Candidate for
Member, Democratic Party County Central Committee; County of Sonoma; Supervisorial District 5

Hello Obama supporters,

This is Deborah Dobish in Sebastopol. You may remember me as the precinct coordinator for the campaign in our county, or as one of the people working early on to organize the West County. Recently, I was helping four precinct captains, who ran to be Obama delegates, and who all made respectable showings at the caucus. I was glad to support them, because I believe in honoring the grassroots workers in the spirit of the Obama campaign.

Now that the caucus is over, I am working on my candidacy for the Democratic Central Committee here in Sonoma County from the 5th district. (West County and West/southwest Santa Rosa.)

I am doing it because the committee needs more members that are oriented towards getting the local party back in connection with people in the neighborhoods. There are lots and lots of good policy people on the committee, but not many organizers. Also, currently there are very few people on the committee who were early supporters of Senator Obama. The perspective of an Obama supporter would be valuable.

I see the Obama campaign through the lens of the Harold Washington campaign for Mayor of the City of Chicago in 1983. We are going through all the same stages. The upcoming stages will really test us. There is a shock on the part of the powers that be in the Democratic Party that Obama and his supporters are on the verge of winning. This is very threatening and they will do everything they can to hold onto power.

We saw this in 1983. When Washington won the nomination, many Democrats switched and backed the Republican, who became their puppet. Ugly racist attacks were an everyday affair. The rumor was that the weekend before the election the police would round up Washington campaign workers, and it turned out to happen--I was one of them! Washington still won. When he became Mayor, the entrenched forces, who had a great deal to lose, did everything in their power to prevent the Mayor from governing. The only reason the Mayor eventually prevailed is that his grassroots base worked every single day to back him up and protect the gains made.

The lesson for us is clear. We have to remain organized and mobilized. We will be severely tested during the general election campaign. And we will be even more tested after Obama's inauguration. The entrenched, money interests will do all they can to stymie and obstruct and discredit the Obama presidency.

It is for this reason that I am running for the local central committee. We need to strengthen our grassroots networks and build more coalitions in preparation for the general election and the struggle to govern.

The election is June 3 and the position is at the very bottom of the ballot. I would very much appreciate your support.

I have a coalition with some running mates, Lynn Hamilton, Alice Chan, Don Frank and Liz Basile. If you live in the 5th, please, vote for me and my crew!