This site is best viewed using Firefox.
Jim's comments About Simon Rosenberg
For those of you who missed meeting Simon Rosenberg Thursday night or will not be attending today’s convention in Sacramento to meet all the DNC candidates (I also am MIA for that), I will share my thoughts with you on Simon.
As a disclaimer, I have been a member of Simon’s New Democratic Network for quite some time, as a result of some rather fairly minor donations. Even before giving them a dollar, they invited me by phone to several breakfasts chaired by Simon and kept in constant touch with me by e-mail and post. I only made one of the breakfasts but was impressed by how organized they were and they made me feel: that I was a valuable Democrat.
Simon’s get together on Thursday had this same effect. He spoke only briefly and then spent the rest of the team trying to meet everyone he could. His event, like his speech was organized. The NDN, which he founded, is well funded and forward-looking. Some think his politics may be too centrist, but he at least customized his speech for us in the Bay Area by saying in his speech that the Democratic Party does not need to move to the right, or even the center.
He impresses me as visionary, with endless energy and ambition. It was his organization that formed the Hispanic Project, wisely spotting this subset as important to the success of the Democratic Party.
He summed up his vision for the DNC in four points: The first that the Democrats need to begin reframing the issues. He told me in private if elected to chair he would form a think tank in the DNC. Second, infrastructure. He believes, as we do that much needs to be done to improve our infrastructure. Both he and Chris Gruwell, his San Francisco leader reacted positively to the idea of setting up a DNC office in San Francisco for us to work from.
Third, was being inclusive. He wants to get all Democrats of all issues under the tent, working together. We need to align ourselves despite our unique interests like the Republicans have aligned themselves (for instance, what in the heck do low taxes and abortion have in common?) He wants to get on this immediately because he sees the incredible energy that still simmers.
Finally, he wants to help us become proud again to be Democrats. Although easier said then done, this is important. For many people, Democrats have become anathema to good government or backbone or progressive causes. He wants, to use his words, to make the Party something we run to, not from.
Although I still lean towards Howard Dean because I think Dean has the most gravitas and will attract grassroots, I would choose Simon over Donnie Fowler.
If you want to know more about Simon, visit his web site at http://www.newdem.org/.
Sincerely,
Jim Forbes