Friday, February 27th, 2009...1:16 pm
Lord Not Running
Bob Lord has announced that he is not running for chair. He has asked me to post this letter from him:
Fellow Democrats,
I’ve struggled with the decision regarding my candidacy for State Party Chair for far too long. The urging from so many people I admire from all across our Party – activists, benefactors, elected officials, and Party leaders – has made this an especially difficult decision. Being seen by many of my friends as the best choice to unify our Party at this crucial time is quite an honor. It has caused me to analyze, re-analyze and, yes, over-analyze whether to answer your call.
Ultimately, however, I concluded that after devoting almost two years to my Congressional race, I need to focus primarily on my law practice for the time being. In addition, I have not abandoned my strong belief that we can turn Congressional District 3 blue. In that regard, I’m virtually certain John Shadegg will not seek re-election in 2010. As he made clear during the 2008 campaign, his heart just isn’t in the job anymore. His decision to reverse his retirement announcement one year ago was less a reflection of his own thinking than that of Republican leadership and conservative special interest groups, who desperately wanted to avoid losing another seat in 2008 and to whom he is eternally loyal. But the dynamics of 2008 won’t be matched in 2010 and, after two more years in the House minority, a role he openly disdains, John will be far less likely to soldier on. His retirement will leave an open seat in Congressional District 3. Although I am nowhere near such a decision, I want to leave myself the flexibility to enter that race, without disrupting our State Party in the process.
The idea of serving as State Party Chair was not my own. Nonetheless, it is a challenge I very much would have welcomed, if I only were in a better position to take it on. This is a critical time for Arizona Democrats. The Republicans who control our State government are recklessly destroying what took decades to build. The damage they will do between now and the 2010 election will be devastating, but, if they are allowed to continue down that path unimpeded through 2012, it will be horrific. So, losing in 2010 is not an option for us. On March 7th, we will elect a new State Chair, whom we absolutely must unify behind. One Team. One Fight. Victory in 2010!
Bob
15 Comments
February 27th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
I wonder if Bob will endorse Don.
February 28th, 2009 at 6:33 am
There is still one other person who plans on running although I don’t think most people will have heard of him.
February 28th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I believe that Don Bivens has, as he said himself in his own letter, ‘gotten it.’
And while it is certainly true that we lost legislative seats this past election cycle (when we faced the triple whammy of McCain at the top of the ticket, prop 102 (whose proponents outspent both the Republican and Democratic state parties combined in turning out– mainly conservative voters) and still fighting the 2002 legislative gerrymander), he did a lot to build the party for the future, both in terms of voter registration and fundraising. Also keep in mind that in 2008 we kept the two congressional seats we picked up in 2006, added another and came within 200 votes of going from no seats on the corporation commission to gaining a majority on it. The corporation commission has been a priority for as long as I’ve been active in the party but we went from a party that couldn’t even beat the crook Jim Irvin to a party that can win seats on the commission. If you’re going to point out that we lost legislative seats on Bivens’ watch (which is fair) then also point out that we finally had success on the corporation commission races, also on his watch.
Also keep in mind that Bivens assumed control several weeks late in 2007 (a difficult extra hurdle for anyone, but let’s face it, we’ve handed the next chair the same hurdle this year.)
I voted for Paul Eckerstrom last time around because what he said about messaging and the need to develop a think tank reflected some of the same things I’ve felt for some time we’ve needed to address. Turns out though that the night before the Jan. 24 election Bivens was in a meeting with Vince Rabago and others where he had voiced support for that very idea (he should have said it the next day but probably didn’t know it would come up.) This time I’ve endorsed Don Bivens and I will vote for him this time around (as probably will many others who voted for Paul Eckerstrom on the 24th.)
February 28th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
If there is an other person who plans on running, what is he/she waiting for to make an announcement?? While I fully understand Paul’s impulsive decision, this time around I cannot find any excuse for this “delay”. It is unprofessional and disrespectful.
February 28th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Mariana,
It must be hard now to be a part of the dissident wing of the party.
They had one chance to seize power, and they blew it by not realizing until too late that it was theirs to seize, and nominating someone who didn’t realize that he might win or have any idea what he would do if he did.
Now they are desperately casting about for a savior, but the king is awake, and their moment has vanished.
