Open the Doors and Turn on the Lights Dale Emmons, February 23, 2005 Recently there have been news accounts and a cicadas like political buzz within the ranks of the Kentucky Democratic Party. Casual observers may mistake this as Democrat political infighting. Senator Wendell Ford has said often that "Democrats were like cats fighting in the barn at night. From the fierce sounds coming from the dark, you would think the cats were killing each other. Weeks later you would learn the reality that it wasn't a fight after all; they were just making more cats!" Stay tuned, I predict this will soon be the case. Those who know me won't be surprised to learn that I am in this mix making some of the noise. Like most Democrats, I am not likely to march lock step with my Party's leadership. When I disagree, I say so! No one is right all the time. We are a Party of diverging opinions, regional bias, parochial interests, ambitious candidates and even a few warts. Thus no one should expect us to behave as Republicans often do, waiting to be told how to vote and to act! Before we plow this furrow, it is appropriate that I first acknowledge that I earnestly respect and have gratitude for the efforts of current Chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party Bill Garmer. At the end of the day we will agree on much more than we will disagree. This being said, we must abandon this discussion of hunkering down until after November. The time is now for us to devote our full-time energy, talent and resources to winning. If we do, our future is bright. This includes an excellent chance to take back the State Senate and maintain our strong position in the Kentucky House. Congressman Ben Chandler, Nick Clooney, Tony Miller and Dr. Daniel Mongiardo will shock our friends across the aisle by winning. As for me I am ready to join the charge of the beaches with the entire army of Democrats. A few days ago upon learning that a poll was being conducted among delegates to the upcoming Kentucky Democrat Party Convention, our State Chairman got over heated and blew a gasket. As it turns out, the Chairman thought someone was miss using the KDP name! As such it was his job to make some response. Now we are learning that either an interviewer misspoke, an interviewed delegate misunderstood the pollster or perhaps both. As for the polling calls, I relayed to the Chairman that I too had received one of the calls in question. While I cannot speak for everyone else who may have received one of these calls, my experience does not reflect the claims made in Chairman Garmer in his hastily, heated and accusatory email sent to our delegates. The polling interviewer which called me did not say the Kentucky Democratic Party was doing the survey. My interviewer declined to tell me who was responsible for the calls except that it was being done by a research firm. I do know that none of the questions I heard were negative about the Democrat Party. Based on my personal experience, some of the chairman's email rhetoric is untrue and appear to have unnecessarily inflamed a few people. I felt that a measured response would have served the Chairman's purposes better. Yes there is interest in who is made these calls and why. This is America, not a totalitarian nation. We are free to engage in political activity and size up those in leadership for a challenge. That activity could include survey research and other tools as well. As a professional consultant I also understand that no reputable polling firm will divulge their client to those being surveyed. To do so would likely bias the answers given. What is of serious concern to many Democrats is the Chairman's plan for the first time ever to NOT hold an open election of all of our officers at the upcoming convention. Especially the Chairmanship! It was 1976 when I attended my first State Party convention. This will be my seventh consecutive KDP State Convention. We have always had elections for our officers. This ratification plan which has been schemed up is ill conceived and wrong! There have been several times when only one candidate was nominated but at least the opposition or dissents were allowed to voice a view. The Chairman's ratification plan it is a bad idea. It reflects a lack of understanding of the wisdom and the purpose of "Party Reorganization" which by design takes place every four years. True or not, it makes those in leadership looks as if you do not want to be held accountable to our rank and file. It is my view the strength of the Democrat party feeds up from the roots – not from Frankfort down. Ratification says we hold the keys until you take them away from us. I am among those that have encouraged Chairman Garmer to reconsider his failed plan. To date he has not responded! Dale Emmons lives in Madison County. He is a long-time Democrat activist. He has served as State ('75) and national ('79-81) President of the Young Democrats. Been elect as a local Party officer, to the state committee and the Democratic National Committee. He has twice served as a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention (1980 & 2000). He is the principal of Emmons & Company, Inc., a Democratic political consulting firm based in Richmond, KY He serves on the board of Directors of the American Association of Political Consultants. He may be reached at dale@politicskentucky.com