Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

At 1:52 AM, Kyle Michaelis said...

Discussion about our agenda is always a positive thing, but, in response to JO-R, I don't think the work of crafting talking points and speaking for the party is best left to a committee.

The kind of leadership we need can not come from group consensus. No 10 words, no 2 or 3 initiatives, will ever suffice. Debates of language and semantics, especially in politics, are traps from which little but conflict ever ultimately emerge.

Here's what I think - we have principles. Those are found both in the State Party Platform and in that little hidden corner of the soul that tells each of us we are Democrats. Metaphysics aside, a lot of work goes into that Platform every two years for a reason. It is the road map for the party. What's lacking is someone to show us the way - someone to take all that document's passion and turn it into a winning strategy.

In my mind, this should be the job of the NDP President. Our current constitution seems to leave this task to the State Central Committee, a task which it can not fulfill by the very nature of its girth and sporadic output. The State Central Committee should be a check on the President policy-wise, not a divining rod. The President should be responsive to the SCC rather than beholden to it.

Does this give the President more authority? Damn right it does. Does this raise our expectations of the post? Absolutely. This ship needs a captain. Sure, we've got our map and the State Central Committee can offer further navigation, but one person has to be at the wheel, willing to take a few chances and stake his or her own neck on a course of action. Accountability grows from entrusting capable individuals with responsibility. It can be enforced by committee but is poorly held by such bodies.

None of this is intended as a knock on current leadership. I don't think they've probably felt empowered to do their jobs in the above manner (which is simply "doing their job," in my mind). Maybe they'd even disagree with what I'm saying. I don't know. What we have now maximizes our conforming to democratic ideals, while leaving us crippled by their weaknesses - mainly lack of direction and a pace so slow that it can't possibly respond to the needs of the modern world. We must change to survive.

Note, I am not suggesting any sort of "imperial" presidency. Operations should remain under the guidance of the executive director. Also, the State Central Committee must continue to hold the President's feet to the fire as a governing board overseeing his/her actions and positioning the party on issues between Conventions. But, from there, the President (with the Executive Committee and staff of the NDP) has to take the lead.

Right now, I don't get a sense that anyone's at the helm (see this legislative session). Whether it takes election of new officers, constitutional reform, or simply a stern talking-to, that has to change. We can't exist in the shadows. If we had more candidates in high office, they could be our voice and public face, but that just isn't the case. We've got to have someONE front and center putting the Democratic Agenda out there.

So, yes Heath, by all means let's get a separate discussion about the issues NDP should tackle. But it won't do us much good if we don't have elected leadership both enabled and willing to lead. Something somewhere is going to have to change. Howard Dean can send us more money but he can't make us relevant again to the lives of Nebraska voters. Some things we have to do for ourselves.

PS- Please substitute "State Chair" for "President" throughout the above post.

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