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SOME INFO ON THE
HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND WISCONSIN POLITICS
The Democratic
Donkey
When Andrew Jackson ran for president in 1828, his opponents tried to
label him a "jackass" for his populist views and his slogan, "Let the
people rule." Jackson, however, picked up on their name calling and
turned it to his own advantage by using the donkey on his campaign
posters. During his presidency, the donkey was used to represent
Jackson's stubbornness when he vetoed re-chartering the National Bank.
The first time the donkey was used in apolitical cartoon to represent
the Democratic party, it was again in conjunction with Jackson. Although
in 1837 Jackson was retired, he still thought of himself as the Party's
leader and was shown trying to get the donkey to go where he wanted it
to go. The cartoon was titled "A Modern Baalim and his Ass."
Interestingly enough, the person credited with getting the donkey widely
accepted as the Democratic party's symbol probably had no knowledge of
the prior associations. Thomas Nast, a famous political cartoonist, came
to the United States with his parents in 1840 when he was six. He first
used the donkey in an 1870 Harper's Weekly cartoon to represent the "CopperheadPress"
kicking a dead lion, symbolizing Lincoln's Secretary of War Edwin M.
Stanton, who had recently died. Nast intended the donkey to represent an
anti-war faction with whom he disagreed, but the symbol caught the
public's fancy and the cartoonist continued using it to indicate some
Democratic editors and newspapers.
Later, Nast used the donkey to portray what he called "Caesarism"
showing the alleged Democratic uneasiness over a possible third term for
Ulysses S. Grant. In conjunction with this issue, Nast helped associate
the elephant with the Republican party. Although the elephant had been
connected with the Republican party in cartoons that appeared in 1860
and 1872, it was Nast's cartoon in 1874 published by Harper's Weekly
that made the pachyderm stick as the Republican's symbol. A cartoon
titled "The Third Term Panic," showed animals representing various
issues running away from a donkey wearing a lion's skintagged "Caesarism."
The elephant labeled "The Republican Vote," was about to run into a pit
containing inflation, chaos, repudiation, etc.
By 1880 the donkey was well established as a mascot for the Democratic
party. A cartoon about the Garfield-Hancock campaign in the New York
Daily Graphic showed the Democratic candidate mounted on a donkey,
leading a procession of crusaders.
Over the years, the donkey and the elephant have become the accepted
symbols of the Democratic and Republican parties. Although the Democrats
have never officially adopted the donkey as a party symbol, we have used
various donkey designs on publications over the years. The Republicans
have actually adopted the elephant as their official symbol and use
their design widely.
The Democrats think of the elephant as bungling, stupid, pompous and
conservative -- but the Republicans think it is dignified, strong and
intelligent. On the other hand, the Republicans regard the donkey as
stubborn, silly and ridiculous -- but the Democrats claim it is humble,
homely, smart, courageous and loveable.
Adlai Stevenson provided one of the most clever descriptions of the
Republican's symbol when he said, "The elephant has a thick skin, a head
full of ivory, and as everyone who has seen a circus parade knows,
proceeds best by grasping the tail of its predecessor."
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Landmark Dates in Democratic
National PartyHistory
1792
Organized by Thomas Jefferson as a Congressional Caucus to fight for
the Bill of Rights and against the elite Populist Party
1798
Became the "party of the common man" and was officially called the
Democratic-Republicans
1800
Jefferson elected as the first Democratic President * Negotiatedthe
Louisiana Purchase
1808
James Madison elected President
1814
Won the War of 1812 * Strengthened the armed forces
1816
James Monroe elected President * Established the Monroe Doctrine
1824
John Quincy Adams elected President
Party splits as four Democratic candidates ran
1828
Andrew Jackson elected President
Created the national convention process, the party platform, and
reunified the Party on the issue of states' rights
1837
Martin Van Buren elected President
1840
Officially named the Democratic Party
1844
James Polk elected President
Annexed the Oregon Territory
Defeated Mexico
Gained the Republic of Texas and the southwestern territories
1852
Franklin Pierce elected President
1856
James Buchanan elected President
1860
Democratic Party formally split over slavery
Northern wing supported Stephen A. Douglas
Southern wing supported John F. Breckenridge
1870s
Democratic Party reached its weakest point under Grant's
Administration
Democratic southern base was disenfranchised by the Civil War and
Reconstruction
1876
Samuel Tilden ran unsuccessfully for President, a predecessor of the
Progressive reformers of the 1900s
1884
Grover Cleveland elected President; also elected in 1892
Reformed the Civil Service system for government employees, reducing the
number
of jobs awarded on the basis of patronage
1896
William Jennings Bryan ran unsuccessfully for President; also ran in
1900 and 1908
Led a movement of agrarian reformers
Supported the right of women's suffrage
Supported the progressive graduated income tax
Supported the direct election of Senators
1900s
Party became predominant in local urban machine politics
1912
Woodrow Wilson elected President
Led the country through World War I
Fought for the League of Nations
Established the Federal Reserve Board
Passed the first labor and child welfare laws
1920s
Democrats were divided over the issue of Prohibition
Alfred Smith ran for the Presidency - first Catholic candidate
Democrats helped to establish the first primary system
1932
Franklin Delano Roosevelt elected
President brought the nation out of the Great Depression
Guided us through most of World War II
Established the Social Security System
Established the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Reformed the national banking system
Established the Tennessee Valley Authority
Established the Works Progress Administration
Formed the National Industrial Recovery Act
Established the Agriculture Adjustment Admin.
