Texas “Two Step” Invites All Voters To “Join the Party”

Throughout the 2008 Texas primary process, several writers and even an editorial board have suggested contacting the Texas Democratic Party headquarters to ask for a “simplified” delegate selection plan. We welcome calls and letters, but starting with our precinct convention on the evening of March 4th, every Democratic primary voter has a more direct opportunity to help their favorite presidential candidate and have a say about our delegate selection plan at the same time. Although our system may not yield a final delegate count “winner” on Tuesday, it does give over 7,000 state convention delegates a real voice in determining our party rules as well as deciding how our presidential candidates will divide 67 national delegates.

The Texas plan is nothing new. The current party leadership inherited the plan, which has been virtually the same since the 1988 election, when three Presidential campaigns worked to get voters to the polls and then to their precinct conventions that evening. And there’s no reason to believe the Clinton or Obama campaigns should be “confused” by the process. Some of Senator Clinton’s major Texas supporters are party leaders who helped design the plan, and in 1992 and 1996, President Clinton ran under the same system. Likewise, Senator Obama has Texas advisers who have been involved in the same process in several Presidential elections.

I understand the frustration caused by a system that isn’t tailored to meet media deadlines, but it’s a system that gives greater voice to grassroots Democrats and requires the presidential campaigns to invest in organizational efforts that build the party instead of spending all their resources on television. And that’s exactly what those who drafted this plan intended when it was put in place in 1988.

Prior to 1988, all Texas delegates were determined by a convention or “caucus” process, the same way Iowa and 14 other states still select their delegates. There had been a Texas Presidential primary that was just a “beauty contest” because it didn’t affect delegate allocation. The current hybrid system was put in place by reformers who wanted to institute a primary to open up the process to greater public participation, and our primary voters will allocate 126 delegates on Tuesday. But they also wanted to maintain a caucus system to encourage those voters to get involved and have a say in running our Party.

The campaigns for the primary elections often feature a blitz of rallies, direct mail and advertisements, and after election day the campaigns leave for the next state. This year, we expect tens of thousands of new Democratic voters who have been attracted by two outstanding presidential candidates to participate in our precinct and county conventions for the first time. It’s a process that brings Democrats together, face to face, to practice democracy in their communities. And there’s no better way to change our political system and make our elected leaders more responsive to the everyday concerns of voters.

Tuesday evening, our precinct conventions offer an open invitation to millions of Texans to help us build an organization that can elect candidates who will deliver real change and build a better future. We also welcome those who want to change our delegate selection process, and our system affords reformers the ability to change the process the same way the architects of the current plan did years ago. Like them, I understand that our Party needs the passion, commitment and fresh ideas generated by an exciting campaign, and we welcome all of you to "come join the Party."