The Democratic Party builds a war room to battle Trump

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post



By Philip Rucker January 3 at 11:36 AM

The Democratic National Committee is building a “war room” to battle President-elect Donald Trump, pressure the new Republican administration on a variety of policy matters and train a spotlight on Russia's alleged cyberattacks to influence the 2016 election.

The DNC's new communications and research operation, to be staffed by former aides to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, will be one of several efforts from across the Democratic firmament to take on Trump, including the office of Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Center for American Progress and American Bridge.

The DNC has hired John Neffinger, a longtime operative who runs the Franklin Forum, to serve as interim communications director and oversee the national party's operation. He will be joined by two Clinton veterans who spent the campaign focused on Trump — researching his background, monitoring his statements and trying to drive negative media coverage of his candidacy. Zac Petkanas, the Clinton campaign's rapid-response director, will serve as a senior adviser to the DNC and direct the Trump war room, while Adrienne Watson, a Clinton campaign spokeswoman, will serve as the DNC's national press secretary. Rounding out the team as digital director will be Tessa Simonds, who already had been at the DNC, focusing on digital organizing, state parties and down-ballot campaigns.

The DNC is in a state of flux, pending the February election of a new party chair. Several candidates are running, and the winner may choose to reimagine the operation and hire new staff. But interim chair Donna Brazile decided that would be too long to wait to stand a campaign-style operation to take on Trump in the weeks leading up to his inauguration, when his Cabinet nominees go through Senate confirmation hearings, and into the early days of his presidency.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/01/03/the-democratic-party-builds-a-war-room-to-battle-trump/?utm_term=.bb14d91e7e85

[NewJeffCT]

1. a good start - now

we also need to start rebuilding the party at the state level.

[Blue Shoes]

2. If this is ment to insipe hope its kinda fallen short.

to be staffed by former aides to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign

John Neffinger, a longtime operative who runs the Franklin Forum, to serve as interim communications director and oversee the national party's operation

Tessa Simonds, who already had been at the DNC, focusing on digital organizing, state parties and down-ballot campaigns

All of these people don't exactly have a good track record at being able to beat Trump or his shit spewing style of rhetoric. While I'm not an expert at who'd be a better option, unless they've leaned from their mistakes they're just likely to make them again.

[Hekate]

22. Hillary got over 3 million more votes than Trump. Despite Comey, Putin, & the New Jim Crow.

Say again?

[brutus smith]

26. But we lost the Senate, the Congress and state offices. It is more than just the Presidency.

[Wabbajack_]

38. Unfortunately

As I'm sure you well know, not enough of those votes were in the states they knew they needed to win under our ridiculous rules ergo Hillary's people utterly fucking failed miserably at their jobs and now Bozo the clown with a 60% disapproval rating gets to be President.

[yurbud]

39. If Democrats want to win, they have to learn to say no to SOME corporations SOME of the time

People in rural states are not just screwed by outsourced jobs but big ag, big box stores, and more.

The problem is, Democrats are reluctant to butt heads with anyone with big money.

[joshcryer]

37. Hard to inspire hope...

...when people who have been loyal to the party for their entire lives get dismissed and like this. Indeed, this very thing is part of the reason for voter depression.

They win because in the end they are loyal. Warts and all.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Seems like good experienced choices

and wise to start now

I'm seeing a bit more activity on the state and grassroots level than
ever before too

[certainot]

20. if they haven't finally learned talk radio has been kicking their ass

all their experience and 'wisdom' will be worthless.

without factoring rw radio they're going to keep losing and compromising to a pack of idiots who live in a talk radio-created alternate reality

here's some simple math for them if they think republicans 'won' because of their mastery of soc media or some other shit:
- at a cheap $1000/hr x 15hrs/day x 1200 stations, rw talk radio is worth 4.68 BIL$/ year or 390MIL$ /month FREE for coordinated global warming denial, pro republican wall st think tank propaganda, free market deregulation bullshit, swiftboating, and the hate and fear used to get people to vote republican.

the question they should be asking is why the hell bush palin trump even got gclose to the white house, much less actually 'win'

[bucolic_frolic]

25. Al Gore tried liberal media

it wasn't profitable. no one will listen to liberal/progressive media
except progressives

is it driven by ..... money? hate? ideology? maleness? narcissistic leader types?

to me the hosts set themselves as experts at all things and people believe them

why do we have no self-proclaimed liberal experts?

to me it's still the same thing: rw money/koch money drives free market ideology and
distorts for every gain they can manufacture, and that drives the culture war and the
media, and churches are used to back it up and the churches care more about the Obamacare
premiums than being unemployed, pollution, or oligarchs and billionaires.

But you are right. Our message, flummoxed as it is, is not reaching the people anyway

Obama carried us for 8 years. Now we have ........ no message, no leader, no airwaves -
like a book publisher without distribution. Martin Luther had fewer problems.

