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Friends,
During the 2016 Democratic Party Convention, over 4,500 delegates unanimously agreed that the Democratic Party needed a transformation in order to regain its mantle as the party of working people.
Whether you were an independent, unaffiliated, nonpartisan, or registered Democrat many of us experienced obstacles to participation during the 2016 presidential primaries. For too long, the Democratic Party has limited participation in their elections through tactics including closed primaries and incredibly strict party affiliation rules. Through collective organizing and action, the Bernie Sanders 2016 delegates shed light on these roadblocks resulting in the Democratic National Committee’s first-ever Unity Reform Commission (URC).
Our Revolution believes that the change within the Democratic Party must occur from the bottom up. That is why we are advocating to increase participation for new voters, nonpartisan voters, and independent voters to participate in presidential primaries and caucuses.
Larry Cohen, Lucy Flores, Gus Newport, Jane Kleeb, Nomiki Konst, Jeff Weaver, Jim Zogby, and I were appointed by Senator Bernie Sanders to the URC and have been working for months with appointees of Secretary Hillary Clinton and DNC Chair Tom Perez to propose comprehensive Democratic Party reform.
After meetings and debates across the country for almost a year, the URC has presented their final recommendations. Although the Bernie 8 wanted these recommendations to go further, (for instance not just a reduction in superdelegates, but ending superdelegates entirely) these recommendations are a result of a compromise among the entirety of the URC. We believe these recommendations are an important start for us in reclaiming the party of working people.
Among the most important proposed URC reforms are:
- Reducing the number of unpledged superdelegates by 60 percent;
- Democratizing primaries and caucuses with same-day registration and same-day party switching;
- Steps toward more transparency and oversight in DNC spending.
These recommendations are supported by our partners—the National Nurses United, Democracy for America, Progressive Democrats of America, RootsAction, and Demand Progress—along with DNC Chair Tom Perez and Deputy Chair Keith Ellison.
In solidarity,
Nina Turner
President
Our Revolution
...........................................President
Our Revolution
DEV CRABGRASS OPINION:
The settlement terms are set out, all presidential selection caucusing and/or primaries nationwide would be open and not requiring earlier party registration - something the DNC cannot mandate because of local perogative, but which can be declared as a national goal and policy. Berniecrats will remember Nevada, and other situations which were clearly rigged, and if DNC accepts the "peace treaty" such a repeat will be discouraged on a nationwide basis.
The superdelegate abuse will remain a big biasing thumb on the scale, but a less heavy one. It galls, but it's the contract terms the delegated individuals from the Bernie/Clinton/Perez blocs reached. "More transparency" is unclear, but it appears that a general realization among the delegates in reporting back to the DNC will be that something real will have to emerge to avoid four more years of Trump and to quell likelihood of Republican majorities in both houses going into a possible second Trump term. These are terms suggested as fitting to end the civil war.
NOTHING IS SAID IN OUR REVOLUTION COVERAGE EITHER WAY ABOUT PRIMARY CHALLENGES BY PROGRESSIVES AGAINST BLUE DOG OR "MODERATE" INCUMBENTS. SUCH CHALLENGES ARE NEITHER ENDORSED NOR DISCOURAGED, PER THE OUR REVOLUTION REPORTING. AND IT IS A MATTER OF RIGHT OF ANYONE TO BEGIN OR SUPPORT A CANDIDACY FOR OFFICE. DEFERENCE TO A PARTY INCUMBANCY IS NO LAW NOR BINDING PARTY RULE. AGAIN, FROM THE EMAIL,
Click here to read the full report.
NOTE: This post is written for notice without having read the full report. All things considered, I signed my encouragement that the peace treaty be supported as the Our Revolution position suggests, and wanting the compromise to be ratified by the DNC as its honest policy from ratification onward.
Like a dose of castor oil, it may cleanse the system. Or said differently, we can hope good faith acceptance all around and aimed toward the future will result. And that good results will come of compromise.
Next, text of the online Our Revolution petition page echoes the email:
https://go.ourrevolution.com/page/s/tell-all-dnc-members-it-s-time-to-step-up-and-support-party-reform-now-
Readers wanting to sign the petition, or to see accompanying text can follow the link. Worth noting from the accompanying text:
These recommendations are supported by both DNC Chair Tom Perez and Deputy Chair Keith Ellison, along with the following partners:
National Nurses United
Progressive Democrats of America
RootsAction
Demand Progress
Democracy for America
Join millions around the country who want real reform in the Democratic Party.
The nurses accept the compromise. Ellison accepts. Who am I to second guess progressive leadership?
It's just that a total, or 75% Superdelegate reduction would have been like great for total elimination, and a smaller spoonful of castor oil for 75; but surely there was much push and shove getting to 60%, so live with it. Tomorrow may revisit the question, particularly if after treaty negotiation one bloc perceives less than good faith from another.
For now it seems sign off and support/accept/endorse the compromise; then wait; and then see. Which is the path I chose to follow. Readers are urged to weigh things and react.
____________UPDATE___________
RE the wait and see "proof is in the pudding" dimension of things, sidebar editing may happen, but not immediately. There will be the midterm elections and then there will be the ramp-up to the 2020 Presidential election. That entails plenty of time for sidebar editing; may I live so long and may good faith actual CHANGE prove editing to be merited . . .
__________FURTHER UPDATE__________
A negotiating position needs to be staked out beyond saying the peace treaty can be, nose held, ratified by progressives, with good faith thereafter expected. If it goes unapproved by DNC it is the public employees and teachers not wanting to be Scott Walkered who will have to instill reason in the minds of inner party colleagues; lest they be.
If the reforms are not in place by 2020 it needs to be understood the acceptable superdelegate level would be 25% of 2016 levels after the 2020 election and then 0% after 2024 if DNC does not honestly and in good faith change its policy with Democratic Party rules altered to be fair. If progressives are stonewalled, what's to lose, in effect what has Nancy Pelosi and Diane Feinstein done for us?
It is the teachers and public employees in the Koch crosshairs, and if the thought is 2018 can be weathered without peace being made with progressives, the future beyond 2018 will be rougher on those most at risk, having the most to lose. Progressives cannot be screwed much more than already, Reagan through Clinton through Trump presidencies, so hang tight and either the machine gets fixed or the inner party intransigents get abandoned by movement of everyone else toward progressive agendas.
The DCCC inner operatives and their consultant tag-alongs want spoils, and if progressive counterproposals allowing them something are stonewalled and disdained, then they face nothing and a continuation of Republicans holding sway instead of Republican-lite dressed up as Democratic Party stalwarts.
Cut through the obstructionist bullshit to have the above-outlined compromise Our Revolution is tousing become party policy, or stay home is the only option. Win or stay home on less favorable inner party terms will replace the compromise outlined above as far from ideal, and as imprecise, but not untenable. If progressives in numbers ratify the Our Revolution endorsed compromise, great. It will pressure inner party obstructionists to bend to the compromise. If not, aspects will be somber as the civil war will only escalate.
Even more than backing the compromise, an effective primary challenge to Pelosi and Feinstein will be a wake up call to their fellow Republican-lite cohorts. If it can be managed.
Make it clear. Make it large. Make it successful. The people can take only so much before things become ugly, and present stalemate circumstances are not the worse of possible outcomes. Just because the "Blue Wave" is expected in the 2018 mid-term elections with or without progressive change is not good reason for the entrenched to hold out. Waves come. Waves recede. Government by the people is not a complicated concept, but one easily undermined by bad thinking and hubris among ones who should know better. But undermining it is short term thinking, not a sound long term perspective.