proposed amendment to Illinois Constitution on racism

Below the fold is a proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution to be a first step toward making Illinois a state committed to reducing racism over the long haul.

I believe it would make Illinois the first state to be anti-racism (as opposed to "race neutral" in the constitution). It also explicitly links racism to white supremacy.

The theory is that Illinois would obligate itself to quantify racism & work toward reducing racism over time.

Northside DFA: the steering committee is important

In a previous post I extolled Northside DFA as an effective model for building political power at the local level (with local money).

I explained the external stuff that people see, but this post is going to get into what makes NDFA work. NDFA has bylaws, but it's really the steering committee that makes it happen.

So, this blog entry will deal with the details of the steering committee. The final paragraph will explain how this connects to the 2020 Dem primary campaigns.

theory of building political power

In 1994, I returned to the United States, after 4 1/2 years of military duty in Asia (one ship homeported in Sasebo, Japan, one ship homeported in Yokosuka, Japan (greater Tokyo area) and the UN peacekeeping mission in Cambodia).

My final tour in the Navy was Navy Recruiting District Chicago (1994-96). Even during that time I was already engaging in activism and political activity. Since getting out of the Navy, I have interfaced with lots of parts of the nonprofit world, media, political organizations and political campaigns.

The best political organization for empowering people where they are at and letting the members set the direction is Northside DFA in Chicago.

While the organizing model used by Northside DFA is excellent at what NDFA does, it needs to be complemented by organizations motivated by the same valued that do other things.

Four organizations necessary to build political power:

• electoral campaigns
• issue advocacy
• fundraising, foundation-ing
• media

I'll explain below the fold.

vision for state blogs preparing for 2020 Dem primaries

One of my visions for DPI Watch, aka Democratic Party of Illinois Watch, is to inspire other state level blogs/media outlets that give audiences a chance to see which progressive candidates are worth supporting and which races are worth following.

So, I want there to be copycat blogs around the United States, but particularly in states with early primaries.

what campaigns should seek from organizations

Politics is a form of warfare practiced in collective delusion. There are measures of real world power that shape the delusion--money, volunteers, etc. But most of what happens in politics reflects what people believe to be to be the power relationships.

If this first paragraph doesn't make sense, ask more in the comments.

So, a campaign might pursue endorsements from organizations like they deliver votes. Some organizations deliver a significant number of votes, but mostly they don't directly move many votes.

Organizations can serve as "third party validators". Organizations can give money. Organizations can mobilize campaign volunteers.

But the campaign should have a plan. And organizations should be courted in the context of the plan.

fact checking political attacks, particularly direct mail & robocalls

What would a system of fact checking political attacks look like?'

Carl Nyberg, publisher

editorial board(s): one for content & one for endorsement

In "Welcome to DPI Watch", I identified different types of contributors, the voices they write in.

• publisher
• blogger/columnist
• activist
• journalist
• editorial board

I have decided to split the editorial board voice into an editorial board for content, including the picayune details of to Oxford comma or not and the morally nuanced stuff of ethics, from the grind of endorsing candidates.

In cases where there is significant dissent on the endorsement decision there will be "endorsement board (majority)" and "endorsement board (minority)".