Actions from last meeting:
- Bram set up a Google group with email address and all have been invited to join. fccpr-electoral-politics@googlegroups.com.
- Identify contacts with affinity groups. Gail will contact DFA. Bram started a group list.
- Dana will begin to do outreach to all towns to get a representative from each to participate.
Discussion
What, specifically, are we trying to accomplish? Issues include:
- Are we trying to work within the Democratic Party and/or create a third party alternative? Many elections are nonpartisan, so this issue does not seem particularly critical now.
- Are we trying to focus on local, state and/or national politics? We decided that we are most interested in supporting candidates at the local level, but we did not rule out supporting other groups who are working with upstream candidates who support the FCCPR platform.
- Are we trying to focus on candidates, and/or also referenda and issue-oriented electoral work? We will focus on candidates, utilizing positions developed by other FCCPR issues-oriented task forces
- Do we need to create a formal platform, and/or can we go forward on a shared general understanding of progressive values? At this point, we will move forward with shared understanding of values. A platform will evolve as other task forces develop their positions.
Next steps
- Bram will take a first stab at a mission statement that can be shared with other task forces and interested people. All can edit/comment. UPDATE: Mission Statement approved via online consensus:
The Electoral Politics Task Force works both to support the campaigns of progressive candidates who advance FCCPR’s program and to participate in efforts that increase civic engagement. We also provide mutual support to other candidates through regional and upstream affinity groups
- We want to find out how we can influence the state Democratic Party committee.
- We want to think about how we can communicate our existence to allies.
Main points of discussions
** Decisions that were made
** Next steps, i.e., action items and who is responsible
** Next meeting time and place
** Contact person with contact email, phone