There is so much energy in the progressive grassroots and no matter how many pundits want to talk about changing demographics (no) or centrist candidates, the real story is that real people worked their butts off to try to get governments that would be responsive to real people. When we show up, we win.
A key win was right next door to us in Delaware County, PA. This is how it looked to Kat Caudle (on FB) who organized there for five years and watched those building blocks come together last night:
There are 5 races that happened tonight, that you won’t hear about on CNN, MSNBC or even your local news (because uggg suburbs). In Delaware County, PA a “collar county” of Philadelphia, a notoriously RED county, despite a significant voter registration edge since 2013. A county that, in 2012, was named by the New York Times as one of 3 counties nationwide that prevented Romney from winning. A county, that in 2014 voted for the first female AG in PA; in 2016 voted for Hillary Clinton; A County in which I spent 5 years politically organizing, helping to run campaign after campaign after campaign; A County that has it’s own Bill Clinton; A county that by all accounts got along with its 2012 OFA team better than the other 66 counties in PA (what do you mean you like your staff and you work WITH them?) A County that shares the name and a border with my home state; A County that once you’ve crossed the state line is the exact opposite of it’s sister cities across the state line.
That County, tonight, for the first time in its history, didn’t just elect Democrats county-wide, THEY swept the COUNTY-WIDE offices from County Council to Controller, Sheriff, and Register of Wills. For the first time in the history of the County Dems were elected and NOT appointed to the County Council.
Tonight was huge. But tonight doesn’t happen without the blood, sweat and tears of those that came before, I can speak specifically of the 2013 team– the closest we would come until tonight in beating back the GOP machine. Without the dedication of a Chairman who knew what needed to be done, the staff to execute that plan and the candidates willing to follow, tonight doesn’t happen.
Congratulations to the Delco Dems and the huge wins you had across the county. THIS IS what elections are made of.
WE BUILT THIS. #webuiltthis
So I want to make sure that we thank some of the organizing groups that worked long and hard to get this done:
I know I am missing some — I suspect I know these because I follow them on Twitter. Still. And the DNC was seriously on the ground in VA at least — supporting the State Party organizations and supporting these organizations too.
When we show up we win.
Special mention to Tom Perriello of Virgina. I think that he is the MVP for the entire Virginia wave. He lost to Northam in the Governor primary and went to work almost immediately to help Northam get elected AND to support all of the Dem candidates in Virginia. He was just everywhere in the past few months — canvassing, fundraising, doing whatever he could do to pull as many Dems across the line as possible. This guy gets it as is a genuine hero in Virginia today. I hope he runs for office again — we need this kind of energy and spirit.
It is 364 days until the next General and I don’t know how many until the Delaware Primary. But there will be serious opportunities to support progressive and Democratic candidates here in Delaware who will represent our values and work for us. We already know that the local GOP is looking to bring Trumpism and all of its hateful disruption here. There will be candidates worthy of your support all throughout Delaware. Heck, YOU might be the candidate worthy of our support here.
If you need some help figuring out where to best get involved, let me know. Or just post a response here. While I would love to get more great people involved with the Democratic party, that is not your only option. Helping great candidates who will represent our values is the real goal.
#TheResistance
Dem sweep in DELCO is huge indeed, haven’t been to the area in years but it was near ruby red at times in the past. As noted when we show and vote we win. Now on to keeping that spirit alive and vibrant for another year.
That Delaware County win was the cherry on top. All morning I’ve been listening to chatting heads (MSNBC because I want to bathe in the glory of last night a little longer) and they keep asking, ” was this really a referendum on Trump?” The answers differ broadly but mostly they’re all cautious to say probably not, that in NJ it was a referendum on Christie (fair), that we can’t tell from one election night (there were elections happening in more than two states last night ftr)… But here is where I differ and where I think this was absolutely a referendum on the GOP and Trump.
