How do you eat an elephant?

One Bite at a Time
One Bite (“OB”) at a Time
By Former Gov. David Walters
February 10, 2009

The 2008 election results in Oklahoma creates two emotions among most democrat activists. The first tends to be, "where can I move.” This, at least for me, quickly dissolves into a “stand and fight” attitude. We have to resolve and insist that Oklahoma become a more progressive place, saving us all the tremendous inconvenience of relocating, the embarrassment of always being in the minority and, most importantly and seriously, to improve our quality of life in Oklahoma.

Given the enormity of the task, where do we start? They say you eat an elephant one bite at a time, so let’s consider the challenge of how one ingests this pachyderm.

What is in fact the matter with Oklahoma?

When I wrote “What’s the Matter with Oklahoma” last November, I hit a nerve among activists and the opposition, as represented by a negative editorial in the Daily Oklahoman. In that post, I promised a plan when I cooled off. I haven’t really cooled off but it is time for a plan.

The real answer to what's the matter with Oklahoma is ... “it’s not clear.”

Other states with similar demographics, a rural/urban split and conservative newspapers are much more competitive politically than Oklahoma. The question generates interesting anecdotal responses, including the abundance of conservative fundamentalist denominations, conservative rural teachers indoctrinating the children, conservative newspapers, rip-and-read local news stations using aforementioned conservative newspapers, no definition by democrats of themselves, lots of definition by republicans of democrats, democrat elected officials who serve as republicans, low education and income levels, etc.

The truth is that we don’t really know.

It's likely 20-30 items are in play and these items will range from significant to not so much. It is also likely that some of these can be changed with better communications, messages, candidates, funding and other marketing tools - and some of these cannot be changed.

The initial task then of this OB plan is to get the rank ordered list of factors influencing non-progressive voting by the Oklahoma electorate and debate which can be changed and devising an action plan to attempt such a change.

Such an analysis is normally accomplished by polling. But since the feelings and factors driving these voting patterns are deeply held, the research will also require extensive focus group analysis. Done properly, this research can “tease out of the data” the list of influencing items and their relative importance. The list can be further refined from the input of those in the field. What did the
candidates hear? What seemed to move their constituents, negatively and positively? In-depth interviews with a cross section of candidates would also add to the quality of the analysis and the associated conclusions.

This research effort -- polling, focus groups, discussion groups to refine -- will cost approximately $100,000 and take four months to accomplish.

In the meantime?

We know there are a number of tools in the shed that need to be upgraded. There are shovels and hoes that simply need to be sharpened and then there is the old Ford tractor that needs a new John Deere four-wheel transmatic with an air-conditioned cab. So while the priority list of factors is being developed, what do we already know about our tools and methods that need to be made better as part of this
OB plan?

OMAMA

It is clear that our advocacy for democratic messages and the fundraising necessary to support this advocacy needs to be vastly improved. Let’s (for fun) call it Oklahoma Message And Money Advocacy (“OMAMA”) (a better name is OKMoveup.org, but indulge me in the post inaugural euphoria). The name of this entity, OKMoveup.org, suggests it is time Oklahoma began to move up off the bottom of so many terrible
statistics, ranging from poverty, teachers salaries, health indices, uninsured, etc. It should look like the moveon.org organization.

It should be properly designed and populated, but more importantly staffed. Funds can be raised primarily via the Internet to launch daily, weekly and monthly campaigns on important issues designed to build support rather than alienate the middle.

Issue selection is important. Mostly reform issues are preferred (see below). Selection of issues should be by a small, informal board and initially has to be done carefully so that the issues are progressive enough to motivate the activist but centrist enough to begin to attract support and to be successful.

How do you eat an elephant one bite at a time? By running real-time, full-time campaigns for and against those who take the right or wrong positions on issues; mail drops during legislative sessions; a billboard here and there; petition signing and distribution; grassroots and grass-tops mobilization; and viral video ads that can go to cable if extra funds are raised.

OKMoveup.org is best accomplished as an unaffiliated, private entity so that it can consistently grow and not be subject to the whims of changing elected officials in government or the democratic party.

If you want to make an effort permanent and consistent and have it grow and improve, then tie it to a commercial effort where several jobs depend on getting up every morning to go make this work.

Here are the assumptions to test the feasibility of OKMoveup.org.

If the Obama campaign and Moveon,org have approximately 4,000,000contributors/members each, Oklahoma’s prorated share of that would normally be 40,000 (1 percent) and assuming an extra “red state” discount a conservative estimate of 30,000 Oklahoman’s signed on to one or both of these groups is realistic.

