The Nation: Why We Support Keith Ellison for DNC Chair

[demmiblue]

Source: The Nation

The Democratic Party hasn’t faced this serious a crisis of confidence and direction since the 1920s. Republicans control the White House, Congress, 33 governorships, and 67 of 98 partisan state legislative chambers nationwide. Even as Americans fill the streets demanding resistance to the extremist agenda of Donald Trump, congressional Democrats often lack the numbers for the pushback.

The right response to this crisis is a retooling of the Democratic National Committee to align it more closely with movements for social and economic justice. The party must make the inside/outside connection that will strengthen immediate resistance to the Trump regime, while improving the long-term electoral prospects of Democrats. Keith Ellison, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, is prepared to do just that. In an impressive field of contenders for the position of DNC chair—including party leaders that The Nation has often praised, like former labor secretary Tom Perez, as well as energetic newcomers like Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana—it is Ellison who combines the ideals, skills, and movement connections that will revitalize the party.

That’s why The Nation enthusiastically endorses Ellison in the contest to lead a DNC that must repurpose itself in order to derail Trump, while at the same time speaking to young voters who won’t settle for anything less than an aggressively progressive opposition party. The job of DNC chair is to build a party that can win elections on every ballot line and in every state. But in an age when party loyalties are weakening, and when movements matter more to tens of millions of Americans than partisan labels, Ellison is ready to build an activist party. In fact, the high-energy congressman (who says he’ll quit his House seat if he wins the DNC post) is already doing that: calling for mass rallies to oppose Trump’s Muslim ban, taking part in those rallies, and then appearing on the Sunday-morning talk shows to rip discriminatory policies as un-American.

Ellison is recognized as a pioneering political figure—the first Muslim congressman, the first African American to represent Minnesota in Washington—who has boldly opposed wars, defended civil liberties, protested racial injustice, and rallied for “$15 and a union.” His leadership bid has excited activists who have marched with him for labor rights, women’s rights, and criminal-justice reform. It has also inspired blowback from some party insiders, who gripe that Ellison is too outspoken in his support for Middle East peace, too close to Bernie Sanders (though he joined Sanders in ardently backing Hillary Clinton last summer), and too passionate in his belief that the DNC must campaign not just for candidates but for justice.

Read more: https://www.thenation.com/article/why-we-support-keith-ellison-for-dnc-chair/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

[elleng]

1. 'The right response to this crisis is a retooling of the Democratic National Committee

to align it more closely with movements for social and economic justice. The party must make the inside/outside connection that will strengthen immediate resistance to the Trump regime, while improving the long-term electoral prospects of Democrats.'

[yallerdawg]

2. Well...

The Nation still pushin' "it."

No back down there - either.

[demmiblue]

6. Keith Ellison is not an "it".

Good lawd, the partisanship here is just as nasty as it ever was.

[yallerdawg]

8. Ya, you got it right off!

And you know exactly what "it" is!

[pat_k]

3. Not the end of the world if Perez wins.

Why Tom Perez Is a Strong Competitor Against Keith Ellison in the Democratic Party Race
This isn't an establishment vs. progressive clash.

Progressive Democrats gazing upon the fight for the leadership of their party ought to be delighted. The two leading candidates for chair of the Democratic National Committee—Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Labor Secretary Tom Perez—are each battle-hardened and experienced progressives with much to offer their partisan comrades. Yet the contest for the DNC's top post has widely been cast as a clash between wings of the party, with Ellison as the champion of the insurgent left and Perez as the candidate of the establishment. That depiction misrepresents the face-off and fixates on the wrong question: who has better progressive street cred? With the Democrats deep in the hole—a minority in both houses of Congress, out of the White House, holding only 16 governor slots and merely 31 of 99 state legislative chambers, and lacking a deep bench or a flock of rising stars—the tussle for DNC chief ought to focus on who can best do the nuts-and-bolts job of rebuilding the party from the ground level.


http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/why-tom-perez-strong-competitor-against-keith-ellison-democratic-party

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. Ellison is fine, but I think Perez would be better, mostly because I trust Obama's judgment

and the Obama admin seems strongly behind Perez.

Also, I have heard Perez speak and I am impressed by his vision for the party.

[HassleCat]

5. Either Ellison or Perez would be OK.

I hope we don't burn a lot of hate energy fighting between the two.

[demmiblue]

7. I have a preference, but I would be happy with either. n/t

[geek tragedy]

9. I want to be for Perez but I can't get over his lack of electoral experience.

It's a political job, and he's been a policy guy his entire life.

I think he'd make a fantastic governor of Maryland though.

I hope there's a larger role for Buttigieg on the horizon.

Right now I'm with Ellison but won't despair if someone else gets it.

[guillaumeb]

10. Recommended.

Over the last 8 years, the Democratic Party has lost heavily on the state and national level. So what has been done politically over the last 8 years simply has not worked.

Yes, President Obama was elected and re-elected, but his political support steadily eroded. Obviously the influence of the 1% and their massive money resources helped, but the GOP dominates and frames the debate.

[Champion Jack]

12. bingo

[brooklynite]

11. I think some people are looking for the US equivalent of Jeremy Corbyn...