In Delaware County we had a voter reg edge since 2013 (in 2014 when I left to work for Allyson Schwartz it was nearing 7K as of last night it was just over 16K, let that sink in… more than doubled in 3 years.) In Delaware County we didn’t just win the County-wide races (except one judge seat, which we lost by less than 2k) we also won in towns where we had no business winning: Nether Providence, Brookhaven, we turned Upper Darby/Drexel Hill blue on the school board and took more town council seats. In the town of Aldan, who has never voted for a Democrat in its 124 year history, voted for it’s first Dem as it’s Judge of Elections. (In PA they elect damn near everything except dog catcher, talk to me about that later!) You’re thinking cool, a position that only has meaning once every 6 months (in PA) and doesn’t make any real rules. BUT I say to you, yes, cool. Because all politics is local, and in PA you don’t get more local than your election day officials.
But Delco wasn’t the only success story. In Chesco, where we do NOT have registration advantages, we won county-wide for the first time, ever. In MontCo, where we are pretty sturdy on registration etc. We picked up even more seats, in typically R areas.
In Charlotte, NC, the first black woman was elected Mayor. In towns and cities across the nation a lot of firsts for Democrats were happening, and were happening outside of polling data, or expected results. I don’t need the DNC chairman to give me talking points (although he has been doing pretty good on the circuit this morning) about why we won last night, because I think the results are clear and they speak for themselves.
But I caution Delaware, because we were gaining seats in the legislature when every other state was losing them, we can’t get complacent, we can’t allow ourselves to think, even for a second, that we have this in the bag. A lot changes in 364 days. We need to take lessons learned across the nation and even from our own Special Election in February– Coalition building wins elections, grassroots organizing wins elections, we don’t stop because we won, we win because we didn’t stop.
#webuiltthis
Delaware might well go in the other direction. Voters are against the status quo, and it’s all Delaware Democrats have on offer.
Hopefully!! The Dems have done a terrible job! Time for change!
Definitely, we can’t get complacent. Which is why I am excited to see some interesting names — and plenty of them women –step up to run. The electoral field is not complete yet, but there’s definitely potential if we get out and work.
Total agreement, still in a pleasant state over Delco.
I’m 62 years old, and DelCo has never voted Democratic in my lifetime.
Since 1992 Delco had more Demo’s than Republicans.
Aren’t you supposed to post a troll link when you make a statement like that? ‘Cause it’s BS.
Do your own research Wiky. I’m not doing it for You!
not that I need to respond to you, but I worked in Delco for the Dem party when we got the voter reg edge, and I promise you it was not in 1992. Here’s an article from their local paper that lays it out in the first 3 paragraphs. The article is from 2014.
http://www.delcotimes.com/government-and-politics/20140430/delaware-county-democrats-increase-voter-registration-lead
Do your home work PCG808!
What more homework would you like me to do? I was present the day voter registration turned. This is not fake news. I even went a half a step further and gave you a link. I’m not the one that needs to do my homework.
Ignore him. He’s angry and lashing out after last night.
Like YOU have not been angry, the last year, over the election of President Trump? Oh, come on now Pandy……………..
Sure, I’ve been angry. What I haven’t done is expect other people to back up what I say. You made a claim so you need to do your homework.
I always know when you lose an argument, Anono. Your deflection away from the point is hardly subtle.
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/10/30/progressive-group-launches-ad-featuring-va-gop-supporter-chasing-down-minority-kids-with-a-pickup/
Yea. the Dems stooping to new lows. Gotta love your grassroots efforts. SICK!
Did you see your alt-right compadres run over that woman in Charlottesville? That was REAL. This is a riff on the violence that your alt right types are workin’ on on the daily. The NRA ads run this cycle were just as bad. They just lost.
The dems still ran the ad! And I’m not alt-right, I thought that THAT was a disgrace as well. Two wrongs don’t make a right. You’ve been crying for a year now! The ALT-Left, doesn’t want to work together, it’s your way or the highway. Of course, you’d rather have communism anyway.
Yeah, this is still how we know you are losing an argument. A combo of deflection and whataboutism.
yes, your take. Not mine. You read, but your always right or I’m sorry LEFT! Too funny.
The Reds!