I'm beyond the silliness of "establishment" arguments. Let's remember..

[JHan]

The lesson of 2016 should be the importance of Unity. Regardless of who wins the DNC chair - I honestly don't give a squirrel's ass who wins - should be supported.

21stCentury brings with it challenges- and I care because I'm a millennial. Solutions to dealing with these challenges are baked in Democratic policy.

Manufacturing jobs were a big concern during the election but they began to wane in the 70's and started to reach crisis levels in the 80's. Wages were no longer in sync with productivity gains. Worse yet, businesses/corporations obsessed with short term profit were only too eager to throw workers under the bus and lay them off whenever there was a whiff of economic turmoil.

Now we're approaching the age of automation, and it won't be stopped. Trump thinks unlimited drilling will bring back jobs, however while Oil production is on the rise, jobs in this industry have dwindled... and why? Because drilling rigs are fast becoming robotized and operated by someone with a computer so there are fewer opportunities for field hands. Trump's proposed tax cuts won't be a respite either because whatever increased profits businesses gain will likely be spent towards automation, mechanization and computerization of their businesses or they'll simply share these profits in dividends to shareholders.

Trump claimed he won't touch Medicare, yet he appointed Tom Price and Mick Mulvaney: two extremists who have different ideas.

Democrats, on the other hand, understand the need to push for higher wages, ensure a secure safety net, shifting to renewable technologies and the importance of a social dividend. As middle class jobs and even service jobs become threatened, it will be Democrats who have the right vision to steady us in uncertain times.

So I am beyond the silliness of who is establishment and who is not, once party leadership grasp the importance of these things and messaging our solutions to constituents we have a fighting chance because we have the better policies.

[Wounded Bear]

1. Yeah, wailing about the evils of the "establishment" just divides us....

Regardless of how long someone has been on the job, we need to vote for and support those folks who support those Democratic values you described.

There is a lot of value in experience, and a lot of value in new ideas. What Trump offers is new people doing the same old Repub crap of tax cuts for the wealthy and slashing the social safety net while pushing Christo-facist restrictions on people that "make them uncomfortable."

I agree about the DNC. IMHO it is much ado about not much. As long as they work to expand our base into red districts and work to flip some of those, I'm down with it. Pushing Dems in the local/state races is also key.

[JHan]

4. Yes, and that's all I care about.. what's their strategy to get us gains in Congress.

And it seems all of them are on the same page.

The funny thing is the only person who said she'd get rid of the things people fussed about last year - super delegates and caucuses - is Jehmu Greene, yet she never features in the anti-establishment rants.

[Wounded Bear]

5. I don't have a problem with the super delegates, actually...

I do think they should not declare until a few weeks before the convention at most, though. That little gaffe led to a lot of bad publicity for the Dems last cycle.

I kind of like that there is a buffer that would keep a Trump-like candidate at bay for Dems, but they shouldn't declare until later in the primaries. At least make a rule that super-delegates don't commit until their home state primary, and should not declare publicly, either.

[JHan]

8. I don't have a problem with it either for the most part..

There are persuasive arguments for and against it,and also caucuses. I'm just surprised (though I shouldn't be) that it's Ellison, not Greene, who is the great anti-establishment candidate for some.

[pnwmom]

2. Trump is also against the "establishment" -- meaning any of the

systems in our country, including the Courts, the legislature, and the media, that are meant to prevent a demagogue like him from taking over.

Unfortunately, because of our rigged Electoral College, our establishment wasn't able to stop DT.

[JHan]

3. +++ that's the thing... many don't unpack what "anti establishment" means..

so it means whatever to whoever, depending on gripes.

[Wounded Bear]

7. In many ways, it's a dog whistle...

there are a lot of those RW memes, and memes that have been co-opted by them, that can have several meanings and they exploit that ambiguity for their partisan purposes.

[JHan]

9. Yep, anti-establishment arguments suit anti-government narratives.

[lapucelle]

6. +1000