If there’s any lesson to learn from Washington state’s bucking of the Big Red Tide, it’s that a strong ground game may not be sexy, but it still can win, even in the face of overwhelming odds. And so while few journalists pay much attention to what goes on at the local party level, it’s a helluva lot more important than you might think.
That’s why next month’s election of a new King County Democratic Party chair is ultimately so important. And while I don’t generally like to get involved in intra-party politics, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least say a few words in support of one of the candidates, Steve Zemke.
I’ve long described myself as an “accidental activist” having stumbled onto the local political scene with my satirical initiative to proclaim Tim Eyman a horse’s ass, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I knew absolutely nothing about how local politics worked, and had absolutely no connections to the players involved. But Steve did, and so I was very fortunate to have him take me under his wing almost from the start, and serve as a kinda tutor, if not a mentor, during my first couple years of activism.
It was Steve who explained to me how initiatives worked (and how they didn’t), and who first took me down to Olympia to lobby and finagle and implore elected officials and their staff. It was with Steve who I somehow found myself in a conference room in the Fall of 2003, sitting across the table from Frank Chopp and Jim McIntyre… totally oblivious to how remarkable it was for him to have managed to secure us an hour to talk tax restructuring with the Speaker of the House and the Chair of the Finance Committee. And remember… this was before I started blogging… when I was just some crackpot with a joke initiative.
Steve simply knows how things work, knows how to get things done, and sometimes seems to know absolutely everybody in Washington state Democratic political circles. And on the local level, where the ground game is so damn important, I can’t help but feel that that’s the kind of chair we need leading the county party: somebody who will focus on building infrastructure.
Nothing against Steve’s opponent Karl de Jong; he’s a great guy with great values. But Steve, well, he’s kind of a savant when it comes to organizing and running campaigns. So if I were a Democratic PCO, he’d have my vote.
That said, I couldn’t end this post without saying a big thank you to current chair Suzie Sheary, who is retiring after holding the post, well, forever (“forever” being defined as, since I started paying attention to county politics). She was perhaps the first local Democratic official to recognize the role local bloggers like me could play in promoting a progressive message, and I’ve long counted her as a political ally and friend. You’ll be missed, Suzie.
about Steve Zemke he thinks he knows everything I did alot of work on his
City Council campaign. How will he handle
the Eyman democrats. Dont forget they due
make up at least 20 % of the democratic voters
Without these democrats Eyman would be no where
and their are alot here in King County.
Karl is also a wonderful and resourceful cat. Looks like we have got a good menu for once!
Ditto Goldy on Zemke.
I’m torn.
Steve’s a great policy guy, a wonk’s wonk. But I don’t see him as the public face and voice of the KC Dems. Charismatic he ain’t.
I don’t know Karl at all. But Ivan vouches for him, and that carries some weight with me.
Unlike Goldy, I do have a say in the matter, if I can hie myself down to Renton on a Saturday morning. So far, I haven’t committed to either of them.
So if I were a Democratic PCO, he’d have my vote.
why aren’t u?
We need to prepare over the next two years to reelect President Barack Obama,
well that’s a non-starter
So in 2003 Chopp and McIntyre talked to you about taxes and tax structure ?
That explains about everything. Yikes
Steve is a good policy guy and a good candidate. Karl deJong is a tireless ORGANIZER, and he is a GREAT candidate.
It’s interesting, Goldy, that you talk about “ground game” as if you had any idea what it meant. Karl has put his boots on the ground and his fingers on the phones in every Legislative District in King County, for damn near every Democratic candidate on the ticket.
Deb Eddy supports him, but so do Sharon Nelson, Joe Fitzgibbon, Luis Moscoso, and Dave Upthegrove. Margarita Prentice supports him, but so do Eric Oemig and Joe McDermott.
Karl had “ground game” in the primary and general elections, and he has “ground game” in the election for county chair. He’s going to win this by a wide margin. It’s no rap on Steve, none at all. Karl has wider appeal, period.
