Where are the Democratic Leaders Out Here?

Out here the Democrats have cheerleaders. But they do not have leaders.

I became involved in local politics out here because of my reaction to ICE. I reasoned that the best way to oppose ICE was through local political action. And, since I am an experienced attorney with a deep knowledge of the US Constitution and the Minnesota Constitution (really – I have a Doctorate in Juris Prudence and a license to walk into any federal courtroom in the United States and practice law) I understood that there are several steps the Minnesota legislature can take to severely limit the ability of ICE to operate in Minnesota. So I wanted to do that.

My encounter with the local Democratic establishment out here was, well, less than I had hoped it would be. The folks that ran the caucuses and conventions generally seemed to be both tired and angry. Out here, the politics of fatigue and anger will not work. The few people who I encountered who were serious and thoughtful, were people who had run for elective office out here in the past. They are very smart, are very generous with their time and their advice, but currently they don’t seem to play an active role in shaping and communicating a larger message to those of use out here who identify as Democrats.

As far as the current crop of candidates, well, they want to win their elections. And they are enthusiastic. And while I certainly want all of them to win, I have not met anyone whom I would call a “thought leader.” Candidates out here just adopt whatever pretty ideas are floating in the Democratic ether and present them as their own. It’s like they took a test in high school, copied someone else’s answer, and didn’t show their work. But hey, if that approach wins, it wins. In order for the Minnesota legislature to govern well, we need Democratic bodies sitting in the senate and in the house.

If we had a leader, here’s what they might say:

The voters out here are clear about what they want. They want three things. They want our local focus to be on affordability, jobs, and the economy. They want us to curb illegal immigration. They want us to take our focus away from identity politics and the special concerns of various interest groups.

We can give them what they want and still be Democrats.

Out here, the Democrats bring a message hand crafted by the political elite in St. Paul, a message that originates among Democrats in Washington, D.C., California and Florida. I’m not talking about the substance of the message. I’m talking about the way the message is presented. I’m not talking about “what” is being said, I’m talking about “how” its being said. What folks don’t realize is that this kind of message doesn’t work out here. It’s not what people want.

The thing about a mob is that it doesn’t have leaders. The thing about the Democrats out here is that it is functioning mostly as a mob, and all the “leaders” do is shout, metaphorically speaking, of course, “Let’s burn this house. Let’s pillage over here.” This might work in Minneapolis, and it might work in other parts of the country. It will not work in Wright County, where only 35% of the electorate identifies as Democratic.

In the next blog post I am going to write about what I have learned about the people who vote in Wright County. I am going to describe them, and then I am going to write about a strategy that is more likely to get them to vote for Democrats.

Stay tuned.