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

[Maxwell]

Kander has genuine talent; he's not the usual useless red state blue dog like Landeriu (however you spell it) or Nelson; he's got genuine talent (and outperformed Hillary much more so than every other losing Senate Dem)

People are making a big mistake with this; as much as it's about electing a vision we need someone who is competent. Running the DNC requires skills that otherwise great politicians lack- hence why every DNC chair is hated by their own party.

We need someone like Rahm Emmanuel  

One of the reasons Sanders was so successful in Illinois was because he tied Clinton to Emmanuel and tied himself to anti-Emmanuel forces.

[Maxwell]

Howard Dean was who was needed in 2005-2009. He's since lost touch with what is necessary. I think Ellison is the choice for what Democrats need to do from 2017-2021.

[Maxwell]

Being divided as all HELL didn't hurt the GOP in 2010.

[Maxwell]

Regardless of how relevant the role of DNC Chair is, I think it's a bad sign for the party to continue to protect every single role top to bottom for their own favored talent instead of letting newer voices into the process. I like Tom Perez truthfully, he seems like a good guy with policy smarts and behind the scenes skills. But like it or not, the DNC Chairmanship is a public role with implications on how someone approaches the job, and I think the Perez Chairmanship wouldn't be much of a change from the years of Wasserman Schultz or Brazile, where the Democrats plunged for the pockets of Corporate America to really no avail. There needs to be some sort of change where Democrats cut off reliance on Corporate America and push for a more grassroots, individually funded approach, and a strategy that reflects that shift in terms of which races to target. I've cooled on Ellison a little bit but I think he's still my guy for that reason.

[Maxwell]

The current party leadership has signaled that they do not want to hand over the reigns to anyone who isn't dyed in the DLC wool. There needs to be healthy discussion within the party that ultimately leads in some changes, not just continuing of the same DLC people in charge.

I don't even disagree with the idea that compromise sometimes needs to happen, but I think the leadership style that we've been using has not been working, where we are so eager for compromise that we begin with an already compromised vision to the other party that has absolutely no interest in negotiation. I mean, there is the real potential that everything that we did in 8 years under Obama is going to get repealed in 4 years under Donald Trump.

It's a critical time in the party because it's a critical time for the party to re-arrange. Obviously we aren't going to shake everyone out of the party but the fact is when something doesn't work you figure out what's wrong and you change it.

[Maxwell]

there aren't enough sweating baldy nate silver pics for that.

[Maxwell]

This is pretty damning - it shows that the dnc did nothing wrong in 2016 in terms of strategy and organizing - what a disaster.

[Maxwell]

If Perez is nominated for DNC chair, it's pretty obvious that any real change in the Democratic Party is going to have to come up from the bottom-up, not starting at the national level.

This is honestly sad, though. Instead of realizing where the real energy is and trying to capture that, the DNC would rather sink their heels in further and clutch on to the same ideas that have failed them the last 20 years.

that may be a good thing, if it comes down to it. Democrats need to be re-built from the bottom-up, and one way to do that is to stop putting faith in national contenders to do their job.

[Maxwell]

For the record, Buckley would probably be my first preference, with Ellison in second, Buttigieg in third, and Perez in fourth. The rest are embarrassing clowns who have no business running for dog catcher.

[Maxwell]

WaPo: 2-man race. Harrison and Buckley have at least double-digit support, Buttigieg has won good reviews & is a popular 2nd-tier choice but is not in serious contention.

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Sounds like both may be inclined to support Ellison.

Harrison is also the ex-Dem chairman for South Carolina, the Dem party that nominated Alvin Greene for Senate, so Harrison is a joke. Buckley is awesome though and has done a good job in New Hampshire.

[Maxwell]

It's only smart if Buckley has any actual support.

Tangential: Tim Ryan just endorsed Jaime Harrison for DNC Chair on his Facebook. Which seems odd.

smh, talk about throwing your potential newfound influence in the trash.

[Maxwell]

While I agree it's disappointing that it looks like Ellison or Buttigieg won't win, I think people are overrating the actual power the DNC head has.

Why now, does everyone care about a position that has meant very little in the past? Why place more meaning into this then there needs to be? Everyone is just going to end up being disappointed when the essences of the party establishment chooses the establishment candidate. If the Sanders wing is the future, they will take over the party in due time anyway.

Ask yourself this: If you were happy with DWS as DNC chair, and wanted her policies to continue, who would you be supporting?

No one was happy with DWS or her policies after the midterms.

but they kept her at the helm until it was literally unsustainable.

few humans approved of DWS, but it seems like the Democrats were willing to keep her on until she made the leave herself.

[Maxwell]

Does anyone else have an irrational hatred for Jaime Harrison, or is it just me?

nah i hate him too.

[Maxwell]

It's not a big deal, but disappointing nevertheless.

[Maxwell]

https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/835594031870664704


this becomes a commong thing now, i guess....remember when WL used to be about transparency and not politics?

Honestly, I say bring it on Julian.

We need to defeat the Democratic elites before we can take on the Republican ones.

This is still Hillary party: they all live in a bloody bubble.

Perez was almost entirely the Obama choice, the Clinton crowd was divided between Ellison and Perez.

[Maxwell]

if only we had Buckley-mentum.

[Maxwell]

I hate to be the "come on, let's give him a chance" guy, but... come on, folks. Perez isn't some centrist corporatist hack. He might prove to be an effective, progressive leader. If he ends up being as tone-deaf as people like DWS, I'll be there to call him out on it.

that's my hope. I'm not optimistic, but I think Perez will at least be better than DWS. Not saying much, but it is what it is.

[Maxwell]

In more DNC news, Ex Mayor of Baltimore Stephanie Rawlings-Blake faced embarassing defeat for re-election to DNC Secretary to Jason Rae (who??).