A Kansas Connection

Written by: John Patterson on Oct 14, 2006 6:17 PM EDT

I'm reposting the letter I just sent out to the group I started here in Kansas, called "The Kansas Bluestem Rangers" because I think it might inspire others to do what we are talking about.

I'll keep this Kansas group hooked-up to WeDemocrats, one state and one national, because it is a very good way to network on both those levels, and to share ideas, both horizontally and vertically. If no one is as yet acting as a Kansas WeDemocrats coordinator, we'll find one in our group.

"Thanks for joining the Kansas Bluestem Rangers, and welcome to the group.

My name is John Patterson, and I live in Lindsborg. I'm the fella holding up that big ol' catfish in the photo.

With the election coming November 7, it is important to do whatever we can to get our fellow Democrats involved with more than just voting.

I don't need to tell you that the stakes are higher this time around than they have ever been. Some of these rumors of wars we are hearing make our work that much more important, the worst-case scenario in Iran may be imminent.

So I would hope to impart to you a sense of urgency.

Every one of us should reach out past our traditional circles of associates to seek potential voters who might participate more if we encourage them to join us somehow.

We need to put the "party" back into the Democratic Party.

So I'm going to organize a local Democratic Party party, as part of the process of encouraging others to become involved.

I'll keep all of you posted, if you want to join me, either by
planning your own Democratic Party party, or come to this one, OR BOTH, it would accomplish exactly what I wrote this letter for.

Also, consider in touch with your county chair to get more signs, there are more Democratic Party signs around this year than I've seen in a decade, and people I have talked to want even more of them, especially the Sebelius signs, they don't seem too concerned they cost a few bucks.

It will require me to get on thephone and call around to find out who needs which signs, but since the demand is so high, lets supply it!

That's where I'm starting, and I invite the rest of you to do the same. And since we are in this group together, please post your suggestions as to what sort of party we should have.

I was in Iowa around the time of the Iowa Gubernatorial primaries, and one of the candidates, Ed Fallon from Des Moines' East Side, had a great primary party venue. He had folk-singers and a neighborhood pot luck, and while Ed wasn't the winner in the primary, (it was close) his block party definitely won the prize for grassroots charm.

So that's where I'll be heading with this, maybe even make it a Hallowe'en party, I'll come as chewbacca.

Whatever form the party takes, I'll keep everyone posted, and let me know what you think.

Thanks again for signing up, and please, post your thoughts freely, we need to come up with new ideas to help get the Kansas Democratic Party base rolling.

If you would like to read one of the blogs I post to regularly, look in on Chris Cilliza's "The Fix" blog in the Washington, I have vowed to keep posting my "partisan rants" (as the Republican trolls there call them) until the election is over."

John Edward Patterson
"JEP"

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