The Next DNC Chair: TOM PEREZ WINS, makes Ellison deputy chair

[Beet]

Ellison is not bad but I've heard that as a member of Congress, he would have conflicts of interest and wouldn't be able to devote all his time to rebuilding the party.

[Beet]

Ellison is not bad but I've heard that as a member of Congress, he would have conflicts of interest and wouldn't be able to devote all his time to rebuilding the party.

I would argue that did nothing to prohibit DWS from holding the DNC Chair, but she is an all-around horrible example.

'

Yes but that just proves my point. DWS faced all kinds of accusations of using DNC to fundraise for her own PAC and some of her Congressional votes saw her heavily criticized.

[Beet]

It said he hinted at quitting, but he clearly doesn't want to quit. We'll see.

[Beet]

I fully support Ellison for chair, although I do have some concerns about his past anti-Semitic associations.

[Beet]

I'm starting to lose the large amount of respect I have for Perez. If the Democrats want to keep clinging to TPP and their establishment party machines then they can forget about winning back the presidency in 2020.

Democrats aren't "clinging to TPP". Perez is still Obama's Secretary of Labor, and as such had to promote Obama's policies. That doesn't mean he supports TPP himself. It's the same people that can't seem to grasp this simple truth that also fail to understand that the DNC isn't some King of the Democrats that lays out policy on national tv.

Yeah, but his answer in that video was just so bad. Instead of just saying what you said above, he started going on an incoherent spiel about Mexican labor rights, etc. It seemed a little insincere.

[Beet]

This is old news from 12/18, but Pete Buttigieg says he's not a candidate for DNC Chair.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/politics/south-bend-mayor-pete-buttigieg-i-m-not-a-candidate/article_6f0c73f0-c473-11e6-8745-83db249696c1.html

So, looks like the five candidates are:

-Keith Ellison, Congressman from MN-5
-Tom Perez, Secretary of Labor
-Ray Buckley, Chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party
-Jaime Harrison, Chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party
-Sally Boynton Brown, Executive Director of the Idaho Democratic Party

With other potential candidates being:

-Ruben Gallego, Congressman from AZ-6
-John Perez, Former Speaker of the California Assembly

With Obama's recent non-veto of an anti-Israel resolution, and the ADL, Alan Dershowitz and Haim Saban's statements, things are getting serious. Jews need reassurance that the Democrats are not going to abandon them. Jerry Brown would be a good candidate, does he really want to be governor of California for two more years? He is a four-term elected leader of the biggest Democratic state. He has political experience and connections with minorities, Silicon Valley, and the establishment. On the other hand he does not have an uber liberal image like Nancy Pelosi. He is not a Clinton hack, as he only reluctantly endorsed her after it was clear she had already won.

[Beet]

With Obama's recent non-veto of an anti-Israel resolution, and the ADL, Alan Dershowitz and Haim Saban's statements, things are getting serious. Jews need reassurance that the Democrats are not going to abandon them.

Huh?

Am I reading too much into this, or are you subtly suggesting that Ellison shouldn't be DNC chair because he's Muslim?

I know that's probably not what you're saying, but I just got that impression from your reply.

It's his Nation of Islam connections that seem to be the problem. Personally, I don't care about it, but we need Jewish Americans (not just Bernie) on board.

[Beet]

Pretty great article from Glenn Greenwald in The Intercept on the proxy war this race has become, and the Democratic Party in general. I'm comfortable enough to call myself a "Democrat", but it's kinda scary how much hubris goes on in the minds of those in Washington.

https://theintercept.com/2017/02/09/tom-perez-apologizes-for-telling-the-truth-showing-why-democrats-flaws-urgently-need-attention/

Perez saying the primary was rigged - even though he walked it back - just infuriates me even more as a Clinton fan. No self respecting Clinton supporter can support him after this.

[Beet]

If Perez wins, then the DNC will have the same cloud of doubt around it as it did in 2016.

Throw Bernie folks a bone to shut them up, give them Ellison or Buttigieg.

