Is it unethical, or unfair, of me, as a precinct chair, to work my precinct also for a candidate?

[crispini]

I am considering signing up as a precinct captain volunteer for my candidate. However, I will be running the election in my polling place on election day, and I will also be running the precinct convention that night. I know it's not *illegal* for me to endorse candidates or to be an election judge, but this is my neighborhood, and I do not want there to be any sour grapes with either side in the future, and I would like to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

I desperately would like to volunteer as precinct captain, but begin to think that perhaps I should limit my volunteer work to outside my precinct and downplay it in my neighborhood. On the other hand, why have I spent so much time gathering data and working my precinct, if not for this? I have no doubt I could make an impact.

thoughts?

[boobooday]

1. If you keep them separate

It seems to me that if you are impeccably professional in carrying out your duties at the polling place, and are not exploiting that role to somehow influence the vote, and it doesn't sound like you are, I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Poll workers are political citizens by definition, usually, so I would expect that they all support a candidate.

I admire your commitment. Carry on.

:-)

[crispini]

3. Thanks!

I wish I could find out if someone else already wanted to do it. If that were the case, I could let that person be the "partisan" lead and just support.

Perhaps I will send an email to my list. (And make it for *both* candidates, LOL)

[Exilednight]

2. Yes, but I would see nothing wrong with working a neighboring precint for your candidate.

[TexasObserver]

4. Yes, it is unfair. It's an inherent conflict of interest. You signed on to be a precinct chair.

Just IMHO, but there is inherent unfairness in trying to be both the chair to all Democrats in your precinct, and that means all of them.

[crispini]

5. Yeah. It's frustrating, because nobody's going to call me on it.

The practice is VERY common. Witness this blatantly one-sided homepage for Precinct 1234:

http://www.turtlecreekdemocrats.com/

That said, just because everyone does it, doesn't mean I should.

I think I will try to see if there is someone already doing it and let that person take the lead.

Did you make it on time today? Was that you, in the Texas forum, that was going to drive from Cleburne for the rally? Edit: No, that wasn't you, that was Texas EXPLORER. LOL.

[TexasObserver]

11. It's a job to promote the party in your precinct. YOU need to be the peacemaker, the FAIR mind.

By honoring all your constituents, you offend none of them. If you are seen as trying to help one candidate, you impugn the integrity of all your actions and decisions.

Many of us have seen precinct conventions in which the precinct chair is actively helping one side and screwing the other. It's unsavory, and it leaves the precinct effectively tattered and one side feeling terribly wronged.

You will be greatly respected by both sides, and perhaps have a future as county chair, if people know you are fair to both sides in a fractional primary/caucus year. Everyone will come away saying "Cripini really ran a clean precinct. I trust her, even if I know she's not for my candidate."

Think long term, and you will do well, my friend. I honor you for taking on the role. It's 99% work and 1% power and glory.

Look at how Skinner has handled this place. I think I can figure out who he likes, but he has assiduously avoided taking sides for the very reasons I have cited here. It wouldn't be fair, and it would undermine his commitment to the party as a whole.

[crispini]

12. right on, gotta rise above!

thanks. :hi: will do :patriot:

[TexasObserver]

13. I added a paragraph about Skinner you might want to read, too.

[crispini]

14. Thanks. nt

[thevoiceofreason]

18. TXO

As I mentioned to crispini, there is no conflict here. Every precinct chair I know (and I've known a few thousand) supports one candidate or another. As long as it is kept out of the polling place, it is fine.

[TexasObserver]

22. We have a different view.

Sure they each have someone they like, but that wasn't her question.

You strike me as someone who knows about the party and its practices.

We can't agree on everything.



(edited to remove unnecessary verbiage)

[thevoiceofreason]

27. In Austin, over years, met and knew hundreds from party meetings

Next lived in Denver, met and knew hundreds there too.

Houston for over 20 years. We only have 700 or 800 precincts. Now I don't claim to be buddies with them all, but I have met many and know many right now (my wife has run for judge, unsuccessfully, twice). Might I have overstated? Certainly. But not outrageously. I've only met 2 US senators -- and I would say I have never "known" any of them -- only meeting them in the handshake mode. But I acknowledge your ability to move about in obviously much higher circles than me.

I will also give you props for your vast senate campaign experience. I have never worked in a senate campaign, much less dozens. But I have worked in the local campaigns of many many folks. I apologize if I seemed to be boasting or puffing. I did not mean to.

