If the DNC had been neutral in the primaries, the pro-Bernie rallies today would be MUCH smaller.

[Ken Burch]

Last edited Sun Jul 24, 2016, 09:28 PM - Edit history (1)

The party has a lot to do to restore the unity we had all been working(and most of us are still working)to build.

I'd suggest these steps, to start with:

(edited)

1)The next permanent chair of the DNC should be someone like Keith Ellison, Barbara Lee, or Raul Grijalva;

2)The party should give at least some financial backing to the new organizations the Sanders movement will be launching in Philly;

3)HRC should endorse a major and continuing process of grassroots reform throughout the party.

This moment can be taken as a chance for self-examination and renewal, if we as a party are willing to do that.

On to victory in November!

[JRLeft]

1. As much as I like Nina Turner it shouldn't be her.

[Ken Burch]

4. Keith Ellison, then. Or Barbara Lee.

There's no good reason to ever put another centrist establishment type in that job.

It should be someone who supports grassroots politics.

[JRLeft]

5. Keith Ellison, Raul Grijalva, or Barbara Lee works for me.

[giftedgirl77]

2. Lol

[Hortensis]

38. Theory: The left is energized with hope, the right dispirited.

That's the big reason for all the empty streets and seats in Cleveland and the much greater turnout to Philly.

Of course the fear of violence at the Republican convention probably also kept some demonstrators home. Our people aren't afraid. But otherwise I'd put real money on my theory as the big difference.

[annavictorious]

3. Get over it.

1. Donna Brazile and the Democrats have nothing to apologize for.
2. The head of the party (Mrs. Clinton) gets to pick the chair.
3. The party should continue to fund Democrats, not offshoot, sorta-Democratic organizations.

But you are right about the victory in November part.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

6. The head of the party is still PBO.

[SpareribSP]

20. You're right, if you want to alienate a chunk of people.

Also you could say that the "New Democrats" and those pesky people like Bill Clinton should have never been funded because they were only sorta-Democratic, no? The hard line you're taking here doesn't really hold water.

1. The Democrats were not neutral when they promised to be. Bernie brought in and energized a bunch of people for the Democratic party, who are now being treated like a nuisance instead of being listened to.
2. She does get to pick the chair, and there's a number of factors she should consider when picking it, because her pick will be judged in light of previous events.
3. See above. It's bad to be inflexible, especially when there's clearly issues here which need to be tackled.

I believe we could do a lot better in terms of unity. If the energy and the engagement of the Bernie group was able to get behind Hillary it would be unstoppable, but it becomes very difficult when becomes clear that there isn't good faith to be inclusive.

"Shut up and fall in line" isn't a particularly motivating line, especially when you feel like you're trying to communicate something and it's not being heard.

I just want the Democrats to do better.

[SaschaHM]

7. People were going to protest Sanders losing regardless of the emails leaking...

Because they felt wrongly and rightly maligned. You've yet to make a post actually pointing out the DNC actually acting on any of the things mentioned in the emails. I'm waiting with bated breath.

Hell, the only thing that even Jeff Weaver could come up with was the Debate schedule.

[avaistheone1]

18. The DNC is supposed to be acting a neutral party, they should not have been even strategizing

against one of their candidates.

Furthermore setting up attacks based on a candidate's religion is a serious attack on core democratic values. Religious freedom and whether to practice religion or not practice, is one of the basic tenets of democracy. So the DNC's actions are outrageous and unbecoming to an organization who is supposed to support candidates who are running for the most important office in the democratic free world.

[LiberalFighter]

8. Nina Turner would make it worse. She can't control herself.

I think Julián Castro might be one of the better picks if he is not in a position that prevents him from serving.

[SaschaHM]

11. Outside of campaigning for Bernie...

I don't know why people think a former state senator who's only competitive electoral history is a major loss should be in charge of electing Democrats up and down the country. I wouldn't wish a Chairwoman Nina Turner on the RNC.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

54. Nope. He is my boss at HUD. He already got in trouble violating the Hatch Act. He needs to finish

out his appointment as HUD Secretary and then he can participate in Democratic Party politics.

