Death of Reform, Birth of Reform: Clinton Democrats Face the Obama Future (Tom Hayden )

[kpete]

Death of Reform, Birth of Reform: Clinton Democrats Face the Obama Future
Posted February 11, 2008 | 02:18 PM (EST)
Tom Hayden

In the period 1968-1972, when Hillary Rodham and Bill Clinton began their political journey, the Democrats were gripped convulsed by a great wave of change, propelled mainly by young people, from the bottom up. The Chicago convention protests were only a mirror into the transition. In that pivotal year, young people could not vote and most delegates to the convention were chosen in backrooms by the party's bosses. By 1972, the so-called McGovern reforms led to the displacement of the old guard and the seating of people like Rev. Jesse Jackson in place of Mayor Daley's cronies. Most important, rank-and-file Democrats were empowered to vote their preferences in presidential primaries.

The Clintons were part of that early wave. Now their hopes for survival may rest on so-called super-delegates, a category of appointed party loyalists which the McGovern reforms failed to erase. The super-delegates are a throwback to the old tradition of a top-down privileged oligarchy maintaining the citadel against the grass-roots, democratically-chosen delegates. They are not necessarily the rich and powerful, though there are plenty of them. Many are like Rachel Binah, mentioned in the New York Times, who is a former radical environmentalist grass-roots California Democrat who worked her way up the party ladder and now receives phone calls from Chelsea and Hillary Clinton soliciting her vote. It's an old style insider trading system, and now threatens to eclipse the reforms achieved starting in the early Seventies. It would be an ugly, contaminated way to seal the final decision in one of the best primary contests ever conducted.

Even uglier will be the establishment claim that Michigan and Florida should count for Clinton even though the Democratic Party ruled against recognizing those state's contests.

If Clinton is chosen by the super-delegates or on the basis of the Michigan/Florida results, I would not be surprised to see hundreds of thousands of young Obama supporters silently circling the Denver convention petitioning the party to recognize their historic achievement.

It may not happen that way. But it could.

more at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-hayden/death-of-reform-birth-of_b_86061.html

[NWHarkness]

1. What a way to run a party.

If anyone who works to build the party becomes an enemy of the people by succeeding, we are truly screwed, no matter how we fare in this election.

I wonder how many of the firebrands who are so bitter towards the people who keep this party running year in and year out are going to show up to help with the work once the election is over.

[John Q. Citizen]

2. Howard Dean runs a tight ship. Hillary didn't do any long range planning and her shoe in

became a possible boot.

So much for experience. Where I live there are a lot of young people very active in politics. They've launched major voter turn-out drives and have been instrumental to turning my state purple. They deserve a whole heck of a lot of credit.

Us older fogies are often used to things the way they are, and while we haven't the energy or the inspiration, we do know a lot of people and we know the rules, and how the rules work.

But these young folks, they are smart and they also seem to know how the rules work. So it's truly interesting and entertaining to see them applying the rules and kicking Hill's ass 'seven way to Sunday,' literally.

The history of the Clintons and the health of the rest of the party isn't good. During Bill's shifts, the rest of the party suffered horrible losses across the board. So it's been great to see Howard Dean take over the reigns and move this party forward!

This has been the most exciting presidential nomination race I've seen in 11 Presidential nominating races. If the people who run the party day in and out believe it's their right and privelidge they are wrong. Everyone has a right and privledge to work for their party if they so choose. And in that case the oldsters need to make some room and invite everybody in.

The Times They are a Changing!

[NWHarkness]

3. We don't really disagree

But these new people (who I should emphasize are very welcome) will either drift away after the election or quickly become the entrenched insiders they rail against now.

I am thrilled that my town shattered the previous caucus attendance records yesterday. But, it wouldn't have meant a damn thing if there had not been people there who know how to run a caucus, and moreover, keep the party running, year in and year out. All I'm asking is that we share mutual respect.