We can either continue to make excuses why our party is in the shape it is or we can refuse to cede Cook County to the Democrats, we can rebuild and today is the day. We must first recognize and learn from the gains Democrats have made in recent years. In addition to the entrenched Democratic machine in Cook County they also have attained certain structural advantages including, their use of the Internet, their more than 2-to-1 advantage with young voters, and their discovery of a better grassroots model. The party in Cook County cannot continue to operate like is always has. No more just getting by, tweaking things slightly here or there. We have to pull together proven methodologies and tactics and execute a new winning strategy. We can’t keep fighting a 21st century war with 20th century weapons; we must be bold in our approach and focus on: • Modernizing the way we run campaigns and the party • Attracting different, energetic and younger candidates • Leveraging the resources available to us in the Chicagoland area In addition to implementing new strategies we must continue to focus on the fundamentals and the basics. Executing the simple things well will lead to success and sustainability.