1945
Harry S Truman became President
Established the Marshall Plan, which rebuilt Europe after WorldWar II
Established the Truman Doctrine, calling for U.S. interventionwhere
necessary to protect nations from communism
Established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
1952
Adlai Stevenson ran unsuccessfully for President; also in 1956
1953-60
Democratic-controlled Congress passed the first civil rights
legislationin 85 years
1960
John F. Kennedy elected President
Negotiated a treaty banning atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons
Created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Created the Peace Corps
1963
Lyndon B. Johnson became President
Passage of the Civil Rights Act
Creation of Medicare
Formation of the Great Society programs and the War on Poverty
1976
Jimmy Carter elected President
Negotiated Panama Canal treaties
Negotiated Camp David peace treaties between Egypt and Israel
1982
Congressional Democrats helped establish a national plan for
disposal of nuclear waste
1983
Congress, after Reagan's opposition, approved a bill establishing a
national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
1984
Democratic Congress prevented a constitutional amendment banning
abortion and stopped a bill to lower the minimum wage for teenagers
Democratic Presidential candidate Walter Mondale nominated Geraldine
Ferraro as his running mate, the first woman vice-presidential candidate
1985
Democratic pressure in the House led to sanctions against South
Africa
1986
November elections converted a 53-47 Republican majority in the
Senate into a 55-45 Democratic advantage
1987
The 100th Congress, led by Democrats, overrode Reagan's 1986 veto of
the Clean Water bill
1990
Americans with Disabilities Act passed
Head Start expanded
Clean Air bill rewritten
1992
Bill Clinton elected President
1993
Passage of major legislative initiatives begins, led by President
Clinton and the Democratic Congress:
Economic Package: contained the largest deficit-cutting plan in history
Student Loan Reform Act: increased access to higher education for
millions
National Service Act: helps students get tuition assistance through
serving communities
The Brady Bill: the five day waiting period keeps convicted felons from
buying guns
National Voter Registration Act (Motor Voter): opens up access to voter
registration
Family & Medical Leave Act: offers job protection & unpaid leave during
a family need
NAFTA: creating hundreds of thousands of jobs by opening our trading
borders with Mexico and Canada
1994
Passage of major legislative initiatives continues:
The Crime Bill: the toughest and most comprehensive crime billever; puts
100,000 more cops on our streets and combats domestic violence through
the Violence Against Women Act.
School-to-Work Opportunities Act: Prepares young people for their first
jobs and continuing education
GATT: the largest trade agreement in history
1995
President Clinton signed the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995
1996
President Clinton signed into law the Telecommunications Bill,the
first reform of the communications industry since 1934
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Wisconsin's Political History
In How Wisconsin Voted, James R. Donoghue divided Wisconsin's political
history into 4 eras. From statehood in 1848 until 1855, the Democratic
Party was the dominant political party, and the Whig Party provided
major opposition. This was a continuation of the party alignment that
had prevailed during the state's territorial period.
The second era in Wisconsin's party history was one of Republican
domination from 1856 to 1900. The birth of the national Republican Party
is attributed to a meeting in Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1854. Its founding
was based on the conditions and events that eventually led to the Civil
War, and in Wisconsin these same circumstances contributed to the rapid
growth of the Republican Party and the demise of the Whigs.
