Neither Ellison nor Perez should be chair. It should be Jason Kander (or someone like him).

[grantcart]

Last edited Wed Feb 22, 2017, 04:19 PM - Edit history (1)

This seems rather obvious to me but there are two important reasons why the DNC leader should be viewed as a process leader and leave all ideological battles alone and concentrate on candidate recruitment and process issues like vote suppression and vote security. It seems equally obvious why ANY SURROGATE like Ellison or Perez should NOT be considered for chair.

1) If a surrogate is chosen then at lease half of the party is going to bear a grudge and feel that they were screwed.

2) The DNC chair really has zero impact on legislative issues. The job of the DNC is to boost involvement of Democrats in every area. The new chairperson should be seen as someone that will have no problem getting people more involved in Memphis, Salt Lake City and Tucson as they do in San Francisco, Seattle and Vermont.

We have people that can do this.

Here is my favourite, Jason Kander




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Kander

Jason Kander (born May 4, 1981) is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of State of Missouri in 2012, serving from 2013 to 2017. He previously served as a state representative. He was an intelligence officer in the Army National Guard, achieving the rank of Captain. He was the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate, losing the 2016 Senate election to Republican incumbent Roy Blunt.[1] Kander is also the founder of an organization called "Let America Vote", a campaign dedicated to ending voter suppression and gerrymandering.

I fault Sanders for taking the first shot with his early endorsement of Ellison, especially galling that he continues to interfere in a party he refuses to join. I also fault Clinton/Obama forces for taking the bait.

Both Ellison/Perez have shown that they are poor choices for playing out the endorsement game. Each should have said that they are not surrogates for anyone and concentrated on process issues. If Ellison thinks that by becoming chairperson he will be in a position to advance his personal agenda then he is not very clued in to what the constraints of the DNC chairs is going to be and is going to find a lot of areas of the country that are not going to respond.

Kander is a Democrat who wins in a red state and founded an organization dedicated to stopping voter suppression and gerrymandering.

He also knows how to send a message

[northoftheborder]

1. Like your thought process.

[underthematrix]

2. I think Jason Kander would be great. I didn't know he was running for DNC chair.

I will accept whoever the DNC chair members choose because this fight is all about healthcare, choice, equality, immigrants, national security. It's not about my feelings. I believe feelings is what got us the illegitimate illiterate trump.

[grantcart]

7. He's not, but he should

[underthematrix]

11. Okay this is just a wish list. If he were running I don't think anyone else

would've stood a chance. He's the face of the new white male - well educated, compassionate, brave, sexy, accomplished. Yep he would've won hands down.

I wonder if they plan to run him for President and that's why he's not in the DNC chair pool

[grantcart]

19. There are other consensus folks who concentrate on process issues who could be chair

Neither Ellison nor Perez will be effective because of the way that they win, dividing and being a surrogate rather than being their own voice.

[underthematrix]

24. I'm AA and I think Dems are gonna have to accept the truth

that we're gonna need to get as close to male whiteness as we can. I mean the new white male not the old timey kind trump represents. I'm talking white Hispanic Perez, Pete Buttigieg, Jason Kander, Patrick Murphy, or cross-overs like Julian and Joaquin Castro. Sorry just speaking truth. We need to say that the new white male with his more sophisticated and inclusive consciousness is what the Dem party represents in addition to all it's other hues.

[grantcart]

26. I understand what you are saying but I don't agree about

trying to find the close to "male whiteness" as we can.

Kander, for example, is Jewish.

I do agree that we will need to find someone who can reach to all groups including white males. There are a number of folks that can do that. I also agree on the Castro brothers, either one of them would be a good Chair.

[NCTraveler]

3. K&R

Not sure I am fully behind this but all of your points are very sound.

[Phoenix61]

4. I would prefer someone without

political baggage or as little as possible.

[bunnies]

5. As a Sanders supporter...

I don't give a rats ass which one is chosen. Whoever it is just needs to get to work making us competitive in every damn race - in every damn state. Now!

[ATL Ebony]

17. Agree 100%.

Seems to be a contest between Ellison & Perez but if someone else wins -- whoopie for them. We have larger issues and fires to put out then tearing down those who are running to chair the DNC. Must we fight and tear each other down vs pull the party back together? Would it not be better to support the winner and make suggestions/recommendations as necessary. Good luck to all runners, may the best person win and bring cohesiveness and strength back to the DNC.

