General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Democratic Party Just Ticked Off Its Youngest Organizers
The Democratic Party Just Ticked Off Its Youngest Organizers
In an attempt to protect the House majority, the DCCC may have compromised its relationship with some of the partys most loyal activists, the College Democrats.
Elaine Godfrey
12:03 PM ET
The youths in the Democratic Party are angry.
Sixty-eight chapters of the College Democrats are urging voters not to donate to the partys congressional-campaign arm after it instituted a new policy to protect incumbents from primary challenges. The protesting students say that the change will deter young candidates and people from historically marginalized communities from running for office. Their outrage isnt just noteworthy because they represent younger voters in the electoratethese young people are also some of the partys key organizers and activists.
They did do a lot of work: College Democrats help form the backbone of the partys organizing infrastructure. The chapters currently boycotting the policy change from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee canvassed and phone-banked for dozens of Democratic congressional candidates across the country, including some of the 40 so-called majority-makers who flipped House seats from red to blue. Alumni from these College Democrats chapters have gone on to work for lawmakers on Capitol Hill and as staffers on presidential campaigns, and some have even run for office themselves. And current members are already gearing up to help Democrats up and down the ballot win in 2020.
Until the boycotts announcement, progressive organizations and lawmakers such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York had been the most vocal opponents of the DCCCs new rule. The fact that the College Democratsthe partys stalwart organizers and its future leaders, staffers, and reliable votershave joined in the protest demonstrates that they, too, are worried the party is setting itself up for failure.
The DCCC unveiled the new standards in March, which require vendors hoping to do any work with the committeepolitical-consulting firms or campaign advertisers, for exampleto sign on to a set of terms. The one the College Democrats oppose is an agreement for vendors not to contract with any primary candidate who is challenging an incumbent Democrat. Explaining her opposition to the rule, Ocasio-Cortez told reporters that primaries are often the only way that underrepresented and working-class people are able to have a shot at pursuing elected office. During a closed-door meeting with DCCC Chair Cheri Bustos on March 27, leaders of the House Progressive Caucus pressured her to reverse the new standards.
more...
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/05/college-democrats-protest-new-dccc-vendor-policy/588715/?fbclid=IwAR1_Tfi4EQoCFALX5rJzjCAGZvlnU_XwA9S8MtUrymM4ZRjfgVaAJQ04S6g
Response to babylonsister (Original post)
RandySF This message was self-deleted by its author.
Autumn
(45,120 posts)lunatica
(53,410 posts)Its thinking is calcified.
RandySF
(59,903 posts)angrychair
(8,759 posts)That young Democrats should just fuck off or come to heel?
Autumn
(45,120 posts)That's what I make of it. This is why young voters have no loyalty to our party.
RandySF
(59,903 posts)Autumn
(45,120 posts)people elected.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,128 posts)Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!
Red Mountain
(1,742 posts)Means something. Or it doesn't. 'Protecting' incumbents doesn't seem compatible to me.
Maybe the folks who thought this was a good idea are from the 'Democrat' party I hear about from our less than loyal opposition.
walkingman
(7,711 posts)InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,128 posts)Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!
BeyondGeography
(39,399 posts)Sorry kids.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,931 posts)There are times when incumbents need to be challenged.
The DCCC leadership is largely out of touch with reality.
Midwestern Democrat
(806 posts)is for all intents and purposes the election - apparently, the DCCC thinks a congressman in one of these districts should be able to be unopposed for life the moment he wins his first Democratic primary. That seems like a pretty good way to produce a bunch of lazy, do nothing congressmen - letting them know they're essentially fire-proof.
monmouth4
(9,720 posts)jalan48
(13,921 posts)stillcool
(32,626 posts)it's their future.
mopinko
(70,395 posts)the thing is, when grassroots candidates look like they have a prayer, the d-trip steps in. if the candidate wants support, they are usually pushed hard to fire their management that got them that far.
then they make them hire one of their hand-picked managers.
this is just a clamping down on old screws a lot of us knew were there.