Monday morning water cooler 5.21.07

What's on your mind today? One news item that barely made the radar: Some hooligans knocked over the statue of Anne Frank at Boise's Anne Frank Idaho Human Rights Memorial this weekend. Whether they were motivated by hate or hooch, the perpetrators need to know that the statue isn't the be-all and end-all of the memorial. In fact, when I visit the memorial, I spend my time mulling the Maya Angelou poem on the back side of the writing desk, or the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, or the dozens of quotations on the plaza along 9th Street. Anne's statue will be placed upright, but the vandalism did nothing - nothing - to dull her memory nor the memorial's many voices of freedom.

I also read in the Idaho Statesman how the Idaho Democratic Party is holding a bumper sticker slogan contest. (As one of Idaho's leading Dem bloggers, I want to know why I hear about things like this in the local paper instead of via a press release that I can share with my very avid Democratic activist readers. Sheesh. Then again, I can't find mention of it on the party website, either.) Here's the deal: Submit a slogan to Chuck Oxley by 5 p.m. Friday, May 25, and you may win a table for eight at next year's Frank Church Banquet. I'd enter the same one I submitted to the Ada County Democrats - We're All in This Together - but I recently noticed it's been adopted as a bumper sticker by the Fund for Idaho. Other ideas?

Correction: Sorry, slogans must be submitted via your county chair, and it's your county Dem party that would win the banquet table. So if you have a good one, be sure your county chair hears it by Friday. Thanks to John M for the clarification in the comments below.

Two more things:

Go here to sign a petition to ask Butch Otter to shelve his plans to gut family-friendly programs in Idaho.

Don't forget the community college vote tomorrow. Most of us will be voting at our regular locations. If you'll be too busy to get to the polls Tuesday, you can do the deed today at these early voting locations:

Idaho Fish & Game, 600 S. Walnut, Boise; Eagle City Hall, 660 E. Civic Lane, Eagle; Christ Lutheran Church, 1406 W. Cherry Lane, Meridian; Canyon County Elections Office, 1102 E. Chicago, Caldwell.

Comments

[Julie in Boise]

Here's my slogan:

Idaho Democratic Party
Your voice. Your values.

[John McGimpsey]

> I want to know why I hear about things like this
> in the local paper instead of via a press release

Well, the contest is for County organizations rather than individuals, so the word went out (complete with flyer) to County Chairs and State Committeemen/Committeewomen. I'm not really surprised that it wasn't put out with a press release.

Some counties broadcast it to their membership. Guess yours didn't...

> and you may win a table

...your *county party* may win...

[Julie in Boise]

Thanks, John. You're right; I just reread the Statesman piece online:

"The Idaho Democratic Party is holding a slogan contest for a bumper sticker. IDP is asking each county to submit slogan ideas by 5 p.m. Friday to Chuck Oxley, IDP communications director, via e-mail at chuck@idaho-democrats.org.
The prize for the county with the winning slogan is a table at the Frank Church Banquet in 2008. The winner will be announced June 4.

"For additional information, contact Shelley Landry at 263-3860 or Randy Johnson at 336-1815."

By the way, I was at the Ada County Dems meeting last week and I do not remember hearing anything about this. Of course, I missed the first five minutes. Perhaps it was discussed then.

[Julie in Boise]

Just worth pondering:

There are many Idaho Democrats who, for whatever reason, are NOT plugged into their local county party. There are doubtless others who have been active volunteers, but who are not sure how to contact their county party.

Many of them have good ideas. The party needs to think of ways to make it easy for everyone to get their ideas heard - like inviting folks to submit ideas on the state party website or blog, for example.

Oh yeah, there is no state blog.

[David Erin Anthony]

How about this one...its not an original but I think would be very appropriate..

"God is not a registered Republican"

[Adam Graham]

I have to wonder how many people were involved to push that thing over. It looks prett heavy. I always assumed it was just secured in place somehow, not that a couple folks could just kncok it over.

[Julie in Boise]

DEA,

Here's what I don't want to see in our party slogan:

A message that hints, even subtly, "We're smarter than you are."

A message using the word God (though I really like the Sojourners sticker 'God is not a Republican. Or a Democrat').

A message that will alienate the many independents we need to win elections.