Getting Bernie folks to "shut up" really shouldn't be the goal of any Democrat. Ellison is the best choice because both Clinton and Bernie folk can support him without reservations outside of religion.

If Perez does win, then expect a ton of party takeovers at the local level.

Bernie supporters complaining about the DNC, thinking they rigged it, is one of the key reasons why Hillary lost. The DNC become a liability, instead of an invisible support, in 2016.

Even Perez admits that the DNC rigged the primaries. The DNC didn't alter the vote counts or anything like that, but rigging can come in the form of unfair general advantages given to a particular candidate. They unquestionably had a favored candidate in the race and made several moves signalling a preference for Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders.

All of which was support that Hillary Clinton earned by being a loyal party stalwart for years. The people of the party, 60% to 70% of whom told pollsters they supported Hillary Clinton before a single high profile endorsement, who wanted Hillary Clinton in 769 of 774 polls during the primary race, and who voted for her in a landslide, wanted her. Just as they did in the General Election.

[Beet]

If it was only symbolic, Perez wouldn't be running, though. He was only pushed into the race to stop Ellison. Clearly, someone thinks it's important to stop Ellison.

[Beet]

If Perez wins I'm seriously worried about a 1983-style split which gave Thatcher a landslide re-election despite losing the popular vote. Some of these people already left the party or were talking about leaving even before this.

[Beet]

I support Ellison, but screw the hacks, I think Perez would do a fine job too, as long as the Bernie bros don't throw a hissy fit and refuse to turn out to vote in the midterms just because they couldn't get their way.

But we need more than their vote. We need their enthusiasm, influence, social media presence, everything. Btw, these people are not "Bernie bros".

[Beet]

This is stupid. Yeah, a lot of us liberal Dems supported Hillary. That means nothing when it comes to the fact that these consultants and big wigs feel threatened by Ellison. It's not us standing in the way of Ellison. No one's saying it is. It's them.

[Beet]

9 mayors endorse Buttigieg:

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2017/02/20/politics/pete-buttigieg-dnc-mayor-endorsements/index.html

[Beet]

I didn't see any sexism coming from the Bernie campaign, and the idea that Bernie himself was sexist is laughable. (If you want to see a sexist, only look at the Oval Office today.) Bernie probably went too easy on Hillary by passing up avenues of attack on her over her e-mails and other character questions.

[Beet]

I didn't see any sexism coming from the Bernie campaign, and the idea that Bernie himself was sexist is laughable. (If you want to see a sexist, only look at the Oval Office today.) Bernie probably went too easy on Hillary by passing up avenues of attack on her over her e-mails and other character questions.

Yet he continued to attack her well after victory was all but impossible further poisoning the well with a large chunk of the left.

Maybe, but that's because she was on the wrong side of fundamental questions the left held dear.

[Beet]

Buttigieg is the best choice. Ellison second.

[Beet]

It's 447 elites that made their chops mostly years ago. Taking this party back for the people is going to take a long time.

[Beet]

This is totally ridiculous. Both of the Establishment wing and the Progressive wing need to realize that calling each other out will not form unity. It prolongs the chaos. We're already a "minority party" nationally and in most states.

Perez winning will definitely not be the end of the world. If you are a Sanders Loyalist, don't let it get to you and not participate in anything of Democrats. Sanders Loyalists are already attempting to take over parties in some places w/o the help of anyone.

The Establishment Wing needs to give space for Progressive Wingers a voice within the party. Admit it. We need something fresh in many states in which the GOP has taken advantage. We need to join forces, grow up, and win elections again.

*Also, the DNC race isn't the most important race right now. It's the federal and statewide races for the next couple of years to worry about.

State legislative races are the most important class of election IMO. Who makes state laws, including determining the power of statewide office holders? State legislatures. Who redistricts? State legislatures. Who decides how a state allocates its electoral votes? State legislatures. Who passes Constitutional amendments? State legislatures. Where do candidates for Governor, Congress, and other statewide and federal office even come from? Often, state legislatures.

[Beet]

Frodo, serious question, do you consider me to be a Bernie bro?