Are you a Democrat?

A Call to Arms

I’d like to introduce you to the National Democratic Institute (NDI), which has nothing to do with the Democratic Party, nor does it meddle in elections¹. From their website:

Also from their website:

Political parties are essential institutions of democracy. By competing in elections parties offer citizens a choice in governance, and while in opposition they can hold governments accountable. When citizens join political parties, volunteer their time, donate money and vote for their leaders, they are exercising their basic democratic rights. Participation of citizens in political parties offers unique benefits, including opportunities to influence policy choices, choose and engage political leaders, and run for office. However, in some countries political parties do not respect the rights of citizens to participate and are not accountable to voters. NDI supports the development of vibrant, accountable and inclusive multiparty systems that offer citizens meaningful choices and opportunities for political participation.

And so back to the topic: Are you a Democrat?

Because NOW it matters.

I’ve heard it all before:

• “I’m an independent, I vote for the candidate not the party.”

• “I’m registered as a Democrat so I can vote in primaries, but the party doesn’t really matter to me.”

• “I’m a registered Republican because I need to vote against the worst case in the primary.”

Kids, it matters NOW. Like it never did before.

As people complain about what went wrong with the 2024 election, what’s wrong with the party, the messaging, “to be or not to be” progressive, liberal or moderate and on and on ad infinitum, I say STOP.

It’s time to join the party, and I don’t just mean registration, I mean GET INVOLVED.

The reason is simple, and it’s in the NDI description of political parties:

Political parties are essential institutions of democracy.

This is alluded to in Federalist Paper #10, on factionalism, by my personal favourite Founding Father, James Madison².

This is how President Madison described a faction, and it is the definition of the MAGA party:

By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.

And this is how to overcome this, per President Madison.

[A]s each representative will be chosen by a greater number of citizens in the large than in the small republic, it will be more difficult for unworthy candidates to practice with success the vicious arts by which elections are too often carried; and the suffrages of the people being more free, will be more likely to centre in men who possess the most attractive merit and the most diffusive and established characters.

Simply: WE need to vote THEM out. We do that by registering as Democrats, running on Democratic tickets, working for Democratic candidates, serving as elected members of the party³, and voting in EVERY election, primary and general, even in non-presidential years.

If you think there’s a third party, or an independent that can pull this off, you’re wrong. If you want to argue the point with me, first, show me that you understand the individual ballot access issues in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Then, explain to me the funding paradigm: while you can get a couple of billionaires to fund a third party, that means the candidates will be beholden to them, and kids, that is NOT democracy. Finally: Ralph Nader.

There are elections to win in both 2025 and 2026. BY DEMOCRATS.

If you feel that the party doesn’t meet your “requirements” related to positions, issues or candidates, have you considered becoming an elected party official? You get your voice heard within the party because you are part of it.

At the local level, you can be a precinct captain or a committeeperson. You can run for a county or state position. From these positions, you can get involved in the national DNC, including things like being on the platform committee, where the positions are discussed, written, and voted on, because the platform is what a party stands for: be part of the process instead of complaining it doesn’t represent your values.

You’ll read and hear a lot about the “Democrats being in the wilderness” and “Democrats are unsure what to do” and other such nonsense. You won’t hear that from me⁴. Does the party need some help? Sure.

It is up to US to provide that help in everything we do. I have been writing about how to shore up, actions to take to protect yourself and your family, and allusions to resistance actions that are still to be fleshed out.

BUT

As I’ve said many times:

They won an election.

An election is a battle, it is not the war.

Times will be tough, but we will win the war.

AND

The way we win that war is to win elections, hold what we have, and throw the bums out.

I hope you will commit.

Democracy is worth the fight.

1. It does provide “Democracy Assistance” in the election process. Full information here.

2. The Federalist Papers were written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison to help promote ratification of the US Constitution, in the late 1780’s, specifically in the State of New York. There are 85 essays and articles, and they are worth a read.

3. Elected party officials range from precinct-level leaders, through County party organizations, through the state organizations, and all the way up through the full DNC.

4. I will, however, call out individual Democrats for stupidity, cupidity, collaboration, failures, and anything else individuals do that is WRONG. But those are humans, they are not the party.