cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22077561
“I’m not interested in anyone who is moving further away from the center,” said Cindy Bass, a Pennsylvania committee member from Philadelphia. “The center is where we have to be.”
They’re not going to change a thing unless people make them.
Find your local state delegate and personally tell them how you feel a centrist is only going to guarantee another Republican victory. They are listed here: https://ballotpedia.org/Democratic_National_Committee
Bernie Sanders is working behind the scenes to get a progressive in there but he can’t do it alone.
Here’s what I wrote to my delegate’s office:
I am writing to you because I am worried about the upcoming DNC chair elections, and I’m attempting to reach my local delegate. A recent piece in Politico seemed to suggest that many in the party believe that the takeaway from the 2024 election is that the party moved too far to the left, and that it became too involved in identity politics. As Joseph Paolino Jr., the DNC committeeman for Rhode Island, put it, “The progressive wing of the party has to recognize — we all have to recognize — the country’s not progressive, and not to the far left or the far right. They’re in the middle."
Of course, the idea that the Democratic Party has gone too far left is absurd. This is the party that passed NAFTA. This is the party that ended Glass-Steagall. This is the party that added work requirements to Welfare. This is the party that prioritizesd banks over homeowners during the subprime mortgage crisis. This is the party that adopted and passed the Heritage Foundation’s healthcare plan. On paper, this is a center-right party.
However, I believe it is true that this party has focused too much on identity politics, and we need to place that blame where it squarely belongs: on the center. It was centrist Democrats who, in the absence of any coherent economic message, increasingly adopted the language of identity politics. It was the center who used identity politics as a cudgel, not only against their right-wing opponents, but also those on the left who questioned the party’s priorities. It was Hillary Clinton (who no serious person would describe as, “far-left”) who said:
"If we broke up the big banks tomorrow…would that end racism? Would that end sexism? Would that end discrimination against the LGBT community? Would that make people feel more welcoming to immigrants overnight?”
If the party were to decide that it was going to spend less time on identity politics and more time on a serious progressive platform, that would make sense. Polling indicates that many progressive policies, even those considered, “far-left,” like higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy, a higher minimum wage, Medicare for All, and even Universal Basic Income, all command widespread support from across the electorate. They are certainly more popular than the crypto-based, “economic opportunity,” platform pitched by Mark Cuban this year.
However, based on what I have read from Politico, it does not seem like the party is interested in a progressive economic message. It seems that many in the party are simply concerned with abandoning the aspects of identity politics that they believe are unpopular. One Florida member made some offensive and thinly veiled attacks on the trans community, saying that he didn’t want to be a member of the, “freak show party.” It appears that, instead of reflecting on how the Democrats’ centrist economic policies have failed the working class, many members would like to abandon vulnerable members of the party that they believe are no longer politically useful.
The Democrats don’t need to start jettisoning demographic groups, they need a progressive platform that can bring the party together. They need to move to the left economically, not to the right socially. However, if the party does decide to stop protecting the most vulnerable Americans in the interest of being more, “centerist,” there is an upside; voters will finally be able to abandon the Democratic Party without harming marginalized groups.
That’s funny that you believe that your voice will be heard if you’re not amongst the donor class. They only answered the money, something none of us have.
As they begin to dissect their collapse in the presidential election, some Democratic National Committee members are concluding that the party is too “woke,” too focused on identity politics and too out of touch with broad stretches of America.
From the bottom of my heart, fuck these people. They’ve moved so far towards neoliberal policy positions that they no longer have an economic message to give their working-class base. In the absence of a coherent economic vision for the party, they keep doubling down on, “identity politics,” to keep the the Obama Coalition happy; they have nothing to unify their base, so their only option is to take up any position that is important to the demographic groups that make up the party. Now that this strategy has been thoroughly and decisively defeated, their reaction isn’t to return to the progressive economic policies that won them these groups in the first place, but instead to figure which minorities are, “unpopular,” so they can abandon them. What a bunch of stupid, shortsighted cowards.