Karl headed the King County Democrats’ Endorsement Committee. This required him to sit through days of candidate interviews and read through every single endorsement questionnaire that had been submitted. I know this because I have served on this committee for the past two years.
At the same time, Karl was on the endorsements committee of the King County Labor Council, where he interviewed the same candidates in a different context.
The man has a phenomenal work rate, and he inspires others by his example. Suzie Sheary set a pretty high bar for anyone to reach. Karl is going to make Suzie proud, and by the time he is done, he will make you proud, too, Goldy.
In this state? What are you smoking? They walk lock step with everything DUMBOCRATIC here. King County people didn’t even hold Patty accountable for the upcoming OdumbaCare “I don’t want it” fines of $700 or more after she admitted she helped craft the bill. Yet they rejected the state income tax by 54.6%. Go figure. These WA State voters are blue with too much kook-aid.
The role of King County Chair is NOT to advocate some kind of policy agenda. Its not to argue about the tunnel, its not to weep about Seattle’s tree canopy, its not to be the guy who most PCOs and party advocates don’t even know exists.
The King County Chair’s role is to build the party, to support candidates, and to get them elected. Karl de Jong is the only candidate who has the knowledge, relationships, and experience to lead the organization effectively.
If Zemke wants to be a policy advocate he should run for State Legislature, its really too bad he doesn’t know the difference, because if he manages to win Chair he’ll waste a lot of time that could be spent building the party on tilting at windmills.
I would be very concerned if the King County Chair was willing to take one side against another on controversial issues that divide Democrats. The party has to be inclusive and the actions of the chair must support party-building in all areas of the county. I’m not convinced that growing the party in areas where voters are more conservative is an arrow in Steve’s quiver, but it certainly is in Karl’s. One also must consider who willl be appointed to various committes. A responsible PCO in King County would ask each of the candidates who they’ve got in mind to head up the committees.
Charismatic he ain’t.
Well, yeah. But tell us about Suzie’s charisma. Was she effective? Is charisma a requirement for the position?
I’ll be following this thread right up to the time I have to cast my vote. Thanks, Goldy.
PtbaA @12:
Suzie Sheary is a bundle of energy, a brassy woman. That’s not merely in comparison to Steve’s quiet scholarliness.
As for effectiveness, that’s mixed. There were too many elections without serious candidates, especially at the County Council level. That was mostly the fault of the candidate-recruitment team during Suzie’s early years, and I don’t know how much control she had over the composition of that group. It’s been better lately, though I note that Satterberg inexplicably ran unopposed for County Prosecutor this year.
The County Chair does have a public role, as the face of the Democrats in the state’s most influential county. Sadly, that means soundbites rather than position papers.
N @13:
I can tell you that Suzie worked like a trooper to recruit candidates for every position in the county. Sometimes they just weren’t there.
Thank you forever Suzie.
Ivan as usual is creating a myth and is full of bluster. I like Ivan but let’s set the record straight.
I stand on my record of getting things done. I have the experience of setting up and running statewide organizations for political campaigns. I have helped over the last 30 years elect Democrats and pass initiatives and laws strongly supported by Democrats. Go to wwww.stevezemke.com and check out some of what I’ve done.
Being Chair of the King County Democrats requires more than doorbelling and calling on the phones. It requires managing an organization which represents 17 Legislative Districts and some 1200 PCO’s. It requires raising money. It requires leadership. It requires messaging and outreach and communication skills. It requires building coalitions. It requires getting results. I’m the candidate that has done that.
Yes I know policy but also I have the record of being effective in putting policy into law. Getting Democratic policy positions into law and implementing them is part of what Democrats need to do. Getting candidates elected is an important part of the Democratic agenda but effective governing and legislating require continued involvement by Democrats to be successful. I’m the candidate that has a successful record of proposing, drafting and getting legislation passed.
