Letter to DNC from OC Democratic Club

Terry McAuliffe, Chairman Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE Washington, DC 20003

Dear Mr. McAuliffe:

The Democratic Club of Central Orange County,
representing the cities of Orange, Tustin, Santa Ana,
Villa Park and Anaheim Hills, was founded in May, 2002
and is chartered by the Democratic Central Committee of
Orange County. The Club operated a campaign
headquarters in Santa Ana from August 1, 2004 through
the November, 2004 election. All resources to open and
operate the headquarters were raised by the club's
officers and through outreach by club members. At the
close of the campaign, over 300 volunteers were
headquartered out of the Club's office. Campaign
activities included voter registration, precinct
organization, an aggressive vote-by-mail campaign, and
letter writing to the swing states Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Michigan and Wisconsin. Volunteers telephoned
thousands of voters in Missouri, Florida and Arizona.
Because we had no local candidate in a competitive race
for partisan office, our primary focus was the election
of Senators John Kerry and John Edwards. Our
organization was a model of political grass roots at
its best.

Given the time, effort, energy and passion our group
put into the 2004 election, we were sorely disappointed
at the November 2nd results. On December 15 we invited
all volunteers and members to discuss what went wrong
and where we and the Democratic party might go from
here. This letter is a distillation and summary of our
thoughts and recommendations.

On the national level, our members felt that the
Democratic Party was out-organized, out-issued, out-
spun and out-communicated. We allowed the Karl Rove
machine to highjack God, and the Democrats were too
reluctant to claim the moral high ground with
traditional Democratic values. The national media was
much too passive and deferential to George Bush. Fox
News, Rush Limbaugh and his ilk were lying to the
public, demeaning our candidates and mischaracterizing
our programs and positions and the Democratic Party was
too slow and too timid in their response. It is of the
utmost importance that a Democratic news channel be
developed to counter Fox, etc, a kind of rapid response
team to counter the distortions and outright lies that
seem to pervade the market place of political
discourse.

Clearly, we were out-issued by the Republican machine.
The Democratic Party never clearly identified our
issues and what we stand for. For the first time in
our history, a whole generation of American children,
saddled with the huge budget deficit, is looking at a
future less bright than their parents' generation.
Traditionally, the Democrats have been the opportunity
party; opportunity for jobs, social security in our old
age, health care for young and old, a living wage, safe
air and water, and excellence in public education. But
the Democrats allowed themselves to be out-issued by
the Republicans. We are now six weeks past the
presidential election. Already we know the issues for
the Republicans: the ownership society: privatization
of Social Security, a permanent tax cut, a value added
tax, health care savings accounts and tort reform. This
plan was spelled out in the national media more than
two weeks ago. Even today as this letter is being
written, Bush is holding his economic summit that
continues to lie to, defraud and deceive the American
people. The DNC sent a letter last week that explains
that sometime in the future the grassroots will hear
from the Democrats about these issues. We need to hear
from the Democratic Party NOW if not yesterday. These
are real bread and butter issues that we Democrats have
the moral authority to challenge.

The Republicans knew their message and stayed on it.
As a Party, the Democrats did not communicate a clear
and simple message. Of all the e-mails our club
received, not one ever said this is our message and
this is what we as Democrats stand for. While the
Party registered tens of thousands of new voters, spent
countless hours making sure folks got to the polls, the
Party did not persuade voters to vote for Democratic
candidates. When asked why they voted for Senator John
Kerry for President, even lifelong Democrats responded,
"He is not George Bush." We should have had a better
message than that!

From our perspective, there was a lack of coordination
among the various Democratic entities: the
Presidential Campaign, the DNC, the California
Democratic Party and the Orange County Democratic
Central Committee. There was a complete lack of focus
and the Party, in our opinion, never identified the
customer. There was a complete lack of leadership at
all levels. The DNC used the internet extensively and
effectively as a fund-raising tool as evidenced by the
seven fold increase in small donor base from 400,000
donors in 2000 to 2.7 million donors in 2004. This is
as remarkable achievement. The internet was not,
however, a two way communication. We did not receive
marching orders, message or infrastructure directions
through the internet, or through any other medium. Our
Democratic Club of Central Orange County activities
were chosen and directed from within the Club and our
information for swing state activities came not from
the Democratic Party but from outside groups like the
Orange County Central Labor Council, Main Street Moms
Opposed to Bush, and Moveon.Org. Our volunteers were
incredibly committed. One volunteer on her own cell
phone made 2,500 telephone calls to Florida voters.
The Democratic Party did not lack for funds but it is
clear that the Democrats must be as serious about grass
roots organizing as they are about grass roots
fundraising. Over $158 million was raised in California
by outside Democratic candidates, the DNC and 527's.
Not one cent of that $158 million was spent in
California. Equally damning, we received no direction.

Our Club, because of recent fund-raising laws, operated
like a 527. We obtained our own instruction on fund-
raising/spending requirements. A stronger role in
financial reporting by the California Democratic Party
is urgently needed. Voter persuasion tools from the
DNC and the California Democratic Party are critical
for local party building. The California Democratic
Party piece that we have used in the past needs to be
streamlined and updated in format. If we are to take
back the White House in 2008, let alone House and
Senate, these tools should be made available now, so
that come the mid-term elections, the electorate knows
who we are and what we stand for. We can't wait until
Labor Day weekend, 2006.

The Democratic Party is dysfunctional at all levels.
There was a strong, almost unanimous recommendation
from our members, for some sort of Orange County
Coordinating Council so that clubs could communicate
with one another, expand grass-roots activities,
strategize together. Each club that operated a campaign
headquarters was operating by the seat of their pants.
It would have been such a big help had the walk piece
that our Club developed independently had the input
from and an "imprimatur" from all the clubs. Without
coordination with other headquarters, each was
struggling for cash to buy the basics. For example,
Kerry/Edwards yard sign sleeves and wires cost $4.15
each. That was an outrageous figure for a local
campaign office to support, especially considering that
$158 millions was raised in California to be spent
elsewhere. Generally, little direction was forthcoming
from the party as to process and organization for the
grass roots volunteers.

In spite of these problems, we are still working
diligently to maintain our over 300 (many young and
first-time) volunteers in Democratic activities because
we desperately want to be ready for the midterm
elections. The above recommendations are presented for
your consideration and our club is eager and ready to
continue to support the Democratic Party. We are
anxious for help and direction and look forward to
hearing from you with both. Thank you very much .

Sincerely,

Sharon O'Hara Jeanne Costales Chair
Vice-Chair

CC: Al From, CEO Democratic Leadership Council Bruce
Reed, President Democratic Leadership Council
Senator Art Torres, Chairman California
Democratic Party Frank Barbaro, Chairman Orange
County Democratic Central Committee Garry Shay,
DNC member