I attended the DNC Eastern Caucus yesterday. I, along with 60+ people from Driving Votes (www.drivingvotes.org) turned out to watch and record the proceedings. All the candidates spoke of the importance of a 50 state strategy and turning red states blue. Almost all the candidates gave lip service to the role of grassroots organizing in winning elections but only Dean, Rosenberg and Fowler seemed to have a real plan and concrete experience working with that base.

After some doubt, Driving Votes visitors and other un-credentialed folks were admitted to the Ballroom, thanks in large part to Elena’s tremendous organizing work.

The hall leading up to the ballroom was filled with chair and vice-chair candidate tables. I was surprised by just how much campaigning was taking place. Each candidate was given five minutes for opening statements. A question and answer period followed, and each candidate closed with a one-minute summary. Here are some notes on the candidate’s speeches.

Frost opened up the forum, focusing on security, safety and the importance of a 50-state strategy, including revenue sharing. He emphasized the importance of not forgetting the basics of campaigning. He touted his personal experience with security, his wife being highly ranked member of the armed services.

Wellington Webb spoke next. He is the only candidate of color running. He said he wanted to put DNC members to work. He suggested employing local Democrats to win local elections rather than shipping in outsiders shortly before each election. Message, the mechanics of the message and the communicator of the message were integral. Stabilizing the base, which includes better representation of minorities within the party, should be one focus of the DNC. He garnered a loud response from members of the crowd when he spoke about including more minorities in the party. He promised to fight on issues that matter. He was quite a persuasive speaker. While some blogs have criticized Webb’s focus on identity politics, it is still clearly an issue that the Democratic Party has yet to address adequately.

Dean spoke next. Dean proposed adding an ED, Finance director and two grassroots organizers on the DNC payroll year round. This would keep the Democratic Party in touch with issues on the ground and connect democrats to the larger Party. Dean also pointed out that reforming the DNC and taking back democratic control is not just about winning traditional races but also includes taking back the County Clerk, the Secretary of State and other seats integral to determining the election process. He ended by speaking about the importance of conviction and not becoming the "Republican-light" party. Dean also mentioned that he would try to limit infighting on issues that were of little import.

Simon Rosenberg is sick and tired of being sick and tired. He discussed the importance of a clear and consistent message across the party and the need to build up a new, efficient way to spread that message through the media, the Party, and individuals. He mentioned weekly meetings as a way to do this. He outlined mechanisms to winning elections, including utilizing new technology, specifically the blogosphere.

Donnie Fowler, Jr. followed with a cry to rid the Party of consultants who continually lose elections. Local people need to be involved in local elections. He discussed the importance being realistic about our true base versus our imagined base, i.e. Latinos. The Party needs to speak to common values, access, opportunity, and fairness. During the question and answer period he mentioned the importance of looking to grassroots organizations for their input. In his closing statements he mentioned he still had dirt under his nails from being entrenched in the grassroots.

Tim Roemer began his remarks by noting he was a fighter as exemplified by his presence on the 9/11 Commission. It is unclear to me how this was relevant to his qualifications for DNC chair. I think he was trying to establish a connection with New Yorkers. But, there wasn’t much of a response from the room as proclaimed his fighting spirit illustrated by his promise to restore America to a 9/11 widow who lost everything but her husband’s detached ring finger. He also took time to discuss his stance on choice. He said that he was for choice, but had worked to reduce the number of abortions and increase family planning under the Clinton administration. He seemed to be talking around the issue. The DNC chair needs to be clear about the DNC’s position on choice—which should be that the question is ONLY about a woman’s right to choose, not the government’s.

Leland closed out the speakers. He turned up the volume by the end of his speech, focusing on the need for a campaign 365 days a year. He pointed out that the Democratic Party made America the America we love. He spoke very eloquently of a party he loved, and of his experience running campaigns, a party etc. He believes the DNC chair is more of a managerial position than anything else. While he certainly has experience, the Ohio democratic climate leaves much to be desired.

The need for a long-term strategy came across in all the candidate’s speeches. I think that only Dean and Rosenberg have the vision and ability to create and implement a strategy that will move the Party forward.