In February 2016, the Democratic National Committee ended its ban on donations from federal lobbyists and political action committees – a policy put in place by then-candidate Barack Obama in 2008.
At last, corporate money could flow in unchecked. The Democratic party would have the resources to win up and down the ballot. Right? Wrong.
In fact, the rule change symbolized a deeper disconnect between the Democratic party and the voters it relies upon. Millions of those voters made known their outrage at business as usual via the Bernie Sanders insurgency, to no avail. In November, millions of once-Democratic voters stayed home. The result: a catastrophic electoral rout – despite a hideously despised Republican nominee.
Voters don’t want a Democratic party that smells like corporate influence. For the Democratic party to reclaim its greatness, it must be its best self: the party of the people.
The first step is to clean house. It’s time for a leader like Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Keith Ellison, and for a return to Howard Dean’s winning 50-State Strategy. The inclusive, progressive and populist agenda that emerged from last summer’s Democratic convention was a great one. It’s time to pair it with a surge of investment in on-the-ground organizing and an embrace of candidates who can bring new voters and energy to the party.
That item bore a terse sidebar summary, " Millions of voters made known their outrage at business as usual via the the Bernie Sanders insurgency, to no avail."
It is easy in the abstract to opine, "All that money was no help," where the next cycle the difficulty will be turning it, and its hooks, down. The Clintons found no such difficulty, THEY SIMPLY TOOK THE MONEY, ALL THEY COULD, HAND OVER FIST; but they splattered things big time, so the Inner elitists face the problem, "Don't change, grub the cash with all ties it implies but project the image you are above that," which is the DWS-DNC-Billary ploy (which Bill got away with in the '90s), but which proved a roadmap to major failure this go-round.
The money quote within the larger quote above is:
In fact, the rule change symbolized a deeper disconnect between the Democratic party and the voters it relies upon. Millions of those voters made known their outrage at business as usual via the the Bernie Sanders insurgency, to no avail. In November, millions of once-Democratic voters stayed home. The result: a catastrophic electoral rout – despite a hideously despised Republican nominee.
Note the "Ellison" reference in the final paragraph of the extended quote. "The first step is to clean house. It’s time for a leader like Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Keith Ellison, and for a return to Howard Dean’s winning 50-State Strategy."
If the regulars stymie Ellison's bid, it will be hell to pay. Expect instead Ellison possibly taking top spot, surrounded by stooge-regulars to hold him in check; i.e., more of the same. Unless a real lesson was learned, which is unlikely given human nature with money being the sick political influence drug of choice that oils the gears of grinding erosion of anything like a good life for all but the monied, then without that lesson greed will remain the key motivation of powers behind the throne. And public virtue will remain priced to buy.
CHANGE was a cracker-jack slogan. Now what? The real thing? Get serious. There is still a DWS-like remainder of Dems. There is Joe Biden waiting. The Trump cabinet appointments bode ill, but so far they have been met by all talk and no action from the Dem establishment. Hand wringing without reform will be seen as being as phony as a Trump promise.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz defeating Tim Canova in the one Florida House primary was a decided blow to reform. She did her acts; she's reelected; what message do you think her henchpersons will try to have us infer from that?
INSTEAD: DO IT.
CHANGE.
REPLACE SLOGAN CHANGE WITH HONEST CHANGE.
TRY IT AND LIKE IT, ELLISON INVITES. But can you envision Amy K. honestly and wholly aboard that train? I cannot.
In closing, again, the money quote from the above extended quote is:
In fact, the rule change [of accepting lobbyist money] symbolized a deeper disconnect between the Democratic party and the voters it relies upon. Millions of those voters made known their outrage at business as usual via the the Bernie Sanders insurgency, to no avail. In November, millions of once-Democratic voters stayed home. The result: a catastrophic electoral rout – despite a hideously despised Republican nominee.
If staying home with Trump capturing the spoils which he now is dispensing crassly out of Trump Tower did not register on the spoils seekers of the DNC; then staying home again and again until they wake up and the message gets through may prove necessary; but when eight years of GOP-lite ushered in with slogans of change gave us nothing but Obama dividing spoils, (and Holder sending nary a single Wall Street crook to the slammer being the prototype of the Obama Whitehouse), delivery on the promise never happened and that did not cut it.
Ellison heading DNC would be merely a start. DNC reform up and down and sideways, i.e., CHANGE around Ellison; now that's a story worth living.
We await the 2018 midterm elections to see what's talk vs. action.