It's Party Time at the Fort Bend County Democratic Party HQ

Most Fort Bend County residents don’t even remember the last time they saw the local Democratic Party open a party campaign headquarters during a mid-term election let alone during a presidential election year. Mainly because if they were alive, they were either too young to vote the last time that occurred, or they were living in other places.

I, for instance, was living half way around on the other side of the world the last time the Fort Bend County Democratic Party had a campaign headquarters.

But a Democratic headquarters grand opening is exactly what is going to happen tomorrow at 2:30 PM on Sunday, July 25th 2010.

It will be a sight not to be missed.

Located near the geographic center of Fort Bend County, the campaign headquarters sits just outside of downtown Richmond, the county seat of Fort Bend County, on the right bank of the Brazos River, with the east and west bound lanes of Highway 90A bordering it on the north and south, at 51 East US 90A. [map].

The facility features a large utility/work/meeting room with offices and an area to sell (or outright give away) campaign paraphernalia whose proceeds go toward funding the fall campaign, and a very large “arena” for mass meetings such as will be held tomorrow.

Tomorrow, bring your appetite, your camera and lots of folding green to buy a fish-fry dinner prepared by County Commissioner Richard Morrison.

New county party T-Shirts will be on sale as well as lawn signs that declare our loud presence.

There is even a chance to pick up a new campaign T-shirt and/or lawn sign that is sure to set your Republican neighbors’ teeth on edge even more than the highly successful

“Had Enough” signs from past campaigns.

And then in case you need to stock up for 2012, there will be some “Obama stuff” on sale as well.

Your Democratic candidates will be there in force as well as elected officials who are not running or are running for re-election with no opposition.

Someone said that there would be a “Moonwalk” for the kids, although I don’t even know what that means anymore.

Anyway if you’re looking for something to do on Sunday, and you don’t mind if you spend it with people who still like it when Democrats win, then you know what to do. If on the other hand, you want to bide your time until the Party of the Dark Side figures out which of their varied agenda-driven factions wins out over a choice of a party headquarters, then go ahead and bide.

But holding of breath is not recommended.

At the Swearing-In Ceremony: Steve Brown Takes the Chair

I went to watch and record this historic event. Here in Fort Bend County, a suburban area of the greater Houston metropolitan area, a county that is poised to be retaken by the Democratic Party, we have officially sworn in the new County Chair.

I went to watch, and as I said, I went to record it for those of us who couldn’t make it.

To those of you who couldn’t, it was definitely standing-room only. Every available sitting space was full and we all stood up along the wall in back.

I set up my video camera in back so I wouldn’t get in the way of people who came to see history being made. I failed to take into account my main man KP. As you view the video, you will see KP getting up right in front of my great focused shot to get a photograph. I immediately corrected but just be prepared for a few seconds of jostling and refocusing.

Oh well.

It wasn’t the last time KP did that, but fortunately I am getting better in my editing, and the back of my friend KP’s head definitely made it to the cutting room floor subsequently.

Anyway, here is the video of the short version of the ceremony and Steve’s brief words after the ceremony.

Sea-change Today: Steve Brown Gets Sworn In as FBC Democratic Party Chair

Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:
Ding-dong.
Hark! now I hear them — Ding-dong, bell.

-William Shakespeare - The Tempest

The day has finally come for a sea-change in Fort Bend County. Just as the demographic profile of the county is about to shift to a Democratic voter majority in this county, the county’s Democratic Party leadership has shifted onto the shoulders of an energetic young up-and-comer in Steve Brown, soon to be the Honorable Steve Brown, Chairman of the Fort Bend County Democratic Party.

It has been a long time in coming. A long time that Democrats have stood by powerless watching the Party Not raising money, Not recruiting candidates, Not returning phone calls and Not serving the interest of the Texas Democratic Party of which it is a part.

All of that ends today at 6:30 in the historic courthouse in Richmond, Texas.

Steve Brown ran on 4 basic principles:

Growing Our Base: filling precinct chair vacancies and organizing Democratic clubs and special interest groups.

Raising Money: Resources to fund a headquarters to promote Democratic Party visibility in Fort Bend County need to be raised through major fundraising events.

Campaigns and Elections: Recruiting electable Democrats and then helping their campaigns with resources and local volunteers.

Leadership: An active and engaged Executive Committee will energize and organize the county. Not to mention the holding of regular meetings per Party protocols.

It’s a tall order for a county that has literally been asleep for nearly two decades. But tonight begins the reawakening.

As our new chairman has said, now is not the time for recriminations and finger-pointing. The past is in the past. Now is the time to unite and fight.

But if that is not in the cards for anyone who still harbors ill intent at the new leadership, all one can ask is this:

Just don’t get in the way.