Elbert County Democratic Party

 Hopefully, you are beginning to recover from the shock of last week. We are facing a difficult four years. However, whining and obsessing about what went wrong will serve no purpose. We must come out of the shadows and stand up for what we believe, something Democrats seem to have a hard time doing, especially here in Elbert County.

As members of the Board of the Elbert County Democratic Party, we know too well of the lack of interest and involvement of our Dems in Elbert County. It gets even worse in the other six counties that make up our legislative district. Although our candidate for House District was willing meet Dems and other folks in these counties, calls to the democratic leaders in these counties were often not returned. As for the leaders in the Central Democratic Party, the response was much the same. Yes, it was a tough district for a Democrat to win, but a little help may have garnered a few more votes.

Folks, if you want to be heard, you must speak up and get involved. While the Democratic Party currently has a super majority in Colorado, a look at the graph from this election reveals that by far there are more Unaffiliated voters in the state than Democrats and Republicans. Who are these people and why do they chose to remain Unaffiliated? There are many reasons, but the most likely reason is that they do not like the policies of either the Democrats or Republicans. Democrats are perceived as being too far left and Republicans just the opposite. Better to hide under the umbrella of the Unaffiliated.

What can we do as Dems to bring these people to our side? First of all, Democrats come in many different shapes and sizes. We actually think, and we have different ideas on how things should be, and we tend to voice our differences. That is the good and the bad of being a Democrat. But, disagreement can be perceived as a sign of weakness. On the other hand, Republicans vote for the R behind the name on the ballot, not for the character and qualifications of the candidate. They follow the party line with a lack understanding of the consequences of certain policies.

Having said this, there is way that Democrats can appeal to the undecideds. There is a way that Democrats can exhibit a united front.

First, get to know one another. Attend a monthly Board meeting, visit our booth at community events, volunteer to man the booth, send an email to the Board with your ideas or concerns, contribute to the party and candidates. It doesn’t have to be a huge commitment. Every little bit helps.

Secondly, share your ideas with others. Get to know your neighbors, who may be Unaffiliated or even Republicans. You will find areas of commonality. Granted, Trump and social media have played a great role in the animosity that people feel for each other based on political affiliation. But that was not the case in the past and it does not have to be the case in the future. This can be fixed.

Thirdly, be open to new ideas, get all the facts, put government in the right perspective. It can not solve all your problems. It cannot provide you with a life style you cannot afford. Don’t assume that social programs should be available to everyone or that they are just for the lazy that don’t want to work. Government programs are there to provide security and services that individual citizens cannot provide for themselves. Government helps in times of need. Life is complicated. There are no perfect answers or easy solutions. Prepare yourself to look for and find the best solutions.

If Elbert County is to have a Democratic presence, we must get more Dems involved. Two years ago when the Duvalls decided to resign as Elbert County Democratic Chairs after years of hard work and personal expense, Elbert County was about to become an orphan county ie. no Democratic Party presence. Fortunately, Kathleen Conway, who had experience in county government and in state elections, volunteered to lead the party, along with a several others. These past two years we have attempted to establish a presence in the county in an effort to keep the party alive, but we need new younger blood and more active participants. For this party to to survive in Elbert County and for Colorado to remain blue, we need you all to to step forward and speak up.

Our Democracy is in peril. We need your help.