Said UTA's Saxe: "This is certainly an interesting time for the Democratic ticket. The Hispanic vote is a natural for the Democratic Party, but they have to pursue them. Without that type of inclusion, the Democratic Party in Tarrant County will continue to suffer. Hispanics are beginning to realize they are a powerful group and not to be taken for granted. And with the top of the Democratic ticket being so strong with Hispanic candidates, I think many potential candidates -- and the county Democratic Party -- are going to realize it may be a big mistake not to run this time around."
As with everything in the world of politics, it all comes down to numbers. The number-one problem for the Democrats is that the groups in their natural growth base, Hispanic and African-American voters, usually don't turn out in the numbers that Anglo voters do. It's known as the 3-2-1 rule of voting behavior -- that generally, it takes a population of 300 Hispanics or 200 blacks to equal the voter strength of 100 whites. So while Hispanics have increased their numbers countywide, and blacks are growing in population, their numbers of registered voters don't translate directly into large numbers of actual voters. The TCDP conducted a voter registration drive last year, but the results were small. From an office at Fort Worth Town Center, the party helped register about 500 new voters over a four-month period in the summer and fall. That translates into about four voters per day, not the kind of numbers needed to make a run at the Republicans. Before the general election, the Democrats need to increase those totals by a substantial amount. There are other remedies for the Tarrant Democrats, not the least of which is a change in attitude. While Brender insists the local Dems are working hard to overcome the Republican domination, nearly all the Democrats I spoke with, both on and off the record, felt the party wasn't doing enough. The prevailing feeling is that there is a defeatist attitude, with excuses being made as to why things cannot be done, instead of a determination to get things done. After listening to dozens of Democrats, there seems to be a consensus about what is needed to change course. These are the recommendations that many in the party think need to be carried out if the Democrats are ever to challenge the Republicans again at the local level: • Form Hispanic and African-American steering committees that have real funding and power. As much as the TCDP says it is the party of outreach, there is much discontent, particularly in the Hispanic community. The local party must reach out to minorities, as these groups are the vehicle for growth. Empower them to find candidates within their ranks, even if those candidates run in nonpartisan city council races. "We really need to connect the party's ability to raise money with first-time candidates," said Sal Espino. "Part of our community is new to the process, and we need help, even if it is just a few hundred dollars." Part of the responsibility of these steering committees is to connect the candidates to party resources. As things stand now, too many local candidates are left on their own. • Lobby harder to increase pay for city council and school board members. The Republicans will howl at this one, but the number-one detriment to working-class people running for local office is the lack of pay. The Fort Worth City Council pays the paltry sum of $75 a meeting, the lowest of any major city in the United States. Lico Reyes said the low pay produces candidates only from the "self-sufficient, the self-made, or the retired." The pay excludes people who work for a living and severely discourages good potential candidates who may not be able to afford public service. Fort Worth City Council is nearly a full-time job, and the pay should be commensurate with the amount of work. A salary of $30,000 a year, with benefits, would hardly bust the city's budget. The city goes the extra mile to ensure that minority contractors are represented on city contracts; why shouldn't Fort Worth also go the distance to ensure that the people's elected representatives also come from all corners of the city? • Shift the message from civil rights to a populist message that emphasizes economic interests. In the wake of Enron and the recent recession, middle-class citizens are once again paying attention to issues like fair wages, affordable health care, and good retirement benefits. Civil rights issues can and should be addressed, but not to the exclusion of the meatier economic issues. The TCDP has used most of its muscle in fighting the good fight on civil rights, but as more and more minorities move into the middle class and the suburbs, their concerns tend toward fair economic policy. • Reinvent the chairman's role as more of a gatekeeper and candidate recruiter. Any local party chairman needs to act as traffic cop at times, moving candidates to different races to ensure new blood in the party. It is tempting to keep certain candidates in office, but there comes a time when the party chairman needs to encourage some officeholders to move on. Don't discourage candidates from running against Democratic incumbents. The experience of running will be good for the new candidate and will get more Democrats in the pipeline. It's a lot like having depth on a sports team. One never knows when depth of candidates will come in handy. • Don't apologize for being liberal, but be the right kind of liberal. One of the hard and fast rules of politics is not to let your opponent define who you are. Too often, Republicans have defined Democrats narrowly -- namely as the limousine liberal faction of the party represented by Hillary Clinton, in which people are talked down to, every spending program is embraced, and every special interest group kowtowed to. But the broader definition of liberalism, in which the disenfranchised are represented and working-class values are opposed to the moneyed interests of the Republican Party, is needed. On local issues, a liberal can fight unwanted development, encourage more parks and recreation programs, and fairly look out for minority interests in matters of criminal justice. If being for these programs qualifies as being liberal, then the Democrats should embrace that tag. • Encourage participation of younger voters. The TCDP has little presence on college campuses. In fact, the Green Party, which has even less chance than the Democrats of winning offices, holds more sway among young people. Younger voters provide much-needed juice, especially in volunteering. Tapping into this exuberance is essential. As it stands now, the party leadership is old and getting older, particularly in the African-American community. • Run candidates for office even when they have no chance of winning. Easier said than done, but this should be a top priority, not third or fourth down the list. It is not an impossible task to get lawyers to run for judge as Democrats, if the emphasis is there. The party loses credibility when voters choose a Democratic ballot and find they have no choice in 65 percent of the races, as is the case this year.
The leadership of the Tarrant County Democratic Party insists that everything is fine. And Art Brender's role is to pump things up, so let's not blame him for being a cheerleader. But as Mamie Bush Johnson, the last Democrat to hold countywide office, put it, "People are tired of losing." To change the losing to winning is a very difficult task, but not an impossible one. Recruit candidates. Get the minorities to vote in higher numbers. Raise more money. Tweak the message. As much as Republicans like to put down Bill Clinton, the fact remains that he was able to pull 156,200 votes in Tarrant County in 1992 and 170,431 in 1996. He lost the county both times, but those numbers say that a lot of people are willing to pull a lever for a Democratic candidate, given the right choice. I'm not implying that any of this is easy or simple. But if the Tarrant County Democratic Party does not change and change soon, it will become even more irrelevant than it already is. To make the changes, though, the local party must change much of its attitude, much of its focus. Because the opportunities are presenting themselves now, just as they did to the Tarrant Republicans 20 years ago. Whether the Democrats act upon these opportunities during the next few years will determine if the party has any relevance in Fort Worth 20 years from now. That's what is at stake. Fort Worth writer Dan McGraw is a former senior editor for U.S. News & World Report. His book, First and Last Seasons: A Father, a Son, and Sunday Afternoon Football, was published by Doubleday in 2000.
|
Subway sandwiched between past and progress
|
