Democratic Party Organizing

[Bettie]

So, anyone have any ideas to get younger people involved in local organizing for the party?

I'm 57 and am the second youngest person in our local (rural) Democratic party committee.

It appears that young people don't want to come to meetings, so we're dwindling in numbers.

Is it necessary to have in person meetings anymore? How do we move forward in a way that will engage younger voters?

Any ideas would be welcome, because I'm not even sure it's worth my time anymore.

[people]

1. Younger people . . .

If anyone knows younger voter age people, get some of them together and ask them how to get them engaged. What would they do if they were trying to engage other young people? Maybe if they are put in charge and have personal agency as to how and what to do some of them may do something.

[Bettie]

3. I've tried this with my kids

and they say they are too busy with work and/or school to do that kind of stuff.

I've asked them to talk to others, but they're on break.

He says they will vote, but they don't have time for meetings. Sigh.

The rural parties are dying in Iowa. We have a guy who is part of our county party, but he won't tell anyone he's a Dem because it might lower his status among his "bar friends".

[usonian]

2. Ask them what kind of future they want.

Last edited Sat Feb 3, 2024, 01:29 PM - Edit history (1)

CERTAINLY NOT THIS ONE.

• Government dictates what you read, your religion and your private life. Period trackers mandatory, and report to the government. I call it "tubal litigation"

• More welfare for the rich.

• Americans pitted against each other along lines of race, color, religion, gender, sexuality, and income. Vilification of blacks, Jews, Muslims, lgbtq+ , homeless, and women of strength, with increasing violence, even murder against them.


• Private health care companies deny needed treatments to save money. (Death panels are here!)

• The wealthy pay even less in taxes.

• Every civil right is eroded by clown judges living in the 18th century rewriting the constitution.

• Worker's rights and benefits reduced in order to create greater profits for businesses.

• Safety nets removed, so that homeless, and jobless people are left to die on the streets.

• More, more, more of culture war.

• GUNS, everywhere, with no limitations or requirements. Kids get them freely.

• Minorities and women blamed for every imaginable blip.

• Support of authoritarian regimes across the globe, who eagerly imprison, "re-educate", murder and commit atrocities on others.

• Lies, hate speech and threats are welcomed on "social media" and given support by government officials.

• Medical care and prescription drug costs skyrocket.

• Every one of these weakens America and benefits the dime store dictator Putin.

Sadly, one can give plenty of examples of each of these.
I could go on but that should do for now.

[Bettie]

4. Thank you, this will help a lot

A good list!

[usonian]

6. I just shared a short version with my daughter.

and that while she might have little effect on the outcome (we are in California), she could suffer greatly from a whitehouse run by the likes of Bannon, Stone and company -- not to mention more fascist knucklehead judges in courts at all levels.

Concern for minorities elsewhere in the world, which did NOT manifest during various past and ongoing genocides and gender wars, namely in Myanmar, China, Ethiopia, Iraq, Syria and South Sudan -- add Afghanistan and the repression of women there, are being addressed by the US via Blinken, and SHOULD NOT detract from the need to protect minorities here from vilification, repression and use as foils to increase personal and government power.

The vilification of Harvard President Gay was aided and abetted by right wing racist white male supremacists.

This is a battle to see who rules: "We The People" or "We the white supremacists".

[Tree Lady]

9. I use to live in CA and when younger

20 yrs ago I worked with Sierra Club campaigning door to door out of state in Nevada. I think maybe we or our young in blue states could volunteer in close states nearby not as blue.

[usonian]

14. That was good of you.

We get the benefits today of efforts made in the past. But things sure change. While the central valley was having some annoying rain, there was 2 feet of snow up in the foothills, loading up trees that weren't made to carry it. On today's walk, I saw some, and one manzanita that looks newly fallen.

[ShazzieB]

15. Great list, but i would add something to the 3rd bullet point.

• Americans pitted against each other along lines of race, color, religion, gender, sexuality, and income. Vilification of blacks, Jews, Muslims, lgbtq+, homeless, and women of strength, with increasing violence, even murder against them.

[usonian]

16. Edited, thanks.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. What's your goal for your party unit?

To mobilize voters every cycle? To have a group of like-minded people that does community work regularly? To serve as a bridge between the state party and people in your area? Figure out the goal first; "get more young people involved" isn't a great goal to start with. If your local unit has a mission statement, that would be a place to start.

ETA: I see where young people have said they don't have time for meetings. So that means you have to reach them without meetings. Social media would be the easiest thing to use to reach them, but it will be difficult to measure effectiveness beyond voter turnout. So again, it depends on what your goals are.

[Bev54]

7. There are many organizations that will help locals to energize volunteers - use them to help yours. Here are just some

https://www.rockthevote.org/get-involved/

https://whenweallvote.org/

https://www.lwv.org/blog/5-ways-volunteer-voting-rights

https://www.youcanvote.org/

[mcar]

8. It's a conundrum we are facing here in FL as well

Turnout among the young voter set was dismal in 2020 and yet they are horrified at what the state leg and Gov DeathSentence are doing.

However, our new county Democratic chair is 35; our recently elected city councilperson is early 40s (and won in this very red county by 35 votes!). They and some of their friends are working very hard to reach out to young people. We now have a 3-county Young Democrats Club and they meet both in person and via Discord. We're about to (finally) get a Young Democrats Club in one of our high schools (all three have Republican Clubs).

I echo what people said in post 1 - ask them. Democrats want to get involved, even younger ones, but they are in school, working, etc and really don't have a lot of time. I can't imagine them canvassing or phone banking but I can sure see them text banking, which has turned out to be a big thing.

They do things differently - just like we did vis a vis our parents and grandparents. It takes time, but look at some of the wonderful national figures we are seeing on social media - Victor Shi, Aaron Parnas, Olivia Julianna. They know how to communicate with their peers. We old folks don't.

[Bettie]

10. Will check on text banking.

I think another issue is that most liberal leaning kids leave this small, rural county the second they turn 18, for college and they never come back. The ones who stay are the ones who buy the hard right/religious thing 100%.

[mcar]

11. That's a good point too

SO was a HS teacher here for decades. He said so many of the kids just parrot their parents' views it's hard to reach them. Now, of course, he wouldn't be able to even try to reach them with facts. I'm so glad he retired last year.

[imavoter]

12. get a young person and get started on TikTok if you aren't already

I get some (it's not my only source, it's just one) of my info that way.

Talk to the national party in DC and see what they suggest. What does your state party suggest.

I'm 51, and it's not all dancing and bs.

edit: personal connection makes things work in the long run. Find out what they would show up for. Ask them. They are spending their time on something, what is it.

[Bettie]

13. Just took a quick search and found a

couple of younger dems on Tik Tok...thanks, hadn't actually thought of that, even though I watch cat videos there all the time!