When the second era ended at the turn of the century with the election
of Governor Robert M. LaFollette, Wisconsin politics entered a period of
complexity and confusion. The third era, from 1900 to 1945, was a time
of great stress and change, encompassing the Great Depression and World
Wars I and II. Until the Progressive Party officially organized in 1934
with a separate ballot position, the major political battles usually
occurred not between 2 parties, but between 2 factions of the Republican
Party the conservative "stalwart" Republicans and the "progressive" (La
Follette) Republicans. The Democratic Party was in eclipse, and election
contests tended to be decided in Republican primary elections.
After some early success within the Republican Party, the progressive
faction formally split from the Republicans to form its own party in
1934. The new Progressive Party won gubernatorial elections in 1936 and
1942. Declining popularity, however, led to its dissolution in 1946, and
Progressive Party leadership urged its members and supporting voters to
return to the Republican Party. The period 1900 to 1945 was also the
time of greatest strength for the Socialists. This era saw the high
point of third partyinfluence in Wisconsin.
The fourth era, from 1945 to the present, has been marked by a
realignment and polarization of the major parties. A resurgence of the
Democratic Party ended the long Republican domination, returning the
state to a more balanced, 2-party, competitive system. In the late
1940s, some former Progressives, Socialists and others began moving into
what has been described as a moribund Democratic Party. This influx both
revitalized the party and made it more liberal. In the following decade,
the Democrats worked at uniting the party and building their strength at
the polls. Meanwhile, the conservative faction's control of the
Republican Party was solidified by the departure of the more
liberal-minded Progressives and the addition of conservative Democrats
fleeing their former party as it became more liberal.
In the years following World War II, the resurgent Democratic Party
began seriously challenging the majority Republicans. Steady Democratic
growth culminated in the 1957 election of U.S. Senator William Proxmire,
the first "new" Democrat to win a major statewide election. This turning
point marked the emergence on Wisconsin's political scene of a
Democratic Party fully capable of competing successfully with the long
dominant Republicans for public office. During this period, third party
and independent candidates usually failed to garner any significant
support on a statewide level.
The hallmark of contemporary Wisconsin politics is a highly competitive,
2-party, issue-oriented system. Of the state's major elected partisan
offices in January 1997, the Republicans held the positions of governor,
lieutenant governor, state treasurer and 4 of the 9 congressional seats.
Democrats filled the positions of secretary of state and attorney
general, as well as holding both U.S. senate seats and 5 congressional
seats. Republicans gained a majority in both houses in the 1995
Legislature. They had not held joint control of the 2 houses since 1969.
In 1996, the Democrats regained control of the senate as a result of the
state's first successful recall of a legislator.
In 2002, Wisconsin elected Jim Doyle, Democrat as it's Governor, Barbara
Lawton, Democrat as it's Lt. Governor and Peggy Lautenschlager, Democrat
as it's Attorney General.
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POLITICAL PARTY ORGANIZATION IN
WISCONSIN
What Is a Political Party?
In Wisconsin, the process of debate and compromise begins in local party
units within each county. Local delegates then represent the views of
the local units at congressional district, state, and national meetings.
The Wisconsin Statutes define a political party in Section 5.02 (13) as
a state committee that is legally registered with the state Elections
Board and "all county, congressional, legislative, local and other
affiliated committees authorized to operate under the same name". It
must be a body "organized exclusively for political purposes under whose
name candidates appear on a ballot at any election".
A "recognized political party", according to the statutory definition,
is a political party that qualifies for a separate ballot or column
based on receiving a required number of votes at the last election or
upon acquiring the required number of signatures on a petition. At the
beginning of 1997, there were 7 recognized political parties: Democrat,
Wisconsin Greens, Libertarian, New Progressive, Reform, Republican and
U.S. Taxpayers. This was the highest number at any one time in recent
state history.
The delegates from the political party's local units meet at an annual
state convention. Matters addressed at state party conventions may
include drafting or amending a state platform (a statement of principles
and objectives), selecting national committee members, electing
officers, considering resolutions and conducting other party business.
Every 4 years, party delegates from throughout the United States meet in
a national convention to nominate their candidates for president and
vice president and to adopt a national platform for the next 4 years. In
Wisconsin, the slates of national convention delegates are based on the
April presidential preference primary vote.