[LiberalFighter]

56. My suggestion was for when DWS's term was up.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

57. Maybe. That's a suggestion.

[sufrommich]

9. Sanders lost,we don't owe him an arm and a leg for losing.

In fact,he lost by a lot more votes than Clinton did in 2008 and yet no one but the putrid PUMAs demanded concessions from the winner. The primaries are over,the BoBs showing up at the democratic convention carrying the same signs the goons at the republican convention carried aren't going to change any minds or make any friends,if anything,they're going to turn people off.

[Ken Burch]

10. Yes, Bernie lost. I accept that. I will be campaigning for HRC in the fall.

But there was no excuse for the DNC NOT being neutral.

That part of the party had an obligation not to take sides in the primary.

[chascarrillo]

14. Clinton got a Secretary of State position. Sanders isn't asking for a cabinet post.

[sufrommich]

16. Did Clinton demand SoS as "payment" for support? I've seen no

proof of that ever happening other than claims by the left and right who suffer from CDS.

[Ken Burch]

19. It's not as though they'd put it in writing.

But look at the clear tradeoff...the foreign policy we've had since 2009 is clearly much more in tune with HRC's previously expressed views than with Obama's.

I seriously doubt we'd have involved ourselves in MULTIPLE Mideast wars without HRC being in the administration.

It was clearly quid pro quo. Why not admit it?

As to policy concessions in 2008...other than in foreign policy, there weren't significant differences between Obama and HRC(she was generally about 1 degree to the right...as far as I know she was never to Obama's left on anything that year).

[sufrommich]

21. No,it was not "obviously quid quo pro". Obama made it very evident

that he was going with a "cabinet of rivals" and he's been very outspoken about his admiration of Hillary. I also think it's an insult to Obama to imagine she rode roughshod over foreign policy with him having no control over the SOS. It's his presidency and his foreign policy.

[Squinch]

42. Ugh. This shit again.

[LanternWaste]

55. You appear to confuse Quid Pro Quo with Post Hoc Ergo Prompter Hoc.

You appear to confuse Quid Pro Quo with Post Hoc Ergo Prompter Hoc. Other than being Latin in origin, both of the phrases have two wholly and separate meanings.

[RonniePudding]

12. There's been zero coverage of Sanders rallies today

I've had CNN and MSNBC on all day. Not much talk, really. One reference to some pro Bernie groups "passing by" their set but that's about it.

If one of the goals of rallies is to draw media attention, they have missed the mark.

[SharonClark]

30. Msnbc gave it a lot of coverage earlier in the day.

[RonniePudding]

31. I must have missed it.

[msongs]

13. bernie lost by more than 3 million votes and will not be nominated this week. hillary gets to choose

her team.

[Duckhunter935]

33. Yep, he only got like 46% of the vote

He should have no say in anything

[NurseJackie]

15. Nina Turner ...

[Ken Burch]

17. I also mentioned other possibilities.

n/t.

[NurseJackie]

22. I know. I saw. It was funny to me that you included Nina.

If you were joking, then ... good one!

If you were serious, then I guess that makes it even funnier!

She's a pretty kooky character.

The fact that she's still acting like Susan Sarandon, and that (at this late date) she's ambivalent about whether or not she's going to support our party's nominee clearly illustrates her vanity and pettiness and inability to see the bigger picture. It also disqualifies her (forever) for any jobs, posts, or responsibilities within the Democratic party.

[Ken Burch]

24. She's no kookier than DWS-a politician who thinks maintaining the profits of the payday loan userers

and the private prison-industrial-complex are more important than fighting for the poor and the powerless.

And she still supports the "war on drugs", despite the fact that it is now clearly as hopeless a domestic war as Vietnam was a foreign war by 1968.

I've now removed Nina Turner from the list. Can we move on?

[still_one]

27. How does Dr. Cornell West sound to you as DNC chair?

[Ken Burch]

32. The DNC chair should be a person who actually supports OUR presidential ticket.

That pretty much disqualifies Dr. West for the forseeable future.

