nobody. Despite that, I managed all by myself to file the national delegate applications in time. How? I went to the Democratic website to see what I needed to do! Imagine that! I rread and followed instructions. I ddn't wait for Pat Waak to hand me an invitation on a golden platter. I spent two minutes of research, printed a couple of PDF forms, filled them out, faxed them, et voila!
People are seriously campaigning to be national delegates, spending real money that I don't have, so I'll probably be watching on TV, but the process was there to follow for anyone with eyes to see.
Mr. Brodbeck is a whiner. He didn't follow the process, so he's out.
MI and FL are whiners too. They didn't follow the process, so they're out. In case you dittoheads didn't notice, the Republican Party punished MI and FL also.
But it's much more fun to dump on the Democratic Party in a state of total ignorance.
May 3, 2008
10:39 p.m.
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peterpi writes:
Sasquatch @ 8:58am,
You've been spamming everletter to the editor I've read with the same cut-and-paste hysterical comment.
If someone complained in a letter to the editor about a lousy meal at a downtown restaurant, you'd probably spam that one also.
I know you're alarmed/excited, but the convention is still almost 4 months out. Calm down, or you'll have a heart attack and miss all the chaos you're, um, dreaming of.
May 4, 2008
12:57 p.m.
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Denver5280 writes:
Forward 69:
The point of the original RMN article was that the manner in which the Colorado Democratic Party ostensibly notified the elected delegates to the State Convention worked as an "insiders game." By failing to proactively and directly reach out to elected delegates, the State Party virtually insured that only its favorite children would know about the application requirement and, therefore, be eligible to run for election as a delegate to the NDC.
Your comment reinforces that perception. You ask why the delegates who missed the deadline never checked the State Party Website? I doubt that all 10,000 elected delegates spend their spare time perusing the CDP website on a regular basis. You ask, snidely, if those same delegates did not attend the Jefferson-Jackson dinner? Is buying a ticket to the CDC's annual fundraiser another unannounced prerequisite to serving as an NDC delegate? The examples of "notice" that you cite assume that all 10,000 elected delegates are such party regulars (or party hacks, you choose) that they devote all of their time, attention, and resources to the Colorado Democratic Party. If that's what is expected of delegates to the NDC, then the process is precisely what the first article suggested: an insider's game.
By the way, your numbers are wrong. According to Pat Waak, only 2,000 of the 10,000 elected delegates met the application deadline. And Colorado has 49 pledged delegates (not including superdelegates) to the National Convention, not 20. I guess even those who actively "peruse" being a Democrat can miss important information sometimes.
Maybe that's why the Colorado Democratic Party should have been responsible enough to make direct contact with each of the elected delegates, rather than passively sitting back and hoping that a few generalized comments to nonspecific masses might reach all 10,000 intended targets.
May 4, 2008
8:13 p.m.
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peterpi writes:
Denver5280, all anyone had to do to find out about the DNC application website was to pick up a phone and call a local Democratic office, or a party official, or an elected Democrat, or a Democratic Party candidate, and someone would have either said "This is how you do it" or "Gee, why don't you ask state headquarter?"
If someone was complaining they missed the deadline to file an application to become a delegate to the RNC, I suspect you'd be telling them to quit sniveling.
May 5, 2008
1:45 p.m.
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peterpi writes:
Hmmm, just for grins and giggles, I went to the ColoGop.org website. Right at the top is a link on how to become a state delegate to the national convention. I clicked on it, and got a 404 error code, "FileNotFound excception", followed by several lines of HTML code.
I closed MSIE, re-opened it, and tried again. Same result. Assuming that's a minor glitch, any Republican who bothers to check the Colorado party's website could easily find out the process, or even, just pick up the phone and call them and ask them.