Biography

Michael Mouton was the president of the Cornell Democrats during the Spring Semester of 2009.

Candidacy Statement

First and foremost, I would like to say what an honor and pleasure it has been to serve as the president of the Cornell Democrats this past semester and to serve on the executive board these past four semesters. The presidency of the Cornell Democrats is something I have wanted since I was a freshman because I think this organization is special and has a unique opportunity on campus to bring together progressives and actively pursue change locally, state-wide, and nationally, as we have done in the past. Many things have changed nationally for the better since I first joined this club and I am so glad I was able to be around this group of people to witness these changes.

I think my presidency was for the most part successful despite the challenges the club has faced as a whole because of the changing landscape. However, I am not afraid to say I made mistakes, even in the second paragraph: One of them being, perhaps, too quick to move to confrontation at executive board meetings when I felt strongly about an issue.

However, I have made and will continue to make this club my number one priority and I have shown this through my actions. I do not contend that I am better than anyone else in the club, but I contend that I am willing to commit the time to this particular group—the Cornell Democrats, as others involved in the club my commit more time to other clubs or activities more valuable to them. We all must budget our time at college but I promise you this organization will be at the very top of my budget—judge me by my actions: I come to every Drinking Liberally, often early to greet people as they come and cajole others into coming; I preside over every meeting, except when its more appropriate for another member to do so; I encourage people to run for the executive board in any capacity to ensure the strength of our organization; I attend our co-sponsored events; make an effort to pass on knowledge and praise I receive as president of the Cornell Democrats regarding the club to the organization. You may say well that’s what you’re supposed to do, but as anyone present since my freshman year can tell you, this is something that should not be taken for granted.

Before, I recount to you what I have done let me tell you what I will do. I will remain indefatigably dedicated to this organization. First and foremost recruitment and retaining of members should be our number one priority. That begins with Freshman Orientation Week with events like Clubfest and the occasionally held Political Clubfest. As I became president second semester, I didn’t get to lead this effort this year, but in the past I worked with the president as the events director to organize our effort for orientation week. First, I will make sure we have a political clubfest this year, this allows for a smaller setting for us to recruit members than Clubfest. Second, I will make sure we have a major presence at Clubfest and a list of activities, events, meeting topics, issues, and some type of food item for the upcoming year to hand out to prospective freshman and other students. Third, I will make sure we do extensive chalking promotion of our group through chalking, quarter-cards, and posters. Fourth, I will make sure we have high-profile speakers already lined up to speak during the semester, esp. for the second semester, to attract new members. Fifth, for the first time at the beginning of an academic year we have a website to exhibit the importance and organization of our club—I will use this to get more people involved. Sixth, at the first meeting we will have pizza, and as we did when I was a sophomore, split the pizza up amongst executive board and dedicated members so as people eat the pizza they get the chance to meet us and hear about the club. Seventh, I will make sure we have established some cause for advocacy and our partners in it at the very beginning of the year starting over the summer.

I will have more organizational meetings on Wednesdays to hear input from the group, allow people to have a vested interest in the club, and on occasion have people go around and state their names; I will also make sure we form more committees to organize events to give all members the chance to organize for the club; I will continue to get speakers for the club, but not to the extent that general body meetings turn into the Cornell Democrats Lecture Series; I will continue to schedule the successful events we have had in the past: Drinking Liberallys (every two weeks), the potluck, the Date Auction since it was such a success because of the hard work of all the people involved both time, but this time more high-profile and with more prominent people, and examine bringing back movie nights. I will also find a way for us to do school mentoring despite the time constraint we keep running into; continue the quest to get the mayor to come speak; and continue our successful partnerships with COLA, UAW Local 2300, The Bully Pulpit, the Government department, and the Tompkins County Democratic Committee. I will make sure we use our partnerships and resources to bring another high-profile speaker like Dan Bakkedahl, Eric Alterman, and Steve Hildebrand. As the advisor for our organization told me this may not be activism but it gets publicity and let’s people know you’re a force on campus. Unfortunately, we cannot afford the large honoraria of higher-profile speakers like the Republicans because the funding does not exist for us like it does for them. I will also make sure we build up a war chest by doing professor-fundraising again, mailing local activists for money again, and holding the Date Auction again—all things I have personally taken care of in the past as treasurer. I will also make sure we stay on good terms with the Tompkins County Democratic Committee, holding the Date Auction again, and soliciting donations at Drinking Liberallys (something I was negligent in not making sure it happened this semester).