This campaign is about experience – I’ve been active for 30 plus years in Democratic politics, my opponent has been involved for less than 2 years and is not even a PCO.
I stand on my record of success and ask fellow Democrats like Ivan to quit selling myth and misinformation about what I’ve done and what I propose to do.
#13 Again get the record straight – I am the candidate that over the years has had the sound bites, that has been covered by the media. I have had op ed pieces printed in the media, I have been on the evening news and have been on radio.
I have written a blog, wwww.MajorityRules.org for the last 5 years that has helped to shape opinion and get the issues and candidates out there. I have written and released and gotten press releases covered. I have held press conferences. I have testified before the State Legislature, Congressional Hearings in this State, the Seattle City Council and the Seattle School Board, among others.
Let talk the record, not make up campaign put downs. If you judge both of us on our record of involvement and success, I win hands down.
The PCO’s will ultimately make the final decision and I will respect that. But meanwhile, don’t expect me to take sitting down a campaign of disinformation based on those who have not taken the time to check my long record of involvement and success as a progressive Democrat.
Let’s talk about how we can strengthen the Democratic Party and work together. That’s the challenge. I am ready to help. And if I am elected, which I expect to be, my opponent will be part of our Democratic team.
That’s funny Steve. I haven’t said a single negative thing about you, in this thread or anywhere else. I said you were a good policy guy and a good candidate.
Where’s the myth? Where’s the misinformation? Where’s the putdown? Where’s the bluster?
I’ve worked closely with Steve for the past two and a half years as we co-chaired the KC Dems Legislative Action Committee. I can vouch that Steve is an effective organizer. He helped write and pass the statewide initiative that led to the Growth Management Act. He moves mountains. He also organized the coalition that led to the state’s first bottle bill. Steve is one of the most effective organizers I know. If Democrats are to carry the state for Obama in 2012, it will depend on how well we are organized in King County, and how many more precincts we can cover. Steve has set measurable goals to get us where we need to be, in people and in fundraising.
I like Karl de Jong and appreciate his unflagging volunteerism, but he hasn’t been around long enough to provide the leadership we need for the next Presidential caucus cycle. He only became involved in the King County Democrats in the past year. Instead, PCOs should elect one of their own. Steve has literally walked the walk.
Kudos to Suzy Sheary for building a strong organization that helped stop the tsunami and keep Washington blue.
I dont support either candidate. I respect
Mr. Zemke long past poltical campaign experience but a lot of those position were
15 years ago. And a lot has changed in campagins and issues that Both Republicans
and Democrats agree on. I remember the day
Mr. Zemke you literally harrassed a signiture
gather at the Seattle Center. Our President
will have a strong organization in this County
without Mr. Zemke’s help.
To Steve at 20. Get the story straight. It was the signature gatherer who actually did assault me physically by grabbing me. I harassed no one. All I did was stand nearby at the time and say that voters should read the measure before they sign it. That is called freedom of speech. I have as much of a right to speak out publicly as does the signature gatherer. I did not block or prohibit anyone from signing an initiative. It’s funny how people are all for freedom of speech until it applies to them and something they are doing. The petition gatherer obviously did not believe in my right to publicly express my opinion. Tim Eyman of course is a strong advocate for prohibiting freedom of speech when it comes to initiatives and wants to ban it near signature gatherers. I disagree. Free speech is guaranteed in the US Constitution.
As regards more recent campaigns I have been involved in many. One does not need to always be in the limelight to get things done. Last year my idea and leadership in Seattle resulted in the creation of a science based Urban Forestry Commission. This year in the State Legislature my idea of voter addresses being automatically changed by using US Post Office address changes, instead of requiring people to re-register every time they move within a county, was incorporated into the final version of the voter registration law passed. In 2008 I assisted the Peter Goldmark Campaign in getting individual endorsements and endorsemnts from Democratic LD’s and County organizations across the state. My family put together most of his yard signs. This year I assisted in trying to get the word out on the initiatives the King County Democrats opposed and supported. I doorbelled for I-1098 as well as candidates like Suzan DelBene and others. I have co-chaired the King County Democrats Legislative Action Committee for the last 2 years, which is a lot of work. Our newsletter is now going out to some 2000 Democrats in King County.