Depending on the time, place and circumstances, political party labels
in the United States may have widely different meanings, and within a
single party there may be room for members whose ideologies span a wide
political spectrum. Individual Republicans and Democrats, for instance,
are often further identified as "liberal", "conservative", "right-wing",
"left-wing" or "moderate".
Despite the diversity within a party, specific philosophical attitudes
are generally associated with the various political parties. In the
public's perception, the name of a particular party conjures up a
surprisingly distinct set of economic, social and political principles.
Political parties in the United States have traditionally provided an
organized framework for the orderly performance of several basic
political tasks necessary to representative democracy. The party acts
to:
1) Provide a stable institution for building coalitions based on shared
principles and priorities for action (as expressed in the party
platform).
2) Recruit and nominate candidates for elective and appointive offices
in government.
3) Promote the election of the party's slate of candidates.
4) Guard the integrity of election procedures and vote canvassing by
participating in the selection of election officials and observers.
5) Educate the voters about government by defining issues, taking policy
positions and formulating programs to implement policy.
Joining A Political Party
The individual citizen can participate in the political process by
voting, expressing an opinion on a public issue, joining a special
interest group, contacting a legislator, signing a petition or
nomination paper, or making a financial contribution to a candidate or
pressure group. However, becoming an active member of a political party
is a more direct way to help select government leaders and determine the
future policies of government.
Political parties need strong citizen support to be effective. When
deciding whether to join one party or another, the individual should
determine which one most closely reflects the broad set of principles
that should guide the nation or state. By actively participating in the
party's organizational activities and its selection of candidates, the
citizen can help the party obtain the majority vote needed to carry out
its policies.
Statutory and Voluntary Organizations
Wisconsin law provides that each major political party must have
certain local offices and committees. In effect, these "statutory"
organizations have been merged with the voluntary party organizations,
which are governed by their own constitutions and bylaws. The actual
power is found in the voluntary structures.
Because the voluntary parties are not governed by statute, their
organizational structures vary. In the case of the majority parties,
voluntary organizations are composed of dues-paying members of the
Wisconsin chapters of the national political parties. Third parties vary
in the amount of regional autonomy and/or national control allowed.
Despite organizational differences, voluntary parties tend their party's
interests, collect money to finance campaigns, maintain cooperation
between the various county and congressional district organizations and
act as liaison with national parties.
Statutory Party Structure
Party Committee-men and Committee-women. State law provides for a
pyramid of party committees, culminating with the state committee. The
basic elected political party functionary is the committeeman or
committeewoman. This officer, who is elected to a 2-year term at the
September primary in even-numbered years, is the party's statutory
representative in each election district. Candidates for this party
office must be at least 18 years of age and meet certain residency
requirement. Their names are placed on the ballot through the submission
of nominating petitions signed by 20 to 40 electors in their district.
No write-ins are permitted. If no candidate files nomination papers, the
office does not appear on the ballot, and the vacancy is filled by the
party's county committee.
From the standpoint of party coherence, political parties find it
desirable that the elected committeemen and committeewomen be active in
the party's voluntary organization. The parties attempt to slate their
voluntary workers for the election district positions. This connection
is not required by law, however, and occasionally the persons elected
are not members of the voluntary organizations.
One duty an election district committeeman or committeewoman performs is
submitting a list of party nominees for election officials (poll
workers) to the appropriate municipal officer. Municipal governing
bodies are required to appoint anyone designated by a committeeman or
committeewoman as a "first choice nominee" unless the state Elections
Board permits non-appointment upon a showing of valid cause.
Committee-men and committee-women who are members in good standing of
their county parties are, by virtue of their office, granted party
credentials for participation in any caucus or convention called by
their congressional or state committees. They act as liaison between
their party and residents of the district they serve. Other duties
include gathering and disseminating information, voter identification
and registration, promoting party membership and appointing ward
captains. Election district committeemen and committeewomen also serve
on higher committees in the party's organizational structure.
County Committees. In general, the election district committeemen
and committeewomen in the county form the county committees required by
statute. A combined meeting of the county committee and all party
members in the county is held no sooner than 15 days after the September
primary and no later than April 1 of the following year. This group
elects the county chairman, vice chairman, secretary, treasurer, and
such additional officers and subcommittees as deemed necessary. In
addition, the county committees elect members (and alternates) for the
congressional district committees, and their terms begin immediately.
