The DNC isn't enough: Democrats demand more leadership changes

[DonViejo]

Now that the party has a new chairman, restless activists are turning their focus toward the Capitol Hill leadership team.

By GABRIEL DEBENEDETTI and EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE 02/27/17 05:07 AM EST

ATLANTA — The race for the Democratic National Committee leadership is over, resolved with a Tom Perez chairmanship and a deputy role for Keith Ellison that momentarily quelled even the angriest Bernie Sanders-wing protesters in the room.

Now restless activists are eager to shake up the rest of the party’s leadership.

The party-officer elections here over the weekend turned into a mini-convention of up-and-coming politicians, activists, and operatives straining to envision the opening days of Donald Trump’s administration and Republican domination of Washington as a moment of Democratic revitalization, not reason to sink further into the party’s roiling existential crisis.

Quietly — and pointedly refusing to attach their names to the musings — they talk about starting to look past the all over-70-years-old leadership team of Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and Jim Clyburn in the House of Representatives. Some hope, wistfully, the three will step aside before the 2018 midterms to help send a message and generate new ideas. And as much as they like the idea of Chuck Schumer’s expanded Senate leadership team, they can’t help noticing how few of the body’s younger rising stars are included. They’re tired of Capitol Hill denizens staking their claim as the only leaders in the party, particularly as Trump’s political upheaval continues to echo throughout their ranks.

“We have to prepare a farm team within Congress, in our states, in local races. I don’t know when we became the party only of people who have been there for decades,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the 46-year-old running for re-election who flew here to help nominate Perez and two other officer candidates. “We have to be aware of the energy that is all around us right now, not just on Facebook, but on our streets."

more
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/democrats-trump-leadership-perez-ellison-235423

[bravenak]

1. I can agree with this. We have certain people who have been in the House and Senate for thirty

years, who somehow think they are the 'future' of the democratic party. I have always disagreed with the idea that a septugenarian career politician will be the face of the future, or ensure that my generation, the Millennials, get out to vote.

[msongs]

3. your generation "the Millenials" has the lowest vote turnout and want to be rewarded for that?

to be fair the under - 30's are always the lowest turnout crowd, even back in the nixon era

[bravenak]

16. I turn out

[StevieM]

18. But are you a millenlial? In any event, to be fair to millennials, it isn't exactly new to have

a situation where younger voters have lower turnout.

And I suspect that in 2020 we will set a new record for voter turnout among voters of all age groups. I think Trump will do such a bad job that people will flock to the polls in historic numbers.

[bravenak]

19. Yes. But i am black and female

I have to turn out.

[StevieM]

20. The media has been lying about the minority vote on election day.

They continue to claim that Trump did better than Romney with Latinos, citing the debunked exit polls. In reality, it was more like 79/18. The precinct-by-precinct date makes that clear, as does this article.

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-92304395/

Seriously, how do they think she did better than Obama in California, Texas and Arizona, even while doing worse nationally?

It's true that HRC got a lower turnout among African-Americans than Obama did. But she got a higher turnout than John Kerry, even while overall voter turnout was down.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. They also have experience and know how DC operates too.

Wisdom and experience count for something too. Millennials may be eager to do things their way but slashing and burning the whole forest and throwing out everybody and everything all at one time seems like it could be a recipe for further disaster. If Millennials want to change things, they need to GOTV and/or run themselves instead of just sitting on the sidelines griping and complaining and waiting for Democratic politicians to provide us all with that "magic moment" of inspiration to GOTV. Geez. Republican voters don't sit around and moan and complain as much as we do. They GOTV and win elections even if they're unhappy with the people they elected- or they go out and primary them if they're seriously unhappy with them. But the point is, they vote.

[Blue_true]

12. They could as easily act as experienced advisers to other people.

Some of the greatest "leaders" in history were advisors and confidantes to the people that made change.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. But that still doesn't mean that we throw them out

It's not anybody's responsibility other than the voters whom put them there to tell them to leave. If new leadership is desired, you get on the phones and tell your Congressman (or woman) to vote for new leadership. We've already had that election as well and Pelosi was maintained.

