First Dems on Drip a Success

Local Democrats find solidarity over easy at recent brunch gathering

Local Democrats gather at Bica's Cafe for the first Dems on Drip monthly brunch event. Photo courtesy Dr. Chris Hartig.

On Saturday, May 10, the first Dems on Drip casual brunch was held at Bica Cafe in Noblesville (933 Conner St., downtown near the courthouse square). A fun daytime companion to the popular Dems on Draft events at Primeval Brewing, this first-of-its-kind gathering provided a space for local Democratic-leaning neighbors to meet new friends and find community over Bica's marvelous menu of specialty coffees, blended libations, and terrific eats. Nearly 20 local Dems had broken bread together when all was said and done, an excellent turnout for our first such event.

Conversation ranged widely, but a few themes were clear:

1. Noblesville Democrats are aghast at the direction of our country and state.

   
   

Attendees shared the understanding that leadership is not something to be taken lightly. The model of lying, corruption, vindictiveness, and opposition to the rule of law that the President is setting is quickly trickling down to every part of the Republican Party. Where there used to be a fairly clear divide between federal, state, and local governance and how much partisanship plays a role in each realm, there is now a much heavier pull from the federal level on how state and local politicians interpret their jobs and how to perform them. This session's state budget and property tax bills were widely discussed as examples of the extremist GOP party line, in that these bills did not respond to the actual needs of Hoosiers but instead mimicked how the President and our Congressional representatives think about who is deserving of help. We Dems agreed that if the state is serious about long-term economic development and a level playing field of opportunity for all, we need a 180-degree turn against such policies.

2. Noblesville Democrats understand the stakes of the next election.

While many Hoosiers see the 2026 election as promising another swing of the political pendulum - that is, back towards a Democratic Party-controlled House due to the normal shifts in power in midterm elections - those present at our gathering were taking nothing for granted. There was a high level of awareness that a decade of hyperpartisan changes to congressional districts and voting laws passed under false pretenses (e.g., responding to outright lies like the idea that noncitizens have been casting fraudulent votes in vast numbers since the election of President Obama in 2008) have made the electoral landscape more challenging for Democrats than ever before. There was discussion of the attempted coup on January 6, 2021, and the subsequent pardoning of even the most violent of the criminal rioters by the coup's greatest hero, and how that event proved that even blatantly anti-Constitutional and impeachable action is now able to be propaganda'd into acceptability. And there was conversation about how the international alliances that have kept our nation largely secure and able to prosper for the last 80 years have now been spat on to curry favor with some of the worst dictators on the planet. The level of fear among those around the table was palpable, but so was the clear-eyed determination that we must not take any chances with the next election.

3. Noblesville Democrats are excited at the renewed burst of energy our county leadership's strategy is bringing to the party.

A great deal of praise was shared at the event for the Hamilton County Democratic Party's new leadership and how energized members of the party are with their ambitious agenda for change. The Dems on Drip event was itself a perfect example! The fellowship and enthusiasm around the table for the growth of our party's momentum was a testament to how Chairman Josh Lowry and his tireless team are showing how it's done.

Our great momentum has continued through the month of May with events being held by each of the city clubs, the hiring of our first full-time Executive Director, Raleigh Brown, and our joyful anticipation of our largest annual fundraiser, the sold-out Night for the Blues. Our next Democratic hospitality events are Tuesday, June 3 for Dems on Draft, and Saturday, June 14 for Dems on Drip. Please join us!