What will our system of representative democracy in this region look like at 2:17:16 PM on April 8, 2024,  when Dayton, Ohio, will be at the very center of a total eclipse of the sun? In five years, will the system be stronger or weaker than it is today? How will we know? What is our vision of a twenty-first century system of representative democracy that works to its greatest potential to empower a government of, by and for the people? And what should we be doing in the next five years to help bring that vision to reality?

Weeping with joy when Dayton, Ohio sees the light?  —  April 8, 2024

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead

Today, class, we will discuss your final project. This should be fun. This project challenges you to take a very big picture view of our system of representative democracy and to envision its best potential. You should stretch your thinking. In Ohio’s tenth congressional district:

• What does our system of representative democracy look like now?
• What would a system working at the level of its greatest potential look like?
• What are principles of system transformation and how should those principles be applied?

Your assignment is address these questions in a paper written from the viewpoint of over five years in the future — June 1, 2024 — The Final Report for Project 2024.

Your Assignment

Suppose early in 2019, a core group of concerned citizens — let’s call them patriots — give themselves an April 8, 2024 deadline to repair, strengthen and transform representative democracy in Ohio’s tenth congressional district. Suppose they outline a detailed five-year plan — “Project 2024” — showing specific goals for each of the five years. And, suppose that on April 8, 2024, as the total eclipse of the sun impacts Dayton, they weep with joy memorializing the event. They weep in happiness knowing that by working on Project 2024, they have helped change the world. As a member of the group, you are asked to write a first draft of the Final Report. The goal is for this report to explain the OH-10 transformation process. The goal is to generate enthusiasm for a vision for a change process that results in a twenty-first century system of representative democracy that works to empower a government of, by and for the people.

For extra credit, explain your understanding of the unfolding of Project 2024 in a script you write for two-act play — entitled, “The Final Report for Project 2024″

 

In my email that I sent to MCDP Central Committee members — concerning our December 6 meeting — I invited members to express interest in developing and participating in an OH-10 Democratic Forum that I am developing on DaytonOS to start in January.

The purpose of the Forum is to empower Democrats to come together in learning communities focused on answering a specific question or advancing a specific mission. One question to investigate, for example, is: What can be done to make the MCDP a stronger and more successful organization? A committee investigating that question might start by defining the criteria for evaluating MCDP as an organization. How do we define strength? In our wildest dreams, what would a strong MCDP organization look like in 2022? How do we move from here to there?

I’m trying to think through the software of how to organize and to empower on-line study groups. I like the idea that groups can make their own Wiki. I want to be ready to launch before January. Here is the list of committees that I may start with:

1. Committee to make the MCDP a stronger and more successful organization.
2. Committee To Increase Voter Turn-Out In Strong Democratic Precincts.
3. Committee to Study and Monitor the actions of the Ohio Assembly and to inform and engage the public concerning the work of the Assembly — particularly the work of Montgomery and Greene County Assembly members.
4. Committee to Study and Monitor the action of the U.S. Congress and to inform and engage the public concerning the work of Mike Turner, Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown.
5. Committee to make the Ohio Budget understandable and transparent and to inspire public interest in understanding issues dealing with the Ohio Budget.
6. Committee to make the Federal Budget understandable and transparent and to inspire public interest in understanding issues dealing with the Federal Budget.

Interesting exchange on Facebook with Kurt Hatcher as a response to my post — Why Do Strong Democratic Precincts Have Absurdly Weak Voter Turnout? The MCDP Central Committee Should Seek Answers. The exchange was useful in clarifying a definition of GOTV not simply as the activity of the last weeks before election, but rather the sum of an overall strategy/plan. Once again I’m sounding the theme that the problem is in the system — not in the individuals in the system. We need to look objectively at what we are doing, we need to get a clear grasp of what the current system looks like. This is from my Facebook post:

My point is that the low voter turnout in dominant Democratic precincts is a tragedy. It’s a huge problem and it is a problem that the Central Committee should address. Kurt Hatcher’s view is, “We ARE doing the best possible, at the local level, with the resources and time we have available to us.” If this is true, then the only solution to improving turnout is to generate more resources and time to apply to the problem. But there is a diminishing return on resources allocated if this simply means knocking on the same door five more times or sending more and more literature to the same address.

No doubt, GOTV needs a big increase in time and resources. The question is: How can we spend time and resources more creatively and effectively. These short-term campaign centered efforts can only do so much. What is needed is a long term view, a long term strategy. It is unlikely that the solution to the problem simply is doing more of the same with greater enthusiasm and resources.

I agree with Kurt when he says, “I see no point in railing against an organization with very little resources and staff availability for their short-comings, when instead we could work together on solutions.” As elected leaders in the MCDP, we need to be collegial. We are the ones responsible. We are the organization, we need to accept responsibility. Poor voter turnout in strong Democratic precincts is a huge problem. This comes from systemic failure. Individuals in a system can be working hard and doing their very best, yet the system fails. Poor voter turnout in dominant Democratic precincts is a huge problem that the Central Committee should investigate. A good place to start working together to find solutions is taking a close look at the current GOTV efforts. The Central Committee needs to hear from Kurt and from everyone else who has information and insight to contribute. We need to take a fresh look.