[certainot]

30. it's a wall mart vs mom and pop monopoly, nothing to do

with 'competition' - that's a rw talking point that limbaugh repeats regularly and way too many liberals

they protect their monopoly aggressively

to suggest 95% of americans prefer the lies and hate and ignorance of limbaugh and sons to truth and real comedy not based on hate is an insult to americans!!! liberals compete and beat the scumbags, which is why even in blue areas there are no opportunities to prove it - they have all the major stations.

and we even let 257 limbaugh stations parasitse 88 major universities!

the only way to beat rw talk radio is to stop ignoring it and stop giving it a free speech free ride

When the Gulf Stream stops and Europe freezes will 88 universities stop supporting GW denial?

[Achilleaze]

4. They're only about 20 years behind the Repugs on this...

[lark]

5. Biggest problem with this,

Schumer doesn't totally oppose Drumpf, he's said he will work with him on items of mutual interest. Fillibusters, oh no, those are too crass for the overly-sensitive 1%er, Schumer. Freaking Schumer even put Mancin (Repug all the way, lies about being a Dem) on the leadership team. So, we won't even have an effective resistance. Will he filibuster the ending of ACA, Medicare as we know it and the destruction of SS or will he go along saying this is the best we could do, poor little me.

[brutus smith]

27. +1000!

[yurbud]

40. corporate Dems almost always go bipartisan on exactly the wrong issues.

[zonkers]

6. Hope they keep their plans off line.

[Freethinker65]

12. +1000

[Hekate]

23. Trump does advise couriors instead of "the computer."

[Dopers_Greed]

7. So they're just keeping everyone that lost the election for us

What could go wrong?

[elleng]

8. Really.

Thanks for noticing.

[Tactical Peek]

13. Waiting for the new DNC chair after the February election would be stupid.

As the article quoted makes clear.

February is too fucking late.

This should actually have been done almost two months ago because the dark side did not take two months off, and the article also points out that the new chair can refocus and re-staff it if they want to.

[coco22]

9. How many Bluedogs like Manchin..

will run back to the RepubliCONS to give them the lowdown on Dems plans and/or strategies.

[NobodyHere]

10. Just remember

That there's no fighting in the war room

[aintitfunny]

11. They need a campaign to battled the Republican control of our government

#45 sucks, but so does Paul Lyin' Ryan, Mitch McConnell and a multitude of other creepy, crawly, corrupt Republicans.

[tenorly]

14. A little late to the party, don't you think?

[Fla Dem]

15. I don't want just a Trump war room, I want one that battles for states too.

We need to go after the corrupt RW Senators and Congresspeople as well. Every time one of them opens their mouth with some crazy RW screed, or votes against "the People's" interests we have to be out there, in your face across America shinning a spotlight on them.

But I'm pleased, at least it's a start.

[Hortensis]

16. Already set up auto-donation for Center for American Progress,

joining the party donations that will continue. Small but add up.

Hadn't heard of American Bridge before this, but their twitter feed is going to be a fun site to keep an eye on. https://twitter.com/American_Bridge?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[Snarkoleptic]

17. "Dear DNC - Congratulations - here's a little gift --Uncle Vlad"

[hibbing]

18. Will they all simultaneously wag their finger at him?

And tell him to knock it off! Sorry, I've given up hope because of what history has taught me. Both parties will get together and make sure the tax cuts for the ruling class get passed asap, and then they both dance off hand in hand together to go "reform" Medicare and Social Security.

Peace

[Dustlawyer]

19. They need to keep the corporate Democrats away.

Otherwise we will continue to get screwed!

[liberaltrucker]

21. First order of business: Grow a spine

But recent history suggests I shouldn't hold my breath.

[Hekate]

24. KnR DonV. I see the usual suspects have already ganged up on the idea.

[ismnotwasm]

28. Why do people post on a website for Democrats when they obviously can't stand them?

That's what I want to know.

[Hekate]

33. Beats the heck out of me, unless FUD is the actual goal

[Raster]

34. We can be Democrats with differing ideas of how to deal with tRump...

...and the rethuglican scourge. You seem to imply that if a certain viewpoint is not followed, then we can't be good Democrats. One would hope we've begun to move on from that circular firing squad.

[itsrobert]

29. Just a "fund raising" war room using Trump to raise money

that is all.

My opinion.

[Doug.Goodall]

31. We need Alan Grayson to head up the War Room

Alan Grayson would take the fight right up to Trump's face, and win.

[Hekate]

32. Is he still holding elective office? Haven't heard much about him in quite some time....

[progressoid]

35. They need to hire some fresh blood.

The old ways aren't going to cut it in this world.

[sellitman]

36. They can kiss it

Dirty Worthless Corporate Whores.