So please before you criticize me, know what you are talking about. My continued activism over the years is what distinguishes me in my race to be the next Chair of the King County Democrats. I am not afraid to speak out. I do not tolerate silence when others are attacking our positions. I will be an activist Chair pushing to elect Democrats and supporting our platform.
Steve
You harrassed a petitioner and the courts would of gone my way. Would you like to watch a Video of what you did. You have a long history… Take a break and let someone else
due the job. I know you have a long history
that doesnt necessarily qualify you.
RCW 9A.46.020
Definition — Penalties.
(1) A person is guilty of harassment if:
(a) Without lawful authority, the person knowingly threatens:
(i) To cause bodily injury immediately or in the future to the person threatened or to any other person; or
(ii) To cause physical damage to the property of a person other than the actor; or
(iii) To subject the person threatened or any other person to physical confinement or restraint; or
(iv) Maliciously to do any other act which is intended to substantially harm the person threatened or another with respect to his or her physical or mental health or safety; and
(b) The person by words or conduct places the person threatened in reasonable fear that the threat will be carried out. “Words or conduct” includes, in addition to any other form of communication or conduct, the sending of an electronic communication.
Be careful – you are making a false accusation not supported by the facts. I in no way threatened you. You were actually the one, by the definition of harrassment under state law, who harassed me by physically grabbing ahold of me with both hands.
Just because someone disagrees with you in a public place, like the Seattle Center, during a public event does not give you the right to grab ahold of them. Just because you are collecting signatures on an initiative, I do not lose my right to free speech which includes the right to publicly say I disagree with your petition.
The truth is that no one knows who Steve is except for a few nattering “activists” who generally are clueless about how things actually get done policywise. Steve is only focused on Seattle issues and is completely out of touch with anything else in King County, and based on several of his actions and his history I certainly question his ability to be a “neutral” Chair as he ought to be.
Its untrue that Karl has only been involved “in the past year.” While he took a formal position with the Dems only in the past year, he has been an absolute resource to anyone who needs it for a long time, always shows up, always helps out, and knows there is more needed for King County Dems than naval-gazing and pretending to be legislators when they’re not.
Being around a long time doesn’t translate to being a good leader, and bringing the Dems above and beyond anything Suzie Sheary accomplished, and it doesn’t entitle Zemke to anything. Even if Suzie was running again I wouldn’t vote for her – its time for the organization to grow up and move on. I’d suggest the same for Zemke – getting into pissing matches on blog comments is not a sign of maturity that I’d expect from someone who thinks he’s entitled to represent us.
Very Funny at 24 – someone who can’t even identify who they are. All these anonymous people – offering comments – take them for what they’re worth.
I stand by by record. I have commented on a lot of comment threads over time. At least I’m not afraid to identify who I am.
Zemke, no one pushed you at the Seattle
Center. If you go back thru court cases
on harrasment of a petitioner you will see
what you did was wrong.
Anyway the person
signed the petition despite your rudeness.
Maybe that’s what you are a very RUDE person.
Maybe it should of been stalking because you
continued to follow several of the petitioners
around. That charge would of stuck more.
Due you advise on this kind of activity in your
statewide drives that you were paid.
Lots of Democrats & Republicans voted for it
twice. and it won in King County..
Mr. Zemke,
Mr. Eyman has stood up for peoples rights and
petitioners rights. How due you stand. Most
democratic legislators are opposed.
“How due (sic) you stand.”
Aargh!! Please come up with another screen name.
It’s all moot now, as health problems have forced Karl to withdraw from the race. So Steve Zemke will be chairman after all. He’ll need all the help he can get, and I intend to be there for him.