What’s going on with Central Brooklyn political clubs? Part 1
This past summer has only cemented my belief that there needs to be a new Democratic club in central Brooklyn. CBID, IND, and other groups have done their part in local politics for quite awhile. However, their effectiveness and cohesiveness have begun to dissolve.
Now, this is not a rant about what these clubs did or can do, just an honest assessment of what these clubs are and what they can be.
I am not too familiar with IND and have never been a member. What I have heard is there is constant fractioning and division in the club. Old members are fighting amongst themselves, while new members envision a dramatically different club. The reason I bring this up, is to add more contents to the situation that CBID finds itself in right now.
I was at one time a member of CBID and know many of its members. I do not think that CBID is going the way of the Dodo, but do believe a cleaning house and revamping of the club is in order. For progressive grassroots candidates to stand a chance, against well financed candidates, local political clubs need to provide large amounts of street presence for the candidates they endorse.
CBID, did a fine job gathering signatures, canvassing, and leafleting subway stops, considering the small number of people they had. However, the club's lack of numbers and presence is what scares me most. CBID, is basically confined to Park Slope, for it ever to be a real force in Brooklyn politics it needs to expand its presence in neighborhoods like Prospect Heights, Windsor Terrace, and Kensington.
The reason why this expansion is so necessary for any political club is quite simple, numbers. For groups like CBID to be effective they need to put boots on the ground. The only way I see to expand those numbers, is to increase membership from other neighborhoods. This will hinge on a kind of quid pro quo club leadership, where geographically the club will have to sometimes focus its attention outside of its base in Park Slope, to appeal to its new members.
This expansion may never happen, because of the caustic atmosphere inside the club today. If the factions in CBID cannot agree to disagree, the club will splinter and disintegrate. A problem I assume many local clubs encounter. The reason I use CBID, is because I am familiar with the club. This is why I suggest the need for all local clubs to take a long look at themselves and find ways to become more effective and expand.
If this does not happen, I think it becomes necessary for all the people who live around the park to create a new political club; one that is free from old feuds and has a less parochial nature.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
They Can Work
Submitted by Carroll on 25 September 2006 - 7:57pm.
The local political club can work and they have in the past. Many where founded during the Vietnam War, that and the civil rights movement were two great catalysts to spur membership and involvement. People realized that they needed to hold their elected officials accountable and could have a say in elections if they were united.
Today, we have similar problems with Iraq and the patriot act, but seemingly can't get people to rally around progressive clubs. I think you are right that there is a need for these clubs to be oriented around the neighborhoods they claim to represent. People are attached to where they live; and if a political club can make real contribution to its area people will begin to flock to a club.
The problem is that too often these clubs just plan for the next day and not the future. This is why active membership and general street presence is down across the board.
There's distance between these groups and the local party
Submitted by rwallnerny on 26 September 2006 - 1:36pm.
One problem is that the local democratic party seems to not want much to do with CBID or IND, apart from those who belong to those groups. It seems like some party regulars question whether these groups are truly DEMOCRATIC PARTY groups. I think CBID should change its name, for instance, because its an oxymoron to call oneself an "independent" and a "democrat" If you are an independent, you aren't a democrat and vice versa. The Democratic Party pros are always going to be suspicious of someone calling themselves an "independent democrat" because they can see a person calling themselves that as one who always has one foot out the door and one in. Its just like if the group was called CBRD or CBLD or CBGD(republican democrats, or libertarian democrats, or green democrats) If you want influence within the party, you can't be a fair weather democrat, you have to commit yourself wholeheartedly.
Why can't the group be "Central Brooklyn Democrats"? Or not even that, since not all the people in the group live in "central" Brooklyn? To build the strength of the Democratic Party, we have to sell the party as the place where people should want to belong, not
The term independent
Submitted by Carroll on 26 September 2006 - 1:52pm.
The term independent Democrats comes from the idea that they are independent from the party machine, not the ideals of the Democratic Party. I think it is good that these groups don't want to be apart of the Kings County Democrats, we need independent Democratic voices.
Also, IND stands for Independent Neighborhood Democrats, so I think it is a very common term. Understood as independent Democratic voices not independents.
And isn’t it great that all of us Democrats can say:
"I Am Not a Member of Any Organized Party -- I Am a Democrat"
Whats in a name
Submitted by rwallnerny on 26 September 2006 - 4:56pm.
(I Am Not a Member of Any Organized Party -- I Am a Democrat" )
Yes but not when you are presenting yourself as a Democratic Party group, and surely the "democrats" in the name CBID refers to the Democratic Party and not to Democracy. Otherwise you could have republicans join CBID.
I remember when New Democratic Majority was formed, the one thing that I hated was the name. This was a group specifically started for progressive peoples, not just democrats, but all progressives, and yet it adopted a name which was guaranteed to confuse people into thinking its membership were all democrats. People also hear the NDM name and sometimes think the group is NDP (Mark Green's New Democracy Project)
The problem is perception. Is CBID a Democrats group? Is NDM a democrats group? If neither is a democrats group, neither ought to IMO have democrats in the name. Green party or non-affiliated folks won't want to join a group if membership in it makes it sound like they are Democrats. On the flip side, loyal Democrats may not want to join a group that has "independent" in the name, as they may think it implies not being 100% committed to the Democratic Party.
It is possible that both of these groups have cast tents that are too wide, and that in doing so, there has been a lack of focus and cohesion. Too many people with too many different agendas and little getting accomplished. You can't expect the Kings County Democratic Party to listen to a group like CBID unless they are convinced of the group's committment not just to Democracy, but to the Democratic Party.
History
Submitted by mole333 on 26 September 2006 - 8:45pm.
It actualy is very simple. Several clubs started calling themselves "independent" to distance themselves from the corruption of the local Democratic machine. It is the label of the reform movement within the Democratic party within Brooklyn. Hence IND, CBID and LID, (and formerly PRIDE) all of which have "Independent" in their names.
I have found people like it. I have known Green leaning people become interested when hearing the name "Independent Neighborhood Democrats." I think it is a brilliant name, including two buzz words people have great associations with along with "Democrat."
Now, as to too many different groups with too many agendas...well, that is what you get when you deal with leftists. I have been spending almost two year trying to bring people together. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
CBID is DEMOCRATIC club
Submitted by Carroll on 26 September 2006 - 6:39pm.
I don't know what to say, these political clubs are Democratic clubs. They are just not willing to do the bidding of the party machine. Isn't that a good thing?
I get your point, we can play a semantic game if the Independent part in there name makes them a real Democrat club or not.
Well tell me this is the DLC a real Democratic group? Their mission statement is to move the party to the center. That doesn't seem to be upholding the Democratic Party's ideals. I am sure you will say but Bill Clinton started that group he has gravitas.
I think they are much more dangerous than a group of people who believe in real progressive politics and want to be above the fray of County politics.
If it was up to Vito and his crew, they would hand pick every candidate. That means we would not have people like Jim Brennan and others. Is Brennan not a Democrat because he is not Vito's boy.
You may have noticed that I keep using the big "D" becaucse they are Democrats not democrats.
I don't know if any of these
I don't know if any of these clubs can ever work. I am all for grassroots but we need to find a cause to rally around. The reason these clubs encounter so many problems is because people care more about controling the club then working for candidates.
What can these clubs do for the Neighborhood!
Once you figure that out you will have a strong club.