And my point was that most of the precinct chairs I have known have been in the historically heavy democratic precincts in Houston. And the ones I have known typically have been publicly supportive of particular candidate during contested primaries.

Last thing I want to do is get in a wrestling match with you.

[TexasObserver]

28. I respect your work.

II'm not tied into the precinct structure any more, as I am going to support whoever the nominee is, once they are selected. One of the things I have enjoyed about being here at DU is the freedom TO BE A PARTISAN and mix it up. But when the war is over, someone has to not be tattered by the intraparty wars. I don't even have yard signs or bumper stickers, and won't be going to anyone's rallies here in Texas, although my heart is with Obama.

If I impugned your standing, which I know is solid and legitimate, because I've read enough of your posts to know you're the real deal, I apologize.

[thevoiceofreason]

29. It won't let me trim it back -- I tried!

I appreciate it. Praise from you is praise indeed. And although I am backing Barack, I'll be glad to bust my ass for Hillary if that's how it ends up.

Have you realized that we might get a filibuster-proof majority this fall? I was talking to one of my business partners about that today -- how sweet would that be!

[TexasObserver]

31. It's a chess game, and we have to watch all pieces at once. Every pawn can become a Queen or Rook.

If we lose a Knight, I have to shrug and focus on getting that pawn advanced.

If we lose a Queen, we have to try to get a pawn advanced to replace her.

It's our struggle, and until we get the presidency and both houses with safe majorities, we will face more of the same we've seen the past year. I want to see us in a position to pass and enact a bunch of good bills in 2009, and we can't do that if we don't have close to 60 votes in the Senate.

[thevoiceofreason]

33. I should have known you were a chess player

Let's go for the Queen's Gambit and open this thing up!

[TexasObserver]

34. I've always liked a Queen's gambit. The fewer the pieces, the better I like my chances.

[thevoiceofreason]

35. I just go with: "I'm not smart enough to plan for 15-16, I prefer 10-12"

[DemVet]

6. I would think so, yes. n/t

[NoPasaran]

7. Speaking as someone in the same boat (but on the other side)

I think it's up to us to inform the voters of our precincts about early voting and the precinct conventions equally, and if chosen as permanent chairs of the precinct convention to conduct a fair meeting in strict adherence to the Party Rules.

But as for organizing for one presidential candidate over the other, if no one else in our precincts is going to do it, I think it's up to us.

[crispini]

8. Hee. Thanks

:hi:

I think I'll see if anyone else wants to do it, and if not, I may step up, but we'll see. :D I actually have enough to do with getting the election ready, LOL.

[NoPasaran]

9. Wouldn't it have been nice to know Texas was going to matter a couple of months ago?

I mean, we were expecting a little rain, not a Category Five political storm!

[crispini]

10. I was just bugging our guy for an extra clerk. He said no.

I think I may recruit the extra clerk anyway. LOL!

I need to call the school to see if they have a PA system. I could rent a little one for about $150, not sure if that's overkill or not.

I have a huge precinct -- we had 10 people come to the precinct convention two years ago -- so I am thinking that 50 to 80 would not be unreasonable. :scared:

[TexasObserver]

15. Here's the way to get help. You call both campaigns and tell them ...

"Hillary's camp (or Obama's camp) is sending me two people to help me work this. I felt it only fair to give your camp a chance to be here and participate, too."

Believe, both sides will bite and send you two people.

When they get there, you say "ok, guy and gals, put your campaigning on hold while we do the work for the party, and you can do your campaigning on your own time."

Sometimes you have to lie to them to get people committed to help, but don't ever tell them you did.

[thevoiceofreason]

16. Virtually every precinct chair is known to support a candidate

Don't sweat it. You absolutely cannot politic for your candidate while you are at the polling place on the day of the election. That night (you are Texas, right) call the meeting to order and the first thing you need to do is get someone elected as chair of the precinct convention. You can be that person too (virtually every precinct convention chair ends up as a delegate for a particular candidate). You are a ood person (having read your posts and thoughts for years), so I know you will be painstakingly prudent, scrupulous and hoenst. So, don't worry about it. There is no ethical dilemma whatsoever.

