Mediaboss Marketing

The numbers proved ugly for Northwest Missouri Democrats. In the 16 counties in this corner of the state, the average victory margin for President Donald Trump in November stood at 74 percent, with the average majority for Gov. Eric Greitens at 64 percent.

Area Democrats cant build a time machine to revisit those outcomes, but they hope a new effort will mobilize the party for future elections.

Northwest Democrat Days will be held in St. Joseph Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3.

The event grew from postmortems of past election cycles by local Democratic groups and a belief that the party has not been effective in spreading its message.

I think a lot of things that the Democrat Party stands for are good for rural, Northwest Missouri and North Missouri in general, David Peppard, a St. Joseph attorney helping organize the event, said.

Why would we sit around and not go out and let people know what we stand for and what we can do to make government more responsive for people in this area? Wed be crazy not to try to push that along.

The event also hopes to revive the tradition of the Pony Express Democrat Days, an annual gathering begun by Dwane and Dorothy Wylie in 1977. It was held for 20 years.

Unlike the regular Labor Day barbecues held by area Democrats in St. Joseph, with speeches by office seekers and a rallying of forces before fall elections, this event will have afternoon workshops about campaigning for office and grassroots organizing.

Sessions will be led by state lawmakers, by representatives of the state party, by activist group organizers and by past candidates for office.

The June 2 banquet, which will be held at the Green Acres Building, 3500 N. Village Drive, will have as its featured speakers Stephen Webber, chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party, and Cydney Mayfield, chair of the Missouri Democratic Rural Caucus.

The following night, a Saturday, the event shifts to Callison Hall, 1220 S. 10th St., where Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway and state Sen. Scott Sifton of St. Louis County will speak.

Peppard said that the timing seems right for hosting Democrat Days, in the aftermath of national events like the Womens March and the March for Science and local endeavors like Our Revolution and the Persisterhood.

I think there is a high level of enthusiasm and were lucky to have our event kind of following that wave, he said.

Organizers hope to attract Democrats from throughout the northwestern part of the state. Those groups taking part in establishing the event are the United Democratic Club of Northwest Missouri, the Buchanan County Womens Democratic Club and the Northwest Missouri Central Labor Council.

Go here to read the rest:
Democratic event hopes to revitalize party in region - News-Press Now