If OMAMA could half of those individuals who have signed on with Moveon or with the Obama campaign to signup with OMAMA, that would be a population of 15,000 individuals. If we could move only 10 percent of this population to respond to an appeal and each contributor averaged $25 for an issue/appeal, that would generate $37,500 per appeal. 1.5 appeals a month generates over $50,000 per month in contributions. Combine this with ancillary sales of timely and topical bumpers, hats, shirts and other merchandise and I think you have an enterprise that
can support a staff person and some interns and spend a significant amount of funds on messaging, advertising and generally making life hellish for fringe republican officials who are caught not supporting issues that would be good for their constituents or in the best interest of the state of Oklahoma.

This may not be three appeals in two months for $25. It might be eight appeals for $10. But whatever the right combination is, there is a potential of netting, after expenses, $500,000 in annual funding for use to help improve messaging and lobbying for progressive issues in Oklahoma -- annually.

This initiative likely takes about $50,000 to capitalize a staff, office, Web site and list development. It could be operational in three months and fully engaged in six months. This, again, should be a private initiative that finds it in its interest to coordinate with others.

What about those folks that don’t use computers?

Of course OKMoveup.org is going to be raising funds for direct mail, billboards and the use of guerilla media efforts on radio and local newspapers. It will be important that while such ads advance specific issues they also at the same time carry a consistent message that leads to the reasons people want to be democrats and or support democratic candidates.

Oklahoma already has a good print oracle, The Oklahoma Observer. Unfortunately its readership is too low to be of much impact. Equity capital, soft loans or grant funds need to be raised to allow them to target key areas of the state for expanding their circulation. The paper often struggles but it has new young and entrepreneurial owners who may appreciate an affiliation with activists.

It is not clear how much this initiative costs in private funds. Likely $100,000 to $200,000. It would be all private funds and should be encouraged to proceed over the next six months.

What else can we do?

Oklahoma is blessed with being an initiative petition state. This was not considered a blessing by democrats when they were in the majority -- more a potential nuisance -- but now it should be considered a great strength.

Republicans nationwide have become expert in placing ballot questions on the same ballot as their nominees to help drive “wedge issues” and energize and motivate their base in getting out to the polls. Oklahoma democrats now need to play the same game. The State Chamber, an informal division of the Republican Party, is going to take full advantage of the initiative petition process and so the democrats
should join the fray. Whether the issue is minimum wage or a redistricting commission that takes this deadly power out of the hands of the legislature, an initiative petition organization should be permanently created to sustain itself from one question to the next.

The cost to capitalize this initially is approximately $50,000 and only takes three months to hire staff and set up offices, select the issues and start raising funds.

How does the Oklahoma Democrat Party figure into this?

The party, ODP, should play a key, but not a dominant, role. Statewide office holders, governors and legislators come and go but the activists, who make up the ODP, provide the continuity from which candidates and office holders draw their strength. The activists also act as the conscious of the ODP so that even though candidates and office holders may stray from our issues, for what they may view as a
practical response to the reality of politics, the ODP is the keeper of the message if not the means to maintain our mission of improving the quality of life for all Oklahomans.

That said, the party is subject every two years to an election of officers and this often leads to inconsistent and erratic administration of an organization that needs to have great institutional memory and a solid professional administration to be
effective. This can be improved with a base professional staff but not eliminated. For this reason many of the initiatives of the OB plan are proposed as separate but related or entirely private efforts. If you want to make an organization permanent, then set it up as an ongoing enterprise that has to earn its funds to survive.

The simple rule for the reorganization and funding of the ODP should be WWOD, or What Would Ohio Do?

The Ohio party built a magnificent professional organization that is now the envy of the nation. A delegation should be sent to Ohio to add to a “best practices” inventory of what others are doing to address issues similar to Oklahoma’s.

The near total collapse of the House PAC and a severely weakened State Senate PAC now provides an opportunity to meld those organizations with the ODP so that they can share space, share administrative resources, share common voter file and donor data bases and geometrically improve coordination of everything from candidate recruitment to messaging.

This was the original concept behind the purchase and renovation of the Krumme Center, the ODP headquarters. The House and Senate PAC leadership should be encouraged to cooperate because of their disastrous record and by their largest donors. Specifically, the trial lawyers, a major support entity driven by their concern for Draconian tort reform measures, should insist that for their money these three democratic organizations should co-locate, sharing clerical support,
lists, recruiting efforts, some staff and central office support. If they do not cooperate then there should be a staff person or division of the ODP that primarily works in each of these legislative arenas.

