Democrats in Georgia need more unity. It's a concept that has done wonders for Republicans, and a lesson we could do with relearning.

I'm not the only one who sees the problem. Too many times, Democrats at odds with leadership have opted to set up breakaway groups that directly compete with the established party structure for fundraising dollars and membership involvement. Such factionalism gums up our campaign machinery – every splinter group weakens the authority of our leadership and makes the task of devising a unified message for Georgia that much more difficult.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not asking you to like or agree with Bobby Kahn or your county party's chairperson. The point is that if your county party is broken, your duty is to fix it, by working with its leadership and its members to use the resources at its disposal to further the ultimate, common goal of electing Democrats. When you break away, you rob your county party of critical resources – not least of which is you, a dedicated and motivated member – at the exact moment when it most needs those resources to revitalize itself.

I am by no means impugning the stellar contributions to the cause made by some of those breakaway groups. Consider, for example, the North Fulton Democrats. For years now they have set themselves apart as vigorous, hard-working campaigners who have made major incursions into enemy territory in Roswell and Sandy Springs. However, their estrangement from the Fulton County Democratic Party has deprived the FCDP of much-needed energy and leadership by example. As a result, the victories in North Fulton have been offset by the struggle to capitalize fully on favorable demographics inside the perimeter.

I am reminded strongly of the fable about the old man who showed his sons that a bundle of sticks is stronger than each stick singly. As one party, we are strong. Let us not do the work of Republicans and divide ourselves.