According to Facebook and at least one progressive blog, it appears Democratic Party of Wisconsin (DOW) Chairman Mike Tate will have a challenger for his position at the coming DPW convention in June.
Rowan Viva, who according to her LinkedIn profile currently works as the “Director of Voter Protection” for the State of Wisconsin (as far as I can tell not an actual position), announced on Facebook that she’ll be challenging Tate in June. Viva’s announcement has been met with some enthusiasm on Facebook, but as I write this I don’t know much about her platform, her stance on issues, or her beliefs about the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, except that she really is no fan of former DPW Communications Director Graeme Zielinski.
Commenting on Viva’s challenge to Mike Tate, a source within the Democratic Party of Wisconsin categorized Viva’s challenge as, “[A] campaign not about ideas, but about hurt feelings,” adding that Viva was a paid recall organizer who wasn’t kept on with the Party since her work was “unremarkable” and there were more qualified applicants. The source went on to add that Viva is “making reckless charges and running a negative campaign not based on ideas, or any knowledge of the Party or how it works.”
However, in a recent Facebook status update, Rowan Viva posted her “5-point turnaround plan” for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, which I’ve included below.
- Embrace the grassroots
- Share power with communities of color
- Develop and promote a progressive agenda
- Professionalize PR
- Implement candidate development
I attempted to contact Rowan Viva to get more information about her background, her reasons for challenging Mike Tate, and her platform, but she did not respond to my request.
If she adds to that list, break all ties with the DNC, the DCCC, the DLC and adds the word, \”Independent,\” in front of DPW, she’d have me out working full time for her today. Of course Tate could promise the same thing, well, on second thought, not likely. Being an Indie Democrat might be tolerable if we were allowed to pick our own candidates, keep our work in state, first and gee, would the nationals ‘D’s’ have their tighty-whiteys and their panties in a twist having to actually attempt to add populism to their platform in an important “swing state,” gone rogue. Remember the Rahm sanctioned Barrett intentional barrier to Recall success inflicted on us and with which we were recently defeated, anyone?
About time progressives finally got over their disappointment with Mr Hopeless, the Changling and the top down 1% Party control presently being activated state-wide with the new regional liaisons and the community, “captains,” plan. After Mr Tate’s recent announcement of the 72 county initiative to defeat Walker, re-branded a bit of late, unless the DPW breaks with the national party, progressive or even liberal agendas are still toast, and Walker will still be governor in 2014, if he hasn’t moved on to the next rung on his dream ladder.
Thanks for the news notice, ZW.
Not understanding the DPW or the way it works, top-down platitudes and proclamations to the unthinking, is not necessarily a drawback.
What’s this?! A Democrat “running a negative campaign not based on ideas”? Say it ain’t so, Joe! What would Graeme Zielinski say (presuming that he was allowed to say)?
You don’t make any sense on WPR and it doesn’t surprise me that you don’t with this comment. There is a standing offer for a contribution to WPR as soon as they take you and a few other talking point heroes off the air for good.
What could David Blaska say if he wasn’t first given a script to memorize?
Yeah, because Republicans never run negatives campaigns, right Blaska?
Viva la Rowan! Seriously, a shoebox could challenge Tate and have enormous support. Who isn’t tired of losing?
This is such a badly written, poorly researched article. I’m disappointed that this blog would even post such a piece of trash.
Everybody’s a critic.