Oregon's Governor, Kate Brown, came to Medford to meet with Democrats. What happens isn't rocket science, but it takes planning. Here's what happens.
1. You schedule a date, then cancel at the last minute. The original time time in October coincided with the mass shooting in Roseburg. Governor Brown was needed elsewhere.
2. You reschedule in Medford when it works for the Governor's schedule, a Friday night, January 8. The time coincided with some other events in Medford so larger venues, including the Inn at the Commons, were unavailable. So you pack people into a smaller venue holding only 185 crowded people and you turn people away.
3. Local Democratic Party leaders serve as MC, pitching upcoming delegate selection events. Eventually Democrats will have a convention in Philadelphia and the delegates don't just appear. Local citizens are elected to those positions. That gets explained, then people are directed to the website.
4. Governor Brown enters and handshakes her way to a table where she sits with key dignitaries, including elected Democrats, State Rep. Peter Buckley and State Senator Alan Bates.
5. Everyone eats, following going through a buffet line. It is crowded. The space is too small for the group.
6. Governor Brown is introduced by Senator Alan Bates, a friend and ally. Bates says nice things about her leadership, telling a story how she was playful but tough with a sometimes difficult upstate Democrat, and how she was effective, courageous (in being a early adopter on marriage equality) and kind.
7. She spoke for about 20 minutes. She lauded policy victories (automatic voter registration with DMV licensing) and outlined a policy agenda for the upcoming session. A higher minimum wage of unspecified amount got the largest applause. Her speech was an outline of policy proposals, teeing up bills she plans on presenting to the legislature. Help for small businesses. Encourage family wage jobs, Sick leave legislation. More money for higher education scholarships. It was policy, not poetry. No soaring words about New American Centuries, nothing about Our Founders' Vision, no Cities on a Hill. But she did get big applause by noting that California's Governor Brown planned on following Oregon's lead on automatic voter registration linked to DMV licenses. Big applause for Oregon leadership.
8. Local Democratic chair introduces a final speaker--me.
9. Fundraise to pay for a year's office rent: goal $8,000. There is a bit of craft in this. I stepped to the stage with $4,000 confirmed: pledges of $1,000 from Senator Bates, Rep. Buckley, local donor Herb and Deborah Rothschild, and from my wife and myself. I consider it nearly essential for the person doing the ask to be a donor, setting an example. We needed $4,000 from 185 people who had already paid to attend. Local party leaders wondered if that was too much. My hunch was that the ask was not big enough. I said we needed to raise $4,000. Instantly another $1,000 came in from Laz Ayala, a businessman who is planning to file for a County Commissioner seat. Can we possibly raise $3,000, I asked. Then $500, 250, and $100 contributions, started coming in. We went well past the goal. Success.
10. Meeting ends and Kate Brown circulates doing one-on-one handshakes and selfies, greeting everyone who makes a point of seeing her. Kate Brown is petite. She makes full eye contact when greeting people. She often does a two-hand handshake.
SUMMARY: This event had all the key elements of a successful event: local party building, recognition of local Democrats, successful speech by headliner, fundraising to take advantage of the crowd and enthusiasm, public recognition of the donors, meet-and-greet time for the headliner, photos by a very skilled local photographer, then posted to his Facebook page.
That is what grassroots politics look like, up close.
Gratitude: Thank you, Allen Hallmark, photographer, for taking these photos and posting them to Facebook and for permission to use them. I have borrowed them to illustrate this blog. Allen is a Vietnam vet, a former Mail Tribune reporter, a traveler, photographer, social media expert, and a local Democrat.
1. You schedule a date, then cancel at the last minute. The original time time in October coincided with the mass shooting in Roseburg. Governor Brown was needed elsewhere.
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| Eliza Kauder, local MC, greets crowd |
3. Local Democratic Party leaders serve as MC, pitching upcoming delegate selection events. Eventually Democrats will have a convention in Philadelphia and the delegates don't just appear. Local citizens are elected to those positions. That gets explained, then people are directed to the website.
4. Governor Brown enters and handshakes her way to a table where she sits with key dignitaries, including elected Democrats, State Rep. Peter Buckley and State Senator Alan Bates.
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| Rep.Buckley, Sue Densmore Kate Brown, Ron Kramer |
5. Everyone eats, following going through a buffet line. It is crowded. The space is too small for the group.
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| Senator Alan Bates introduces Governor Brown |
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| Standing ovation to start speech |
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| Speech well received |
8. Local Democratic chair introduces a final speaker--me.
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| Me, soliciting donations. |
10. Meeting ends and Kate Brown circulates doing one-on-one handshakes and selfies, greeting everyone who makes a point of seeing her. Kate Brown is petite. She makes full eye contact when greeting people. She often does a two-hand handshake.
SUMMARY: This event had all the key elements of a successful event: local party building, recognition of local Democrats, successful speech by headliner, fundraising to take advantage of the crowd and enthusiasm, public recognition of the donors, meet-and-greet time for the headliner, photos by a very skilled local photographer, then posted to his Facebook page.
That is what grassroots politics look like, up close.
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| Two hand handshake with Donors Laz and Carlie Ayala |
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