"...The old guard of the Democratic Party is petrified - because their
record is flimsy, their vision outdated, and their bank accounts
filled with corporate donations."
Do not be fooled by the title, "Democrat". This is just another ugly
stepchild of the American Corporate Empire(ACE), reflecting a shadowy
image of its Step-Twin, the Republican Party.
It's long past time for the Working Class to either get serious and
take over the Democratic Party, or build an organization that will
represent the needs of all Americans.
When more and more people speak of "The Government" as if it were some
annoying neighbor instead of, "Our Government", then it is definitely
time for a change.
Carl Jarvis
On 3/27/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The DCCC Is Trying to Put Me Out of Business - and I'm a Democrat
By Monica Klein, The Intercept
26 March 19
Six hours after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced
that it was blacklisting firms that work with primary challengers, I met
with a potential client who was considering a Democratic primary. The
client
told me that two consultants dropped out that morning - and now the
candidate may not run at all.*
The timing of the DCCC's blacklist is not remotely coincidental. In the
first quarter of an off-year, many potential candidates decide whether to
jump into a race. If campaign staff dries up before day one, a
once-daunting
campaign can feel impossible.
This is precisely what the DCCC wants. The committee is hoping that these
young women will stop contemplating challenges against Democratic
incumbents. We can't allow the DCCC to succeed and block these brave
challengers.
Like many women in their 20s across America, I feel inexplicably hopeful
and
manifestly seen when I watch Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez take on the
stale
and insular political dynamics of Washington. We feel spoken for and
welcome
to speak when we see one of our own - a young, fearless woman in fire
engine-red lipstick - transfigure politics from a bureaucratic, impervious
institution for old white men into her own bully pulpit for affordable
health care, green jobs, and living wages. We cannot imagine a Washington
without her.
Ocasio-Cortez's unapologetic energy in Washington cannot be separated from
her decision to run against Joe Crowley in Queens, New York. Every action
Ocasio-Cortez takes carries the same fearlessness that prompted her not to
wait her turn. Our party desperately needs countless more Ocasio-Cortezes
who won't wait until their representative is done serving - especially when
these elected officials have stopped "serving" anyone but themselves and
their donors. And we need a national party that encourages and supports
firms that work with new progressive challengers.
Yet instead of embracing Ocasio-Cortez and the fresh path she has opened,
the DCCC and other national "Democratic" organizations are wrapping their
arms more tightly around the heavily white, male incumbent Democrats in
Washington.
As astounding as Ocasio-Cortez's meteoric rise was, part of the
now-infamous
story is how she did it with just grassroots volunteers and minimal
campaign
infrastructure. Imagine how many Ocasio-Cortezes we could have if the
Democratic Party was supporting firms that work with progressive
challengers
- instead of threatening us with extinction. There's a reason why
Ocasio-Cortez's rise seems like a political fairytale to many of us. As
consultants, we frequently see talented candidates struggle to gain
momentum
because of inadequate support. Yes, it's possible to run a campaign with
little paid staff and a team of tireless volunteers. But when your opponent
has top-tier fundraisers, pollsters, and digital and communications
support,
you're inevitably at a forbidding disadvantage.
For those of us who work in politics, launching a campaign can feel like
second nature. But for potential candidates who are new to the political
arena, experienced staff can provide a key guiding hand - especially during
those critical early months. Outsider candidates without political
experience - say, a former bartender or a public school teacher - are
precisely the types of leaders we need more of in Washington, and exactly
the types of candidates who benefit the most from early campaign guidance.
In the past year alone, I've had clients return from meetings with national
Democratic organizations dissuaded because they were told that they have no
chance of winning and shouldn't try. I've had clients threatened by New
York's Democratic establishment, their donors scared off and their campaign
funding dried up. I've watched clients struggle to find talented staffers
who are willing to work with a primary challenger - and then mocked for
making simple campaign missteps. Time after time, the leaders of the
Democratic Party who purport to pursue a strong Democratic majority are
throwing up roadblocks that make running a viable campaign near-impossible.
Yes, there are the shining stars like Ocasio-Cortez who manage to break
through. But imagine how many more potential candidates now won't even try.
As campaign consultants, we must keep working with primary challengers -
lifting them up, connecting them to critical early resources, and providing
the guidance and support they need to run a successful campaign. But the
DCCC needs to do its part. Stop threatening firms with financial ruin if
they work with Democratic incumbents and challengers alike. Instead of
protecting ineffective Democrats, offer primary challengers access to the
resources they need.
At a time when Democrats have largely failed to stir national political
excitement, we should encourage reflection and promote debate within our
own
party. We should recruit and support primary challengers like Ocasio-Cortez
across the nation. Yet the DCCC's efforts to suppress primaries and punish
firms for working with challengers accomplish the opposite.
Representatives who are effectively serving their communities should have
nothing to fear from a primary challenge. On the other hand, throwing up
ridiculous roadblocks and consulting bans is more telling than ever. The
old
guard of the Democratic Party is petrified - because their record is
flimsy,
their vision outdated, and their bank accounts filled with corporate
donations. This fear is the clearest signal we have that it's time for a
new
generation of Democratic leaders. Bring on the primaries.
Email This Page
e-max.it: your social media marketing partner