The bottom line for the ODP is then to consolidate the operations of the House and Senate PAC’s, retaining their identity but strengthening the affiliation, so that if their leadership falters, the ODP can play a role to help support and stabilize. This all happens under a professional staff that reports to the chair, but is hired and fired by confirmation of the executive committee -- not the chair.

The Chair of the ODP needs to be there as a spokesperson and a fundraising but not a day to day operations or campaign manager.

Good management requires a clearly defined Mission, Strategy and Objectives.
Here are some recommendations for each:

The ODP mission should be to improve and refine a political organization that will communicate the agenda of the Oklahoma Democratic Party and that will support democratic candidates to elected and appointed positions in government so that the quality of life for Oklahomans will be improved.

The ODP strategy should be to institutionalize a facility, staff, procedures, process, fundraising, recruitment, training, research and communications so that the Oklahoma Democratic Party can provide a consistent base of support for county parties and democratic candidates and comprehensive and consistent communications to voters about the agenda of the Oklahoma Democratic Party.

The ODP objectives should be to

Improve the management, staff, funding, support and technology of the Oklahoma Democratic Party and focus its efforts on its mission.

Hire experienced and professional Executive Directors.
Organize and tightly manage a strong staff of professionals at the ODP.

Advance a significant program to build the grass roots and the county parties.

Establish regular communications and coordination with other democratic PACS and elected officials.

Develop strong relationships with the national DNC.
Increase the base funding level of the ODP to $750,000 to $1,000,000 per year depending on the election cycle.

The recommended priorities for the ODP are:

1. Leap frog the republican’s on technology with the use of the
Internet for organizing, voter contact, fundraising and candidate recruitment.
Form a technology committee led by an ODP staff person, a member of the central committee, and a number of computer experts to develop a plan, budget and schedule for significant improvements in grassroots electronic canvassing and fundraising.

2. Create or revitalize committees of supporters where democrats are perceived as weak.
Business executives, hunters, religious leaders, physicians.
Utilize these groups for fundraising and agenda advice.

3. Create or revitalize committees for ethnic communities such as the Asian, Hispanic, and African American communities.
Establish a special outreach to the Hispanic community.

4. Attempt (again) to consolidate the offices and some portion of the operations of the House and Senate political committees along with the ODP (legal, accounting, report filing, reception, telephones, computers, printing and copying, perhaps data bases).
Create a central services division that provides for consistent administration of these entities and provides continuity for data files, processes and procedures.

5. Develop, sponsor and fund frequent training for young political professionals and candidates. Provide a human resource inventory for campaigns that need volunteers and paid staff.
Select and send the most promising staff to national training seminars.

6. Emphasize candidate recruitment with special local initiatives, in cooperation with the Senate and House PACs, to identify great prospects and then to encourage them to run.

7. Revitalize the fundraising committee structure to include a finance committee, a rooster club committee, a business council committee, a Carl Albert dinner committee.
Establish district events to raise funds for the ODP. Each committee should have goals, staff support, and volunteer leadership.

8. Dramatically expand the direct mail programs for the ODP for fundraising and list expansion, eventually replacing Dollars for Democrats.

9. Commercialize the voter file so that it can be constantly improved and maintained.

10. Expand general polling and dramatically increase opposition research paid for and archived by the ODP.

11. Explore best practices in other well organized state parties and implement the most effective ideas at the ODP.

12. Expand the near term planning and prognostication ability of the party to make early plans for upcoming election cycles, thinking through the likely candidates and the most important issues for the next elections.

13. Develop image ads for the democrats that remind people what we really stand for. Billboards, radio and TV to communicate our message, build our spirit and our ranks.

14. Develop a sweltering press release machine to attack bad republican ideas and actions.

15. Significantly increase support for YD efforts in schools and colleges as a long-term investment in the strength of the ODP.

16. Expand the model county project by providing grant funding associated with specific milestone improvements in the local parties lists, registration programs, volunteer and fundraising efforts.

So what kind of issues should be pursued?

Oklahoma democrats have many opportunities to find issues that are worthwhile and politically smart at the same time.

The meltdown of the national Republican Party was driven in no small way by its devotion to a leader whose limitations were historic. The republican’s inability to let go of its obsession with social engineering legislation to win elections by dividing us -- and funding such elections with a slavish devotion to special interest -- creates enormous opportunities for Oklahoma democrats.

Oklahoma democrats need to be the reform party. Voters love reform.
When reformers are elected then they can worry about doing the right thing on issues like immigration, torts, abortion, etc. But these are the issues that more often alienate this conservative population.

Remember the story about how good it feels when you quit hitting yourself on the head with the hammer. We need a different approach to the issues that we use to expand our voting block.

