Two headlines today show growing evidence that the DNC-- the Democratic National Committee is not democratic, and not a committee. It is a authoritarian fiefdom being run by Hillary insiders, headed by serial liar Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.
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Democratic National Committeewoman says her party is 'clearing a path' for Hillary Clinton
The Democratic party has long been a sham when it comes to grassroots determination of candidates. Super-delegates, ie., current and former US senators, a handful of of governors and leaders in the house have historically played a huge roll in choosing who the people get to vote for. Big players have historically included Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, the current head of the DNC, and Bill and Hillary Clinton. This perversely top-down, anti-democratic approach to party politics has enabled the party's slide to the right, towards DLC (Democratic Leadership Council) policy and positions and candidates who are hard to differentiate from centrist Republicans.
The new revelations of DNC chair Wasserman-Schultz's outright lies and the DNC insiders' conspiracy to make Hillary the Democratic presidential candidate should lead to a call for Wasserman-Schultz to be replaced as DNC chair. If the Democratic party wants to attract new voters it must show it is a bottom-up, Democratic organization which allows voters, not a handful of millionaire lifetime politicians to decide.
The outcry for Wasserman-Schultz's removal should start with Sanders, Webb, Chaffee and O'Malley, followed by the congressional progressive caucus, which has been very ill-served by the too-down, Democratic power-brokers.
Progressive organizations should band together on this call to remove Wasserman-Schultz and replace her with someone who will not engage in rigging the election. I'm not saying this job search will be an easy one. It really cuts to the core of the battle that is being explicated by the competition between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton-- between populist support for the middle class and neoliberal support for corporations, veiled as liberalism.
Last night I was surprised to hear from a 32 year old who voted for Obama twice, that he would not vote for Hillary if she beat Bernie Sanders. I'm certainly in the same boat and so are a lot of people I've spoken to. The Democratic party is making a BIG mistake if it thinks that Bernie Sanders' supporters will vote Democratic, let alone work to get out the vote and promote Hillary. It ain't happenin.
Moveon.org, RootsAction, PDA (Progressive Democrats of America)-- get to work. Readers, the next you get an email blast from these and similar orgs, write to them and tell them they should be mounting a campaign, and pronto, telling the Democratic party to replace Wasserman-Schultz. I have my doubts that DFA-- the org started with Dean supporters, run by Howard Dean's brother, will get on board, since Dean is a Hillary supporter (in my mind showing that Dean is no progressive and never was. I don't think he'd claim to be one, which makes him a lot more honest than Hillary, who is anything but progressive.)
What do you think. Is the DNC still credible as a democratic organization with Wasserman-Schultz as its leader? Should she be replaced?
Please vote in this poll
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