[gordianot]

6. Kander is the real deal he scares Missouri deplorables.

More will be heard about Jason Kander in 2018 he is mentioned frequently in Missouri especially on College campuses.

[Demsrule86]

9. He seems to be of the future...and we can leave this bitter proxy war behind.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. Ugh. I am beginning to think you are right. Actually, Martin O'Malley would make a great pick

i hear he is very well respected at the DNC

wish he hadnt dropped out

[KittyWampus]

10. Kander isn't running.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Never heard of him, but at this point I don't really care all that much.

The important thing is, that useless tool DWS is gone and the party is finally looking at some people who have some new ideas and the drive to fix things. I like Ellison - he's my Congressman and he is a very effective organizer; he doesn't scare easily and he won't roll over for the old DLC types (and no, he's not in it to "advance his personal agenda&quot . But if it's not him I'd be fine with Perez. There's some other guy from Indiana whose name escapes me but he sounds OK too. I just want them to get on with it, pick somebody who's honest and competent, and start cleaning up the mess.

[DFW]

13. Buttigieg is young, from Indiana, supports the 50 state strategy, and is a protg of Howard Dean

That may not be enough, but it certainly qualifies him in my eyes.

[grantcart]

22. He also worked for Kerry but he has his own style and wins reelection with80%

[blm]

14. I like Kander a lot, too. Like all our prospects, actually.

.

[Fielg]

15. Jason Kander

Jason Kander for DNC head. A bright, intelligent leader for this country. He is a war hero and a brave leader . He would be great for DNC Chair, president and various leadership positions. He is exactly the kind of candidate the Democrats need to lead America forward. An outstanding choice.

[brooklynite]

16. Reality sucks: Kander's not running

We have the candidates we have...the meeting starts tomorrow.

[grantcart]

21. In that case take Pete Buttigieg who is a candidate

But neither Ellison nor Perez

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Buttigieg

"For example, you know, 2020 is a year that will have huge implications for redistricting. And so we've got to be looking at the statehouses, not treating the presidency like it's the only office that matters."

Buttigieg was elected Mayor of South Bend on November 8, 2011 with 74% of the vote[17] and took office on Jan. 1 as the youngest mayor of a U.S. city with at least 100,000 residents.[17][18] Mayor Buttigieg was named mayor of the year for 2013 by GovFresh.com, tying with former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg.[19][20] The Washington Post has called Buttigieg "the most interesting mayor you've never heard of", citing his age, education, and military background.[17]

Buttigieg has made redevelopment a top priority of his administration. One of the signature programs has been the Vacant and Abandoned Properties Initiative, known locally as "1,000 Properties in 1,000 Days", which is a project to repair or demolish targeted properties across the city.[21][22] The city had addressed 991 properties as of August 2015.[21] The goal was completed by the scheduled end date for the program, November 24, 2015.[23]

Buttigieg served for seven months in Afghanistan as a lieutenant in the US Navy Reserves, returning to the United States on September 23, 2014.[24] In his absence, Deputy Mayor Mark Neal, the City Controller for South Bend, served in the role of executive commencing in February 2014. Buttigieg returned to his role as mayor in October 2014.

Buttigieg announced that he would seek a second term on November 18, 2014.[25] The Democratic Party primary was held on May 5, 2015, and Buttigieg won with 78% of the vote.[26] On November 3, 2015 Buttigieg was elected to his second term as mayor of South Bend with over 80% of the vote. [27]

[k8conant]

29. Buttigieg seems quite capable...

we'll see.

[lynintenn]

18. All in for Kander

I thought at one time he was a candidate. Probably was never promoted. How sad we have become in this party . We need fresh talent

[MyMission]

20. he may be the ideal presidential candidate

Maybe we'll see him run in 2020. He's not on the ballot for DNC chair.
It will be an exciting election, to be sure.

Hope the New DNC leader will lead well and energize the democrats and the independent voters. There are currently more independents (40%) compared to democrats(30%) and repugs(27%) as of November 9-13, 2016 by gallop. Their most recent poll indicates 44% report as independent.
We independent voters tend to vote democratic, but many will vote for alternative choices if they are not happy with the democratic candidate or platform.
In my opinion, democrats need to appeal to the younger generations and their concerns. And they need to find a candidate who can energize and inspire the voters.
both Obama and Clinton did this, as younger,energetic, and "New name" candidates.
Kander looks like he might fit


.