Respectfully, when you wrote
They’ve moved so far towards neoliberal policy positions that they no longer have an economic message to give their working-class base. In the absence of a coherent economic vision for the party, they keep doubling down on, “identity politics,”
It seems like you agree with
some Democratic National Committee members are concluding that the party is too “woke,” too focused on identity politics and too out of touch with broad stretches of America
I also think that if the Dems want to win, they need to simplify their platform and messaging to focus on what will help working-class people the most. I agree that abandoning people is not the answer, but the messaging and focus needs to be more universal.
You’re right, but the nuance you’re discussing is not what’s being discussed here. Listen to this bit:
“The progressive wing of the party has to recognize — we all have to recognize — the country’s not progressive, and not to the far left or the far right. They’re in the middle,” said Joseph Paolino Jr., DNC committeeman for Rhode Island. “I’m going to look for a chair who’s going to be talking to the center and who’s going to be for the guy who drives a truck back home at the end of the day.”
Or as one DNC member from Florida put it: “I don’t want to be the freak show party, like they have branded us. You know, when you’re a mom with three kids, and you live in middle America and you’re just not really into politics, and you see these ads that scare the bejesus out of you, you’re like, ‘I know Trump’s weird or whatever, but I would rather his weirdness that doesn’t affect my kids.’”
These speakers aren’t distinguishing between socially left and economically left, and reading between the lines, it is very clear that the member from Florida is talking about dropping support for trans people (in a thinly veiled and very offensive way, I might add). They lost the working class because they don’t have a working class message, but they’re blaming the social policies for their loss.
There is an argument to be made that the way they are approaching socially progressive issues is hurting them. Kamala Harris telling the ACLU that she supports transition surgery for migrant detainees painted a very large target on her back for a policy that would have effected a very, very small number of people. That probably should have been a, “pick your battles,” moment for her.
If the argument was, “We’re not going to focus on trans people in sports for now, because a lot of people still don’t support that, but we’re going to talk about how Medicare for All helps everyone, and we’ll make sure that gender affirming care is covered,” OK, there’s a case to be made for that. But what they’re actually saying is, “Well, the economic policy is set by the donors, so there’s nothing we can do about that, but the trans stuff seems to be costing us more votes than it’s winning us, let’s drop that.” They’re trying to jettison the progressive groups they think aren’t helping them instead of building an agenda for progressives to rally behind.
If we don’t have a state delegate should we just pick the closest state?
If you’re a US citizen living abroad, there’s the Democrats Abroad party chair to reach out to, there are also various US territory chairs too (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, DC, etc.)
You can vote for whomever you wish but they will continue to serve the rich donor class, as usual.
Lol
Side note: what happened to all the 3rd party chuds after the election? I guess they’re all just going to sit on their hands and do fuck all until 4 years from now when they need to heroically arrive on the scene and convince everybody to toss away their vote for someone they just heard about because they’re mad at the inevitable Dem centrist pick.
idk man, if the DNC won’t run a progressive, why can’t we get a grassroots movement behind one?
Honestly, I at this point wonder if progressives would be better off running as Republicans. Trump has largely, at least on messaging, distanced himself from a lot of traditional Republican economics. His base doesn’t really care much about traditional Republican policies like tax cuts or even deregulation. It’s mostly just driven by grievance and raw rage against vague elites. Mostly that is directed against cultural elites, but that same movement could be directed against wealth inequality. And the Republican Party has proven itself much more receptive to new ideas than the Democratic Party has. The Republican Party can be taken over by charismatic figures, while wealthy donors and special interest groups largely control the DNC. This isn’t likely to change any time soon. The existing Democratic leadership has more to gain by losing as a centrist than seeing a progressive win and force through change in the DNC.
I say progressives should try running as Republicans. Call yourself a “radical Republican,” hearkening back the historical radical Republicans in the post-Civil War era. Say you were going to stick it to the wealthy, give the little guy a shot, and not do any DEI. Hell, repeatedly hammer the nepotism and social advantages the wealthy have as “wealth DEI.” Rail endlessly against big business and elites. Vow to not appoint anyone who went to an Ivy League school to any position in your administration. Promise not to even talk to a single Wall Street Banker.
Please spread, cross post, share, whatever; wherever you can. People should have input into the democratic policy platform, but they’re so brazen as to say the “center is where we need to be”.
These people, these few hundred people, are a big problem with the democratic party.
We need to take the narrative back from centrists. It can be done by telling the DNC what to do, not the other way around.
