College Democrats Across The Lone Star State Gear Up For Election Season
Written on August 25, 2010 at 10:08 pm, by AlexClark
For Immediate Release Contact: Alexander Matthew Clark
August 25th, 2010 (903) 819-9805
College Democrats Across The Lone Star State Gear Up For Election Season
AUSTIN, TX – Students are beginning classes and already attending their first College Democrats meetings of the year. If you’re one of the many chapter Presidents across the state or are interested in starting a chapter at your school here is an extremely helpful link from the College Democrats of America: http://bit.ly/dx8qWX
Here are some best practices from TCD President Emeritus Andy Jones:
1. Solidifying membership is key. A high profile speaker at the first meeting is awesome, but the second and third have to be about keeping members, not talking at them.
2. Motivate the base. Get student organizations that have helped your chapter in the past motivated to work with you again.
3. Fun, fun, fun. We’re not the West Wing campaigning for Santos. Food at events, contests, rewards, etc. Fun, fun, fun ’til her Daddy takes the ballot away…
Here is the first three weeks of state strategy from TCD President Ryan Lofton Payne:
Week one
• Contact local election office and schedule a time to deputize your group.
• Start registering people in high traffic areas of campus.
Week two
• Make sure you have contacted local candidates and inform them of where you will be registering on campus.
• Contact professors that teach the largest classes and ask if you can come in and register the class at the beginning of class.
Week three
• Start getting ready for the fall conference in Dallas and really start focusing on what you have implemented in the first two weeks.
Also, this just in! Sneak peek at the Texas College Democrats’ fall conference trainings:
1. College registration and GOTV (get-out-the-vote)
2. Old & New: Effective media for college campuses
3. Issue advocacy: making a statement at your school
4. Tools for success: fundraising & chapter development
Mark your calendars! The conference is set for September 18th and will be held at the Progressive Center of Texas in Dallas. Expect more details in the next week.
Let’s get to work,
Texas College Democrats
College Democrats to Meet in Dallas: Is Texas the Next ‘Big D’?
Written on August 18, 2010 at 4:21 pm, by AlexClark
Dallas, TX – Texas College Democrats will have their Fall Conference September 18th at the Progressive Center of Texas located at 1409 S. Lamar Street. Speakers and trainings will be announced in the coming weeks. Dallas was one of the last urban areas to turn blue but Obama net gained more votes in Dallas than any other city in Texas.
Southern Methodist University Democrats, who won the bid, is the home of the George W. Bush Presidential library and is on first glance in a conservative area. In 2008, SMU was named #3 among all U.S. colleges for “Most Conservative Students” by the Princeton Review. However, SMU Democrats was one of only two college chapters to qualify for the full five delegates at the TYD 2010 Convention, was the second largest Texas delegation to the CDA 2010 Convention, and SMU Students for Bill White is the third largest SFBW chapter in North Texas, only behind Austin College and UNT.
Former YDA President David Hardt and current YDA Vice President Renee Hartley are from Dallas. The Dallas County Young Democrats is one of the largest Democratic activist organizations in Dallas County, and one of the largest Young Democrats groups in the nation. With almost 600 members, the DCYDs are able to provide strong volunteer support to local Democratic and community events including parades, campaigns and rallies.
Dallas County has been the most productive county in taking back the state house with 4 gains. Also, a Democrat running county-wide in Dallas County hasn’t lost since 2004. More importantly, there are more recognized vulnerable Republican state house members in Dallas County than any other county in 2010.
The Metroplex represents a very real prospect for Texas to turn blue. Texans are folks who love common sense and aren’t afraid to swim upstream. In a time when Texas Republicans are in the news shouting about “terror babies”, stealing taxpayer money for personal expenses, and being recorded to work part-time for a full-time salary—people from across the Lone Star state will look at their ballot and do the only thing a reasonable, rational, logical person would: vote Democratic.
Let’s get to work,
Texas College Democrats
Related show
Update from College Dems Convention
Written on August 3, 2010 at 8:38 pm, by admin
The Case for 2010: Young People in Texas Look for a Democratic Future
Written on July 31, 2010 at 11:29 am, by admin
For Immediate Release Contact: Alexander Matthew Clark
Communications (at) txcollegedems.org
Austin, TX – Living in Texas, we are often told that Republican victories are inevitable. We buy into the lie that because we are young and because we are Democrats our votes don’t really matter. We don’t get excited for our elections, we don’t get involved, and sometimes we don’t even vote. Republicans would have us believe that they will always be in power and that there is nothing we can do about it.
“If you want to make something happen, tell a Texan it can’t be done”
However, statistics show that our generation trends in the opposite direction. In 2008, if 18-29 year olds had decided the election the Lone Star state would have been blue on the electoral map. Within the Democratic Party, Texas continues to lead in national youth roles:
David Hardt, YDA President (2007-2009)
Katie Naranjo, CDA President (2008-2010)
Renee Hartley, YDA Vice President (2009-Present)
Alejandra Salinas, CDA President (2010-Present)
Democrats have an incredible opportunity to win big this November starting at the top of the ticket of great candidates by electing Bill White to be the next governor of Texas. White represents our best opportunity to win back the Governor’s mansion since Ann Richards while Perry represents the greatest vulnerability. People often forget that he won re-election in 2006 with only 39% of the vote.
Rick Perry has proven his corruption and incompetence to voters across the state through murky land deals, a dropout crisis in our public schools, a $18 billion budget deficit, a rental mansion that is costing taxpayers $10,000 a month, claiming that the BP oil spill was “an act of God”, or seriously talking about how Texas should secede from the Union.
“Shouldn’t we be the state the leads the nation, not that leaves the nation?”
The eyes of Texas are upon you. Organize your campus, register people to vote, and volunteer for our candidates. America is watching us—waiting to see if we will allow for Rick Perry to have an unprecedented 3rd term and the Texas GOP to remain a source of national shame. We must do everything in our power to take back our state.
Let’s get to work,
Texas College Democrats