Mediaboss Marketing

Brad Petrishen Telegram & Gazette Staff @BPetrishenTG

WORCESTER On the eve of their annual convention, Democrats Friday will have an array of places in the city to grab cocktails and mingle.

Women politicians and supporters will gather on Millbury Street; young Democrats at Kelley Square. AtMezcal Cantina, party powerhouses such as U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern will meet with the mayor and several gubernatorial hopefuls.

And across the street, at the Hilton Garden Inn, there will be a group that has never been to the convention before but hopes to make its presence felt. At a low-budget party, in between sets of nu-jazz and techno, Our Revolution Massachusetts volunteers will make their case for a more progressive party.

Born from the Bernie Sanders movement, conceived in Worcester and armed with a spate of amendments and charter changes, the group boasts 700 delegates and hopes to reform the party from within. It figures to be a bit of a wild card Saturday afternoon, and a tangible reminder of the challenge that state Democrats face: a progressive wing that was restless even before Republican Donald Trumps election and whose policy leanings may or may not align with many independent voters who, polls show, largely support their Republican governor.

The group, which includes Sanders supporter and uber-progressive State Sen. James B. Eldridge, D-Acton, will look to push an already progressive platform to the left. Beyond that, it has proposed charter changes it says will make the Democratic party more democratic.

The Sanders-backed group will ask that Massachusetts super-delegates be abolished. It will also call for 80 additional elected state committee members arguing that just 40 percent are currently elected and request that the party align its funding with candidates who support what they believe will be the partys most progressive platform ever.

Produce a press release in advance, for immediate release at the close of the convention that gives (ourselves) credit for 'the most progressive state platform ever,'" the organization wrote in planning notes posted to its website. At the convention, it plans to ensure it "is seen as the group that is pushing for party reform/democratization of the DSC" as well as the group "fighting corporate control of our government."

Democrat Chairman Gus Bickford noted the group is one of several advocacy groups that have made their voices heard since the election.

This group is branded, and they should be proud of that, he said, but there are many other grass-roots groups whose voices are "just as strong."

Mr. Bickford said the storyline for this years convention is not any one group. Its that there are more than 5,000 delegates and alternates the most ever in a nonelection year, and roughly double the normal figure 1,000 of which are newcomers.

The goal on Saturday is to create a party platform for the next four years, and, Mr. Bickford said, and the wealth of enthusiasm is welcomed.

Mr. Bickford declined to get into Our Revolutions specific amendments, but acknowledged there will be a fair amount of differences aired.

Im proud of that, he said.When you look at them, theyre not big differences. But we want to debate them and debate them in public.

Mr. Eldridge is a member of Our Revolution but said he did not assist in shaping their amendments. He caused a bit of a firestorm last summer when The Boston Globe reported that he sent an email to Sanders supporters urging the unseating of conservative Democrats.

I personally think the time is ripe for Sanders supporters/progressives to take over the Massachusetts Democratic Party, and have a serious influence on its platform, candidates and policies, the Globe quoted him as writing.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Our Revolution Massachusetts wrote it is "(Three) days until #OurRevMA takes over Massachusetts Democratic Party convention! Andrea Burns, a spokeswoman for the group - which held its first meeting in January in Worcester - said the post was innocuous.

Were there to make friends, she said. But the truth is that money in politics does have a corrupting influence.

Ms. Burns said the leadership of her group is looking to work within the party, noting Mr. Trumphas been a uniting force for Democrats of all stripes.

State Sen. Michael O. Moore, D-Millbury, a self-described fiscal moderate, stressed that Democrats need unity. He said while he doesnt agree with everything in the proposed party platform including free public college tuition his differences are largely practical, not ideological.

(I hope) we can focus on what we all have in common, he said. I dont want to see us attacking each other when we all have some core beliefs that I do think resonate with the general public.

Mr. McGovern, D-Worcester, who plans to speak Saturday about the importance of the party better explaining its progressive values, said he sees enhanced interest among Democrats as exciting.

Politics is about addition, he said. We constantly have to be growing.

The longtime Congressman has long believed the party should embrace its progressive roots more openly.

We ought to stand for things," he said, as opposed to just denouncing Mr. Trump.

Mr. Eldridge said he sees the platform due to be proposed Saturday as the most progressive in the states history.

The draft, which delegates will vote on Saturday, supports a $15 minimum wage, a $4 boost, along with free public college education. It also supports Massachusetts becoming a sanctuary state, providing a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants and drivers licenses issued regardless of immigration status.

Id be the first to say theres a divide amongst some Democrats in the Legislature, and in general, but I would say the platform process, in general, brought people together, Mr. Eldridge said. By the same token, I would say there are a lot of Democrats that are frustrated the Legislature isnt passing more progressive legislation, so it will be interesting to see how things go (Saturday).

Mr. Bickford expressed confidence that the wave of anti-Trump sentiment driving Democrats will lead to gains in the state chambers.

Are we going to have some primaries? Yeah, we are, he said. But are we going to have more Democrats in the House and Senate? I believe so.

Mr. Bickford also took aim at the corner office, accusing Gov. Charlie Baker and other GOP politicians of hiding from the public.

They are out there hiding because they cannot defend this president, he said. We have someone (Mr. Baker) who doesnt have a backbone, he has no vision, he has no direction.

In an email, a state GOP spokesman responded, "It's not surprising that the party whose leaders voted to give themselves a massive pay raise at taxpayers' expense is grasping at straws given that Governor Baker has become the most popular governor in the country.

As the party of higher taxes and pay raises for politicians gathers in Worcester this weekend, maybe they can focus on rescuing Senator Warren's tanking poll numbers."

Excerpt from:
Democrats expect large turnout for Worcester convention - Worcester Telegram