Does the article tell us how to cast a vote? I skimmed it and couldn’t find a link to where I could at least send an email.
It’s not like that boat will be tallied or even looked at, If you don’t have millions of bucks to give them, you don’t have a voice in government.
It’s not voted on directly, you are going to want to talk to your state’s party chair to try to convince them vote on the type of chair like you would a congress person on a vote for something. In the body of the post, you can find how to find your state’s party chair
Here’s the table copied over:
State Chair | State Chair Alabama Randy Kelley | Montana Robyn Driscoll Alaska Mike Wenstrup | Nebraska Jane Kleeb American Samoa Patrick Ti’a Reid[15] | Nevada Daniele Monroe-Moreno Arizona Yolanda Bejarano | New Hampshire Raymond Buckley Arkansas Grant Tennille | New Jersey LeRoy J. Jones, Jr. California Rusty Hicks | New Mexico Jessica Velasquez Colorado Shad Murib | New York Jay Jacobs Connecticut Nancy DiNardo | North Carolina Anderson Clayton Delaware Elizabeth D. Maron | North Dakota Adam Goldwyn District of Columbia Charles Wilson | Ohio Liz Walters Florida Nikki Fried | Oklahoma Alicia Andrews Georgia Nikema Williams | Oregon Rosa Colquitt Guam Anthony Babauta[16] | Pennsylvania Sharif Street Hawaii Derek Turbin | Puerto Rico Charles Rodriguez Idaho Lauren Necochea[17] | Rhode Island Liz Beretta-Perik Illinois Elizabeth Hernandez | South Carolina Christale Spain Indiana Mike Schmuhl | South Dakota Shane Merrill Iowa Rita Hart | Tennessee Hendrell Remus Kansas Jeanna Repass | Texas Gilberto Hinojosa Kentucky Colmon Elridge | U.S. Virgin Islands Carol M. Burke[18] Louisiana Randal Gaines | Utah Diane Lewis Maine Bev Uhlenhake | Vermont David Glidden Maryland Ken Ulman | Virginia Susan Swecker Massachusetts Steve Kerrigan | Washington Shasti Conrad Michigan Lavora Barnes | West Virginia Mike Pushkin Minnesota Ken Martin | Wisconsin Ben Wikler Mississippi Cheikh Taylor | Wyoming Joe Barbuto Missouri Russ Carnahan | Democrats Abroad Martha McDevitt-Pugh Can’t find a way to contact CA guy, only a way to give him $
chair@cadem.org or also rusty@cadem.org seemed to be listed on various California Democratic Party documents for him
If anyone else is having any issues finding the contact emails, reply to me with a state and I can try to help you find it!
So uh, why is there an NY representative in the CA seat again? So much for local representation I guess.
They lost the election by running an essentially republican candidate. Fingers crossed for a progressive chair.
Fingers crossed for a progressive chair.
“The best we can do is Debbie Wasserman Schultz.” -DNC
I really wish they would put out a survey for voters. Some way to collect data about what people actually want. Like a huge survey, let every registered dem fill it out.
If they’re talking about running some bland business-as-usual candidate then that’ll lose. People want change.
Based on their track record I have no faith in progress.
Remember when they picked Tom Perez, the croaking geezer, over Kieth Ellison. Your voice won’t be heard because that’s not who they’re listening for.
They’ve already decided who’s taking over, nothing the progressives do will shift the needle.
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory is the Democrat way.
Looked mine up… There’s part off the problem…
Compensation
Base salary $174,000
Net worth (2012) $54,251,531.50
They must never order avocado toast. /s
Frankly more people were excited about Tim Walz then Kamala Harris. Let’s get more MN politicians in there instead of people from the coasts. The focus on getting someone from the Midwest is the only good news I see. We need someone from Minnesota, Wisconsin or Michigan to lead the party from the inside. They might be fully progressive but understand how to organize and message to everyone. They can’t just float by on politics as usual
Yeah get a progressive Minnesotan.
They described him as a moderate in the article but I say we got a progressive agenda here in MN when we had our trifecta.
I was excited qbout Kamala back when she grilled Biden, but then she got tame, and was tampered down by the Biden admin.
Its Biden’s fault.
