Tripp County Democrats regular meeting June 24, 2004
These are not official minutes by any means; just a few comments of somebody present at the meeting.
Links to this Blog were provided to all present and a number of citizens at the meeting provided their e-mail addresses so they could get e-mail notices of meetings and local events.
The recent election generated significant discussion about problems resulting from South Dakota's new law which appears to always require a photo ID before a registered voter can vote. It is a bit strange when local officials say something like, "Hello Doug" or Hello Marian". Do you have proof of your identity?" A few people did not have such personal identification and were never informed they also had the option to swear and affirm to their own identity. It seems that some election officials know fully well there is such an option available to registered voters, but are willing to bully anybody they think they can fool. A local party committee was formed to look into such problems and hopefully will make suggestions.
One suggestion not directly related to the photo ID problem, is that all election sites have prominently presented easily read signs in large type telling which voters are to vote at which table, etc. For many years, new voters walk in and are not provided any obvious clues of what to do next. More than a few stand in the wrong line or even the wrong precinct. It is time what is always obvious to election officials be made overtly obvious to all voters..no matter how naive or inexperienced at voting...or old and faltering with failing memory. There is much room for improvement.
George Chatman, a regional campaign staff member for the Sen. Daschle re-election campaign, made a number of optimistic reports on campaign plans and tactics. But, we all know that no matter how careful and correct Sen. Daschle is, the Thune campaign will do something much like the Bush campaign did in smearing Al Gore and/or Max Cleland. They will take something insignificant and magnify and distort it and present it thousands of times until the more gullible believe such blatant lies must have some truth...after all, there sure will be a lot of smoke..and mirrors.
A pretty good discussion of the State Democratic convention was held. It seems that for more than a few convention goers, the old adage, "I belong to no organized party, I am a Democrat." seemed to be altogether still too, too true. More than a few prairie populists were also not very happy with delegates to the convention loudly carrying water for the richest merchants in the largest cities. Just as there are many, many registered Republicans too poor to benefit from their party's egregious pandering to the richest, there are a few Democrats who have gotten rich enough they have forgotten their prosperity most likely resulted with a lot of help from liberal and progressive Democratic ideas and legislation.
After all that, everybody sat down and had some homemade icecream churned right at the meeting by hand. A heck of a lot better than left-over rolls and stale coffee from the bank pot dispensed with dinky cookies at the GOP events. Democrats just have more fun...even if we aren't organized like a convention of bean counters. Stay tuned. We might even turn up some new "music" now and then.
Links to this Blog were provided to all present and a number of citizens at the meeting provided their e-mail addresses so they could get e-mail notices of meetings and local events.
The recent election generated significant discussion about problems resulting from South Dakota's new law which appears to always require a photo ID before a registered voter can vote. It is a bit strange when local officials say something like, "Hello Doug" or Hello Marian". Do you have proof of your identity?" A few people did not have such personal identification and were never informed they also had the option to swear and affirm to their own identity. It seems that some election officials know fully well there is such an option available to registered voters, but are willing to bully anybody they think they can fool. A local party committee was formed to look into such problems and hopefully will make suggestions.
One suggestion not directly related to the photo ID problem, is that all election sites have prominently presented easily read signs in large type telling which voters are to vote at which table, etc. For many years, new voters walk in and are not provided any obvious clues of what to do next. More than a few stand in the wrong line or even the wrong precinct. It is time what is always obvious to election officials be made overtly obvious to all voters..no matter how naive or inexperienced at voting...or old and faltering with failing memory. There is much room for improvement.
George Chatman, a regional campaign staff member for the Sen. Daschle re-election campaign, made a number of optimistic reports on campaign plans and tactics. But, we all know that no matter how careful and correct Sen. Daschle is, the Thune campaign will do something much like the Bush campaign did in smearing Al Gore and/or Max Cleland. They will take something insignificant and magnify and distort it and present it thousands of times until the more gullible believe such blatant lies must have some truth...after all, there sure will be a lot of smoke..and mirrors.
A pretty good discussion of the State Democratic convention was held. It seems that for more than a few convention goers, the old adage, "I belong to no organized party, I am a Democrat." seemed to be altogether still too, too true. More than a few prairie populists were also not very happy with delegates to the convention loudly carrying water for the richest merchants in the largest cities. Just as there are many, many registered Republicans too poor to benefit from their party's egregious pandering to the richest, there are a few Democrats who have gotten rich enough they have forgotten their prosperity most likely resulted with a lot of help from liberal and progressive Democratic ideas and legislation.
After all that, everybody sat down and had some homemade icecream churned right at the meeting by hand. A heck of a lot better than left-over rolls and stale coffee from the bank pot dispensed with dinky cookies at the GOP events. Democrats just have more fun...even if we aren't organized like a convention of bean counters. Stay tuned. We might even turn up some new "music" now and then.
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