As I have mentioned previously in this space, I am the co-chair of the Ward 15 Democratic Party Committee. We fashion ourselves “progressive, diverse, active, and passionate about politics.” It is from this “insider” perspective that I am looking at the party with a critical eye. And my conclusion is that it is virtually an empty shell and that many sincere Democrats are political ostriches with their heads buried in the sand.

Two recent articles have highlighted an ongoing alarm of mine about the state of the Democratic Party, especially in Massachusetts. Reporter Matt Stout recently (10/11) wrote a piece in the Boston Globe in which, among other things, he divulged that the percentage of voters in Massachusetts who are registered as Democrats fell from 49 percent in 1990 to 29 percent today. Independents are the actual majority with 61 percent of registered voters, with Republicans at 9 percent. Further, Stout points out, roughly 554,000 people have registered to vote since 2020, all as independents. Yet, the Bay State is often considered the bluest of blue states, meaning the most Democratic state in the US.

This divergence between appearances and percentages arises from the super-majority of elected officials with a (D) attached to their name: all state-wide officers, super majorities in the Legislature as well as among county sheriffs and district attorneys. The conclusion: Voters in Massachusetts lean left ideologically but not because of affinity to the Democratic Party organization. 

The other article’s author is New York Times columnist David Brooks, a smarmy, snobbish, Republican-leaning columnist often seen clutching the pearls at his throat, and someone who writings I consciously avoid as a rule. However, in his column “Can we talk about Joe Biden” (10/6), he provides a chillingly piercing analysis of the state of the Democratic Party. His conclusion is that the danger in 2024 is not centered on Joe Biden’s age or electability but on the party’s abandoning its historic role as the voice of the working and middle classes in favor of an urban-centered, highly educated, holier-than-thou leadership that is out of touch with the kitchen table issues of most Americans. Joe Biden is actually the exception.

So, what has been going on with the Democratic Party structure recently? At ground level in Boston, there are 22 wards, each, supposedly, with a Democratic Party Committee. In fact, with Ward 15, only a handful of those committees have any activities. Some never meet. A member of one of the ward committees recently told me that she had received no notice or information about the annual state party convention (to which every town or ward committee is expected to send delegates).

Up until the Menino administration, there existed a City Democratic Party Committee but that panel ceased to exist over 20 years ago. The state party chair retired this year after eight years in office and took credit for the super Democratic majorities across state government – the evidence for which is not visible to me – while the party’s structure continued to become hollowed out. The current state party chair was elected knowing that he would only be part time.

The party organization is actually shrinking. Candidates running as Democrats (or Republicans) do not depend on any party organization to get elected; they rely entirely on their own campaign organizations for financing, organization, and volunteers.
In my view, the Democratic Party in Massachusetts is an empty shell disguised by the success of candidates who share the Democrat label. This situation cries out for a solution in our state and across the country. Although the details may differ from one state to another, there are a number of ways to stiffen the Party in preparation for the battle for democracy in 2024.

Giving local Democrats something meaningful to do and an expectation of activism by leaders come to mind as a starting points. The Ward 15 Dems Committee, like a few other Boston committees, meets monthly, interviews candidates for city and legislative offices, provides a financial contribution, advertising, and volunteer support to endorsed candidates. Our members participate in and/or lead every community organization in our neighborhood, including labor unions.

As a result, from our ranks we have produced multiple candidates for city council and state representative as well as leaders in the state party committee. None of these activities are required of us by the state party organization. Our energy for the past 35+ years has been generated by our goal of using every avenue available to us to voice the multiple needs of our perpetually underserved and neglected community.

We have hosted state party leaders, at our initiative. What if the state party leadership initiated contact with local committees by showing up at meetings and providing expectations? What if the state party organized financial support to local committees for advertising, organizing, voter registration, GOTV campaigns, etc., instead of asking for financial contributions from the locals?

We are intentional, loyal, and vocal Democrats. But, looking at the official party that does not sit at our kitchen tables and is empty of structure, we are beginning to feel that we are part of a shell that is covering an empty space. This is not a good feeling as we face the horror of a Trump campaign in 2024.