I will now recount what I have done because I believe candidates should be judged on their actions. I have been serving as president during a time of transition for the organization. Everyone that joined the organization my freshman year and afterward had major national political events and personalities to motivate and excite Democrats at Cornell: In my Freshman year, it was the ’06 midterm elections and then later candidates beginning to campaign for the presidential primaries; In my Sophomore year, it was the presidential primaries; And the first semester of my junior year, it was the General Election for the presidency. So I and other members of the executive board have found ourselves in largely uncharted waters: How do you motivate progressives and Democrats to come to meetings and events when the Democrats control the US House, US Congress, US Presidency, Governorship of NYS, have greater control over the NYS legislature, and the more recent developments of gay marriage spreading throughout the nation?

My strategy, and one I initiated immediately upon stepping in after Ethan’s resignation, was to form ties with groups like COLA and help them with their advocacy. I also encouraged individual members to bring their activism and excitement to other members of the club and suggest activities. I worked with Fil Eden, member of COLA, to develop the idea of having the trustee candidates respond to the predicament of the UAW Local 2300. They were eager to communicate with the Cornell Democrats but I didn’t know in what way it would be best for our members and all progressives at Cornell. Through our partnership with COLA and the Bully Pulpit I figured out a way. We have also helped them in their efforts to get petitions signed in support of the union and co-organized an event for them. Another part of my strategy was to have more social events and continue and expand upon successful events of the past. Indeed, we have had more social events this semester than at any other time in recent memory; we have also had Drinking Liberally’s bimonthly along with the potluck and movie night. We have done this so much so we have stressed our bank account, but have been able to reach people that may not necessarily be interested in meetings.

Another part of my strategy was to continue and expand upon successful events of the past. We brought Steve Hildebrand using the expertise I learned when I worked alone to bring Dan Bakkedahl my sophomore year. And the same expertise we used to bring Eric Alterman that same year. Originally, we were going to bring high-profile communications director for Hillary ’08 and Fox News Contributor Howard Wolfson but he had to back out at the last minute. Due to my early morning frantic calls and emails I was able to get a replacement of similar repute.

We held the date auction again--as we did when I was treasurer and raised +$1500--this year bringing in a total of $875. This amount was useful in replenishing our coffers as another fundraiser was not organized this year. We also had a potluck with a healthy attendance of +20. And we attended the CDNY conference again but admittedly couldn’t get higher attendance because of the complacency developing amongst progressives.

I was able to implement my strategy by bringing a new organization to the group. I was disconcerted to learn that records and receipts were not kept of expenses from our private account (The President controls the private account, the treasurer controls the SAFC account) and immediately remedied this. I held people responsible for their constitutional duties, something I had not seen in the past: I asked the secretary to make the sign-in lists more professional by creating a template, Upon becoming president I gave the new treasurer (Mike Schillawski) a fat folder full of old budgets and SAFC booklets to help him carry out his duties better—something my predecessor didn’t do for me, I forwarded most requests for our comments from the Daily Sun to the Director of PR (Terry Moynihan), and I asked the Director of IT (Chris Frommann) to create a sustainable website for the club something we had not been able to do in the past.

Some might say, well your strategy has not worked. However, I maintain we have faced unique challenges with the successes we have accomplished as Democrats creating complacency on campus. The drop-off of members we have seen is cyclical after and right before Spring Break as papers and prelims arise, people must budget their time, and different people have different levels of enthusiasm especially when time becomes precious. Now I think I am uniquely qualified to state this as someone that has attended every Cornell Democrats meeting since the first one my freshman year, and have not been present at only a very few events. I hope to battle this vicious cycle starting at the very beginning, I was unable to do that this year, with Orientation week through the strategies I have enumerated.

All of the promises and observations I have made are based on my 6 semesters of experience with this organization organizing, campaigning in all of our various efforts, and advocating for my views of how it should be run. All of the promises and accomplishments I have enumerated will not and did not involve me alone they will take a group effort. A group comprised of self-motivated people who have ideas as much as they execute ideas.

I am in no way saying I will take these things on all on my own or that it would be better if I did. We all go to Cornell, we all know how to buckle down and get work done. I am saying that as president of the Cornell Democrats I will lead the club in this direction through management, oversight, and better inspirational techniques.