Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 16:28:01 -0400 To: ddkallick at tuna.net From: David Dyssegaard Kallick <ddkallick at tuna.net> Subject: Working Families Party
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
This is a long note to convince you that you should vote for Hillary Clinton on the Working Families Party ticket in New York, and for WFP candidates for State Senate and other local offices. It's Row H on the ballot--hard to find, but important. (If you don't vote in NY--or even if you do--please feel free to send this to your friends.)
The Working Families Party is also endorsing Al Gore for president. Voting for Gore on the WFP line strengthens the Working Families Party and sends Gore a (modest) message. But even if you vote for Nader--a reasonable thing to do in NY, where Gore is well ahead in the polls--you should still vote WFP "downballot."
As many of you already know, I've been splitting my work between the Preamble Center and the Working Families Party since Labor Day. So I'm not exactly a neutral observer.
But, having spent a lot of time in the WFP office these past weeks, I'm very impressed with the strategy and the people.
* * * * *
Here's the deal. The Working Families Party was started by progressives (Dan Cantor is executive director of the party and formerly director of the New Party), unions (CWA, UAW, DC 37, SEIU locals, UNITE and Teamsters locals, and now 1199), and community and advocacy organizations (ACORN, Citizen Action, Democratic Socialists of America).
The goal is to build a "new New Deal coalition" by building a constituency for a new generation of progressive politics with strong participation from upstate white working-class and union families (swing voters); NYC Black, Latino, and Asian voters (where energized participation and turnout is crucial); and traditional middle-class liberals and progressives from across the state.
A few things make WFP different from other "third party" efforts, in my opinion.
* The ability to connect with unions. This matters--and of course poses difficulties--on the issues. I'd say the difficulties are good ones--if we don't engage them (issues of race, homophobia, resistance to feminism, for example) we're marginalizing ourselves. More important, union participation guarantees money and political clout that is an order of magnitude larger than any other
* A serious base in African American, Afro-Carribean, Latino, and Asian communities. Most progressive parties and organizations have generally good policies issues affecting communities of color, but few have a real base of support within those communities or real diversity on staff. DuBois is as right in the 21st Century as in the 20th--the color line remains extraordinarily strong. WFP is one of the strongest efforts I've known at trying to form a real, deep, and lasting cross-race and cross-class base.
* It's a fusion party. NY State--unlike most others--allows for "cross-endorsement" or "fusion." That means WFP can run candidates in races where it can win--for now, races like city council or state legislature. But it can endorse whichever of the major party candidates is best in the larger races. WFP won't run a futile "protest" candidacy against Hillary Clinton; it will support her, but also challenge her.
* It's both a "movement" and a "party." It connects with organizing that's about empowering communities to take care of themselves and also about organizing that demands a government role in creating a context where this is possible.
* It's a party, not just a candidate. Dan--with help from some major labor union players--has been very savvy about how to weild the party's influence throughout the year. Party initiatives extend beyond the election into day-to-day operations of government. And campaigns (such as the successful living wage campaign in Rockland County, or the campaign finance reform campaign in NYC) extend beyond the party to energize and engage movement-based organizations.
There's a web site (of course), at http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org, and you should definitely call me if you want to ask more, or to tell me why I'm wrong. My number at the party is 718/222-3796, 212/420-1885 at home.
I'm quite enthusiastic about this as a realistic effort to build a party that has a strong progressive voice while also having real electoral and legislative impact. It's only in NY State, but New York is a big state.
I'm even more excited about the possibility of starting a WFP-affiliated "think tank"... but more about that after the election!
I hope you're all well,
David -- ***************************** David Dyssegaard Kallick 115 East 9th Street, #12F New York, NY 10003 tel: 212/420-1885 fax: 212/208-4694 e-mail: ddkallick at tuna.net *****************************