Saying Thanks, and Staying Focused on What Really Matters

From Bob Peickert:

Chill! Relax! Take a Deep Breath!

As a result of the recent announcement of the resignation of Gayl Ferraro as Chair of the DuPage County Democratic Organization, we will undoubtedly be hearing and reading about everyone's "take" on her decision. What's to "take"? She made a decision and the party moves on.

First, I want to thank Gayl for her work on behalf of Democrats in DuPage County. I readily admit that Gayl and I have had our differences, disagreements, and you might say battles, but she did spend a lot of time doing what she believed to be the right thing. As we decide on the direction of the Democratic Party, we should all recognize work that people do whether we agree with them or not. Thank you, Gayl, for your work on behalf of Democrats in DuPage County.

Second, I want to comment briefly on the impact of Gayl's decision. The newspapers already predict some type of "battle" for the position. However, what ultimately happens doesn't depend too much on who the chair will be for a two or three month period. And, we also need to remember that the chair is only one person of many who will be called upon to lead the party in the future. There are many unanswered questions about the interim election, but, more importantly, there are unanswered questions about our plan to elect Democrats in DuPage in 2008. THAT’S THE REAL ISSUE.

We must get our precincts ready for the upcoming campaigns by recruiting precinct committeemen. This is what we started with OTDB back in January, and this is what we must continue to do. OTDB will continue to work on our recruitment drive and to reach out to as many Democrats as possible in the next year. Let's not get distracted, and let's not lose our focus. Electing Democrats in 2008 is what this is all about.