I don't defend what he did in endorsing that other party, if that's what you were expecting me to do.

[still_one]

40. I know you don't, and I think you realize I was not being serious either

[Ken Burch]

43. OK. And FWIW, I'm not sure that organizational work would be Dr. West's forte in any case.

The man is an academic, not a nuts-and-bolts politics type.

[Squinch]

52. Nina Turner has said she does not support our presidential ticket.

[Ken Burch]

53. Not sure I believe that.

In any case, I took her out of the OP, so we're past that now.

[SaschaHM]

39. I wouldn't wish Chairwoman Nina Turner on Nina Turner....

[NurseJackie]

59. That's because you've got a good heart.

[femmocrat]

23. Donna Brazile apologized to Bernie personally.

I think she said she saw him yesterday. She was on CNN earlier today discussing it.

Not sure about his supporters.... but I am hopeful that Bernie's speech tomorrow night will help to calm hard feelings.

[Ken Burch]

25. Hadn't known that. Glad to hear it. I'll remove it from the list.

n/t.

[Duckhunter935]

35. She is a class act indeed

[avaistheone1]

36. Good on Donna Brazile.

[72DejaVu]

26. How much smaller could they get?

[Lil Missy]

28. A Better Idea - Never let a NON-Democrat run as a Democrat Ever Again.

The DNC should be for DEMOCRATS, and HRC doesn't owe any endorsements to the losers.

[Duckhunter935]

37. And you expect to get some votes with that attitude

She will need their votes to win and there are other choices for them to go to other than Trump.

[Lil Missy]

46. Most of his supporters will vote for the nominee, the others can take their extortion tactics

and stick them where the sun don't shine. The losers are not entitled to dictate terms to the winner. They need to grow up already and accept the fact that the Primaries are OVER. They can vote or throw a tantrum - I don't care. The endless demands from the few people who insist on constant disruption are getting very tiresome.

[Ken Burch]

44. If you run in the Dem primaries, you are a Democrat.

There was nothing bad about Bernie's candidacy...and it would have been tragic if HRC had been nominated without serious opposition. She is stronger and more progressive now because there was a serious fight for the nomination.

[Lil Missy]

47. No, he was not and is not a Democrat. The DNC supports Democrats.

[Ken Burch]

49. People who stand for the values of the Democratic Party are Democrats.

And nothing would be better if Bernie had been barred from seeking our nomination.

We'd probably be losing right now if we'd had a coronation like we did in 2000 or 2004.

[Duckhunter935]

50. I am sure you liked his votes over decades

In line with the Democrats in the Senate. He is more of a Democrat than some that had a "D".

[treestar]

29. There's no law that have to be

Neutral. They want to win the elections. And Bernie only joined to run for POTUS.

I doubt he himself is joining any crusade over it. We only care about fascist Donald now

[Ken Burch]

45. There is a party rule, however, and it's been posted in several threads.

n/t.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

34. Doubt it

[DanTex]

41. Doubt it. The protests were planned way before the email leak.

The DNC didn't actually act in a biased way, they just said dumb things in emails. There's a segment of a left, the Nader segment, that truly wants to destroy the nation by electing the most odious right-wingers they can in order to bring about "the crisis" that will lead to a socialist revolution.

[BigDemVoter]

48. Well, they had best decide whom they want to support-- HRC or Trump

It's that simple.

[Squinch]

51. The two emails the drama mongers are having a snit over were sent long after the

primaries had hit a point where it was mathematically impossible for Sanders to win. I'm sure the drama mongers who never have anything positive to say about Democrats will deny that, but it is a fact that the rest of us understand.

Sanders lost. He lost because not enough people liked him. Not because of two internal emails out of 20,000 exchanged by two low level DNC people who were shooting the shit.

Hillary should not acknowledge this nonsense, engineered by Trump and Putin who are pulling the drama mongers strings like they're puppets, in any way whatsoever.

[oasis]

58. Xavier Becerra, Adam Schiff or Claire McCaskill. nt