By Chris Gibbs
Contributing columnist
They say the Democratic Party brand in rural America is damaged. I say, not so fast, and not on my watch. Or better yet, “Hold my beer.”
In marketing, ‘brand’ is everything. And how your brand is both projected and protected can be the difference between relevance and insignificance.
In Shelby County, Ohio, from the 1980s through the early 2000s, fifty percent or greater of the countywide elected officials were Democrats. By the end of the period, rural Democrats both nationwide and locally began losing the narrative of relevance and significance.
We can debate until the cows come home reasons for the shift, but at the end of the day, it won’t change the result.
The Shelby County Democratic Party is all about positions and solutions that move us forward, not misgivings and fault-findings of the past. And that’s where the march to rebuild the brand using ‘Demonstrated Values’ begins.
Local Democratic Party leadership recognized early that Shelby County voters were ‘values voters’ and that policy alone would not drive them to the polls. So what exactly were the core values of those hard-working, salt-of-the-earth Democrat civic leaders who rose effortlessly to Shelby county-wide elected office in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s?
Simply stated: They believed that the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land. They believed in the rule of law, justice for all, and that no one is above the law. They believed that the role of government is to protect our freedoms and opportunities and be solution-based. They believed vigorous and respectful debate between and within political parties is necessary for a healthy democracy.
And further, they supported law enforcement, our armed services, and first responders. They supported access to quality and affordable healthcare. They supported a well-funded public education system. They supported responsible gun ownership and the right to bear arms. And they supported empathy and compassion in governance.
Those Democratic Party values and positions are no different today than three or four decades ago. And what’s more, those are ‘shared’ values that everyone holds regardless of political affiliation.
Restating and reframing the Democratic brand in Shelby County as it was decades ago has energized the base and drawn citizens out of the shadows and into the light where they are now using their voices for the first time in over a decade to stand up for their rights as both Shelby County and American citizens.
Local excitement is off the charts. Volunteers of all ages are now seeking leadership positions within the Party, fundraising, staffing a headquarters, maintaining a social media and internet presence, registering voters, gathering at watch parties, handwriting postcards to voters, handing out flyers, assembling as a women’s committee, networking with surrounding Party leadership, donning logo-laden T-shirts, supporting 4H at the county fair, and involving veterans and scouts.
The reenergized Shelby County Democratic Party base is standing up not to ‘prove’ its worth but to ‘demonstrate’ its shared values for all to see. Unphased by local rhetoric and scorn, members now use their proven value set as a Teflon shield to deflect vitriol.
And that vitriol is palpable. Whether it’s a dad diverting his gaggle of young trick-or-treaters around a house displaying a democratic yard sign as they exclaim “We don’t even want your candy”, or a pre-teen 4H fairgoer dressing down a Democratic Party volunteer in the county fair tent using the vilest rhetoric imaginable, demonstrating one’s values is not for the weak of heart.
As this election season draws to a close, I’m confident this Shelby County Ohio Democratic Party has the heart, grit, determination, and resolve to continue demonstrating its shared values to supporters and detractors alike regardless of the outcome on November 5. It’s who they are. It’s who we are.
Now give me back that beer.
Chris Gibbs is the chairman of the Shelby County Ohio Democratic Party.
