Iowa Caucus Goer

The letter began, “tonight is an exciting evening for Iowa Democrats. As the first state to begin the presidential delegate selection process, the eyes of the nation are truly on Iowa.” It was from Ed Campbell, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party. The date was January 21, 1980, the night of the quadrennial Iowa caucuses.

The second paragraph went on, “The impact and implications of your decision will be felt all over America during the weeks and months ahead. As this letter is read, the national press are (sic) gathered in Des Moines by the hundreds to await the results of your decision.” It was true then, and is true now. Getting the attention of the national media is an important part of being first in the nation.

This year, however, President Obama is without a serious challenger and the lackluster field of Republican hopefuls makes news, but is uninspiring, even to many of their party’s faithful. Iowa is manifesting itself in the national spotlight as a place of evangelical religious groups, many of them accepting a literal interpretation of the Bible, with home schooling to prevent children from being exposed to a broader society, and some believing the end of days and the rapture is approaching.

Iowa will make its brief and tawdry imprint on this year’s edition of the national news. Then we will go back to being Iowans, where a majority of our more than three million residents are not fans of Rick Santorum, Michelle Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Herman Cain or the rest of the Republican field, but are much more reasonable than this tarnished moment makes us appear.

Set aside this year’s Republicans and there are some lessons to be learned from the 1980 Iowa caucuses. President Jimmy Carter had been in office for exactly three years and his polling showed him to be unpopular. Unlike President Obama, who has also had low polling numbers, Carter had two serious challengers, one of whom was Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.

Kennedy was sincere and energetic in his challenge of Carter, saying in a letter to caucus goers, “I believe the time has come to restore effective leadership in the White House. We can no longer afford thirteen percent inflation eroding the wages of workers, the income of farmers and the pensions of the elderly. A so-called spiritual malaise is no excuse for an unfair and unworkable energy policy and the highest interest rates since the Civil War. I know we can do better.”

Harsh words for a sitting president from a serious contender in the same party. We know the history. Carter won the nomination, Kennedy gave a concession speech for the ages and America got President Ronald Reagan. Thank heavens it is not like that as we go into 2012.

What no one seems to talk about any longer is something else Campbell wrote in his letter:

“In addition to the other elections this evening, I urge you to carefully decide who will represent your precinct on the County Central Committee. The two precinct committee leaders you elect will lead the Democratic Party for the next two years. They will be asked to recruit volunteers, raise money and organize Election Day activities. It’s a tough and often times a thankless job; however it is quite simply the most important position in the Democratic Party. We need and want to have committed and knowledgeable people to lead our party in each of the state’s 2,531 precincts. Without the best and most committed people in these positions, we are a party in an empty shell.”

There’s the lesson from 1980. This cycle the Iowa Democratic Party continues an ill-advised practice of managing from the top down. Flush with campaign contributions and a permanent, national political infrastructure, organizing is done by paid campaign help and permanent staff. We are able to surge for single events like the special election in Senate District 18, but continue to be the shell Campbell hoped against.

Grassroots organizing is in remission among Democrats. We focus more on what we hear on television, radio and on the internet, instead of what our neighbors want and need. Until Iowa Democrats, not party leadership, re-engage at the grassroots level, whatever hold we have on government will be based on the fact that the other party is worse and not on who we are as Democrats. That is no way to run a campaign or to make progress in the important work of governance.

The failure of this approach was evident during the 2010 midterms. The 1980 Iowa Democratic caucuses remind us of the importance of County Central Committees and having good people on them. My question for the reader is do you know who your central committee members are and do you really care? This barometer of grassroots politics is better than any poll and similar to what we experienced on that winter night in 1980s Iowa when a group of us stood for Ted Kennedy.

~ Paul Deaton is a frequent contributor to Blog for Iowa who lives in rural Iowa.