Funny how DNC types refuse to recognize how the Republicans, a minority of voters' party, keep on winning elections. They have played nasty, they lied, they made up attacks on opponents, who they termed the enemy, and pushed hard at racist siren calls so that no matter what befell the candidates for their hypocrisy or corruption, the voters they were preaching to would stay with them. And what this article in the November 2018 Atlantic about the rise of Gingrich and the modern Republican Party does not say, is how, once in power, they undermine access to voting, undermine representation of Democratic Party constituencies, and strengthen the power of their own constituencies. It is why I was so angry with Obama, in the start of his presidency, for not bailing out workers and the poor, and for not pushing union law reform, i.e. "card check."
Unlike Gingrich and his successors, however, all I have wanted from the Democrats is for the Democrats to tell the truth regarding matters of public policy, stand tall for regular people, and promote policies that strengthen harmony and common interests among people across races, ethnicities, religions, etc. As we look back over the past thirty odd years, this was (now) obviously too much to ask. However, the effects of the Sanders campaign in 2015-2016 have given our nation a chance which perhaps will resonate in various parts of the nation in this year's mid-terms and Statehouse elections.
It is in this context that I say I was able to see and meet Tom Perez, Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair, yesterday in my recent hometown of Rio Rancho, NM. Perez spoke in a very fiery, passionate, and policy oriented way for nearly 20 minutes to a very friendly crowd of over 100 Democratic Party activists. As this was a mid morning event, it was largely older folks, but the crowd included older Native Americans and Latinos in addition to white folks. I was happy Perez passionately ticked off policy positions that were BernieCrat New Deal, not neo-liberal Clintonoid.
I was able to go right up to him after he spoke. I quoted back to him his statement how important it is to vote Dem up and down the ticket. I then told him I have been saying the same thing on social media. He replied, "Amen, brother." But, I added, I have also said on social media that, after the election, Democrats have to push back against the Joe Manchins who voted for Kavanaugh (which Perez said to the Rio Rancho crowd was a horrible thing for Republicans to have done, never mentioning Manchin) and push back against the corporate Democrats who control the money in the Democratic Party. I said we progressives should prepare for primarying if they will not back what you, Tom, have been saying right here on matters of public policy. Perez's reaction was to quickly turn away. Smart move, brother. :)
Yesterday afternoon, I mailed back the DNC's mailed survey addressed to me (usually my wife gets these, but this time, for reasons unknown, I did). As always, we sent no money and we put no stamp over the free postage area of the envelope. When the survey asked what the DNC should be doing to support the nation, I wrote, "Stop pissing on progressives" and proceeded to quote David Frum's formulation that Republican leaders fear their base, Democratic leaders hate their base. I then wrote, "You will never get a dime from me because of the way you treat progressives" (I can't remember the exact words already, but that was the paraphrase).
One other thing I'll give Perez, though. Twice, in his talk yesterday, he said the DNC, DSCC, and DCCC have to earn back trust among the party's constituents, and that the recent party reforms, including superdelegate reduction of power, were one step in that direction. There was hard applause among a sizable minority in the room which Perez noted. Perez then said much more needed to be done, but of course he did not say what that would entail. We should never, ever count on Perez, who Obama pushed to run for chair in order to stop a progressive challenger, to do the right thing. However, I know, deep down, Perez is a decent person who knows how horrible the DNC, DSCC, and DCCC have been and remain. Their "mistakes" are always about attacks on progressives, and promoting corporate Democrats in pre-primary "money primaries." This has been a disaster when one recognizes the policies corporate Democrats promote not only do not command the allegiance of the majority of voters in our nation, but dilute the message of Democrats in a time when Republicans stay steadfast with their message.
As I have said, this is a two step process. First, vote out Republicans to take back the nation. Then, protest and primary corporate Democrats who continue to step out of line to take back the Democratic Party. But again, if the Dems are too far in the minority among voters in your State, vote against Republicans now, but start alternative party development thereafter.