[geek tragedy]

23. My preference is for Ellison, who's shown he knows how to build an organization and turnout machine.

Buddegieg (sp?) is also an attractive candidate.

I simply don't get the rationale for Tom Perez, a man who knows nothing about winning elections and who's spent his entire professional life as a bureaucrat. He makes total sense as a candidate for governor in Maryland, but other than nostalgia for former President Obama (whose legacy of party building is not not not good even though he was a great president) what's the reason for supporting this guy?

[grantcart]

25. Ellison inherited one of the safest seats in the country

Sabo had it for 26 years and Fraser had it for 13 years. It has gone solidly Democratic since 1963

Congressman Martin Sabo, DFL retired after 26 years in the House. Keith Ellison, also a DFLer, replaced him. Although Ellison was endorsed by the DFL convention, four non-endorsed candidates ran strong campaigns against him in the DFL primary: Gail Dorfman, Mike Erlandson, Ember Reichgott Junge, and Jack Nelson Pallmeyer. Ellison won the primary with 41% of the vote. In the general election, he won with 56% of the vote against Jay Pond of the Green Party, Tammy Lee of the Independence Party and Alan Fine of the Republican Party. Ellison is the first Muslim member of the U.S. Congress.

I find much of what he says to be pedestrian at best but the clearest indication that he doesn't have a good handle on a national position is that he ran as a surrogate and thinks that if he gets 51% of the vote he wins, he doesn't because it isn't an ideological position its a process position and anyone, including Perez or Ellison that runs as a factional and not as a consensus candidate for the national chair has a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the position.

[geek tragedy]

28. I'm not so surprised by him winning but by boosting turnout there, to the point

where the increased turnout there likely was possibly difference between Hillary and Trump winning the state.

Very easy to be complacent there as a Democrat in a safe urban district. Instead he gooses turnout there which helps boost the entire state.

Process-wise, they're all saying the exact same thing. Heck, I could get up and say the exact same thing.

So, who's actually done the work of getting votes and increasing vote turnout?

Ellison has done that. Perez hasn't. To me that's the decisive difference.

[grantcart]

30. He got 12.000 less votes in 2016 than 2014.

More unabashed Sanders booster ism and a perfect example of the fuzzy logic of "Sanderism". Sanders likes him so I like him and I won't look at the job, how it will impact the party overall, what will happen in red districts, just our guy, our side.

In doing so you tried to pick the only metric where he would automatically better Perez, winning elections. Unfortunately we have been winning that district by landslide margins for 50 years.

So change the metric to "turnout" only you forgot to check to see that turnout in the last Presidential election was higher than this one. There is only one reason you like Ellison and that is because Sanders picked him for you.

[geek tragedy]

32. Low blows are often errant.

The claim that I am some sort of Sanders primary cultist is not credible and in fact is exactly the opposite of true, as those who had the misfortune of seeing me in action can attest.

With due respect, the primary is history and all would do well to remember that when deciding how to interact with other.

[animity]

27. Our Veterans group has meet Kander

Look, I have had personal sit down time with Jason Kander, and while he is an upstanding person he is NOT what we need. He is a Obama or Clinton centerest liberal. I think we need to break that mold and go to the Sanders style. I work for a lot of very very wealthy clients. But that being said they are exactly the type who can afford to pay more, and if it means we wage class warfare I say we go all in.

[grantcart]

31. You have proved my point 100%. To the Sanders followers its

not about practical politics but delusional class warfare.

[Equinox Moon]

33. Ellison holds edge in DNC race survey (The Hill)

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/320553-ellison-holds-edge-in-dnc-race

Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.) has the edge over former Labor secretary Tom Perez in The Hill’s new survey of DNC members. But while both men claim they are close to securing commitments from the majority of the 447 voting members, neither candidate is assured victory.

The Hill has identified the stances of 240 DNC members, either through their private responses to a survey circulated over the past week or from public endorsements.

Out of those who responded, Ellison leads with 105 supporters to Perez’s 57. The remaining major candidates have less than a dozen supporters each, while more than 50 DNC members remain undecided.

[grantcart]

34. kick