Click on picture 1 to view pictures, click on pictures 2 & 3 for videos Part 1 & Part 2.
When will the drama end?
On Friday night I read some information that Bob Etheridge was seeking to become the chair but then I read that he was not going to seek the post. When I arrived at the SEC meeting on Saturday morning I was told that Etheridge was in the building and that he was campaigning for the post. But when the election time rolled around, Etheridge had left but someone nominated him. Someone came up and accepted the nomination for him. I was told that Etheridge left because of a family emergency but then I heard he left because his grandchild had a ballgame. Damn! Ain’t that nothing.
I like Etheridge and have been knowing him for years. I do not know Randy Voller. I did not vote for Etheridge because it was not fair that Voller has been campaigning hard for quite some time and Etheridge came on the scene in the last hour publicly. Voller only won by 11 votes but then good Democrats talking about moving forward in UNITY when damn this shows that it ain’t about UNITY but about who you know and who you like instead of making exceptions to one’s personal rule during times like these. So I wonder will these good Democrats truly UNITE behind “our” current newly elected chair.
On Friday night Eric Mansfield (Black) endorsed Nina Szlosberg-Landis. Mansfield was seeking the chair position challenging Voller but Mansfield got out of the race last week due to him saying he was going to be by his mother’s side due to her illness. Okay I understand that and I thought he was done. But Friday night I read his endorsement of Szlosberg-Landis over current 1st vice chair Gwen Wilkins (Black) it was a confirmation that he and Szlosberg-Landis were working together. I have no problem with that because he feels he owes her. But I wonder who did Szlosberg-Landis endorse when Mansfield and Linda Coleman (Black) were seeking the Lt. Governor’s seat? Oh someone said Szlosberg-Landis drafted Mansfield to run but Coleman was elected during the May primary. So I wonder did Szlosberg-Landis support Coleman in the General Election you know raise money for her?
See Mansfield’s endorsement here.
Dan Blue III nominated Nina Szlosberg-Landis and during his speech he talked about he got the message that he should not nominate her because it was not a critique of Ms. Wilkins nor a rejection of the African American Caucus. He said we don’t just need a hero but a team of heroes. I didn’t get the hero thing. See the video for Dan’s entire speech.
It is my opinion that Nina Szlosberg-Landis was running on the basis of fundraising from hearing others talk about her and hearing her speech on Saturday however that is the chair’s job to raise money. Section 4.05 Duties of State Chair and Certain Officers explains the duties of the 1st Vice. Page 20. Vice Chairs. The duties of the three vice chairs shall be assigned by the state chair, with the approval of the state executive council.
Since Szlosberg-Landis is such a big fundraiser why didn’t she run for chair? Is it that she didn’t think she could beat Voller? Well I wonder could she have beat Voller since he only won by 11 votes. I wonder why these strong 
supporters didn’t draft her to run for chair since it calls for a person to be able to raise funds. Oh it was easy to go after the incumbent 1st vice chair a Black female who has been disrespected.
When it comes to elections at all levels it is my opinion that most folks vote for folks whom they know, whom they like and because they feel the person seeking election will be valuable asset to them on a personal note. However some times folks are persuaded to vote for others because of money. I have no problem with that when it comes to every day folks. What I do have a problem with is folks whom call themselves educated with and without money that do not look at the total picture.
For example, when it comes to the make up of the State Executive Committee and/or the composition of other boards I feel strongly that when it comes to the SEC one must look at the board to see if the people seeking election meet the diversity, the inclusion and most of all race and gender.
I can’t understand how those Black women whom supported Szlosberg-Landis would do so when Gwen Wilkins was not allowed to do anything while under David Parker’s leadership. Remind me of “our” current Black POTUS and that other party. Obviously they didn’t attend the SEC meeting last year in Greensboro when Parker resigned but for the party to vote to keep him on. Some say Wilkins didn’t have control over the meeting when he stepped down. You damn right she didn’t because she was very much disrespected. It made no sense how she was disrespected whether you liked her or not.
Some have a problem with Wilkins’ comment at the African American Caucus meeting when she made a statement before the chair of the caucus Willie Fleming carried out his personal agenda to get rid of Zette McArn secretary. I attended that meeting and videoed it and it was one of the worst meetings I have ever attended. The AAC has no organizational structure and when McArn was removed by Flemings own rules, David Parker didn’t address it. When McArn questioned how the AAC could change the by-laws during the Resolutions item agenda of the meeting when the AAC didn’t follow their old by-laws? Well some don’t give a damn because as long as the AAC stay unorganized they will never be a threat to others nor have leveraging power like other auxiliary groups within the State Democratic Party.
If one followed the endorsements it is funny as hell the African American Caucus supported Mansfield and Wilkins but Mansfield supported Szlosberg-Landis. Talking about UNITED.
I want to thank former Snow Hill Mayor Don Davis/current Senator and 1st Congressional District Chair for nominating Wilkins and for his speech. I enjoyed when he talked about the role of the 1st vice chair, Citizens United and big money.
Davis said, “We need to have a talk about money because there has been a lot of talk about money today.” He said Citizens United totally changed the landscape and that is why we are talking about money more and more. He said we need the people power to bring forth campaign reform and to push forth public finance. He said we must change that we can’t rely on one or two people to raise millions of dollars. He said even if we did what happens if we upset the apricot? He said in races like the Senate that took out John Snow and Doug Berger where he said a million dollars were spent on these races. See video for his entire speech.
What was interesting is earlier on the agenda Don Davis and Dan Blue III both did a presentation together but then ended up supporting different candidates for 1st vice chair.
Talking about UNITY, DIVERSITY and INCLUSION we went from two Blacks on the State Executive Committee to one a young Black male who serves as the 2nd vice chair. Black women are few in the legislature and now none on the State Executive Committee.
I came to the inclusion years ago that when Black folks UNITE, ORGANIZE and get on ONE ACCORD we will move forward, we will have some leveraging power and then we will be a people to be reckoned with. But some Black folks get so damn educated that they don’t have the smarts to use some damn common sense. But also when Black folks do all of the above I recognize and understand that white folks benefit as well.
Some will say that there is no drama but I will challenge any of them. I attend the meetings and give my spill but unlike other media the majority of the time they don’t video the entire meeting and/or do not share the entire meeting with you. I give my spin on what happened as I see it and then I post the entire video so that you can see it for yourself. Damn you can’t get it no better than that get to look at it free in the convenience of your home, office or etc.
The sad part though is some folks have said my video don’t tell the real story. Well damn ain’t that nothing. Hell they act as if I can make this mess up. I am good but I haven’t gotten that damn good yet.
So click on the pictures above to view the pictures and the video 1 and video 2.
The following officers elected were elected:
Chair – Randolph S. Voller defeated Bob Etheridge
Secretary – Melvin Williams – No opposition
1st Vice Chair – Nina Szlosberg-Landis defeated incumbent Gwen Wilkins
2nd Vice Chair – Zack Hawkins – defeated Dick Crews (Correction)
3rd Vice Chair – Andy Ball defeated Jason Jenkins
Read more:
Note: Originally posted 2/3/2013 7:31 AM
Filed under: Democratic Party of North Carolina, Durham NC, Randy Voller Candidate for Democratic Party Chair, Randy Voller Chair Democratic Party of NC, State Executive Committee | Leave a comment »
Dancy Communications Network - The DCN 