Dems hoping to lead DNC square off in Denver Friday

[brooklynite]

Source: Denver Post

Four Democrats who hope to lead their national party through a time of diminished power will face off Friday at a forum in Denver.

The Future of the Party Forum comes as the race for chairman of the Democratic National Committee has emerged as a proxy battle for the direction of the party with President-elect Donald Trump preparing to enter the White House and Republicans retaining control of both chambers of Congress.

The hopefuls planning to participate Friday include Ray Buckley, the chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party; Howard Dean, a former governor of Vermont; Keith Ellison, a Minnesota congressman; and Jaime Harrison, the chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party.

Several others are also eyeing the race, including Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, who earlier this week laid out her vision of where the DNC should head in a Medium post. The proposals from Hogue, who has yet to declare her candidacy, include re-examining the electoral college, in which Trump prevailed despite losing the popular vote to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/2016/11/30/dems-hoping-to-lead-dnc-square-off-in-denver-friday/

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Forum is being hosted by the Association of State Democratic Chairs. Checking a source to see if they'll be streaming this.

[TuslaUltra]

1. Moment of truth. I hope they examine the implications of a man like

Keith Ellison leading them.

[question everything]

8. What bothers me is that when "they" - whoever "they" are -

talk about Ellison, the first description is "Muslim" the second "black."

If chosen, it should be for his qualifications. Enough with the identity politics. Go back to Obama's keynote address in 2004: there is not white America or Black America. These is one America.

[wordpix]

10. Dean has a good argument for himself over Ellison: Ellison has a job already

Dean doesn't. He said that being head of the DNC is a big job and how can Ellison do two big jobs well?

That's a good point.

[RKP5637]

2. K&R!!! n/t

[Loki]

3. We need/demand that the next DNC Chair be a full-time chair.

We can afford no less than someone who is able and available to commit their full attention to the road and challenges ahead.

[rtracey]

4. then

Then that counts out anyone who hold public office or private office, or even another job. Not likely

[brooklynite]

5. Actually, a full-time Chair is party of the DNC bylaws.

[geek tragedy]

7. which, unfortunately, were ignored during the Obama administration.

The two DNC chairs (other than a brief interregnum with Brazile) being Tim Kaine and DWS.

[brooklynite]

6. UPDATE: possible new DNC candidates

The field in the race for chairman of the Democratic National Committee might not be set, and two more names are being talked about as possible candidates. We’re hearing credible chatter at high levels that Labor Secretary Tom Perez is leaning toward getting in. Another pol expressing interest: Phil Angelides, the former California state Treasurer and the 2006 Democratic nominee for California governor (He lost to Arnold). Peres got more serious when Joe Biden announced he would not get in.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2016/12/02/daily-202-at-acrimonious-post-election-conference-trump-and-clinton-strategists-agree-only-on-anger-at-the-media-even-then-not-really/5840423ce9b69b7e58e45f24/?utm_term=.b4890d26739a&wpisrc=nl_daily202&wpmm=1

[Retrograde]

11. Angelides? The guy who didn't bother to campaign

when he ran for governor of California? The Democrats swept all other state wide offices that year -including lieutenant governor (we elect them separately, and often from a different party than the governor). We even got that sleazeball Pombo kicked out of Congress. But Angelides decided to keep a low profile - and lost.

No, we need someone who knows how to campaign and who knows how to recognize potential good campaigners. I'm leaning towards Reid, with an assist from Ellison or someone else from the MidWest.

[yurbud]

9. if Howard Dean would swear off of lobbying for life, he would be a good choice.

[brooklynite]

12. UPDATE: Howard Dean has dropped out of the contest. Not endorsing anyone else.