DNC Chair Tom Perez goes to war with state parties

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez launched an attack on his own party’s state organizations Saturday with a long and angry email over the future of the party’s most valuable asset — its voter data file.

Just days before an important Tuesday meeting in D.C. on the future of the data operation, Perez sharply criticized a new proposal from state party leaders and singled out prominent state officials by name.

“For some inexplicable reason, this proposal would tear down just about everything about our current data structure, reversing so much of the progress we made over the past decade,” Perez wrote.

The national chairman, describing his own reaction to the state proposal as “disappointed” and “dumbfounded,” accused the president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, Minnesota’s Ken Martin, of undermining the DNC by not keeping other state party officials “in the loop,” prompting withering criticism of Perez from state party leaders.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/16/democrats-perez-state-parties-1066665

[Honeycombe8]

1. The last thing we need is a fight within the party. Geez.

You can't even hand someone a win on a platter, without them going out of their way to destroy their advantage.

Take it inside, guys. Don't fight in public.

[BadGimp]

2. now children, play nice please...

[ancianita]

3. Why don't the rest of us Dems know what this proposal is, or what this is really about.

It's "new," and it "would tear down just about everything about our current data structure, reversing... progress ...over the past decade..."

Why don't these leaders give members a chance to weigh in on the proposal.

Isn't this supposed to be a democratic process?

Is it really supposed to be that secret?

Is it fear of opposition spin about the party?

[LiberalFighter]

7. It is democratic process when you vote for your county chair and vice chair

who vote for your district chair and vice chair that vote for your state party chair and vice chair. And you vote for your DNC member directly or indirectly depending on the state you live in. Take the issue to any of them.

[Honeycombe8]

8. Is that it? Or is it the voter data files that the states have on those who voted in elections....

With names, addresses, phone numbers, maybe voting histories. This is what Trump wanted to create a national voter database.

I think the DNC would use such things for strategy and farming for donations to the DNC?

You sure that isn't it? It says "voter data files." You can actually buy those in some states.

[JackRiddler]

14. It can't be democratic if it's not transparent.

If the issues that matter are not even discussed in public and representatives don't take clear stands on thse, then it doesn't matter than one can vote for a representative who votes for a representative who votes for a representative, etc.

[LiberalFighter]

18. The DNC is not a govt or public entity.

Nor are the state parties. Your voice, if any, is at the local level when meetings are held.

[JackRiddler]

19. Yet it has the rights and privileges of one without the obligations.

Primary elections run by DNC rules or by state party rules as to ballot access and who can vote are funded by state governments.

My voice has many ways to express itself, and may not agree with the limits or rules a basically self-appointed club wishes to impose upon it. Political struggles happen everywhere and in many and unpredictable ways, and not only at those privileged times when a club decides to hold its quasi-public meeting "at the local level" (whatever that means).

Also, you are contradicting your earlier statement about how wonderfully democratic these bodies are.

[LiberalFighter]

20. No I didn't.

They are democratic within the organization itself. That is all that needs to happen. They get to decide the rules they operate under. No different from the Optimist Club, Chamber, or others. State governments don't get to decide how state or local parties operate. They are not public organizations subject to open door govt rules. They are not required to post in the media or elsewhere when and where meetings are held. They are not required to open meetings to the general public. But they do notify their members as it should be.

Local or state parties don't get to decide how elections are conducted except in caucus states. Otherwise, the state determines the dates, eligibility requirements and anything else pertaining to primary elections. The DNC or other Democratic entities do not decide who can or cannot vote.

The DNC and it subordinate entities are democratic pertaining to their own operations that they control. And the only ones eligible to vote are those elected to their position that starts out with the precinct committee people at the county level.

In states that have primaries, the local and state parties have relinquished part of their authority in the conduct of the elections. They don't get to blackball anyone from being on the ballot behind closed doors. They don't get to decide the ballot order candidates will have their name displayed. They don't get to assessed filing fees that go into their treasury. They don't get to change the rules in how the election will be conducted.

[George II]

4. Looks like Politico just trying to stir up "Democrats in disarray"...

...making this a bigger story than it is.

[bitterross]

5. I read the article. This is a VERY important issue.

Under no circumstances would I want the database to be a for-profit database controlled by the DNC. I don't trust any national organization to have the states' best interests in mind - ever.

If I were one of the state committee leaders I'd be screaming "NO" too!

[kst]

6. "for-profit"?

Where does the idea that this is a "for-profit" database come from?

[bitterross]

10. From the article if you bother to read it thoroughly.

Read the article and you'll see paragraph 6:

The DNC wants to gather all the data points on voters into a new, massive for-profit database but needs to convince state parties on the idea. The state parties have been wary, accusing the DNC of conducting a power grab that could financially benefit a few elite party figures.

[Gothmog]

9. From Marc Elias

Link to tweet

[Just a Weirdo]

11. Perez has gotta go.

I've never liked the pick for the head of DNC.

[phleshdef]

12. Yea lets kick him out after he just oversaw our largest house victory since Watergate.

[GulfCoast66]

15. He just orchestrated our largest victory in 40 year...

So kick him to the curb?

Don’t fall for these hit articles.

[rpannier]

16. Because?

I would like to know your rationale

[phleshdef]

13. This is politico blowing the issue our of proportion.

Also, Tom Perez has been extremely effective.

[deurbano]

17. Effective, competent... and he has been nice to my daughter, so that seals it.

I'm shallow that way.

[Eric J in MN]

21. I trust DFL Chair Ken Martin more than Tom Perez. NT

NT