Those elected must be party members, but it is not necessary that they
be party committeemen or committeewomen.
Congressional District Committees. Congressional district
committees consist of members elected by the county committees and
include 2 persons from each assembly district located wholly within the
county and one from each assembly district partially within the county.
Additional persons may be elected so that a county has a minimum of 2
committee members for each congressional district in which it is
located. The chairman of the congressional district commit-tee must call
a caucus of party members in the district at least once a year by giving
30 days' written notice to the chairmen of the county committees in the
district. The caucus elects a committee chairman, vice chairman,
secretary, treasurer, and at least 2 persons to represent the district
as members of the state committee. Individuals elected to these offices
are not required to be members of the congressional district committee.
State Committee. The state committee is made up of persons
elected by the congressional district committees (at least 2 from each
district) and may also include other members as prescribed in the state
committee constitution.
Presidential Electors. On the first Tuesday in October in each
presidential election year, the 5 partisan constitutional state
officers, all hold-over senators, and the senate and assembly candidates
nominated by each political party at the September primary election meet
with their respective party members at the State Capitol to select a
slate of 11 presidential electors, who will cast Wisconsin's official
ballots for the offices of U.S. President and Vice President. A party
selects one elector from each of the 9 Wisconsin congressional districts
and 2 electors at large, and then certifies its list of electors to the
state Elections Board. After the November presidential election, the
party that receives a plurality of the votes sends its electors to the
State Capitol on the first Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in December to
perform their duties as Wisconsin's electors. They compose Wisconsin's
segment of what is commonly called the Electoral College, the group of
538 electors nationwide who actually cast the votes for president and
vice president.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin
Ward Unit. In general, the smallest geographical units of the
Democratic Party in Wisconsin are the county organizations. However, the
state administrative committee may authorize the creation of subunits.
County Organization. Each county has a party organization, which
is the basic unit of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin. The county
officers, elected directly by the county membership, include a
chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, and treasurer (the last 2
offices may be held by the same person). Their terms of office are
generally one year, but individual county organizations may provide for
2-year terms.
Congressional District Organization. The main function of the
congressional district organization is to provide a base of support for
Democratic congressional candidates from the district. In the case of
the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, each congressional district
organization is directed by an executive committee. Unless the district
constitution provides otherwise, the executive committee consists of the
district representatives to the state administrative committee. State
Convention. The Democrats' state convention is held annually in June.
Each year, the convention considers amendments to the state party
constitution and other resolutions and party business. In odd-numbered
years, state party officers are elected; in even-numbered years, the
state party platform is adopted. National committee members are selected
every 4 years. The convention may not endorse candidates for any primary
election.
Delegates to the state convention are elected by each county unit to
represent their counties, and all party members are eligible for
election. The number of delegates representing each county is set by the
state administrative committee through a formula based on the number of
county members and a percentage of the vote cast in the county in the
most recent U.S. Senate election. In addition to the regular quota,
certain Democratic officeholders are automatically delegates to the
state convention.
State Officers and Administrative Committee. The Democratic Party
of Wisconsin is headed by the state administrative committee, composed
of 34 elected party officials. Nine members of the committee (the 5
party officers and the 4 Democratic National Committee members) are
elected by delegates to the state convention. In the spring of each
odd-numbered year, the 9 congressional district conventions each select
2 representatives for the state administrative committee the district
chairperson and an additional representative of the opposite sex. The
remaining voting committee members include the County Chairs'
Association chairperson, the Milwaukee County chairperson, the College
Democrats representative, 2 state legislative representatives, the
immediate past state chairperson and an at-large administrative
committee mem-ber.
The party officers are the state chairperson and first vice chairperson
(who must be of the opposite sex), second vice chairperson, treasurer
and secretary. They are elected for 2-year terms each odd-numbered year
at the state convention. The 4 Democratic National Committee members are
elected by the state convention each presidential election year and
serve 4-year terms. The state chairperson and the first vice chairperson
are also ex officio members of the Democratic National Committee. The
legislative representatives to the state administrative committee (one
from each house) are elected by their house caucuses before the
beginning of each new legislative term. Whenever a vacancy occurs on the
state administrative committee, the chairperson, with the concurrence of
the entire committee, appoints a successor to serve until the next
annual state convention where the vacancy is filled by election for the
remainder of the unexpired term.
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