[crispini]

20. Aw. Thanks!

:hug:

Yes, I'll definitely have my preferences known on convention night, that's true. :D :hi:

There actually may be someone already signed up to do this, so I'll check with the campaign first and see. That would remove a dilemma. :D

[Emit]

17. No, not at all.

I was for Edwards and co-chaired.

Honestly, because my guy didn't have enough to have a viable group, I was unbiased, and so did the chair -- he was for Edwards, too.

But, you can and should do this. You have a right to vote for your person, as well. Just be fair, and make sure any counting is overseen by a rep from each group. Keep it all on the up and up. Be fair. You'll be okay.

[crispini]

21. Thanks.

Yes, it's important for me to do everything fair because I live here with these folks! Wouldn't want to piss someone off that I have to run into the grocery store all the time. :D

[Emit]

23. I know exactly what you mean. We were required to have one rep

from each group sign off on our math -- party rules and all. In our caucus, we had to adjust the number of delegates awarded by the required mathematical equation, and we were concerned that this might alarm folks and make them suspicious. So, we did each step on a large piece of paper taped to the wall so everyone could see how we were allotting the delegates. Not a single person questioned our approach.

You'll do great crispini, and I applaud you for volunteering and doing your civic duty. If not for folks like you, our party could not exist.

[crispini]

24. Oh, THANKS. Just added something to my list -- a big paper tablet!

And pens.

Fabulous! Great idea!

[Debi]

19. Absolutely fair

Just run your precinct process fair. (maybe the vice-chair or secretary could be for another candidate?)

My husband was the chair and I was the Secretary for our caucus - we remained uncommitted - however our son was a BIG Biden supporter and we helped him reach out to folks in our precinct. Come caucus night he worked the crowd and we ran the caucus.

[high density]

25. It's a political thing. Of course you're going to be supporting a candidate.

My precinct chair was obviously an Obama guy. He advertised this fact at the start of our caucus vote. I didn't see any Clinton people throwing rotten vegetables at him or doubting his honesty during the caucus. All of the delegate calculations were done in a swarm of people overlooked by both Clinton and Obama supporters. People here may be rather nasty to each other, but I think things are a lot more tame when you're working face to face with people.

[TexasObserver]

26. This is what you said, and why I think it's inadvisable.

"I am considering signing up as a precinct captain volunteer for my candidate."

PRECINCT CAPTAIN VOLUNTEER

You're free to listen to others here, of course, but this is my view.

It's not important to me one way or another, as this is your choice. But I'll offer my dissent from those who say "sure, why not?" Sure, there are plenty of precinct chairs who do it. And when their side loses, they get tossed out. You make friends and enemies in politics. Friends come and go, but enemies are FOREVER.

[crispini]

30. Oh, I already have people in this party who don't like me.

That Glen Maxey / Boyd Ritchie floor fight two years ago? Wooooeee. Yeah, I was on the losing side, and I'm sure there are people in the county party who remember it. Oh well, can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. Hee.

All your points are very well taken, though. :hi:

Edited to add: I'll just see if the campaign already has someone in that spot, which they probably do, and that will solve my dilemma for me. :P

[anigbrowl]

32. I think it is unfair

Not because you would do anything bad, but just because people would put 2 and 2 together to get 5. I think you'd be better off being a precinct captain in another district. Campaigning and running the election are two distinctly different jobs.

If you need motivation, just visualize Katherine Harris:

[Jai4WKC08]

36. I'm really bothered by this part of your OP:

You write, "...why have I spent so much time gathering data and working my precinct, if not for this?"

I don't like the idea that a party official, even a relatively minor one, does party work so that they will be able to influence some future election, primary, or caucus. Obviously every one interested in politics has opinions and supports candidates. But I don't think they should allow their own opinions and preferences to influence the work they do for the party because they are SUPPOSED to be working just as hard for those of us with different opinions and preferences. Nor should they be using anything they get from their party position, to include information, to assist one candidate over another.

Back in 2004, our precinct chairman supported the same candidate I did, and I knew it. But he did not do anything to help me in trying to get caucus-goers to stand for my candidate. His name counted toward my candidate at the end of the count, but no one else in the caucus knew it until afterwards. I think he handled the situation properly.

[marlakay]

37. The lady in my area did all

and she was for Clinton, when we voted overwhelmingly for Obama she graciously stepped back and didn't vote for the delegates to go to state convention.

I don't see a problem with it. And I liked that in my neighborhood we were all just happy that so many dems turned out and weren't Obama vs Clinton.