DNC 2014 Winter Meeting: Mobilizing for 2014 and Beyond |
Feb. 27-Mar. 1, 2014 - At the
annual winter meeting of the Democratic
National Committee, Democrats announced four initiatives to help them
better compete in this year's mid-term elections and build the party
into the future. The
Voter Expansion Project aims to "ensure that every eligible voter can
register, that every registered voter can vote, and that every vote is
accurately counted." Project Ivy is "the fourth (IV) iteration of
the Democratic Party’s investment in digital and technology."
Factivists is "a new way of thinking about rapid response" and "will
engage our grassroots supporters with an aggressive digital and social
media presence, offering shareable online materials from videos to
tweets and Facebook-ready content." Finally, the DNC will
continue its support of the state parties and the grassroots; DNC
leaders also announced that they are making OFA
volunteer data usable for all Democratic campaigns in 2014. DNC
chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and CEO Amy Dacey relentlessly pushed
these initiatives throughout the three days of the meeting.
However, some
of the initiatives do seem a bit like re-worked or amplified DNC
programs of the
past, and it must be noted that the DNC faces limitations
imposed by a debt
of about $15.9
million. DNC members also heard from Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama. Another highlight of the meeting, held at the Capitol Hilton, was a reception hosted by Columbus 2016, which is seeking to attract the 2016 Democratic National Convention. In addition, Democrats Abroad celebrated their 50th anniversary. 2014 will be a challenging year for Democrats. Republicans need to pick up only six seats to gain control of the U.S. Senate, and virtually no observers believe Democrats can win a majority in the U.S. House. Summarizing after the meeting, DNC press secretary Michael Czin stated, "With less than 250 days until Election Day 2014 the choice for voters is increasingly clear - between the Democrats who are campaigning on opportunity for all and Republicans who are endlessly mired in controversy and are fighting day-in and day-out for policies that provide opportunity for few."
|
Highlights [schedule] | |
Thursday,
Feb.
27,
2014 |
Saturday, Mar. 1, 2014 |
Vice
President
Joe
Biden
at
ASDC Columbus 2016 Reception Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 Regional Caucuses Women's Caucus General Session and President Barack Obama |
Labor
Council Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus Black Caucus Hispanic Caucus Credentials Committee LGBT Caucus More Councils |