February 28th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Look, the ADP had absolutely nothing to do with the Corp. Comm pickups. We need to dismiss that fiction right now. However, while the party blew the Legislative program in 2008 (and frankly there is no need for a blue ribbon panel – we can just compare the 2006 program to the 2008 for where we went wrong), there is a larger issue at stake; we no longer have the Governorship.
Don Bivens did not raise money. Janet Napolitano and the expectation of Legislative pickups raised money. The ADP needs to relearn how to run as a lean operation with a reliance by staff on County and LD officers and activists. Moreover the notion of a 15 county, 30 LD campaign sounds nice, but is ridiculous on its face. The problem wasn’t that the party engaged too few races, but too many. Spending money in LD 30 was a fools errand from the beginning, and failing to poll before spending the money only makes it worse. We need to learn from the mistakes of 2008, but we have to learn the right lessons.
March 1st, 2009 at 6:31 am
The story I’ve heard from others is that Bob Lord’s appointment as a PC and state committeeman – a prerequisite to run for the chair position – has been conveniently “held up” by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors so he is not eligible. Someone familiar with the details can confirm or deny this story making the rounds.
March 1st, 2009 at 7:06 am
Desert Dem,
I agree on the Corp. Commision point. Yes he was at the helm, but I don’t know many that think he had much to do with that victory at all. I remember that idea being tossed around soon after the election, and people were a little miffed by it.
Mariana,
I don’t know his reasons for not announcing yet. As I said, he is not a mainstream type that we have often heard of before (although the folks in Yavapai might know his name- I don’t know, I don’t live there). I hope he isn’t going to try suprising people like Paul did…I don’t think people are in the mood for that this time. If indeed the dissidents are casting about for a savior, this is not their choice. I don’t think.
March 1st, 2009 at 10:02 am
I was intimately involved with those running the Corporation Commission Solar Team slate. Kennedy and Newman won DESPITE the party. You’d think party folks would want to listen to the very few who were successful despite long odds, but because the party outright DISSED them repeatedly, that’s not likely to happen anytime soon!
March 1st, 2009 at 10:56 am
Spending money in LD30 was NOT a mistake, but how it was spent….just don’t get me started.
March 1st, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Roger W.,
Bob Lord became an appointed PC in January and was recommended to the State Committee in February. Because there is a delay in when the Supervisors accept the list of PC recommendations from the Maricopa County Chair (me) and when they actually vote — sometimes two weeks or more, the timeline was a little tight. Further complicating the issue was the absence of our office manager due to unexpected surgery. Luckily, she turned in the paperwork for Bob’s PC appointment before she left.
All of that aside, I believe that our Democratic party is fortunate to have such talented people involved. Bob Lord would make an excellent Chair, but I’d rather have him run for Congress!
I am endorsing Don Bivens as ADP Chair and will work hard to support him and every one else who is interested in our goals of registering new voters, getting Democrats on the PEVL and electing Democrats to office in 2010! Thanks.
March 1st, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Here’s to hoping Pima County doesn’t get the shaft.
March 1st, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Paul,
Pima County already got the shaft, courtesy of Eckerstrom.
When he was elected Chair, Donna Branch-Gilby had to withdraw her candidacy for the office of First Vice Chair because state party rules stipulate that the Chair and First Vice Chair can’t be from the same county.
Another reason why he should have withdrawn his candidacy if he wasn’t serious about winning. The dominos he set in motion will ripple though the party for a long time, and in ways people don’t think about much.
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:55 am
How do you adjust the font size?
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Roger W.,
Bob Lord is a PC and has been approved by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Since this was a question, I put in a public records request and the clerk of the board responded. All of the PCs appointed on January 13 in LD11 were approved.
I do NOT think that this is the reason Bob Lord decided not to run. However, I do believe there has been no support coming from most of the power structure in Maricopa County for an actual chair’s race with more than one credible candidate. Honestly, if a candidate were to come forward, and I wonder why he or she would run given all the pressure being applied, that person would get pressure NOT to run.
Since most of the ADP power structure (donors, elected officials, officers of the ADP) do not want a democratic process in the ADP Chair’s race, they might as well make the position appointed and just be honest about it.