We need a slogan that feels welcoming and inclusive, and yet "speaks American." My proposal would reclaim the word values from the Rs and also tout one of our strongest virtues: that with Democrats leading, everyone has a voice - not just the privileged or the people with the loudest voices.

[David Erin Anthony]

I agree Julie..Im currently reading James Carville's "Take It Back." Very interesting perspective on what has gone wrong within the Democratic Party. He also provides suggestions to draw more of mainstraim back to the party and set a few of the records straight (including religion, guns, taxes, morality, etc). If you get an opportunity check it out. Unfortunately (or Fortunately), you will find the book in the bargin bin at B&N.

[Irwin Horowitz]

I've been thinking about this bumper sticker thing for a couple of days, and the idea I've come up with (as an homage to the old BF Goodrich commercials):
"Idaho Democrats: We're the other guys"
(note: the above is intended entirely tongue-in-cheek :-).

[IdahoRocks]

First, I must say that although the IDP has not, in the past, been sufficiently well-organized to broadcast their news to the citizens of ID, that has changed in recent years, and, if someone didn't get the message about the slogan contest, then it's the fault of their local Dem party, as well as their own fault. The info is out there to be had, it only takes a bit of asking....

Secondly, although I think it would be in the best interests of the IDP to have a blog, I also believe that ID bloggers can let their fingers do the walking....

Finally, north Idaho was a Democratic stronghold for most of ID history. The break down of the Unions, Republican political tactics, and the un-challenged under-education of Idahoans in the past thirty years that has been the Democratic Party's downfall. Couple that with the divergence of national attention to other states and the emphasis on BIG money, and the result is the acceptance of Republican propaganda in north Idaho. I say, let's take back the true Democratic values of Idaho so that the people prosper, not the big corporations.

[Jessica]

I am on the Bannock County Dems emailing list, as well as the emailing list for their Central and Executive committees. I didn't hear about this through any email from the county party, only through Julie. Thanks, Julie!

[IdahoRocks]

How weird! In Boundary County some very interested people have subscribed to Oxley's newsletter, and I keep a personal list of people who prefer email, so I send on everything I receive. Maybe we're so organized because we're small....but I think this kind of organization is essential for the IDP, especially when it comes to elections.

[Julie in Boise]

Maybe it's easier to get the word out in the smaller counties, where you can get all the Dems into the corner booth at the cafe.

KIDDING, Idaho Rocks! You guys are doing a great job in Boundary County, and it is very good to know how organized you are. (And we ought to note here again that D candidate Steve Elgar came within 5% of winning a state rep seat from District 1 last fall.)

Idaho Rocks wrote: "if someone didn't get the message about the slogan contest, then it's the fault of their local Dem party, as well as their own fault. The info is out there to be had, it only takes a bit of asking...."

Excuse me, but who would think to ASK about a bumper sticker contest if they had no idea it was happening? Oxley's general newsletter said nothing about it, right? Even if it had, I'd think a contest like this would've merited a separate email and some serious publicity.

I am glad it showed up in the Statesman, otherwise many of us would have NEVER heard.

[sharon fisher]

I didn't hear about it til I read it in the paper.

[Irwin Horowitz]

Folks,

The Statesman today is reporting that Democratic candidate for US Senate Larry LaRocco will be taking part in three online chats over the next two weeks. Here is the link to the page:
http://www.idahostatesman.com/politics/story/85491.html

They will be at 8 p.m. next Tuesday (29 May) at idablue.blogspot.com; noon on Fri. 01 Jun at NewWest; and noon on Tue. 05 Jun at dailykos.

[The Nickel-Plated JA]

I think the whole bumper-sticker debaucle is a great metaphor for the state of chaos at the State Party... hopefully John Foster can impart some much-needed 21st-century thinking:

* If the contest wasn't for public consumption, why was the Statesman even briefed?

* Why should counties offer up their best stuff for State Party consumption rather than just printing stickers themselves (and selling them to supporters in other counties)?

* Why would individuals (NOT the original effort, apparently) ever offer up something like this instead of just doing it through Cafepress or one of its analogues?

* Why, when deciding to run a contest, didn't the State Party choose something for individuals that would keep the grassroots "hot" during an offyear?

* Why does the State Party constantly try to operate like it's 1957 in terms of physical organization and 1997 in terms of online organization? Has the Chairman even *heard of* "The Cluetrain Manifesto" ?