[bravenak]

17. I did not say 'throw them out' just that i don't see them as 'the future' of the party

Certainly not my future, i'm in my thirties and want leadership I can not only learn from, but also reasonably expect them to be around fighting twenty years from now. I actually wish more genxers would get time and attention and we're seeing that. Buttigieg is my age and we can learn alot from him. I want more leaders like that to get a chance.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

21. Buttigieg may eventually have his chance

This wasn't the last DNC chair election and he's young. Actually, he has some real potential for running for Congress or Governor of Indiana IMHO. Now just wasn't his moment to be DNC chair, which isn't surprising since very few know of him. Didn't even know about him myself and I live in Indiana

[Jamaal510]

15. +1

[randome]

2. Definitely behind this. Out with the old and in with the new.

Some perspectives simply can't exist no matter how much is claimed otherwise. For instance, I can't possibly understand what it's like to be a woman because those are shoes I will never walk in. Same with the septuagenarians trying to represent the Millennials. In rare cases it might be possible but it isn't likely.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]

[Me.]

5. Let's Not Forget That Those 'Denizens' Have Been Elected To THeir POsitions

by voters who want them as their reps. And some of this is just silly as none of the three specifically mentioned are going to retire before '18. New blood certainly but not by kicking expertise and experience to the curb. The focus...should be getting all Dems to vote, it's called civic responsibility. And yes I know there will be an argument that we have to woo and win them over. How about the best argument being their own best interests which right now are being trampled.

[Act_of_Reparation]

7. Just a quick reminder:

The GOP controls the House. The GOP controls the Senate. The GOP controls the White House. The GOP controls the Supreme Court. The GOP fully or partially controls about 80% of state governments.

Expertise and experience are wonderful... if that expertise and experience produce electoral results. Since around 2009 or so, it has not.

How about the best argument being their own best interests which right now are being trampled.

However wonderful that argument may look on paper, it clearly doesn't work. We can whine about how stupid/illogical/shortsighted people are, as if expecting them to change, or we can try using arguments that work on stupid/illogical/shortsighted people.

[Me.]

8. I Don't Think Anyone On This Forum Needs Reminding

But thanks anyway. As for my argument about self interest, if that doesn't get people to change nothing will. This is a matter of personal responsibility and ageism is a distraction.

[Act_of_Reparation]

9. I can think of a few.

The fundamental argument we've been having since late 2015 or so is whether or not liberals need a fresh political strategy. However amazing I might find it, there are some who, undeterred by immense electoral losses suffered since 2009 or so, feel we should be doing more or less the same thing we've been doing.

As for my argument about self interest, if that doesn't get people to change nothing will.

If people can be convinced through irrational means to vote against their self-interest, then it stands to reason they can be convinced through irrational means to vote in their self-interest, does it not?

This is a matter of personal responsibility

I've heard rhetoric like that before, but rarely on this side of the aisle.

ageism is a distraction

Racism, sexism, anti-Semitism... these words describe the relationship between a powerful class and a suspect class. Are you really making the case that in this particular situation, some of the most powerful people on the planet are disadvantaged by a bunch of underemployed thirty-somethings?

[Me.]

10. Clearly, You & I Aren't Going To Agree

We’ll just have to see what we see as time moves on. As for me, I agree with Governor Inslee…

“As the chairman-elect of the Democratic Governors Association, Inslee will quarterback his party’s efforts in next year’s gubernatorial contests. To say he’s bullish would be an understatement. “Democrats are going to crawl across broken glass on their knees to go vote in 2018, if the conditions exist as they do today,” Inslee said during an interview yesterday afternoon at the J.W. Marriott”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2017/02/27/daily-202-democrats-predict-anti-trump-tsunami-in-2018-governor-s-races/58b3869fe9b69b1406c75cf6/?utm_term=.c00c68000a99&wpisrc=nl_daily202&wpmm=1

Of course, he’s older, so maybe his point of view isn’t worth much.

[Bettie]

6. It doesn't have to be all or nothing

We need a few younger people in leadership as well as the long-timers.

I mean, even a 40-50 individual generally has a very different outlook than a 70+ person, the 30-40's have a different outlook than the 20-30's. Having the entire leadership be the "old guard" isn't necessarily good, but having none of them be that would also not necessarily good. A little balance goes a long way.

[brooklynite]

11. I had breakfast with Pelosi today, and she's not leaving...

Personally, I don't think the issue is age as much as activity. Too many Democrats in safe seats are reliable votes, but don't add anything to either the policy development or the debate side.

[Rex]

13. Good, change is inevitable.

I can understand the old guard not wanting to move out of the way, the ones they replaced did the same thing etc.. the way it is.

Progress refuses to stand still. I am elated at these new changes and cannot wait to see what comes next!