DNC Chair: The Democrats’ Fork in the Road
The next Democratic National Committee chair could decide the party’s future.
By Zachariah Sippy and Henry Walther
The Progressive Teen Staff Writers
HILLARY CLINTON WON. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, to be exact. But she also lost the Electoral College, an antiquated system from the 18th century, which makes Trump president. In the last seven presidential cycles, