On John Hanna, Resolutions, & Better Strategy

http://www.calitics.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2580

OK, so many of you have probably seen this by now. And yes, you're probably either very angry that CDP Resolutions Committee Co-chair John Hanna would come on to "talk down at us"... Or you are taking some of his advice, and you're glad that Hanna actually took time out of his busy life to respond to our many critiques.

Now I know that all of this is frustrating. I know that it sucks when we can't get the party to agree to such no-brainers like net neutrality and deauthorizing the Iraq War. However, there are some important lessons to be learned from our failures.

John Hanna, along with other knowledgable folks in previous comments, hinted at some good secrets to success for next time around, and I'd like to talk more about these after the flip...

So what can we do better next time? Well, as Woody Allen would say, "80 percent of success is just showing up." Whenever you're writing a resolution, it might make good sense to actually show up to the committee meeting so you can make a case for your resolution. Just showing up for the meeting might be a good start in ensuring that your resolution gets a fair hearing.

However if you're REALLY looking for success, it might also help to do some homework before the meeting. Call the other delegates in your area, and ask them if they plan to support your resolution should it come to a floor vote. Contact the Resolutions Committee members in your area, and ask for their input and advice. And oh yes, FOLLOW THE RULES and make sure that your resolution actually qualifies as one.