Silverman: Political activism serves public interest

Posted: Sunday, August 12, 2001


My parents taught me that political involvement is a civic responsibility. The most important aspects of this responsibility are exercising the right to vote and participating in the process that elects the officeholders who serve, ideally, the public interest.

My participation in the political process as the county chairperson for the Potter County Democratic Party involves working with others who care about the direction of policy for our community and nation.

The most important person in the American political process is the individual voter, so it is the job of the parties to attract those individuals' support. Party organization begins at the precinct level. Potter County, for example, comprises 31 precincts, within which the party organizes at the grass-roots level.

The precinct chair, elected by the voters during the primary elections, organizes a precinct committee of voters and activists in that community. The precinct chairs and the county party chair together form the county executive committee. The county chair presides over the county executive committee.

Each county in Texas is organized this way.

Generally, a plurality of counties forms a district, which is represented by committee members who serve on the party's state executive committee presided over by the state chairperson. Thus, the position of county chairperson is just one of many in the partisan process.

While the position is partisan, the commitment to the community interest is not.

Some may think the Democratic and Republican county chairs are personally antagonistic, and in some parts of the country, this may be true. But in Potter County, GOP Chairman Tom Roller and I get together for lunch occasionally and have very friendly, constructive dialogues. Certainly, there are issues about which we deeply disagree, but we share a great deal of common ground: a commitment to the American political process, a civic interest in voter education and participation, and the pursuit of good public policy.

This is not to imply that differences between the parties do not lead to heated discussions and lively debates. The solutions, the means and the ends, and the many interpretations of "fairness" and "social justice" and what is "right" or "efficient" are the grist for the political mill.

Because it is sometimes very difficult to ascertain what the objective facts are in order to create an informed opinion, sometimes the political process is a fact-finding enterprise. In other words, it may be difficult to know just what the "facts" are in any given political controversy. Therefore, the education role of the county chairperson is blended with the advocacy role.

So, in the ongoing pursuit of better government, the office of Democratic Party county chairperson includes being a spokesperson for Potter County Democrats, providing counsel for those who consider running for office, working to help Democratic candidates and nominees, and being a source of information on a variety of topics.

The best part of the office, however, is working with the volunteer precinct chairs, activists, party officials, candidates and officeholders who share a civic commitment to the ideals of good government and the American political process.

Sam Silverman is an Amarillo attorney.

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