This is not a debate about moving to the left or the right but should be about how best to better communicate what we believe. As democrats, we have a responsibility to make clear what we stand for. We do not discriminate -- they do. We support public education -- they do not. We want health care for everyone -- they want the drug and insurance companies to get wealthier. We support working men and women -- they support corporations and rich executives.

Our issues are the right ones, we need not compromise. BUT we do need to find ways to define and deliver our message so that voters can hear it above the blatant republican efforts to segregate, to remove rights, to ignore those in need and to favor the privileged.

To begin getting the public's attention that the democrats stand for more than the republicans say they do. Here are some sample alternatives:

Sell water to Texas for $2 billion, cut taxes by $1 billion and increase education funding by the other $1 billion ... or run from this issue until Texas wins the case and takes the water for free.

Expose the utilities in Oklahoma for artificially keeping rates high and killing off alternative energy efforts.

Show how much wind generation capacity we have and how inadequate our incentives are compared to Texas and most others.

Allocate Electoral College votes by CD so that our poor radio stations and TV stations can enjoy some of the revenue and Oklahoma can get some attention.

Start whacking agencies that are worthless and demanding the reallocation of resources to more worthwhile causes, i.e., cut the size of government and reallocate.

Pound on legislators who don’t support health care reforms and support for the elderly.

Slide past the public private school fight and pound on funding of new initiatives in the public school system.

Allow the public to see how corrupt key republicans are in their fundraising, their firing of staff, in the way they meet and operate, their support of special interests. Pick out one leader, who is culpable, and make an example of them.
This is not to fabricate but rather assist the public to differentiate what scandals are made up and which are serious breeches of the public trust.

Oklahoma, despite another energy driven economic boom, has the daunting and complicated problem of being at the bottom of so many lists --
health care, poverty, teachers salaries, education funding, college graduates to name a few. The public should be made painfully aware of where we stand so they know that change, even in Oklahoma, might be a good thing.

The next legislator that comes up with some crazy social wedge issue designed to inflame enough people to get him or her elected should be made an outcast. The OB plan will contain a means by which such messaging can be coordinated and targeted to the most egregious example to ensure a consequence for their hypocrisy. If one hypocrite a cycle is exposed, other hypocrites will watch and learn.

Better healthcare research centers should be a focus to draw in the medical community. There really is something to great education, research, and an environment that is conducive to people from around the nation and the world feeling comfortable here. Issues such as this can have a subtext that we do not get there by scaring the hell out of gay people and adopting every radical anti-abortion law that can be devised.

We should advocate for more open government.

Promote a plan similar to the Massachusetts to insure all of our citizens.

Promote the Oregon plan that prioritizes prison beds to determine who should be locked up and provide rehabilitation to others -- saving vast sums of money. The public responds to the argument that we should lock up those that we are scared of not those we are mad at.

Tell the utilities that we want energy savings programs and incentives not more coal plants. Oklahoma doesn’t have coal and this is a good issue.

Yes, we waste enormous sums of money. Lets get outside bipartisan groups to identify how we should change state government to spend our tax dollars more efficiently.

Lets sell a billion dollars worth of unproductive state assets and fund immediately the Edge Endowment and other growth and enrichment programs.

How about a campaign to stop the flood of these ridiculous sexually explicit ads in prime time that make progressives wince, particularly when you are watching TV with your children. I don’t care if it lasts for four hours or not we should not have to hear about it when trying to watch TV with family. Why can’t democrats take the lead to prohibit such ads? And then challenge the republican courts to throw out the
law.

Oklahoma has one of the poorest sets of alternative energy incentives in the country because the republicans do everything they can to protect dinosaur utilities who oppose any change. Al Gore is right, this is the next big thing in business, jobs, and technology and we should lead for a change rather than follow.

And there are others, but you get the idea. Ideas that are fresh, new, interesting and in the public's best interest will attract many who fashion themselves as conservatives. People joined the Gingrich revolution because of his ideas not his personality and the same can be true of Oklahoma Democrats.

This makes sense ... what can I do?

1. Politely request the candidates for the democratic nomination to commit to you that they will support the rebuilding of the party by assisting, significantly with fundraising and visibility.
...

2. Challenge the candidates for officers of the Oklahoma Democratic Party to commit to this plan or one equally specific to reforming and building the party.
...

3. Contact the members of the Central Committee and tell them that you want them to seriously consider this One Bite plan.

4. As an activists work your lists and get people started on debating this plan. This might not be the right plan, but I am certain that we cannot afford to do nothing. Perhaps the debate itself will spur positive action.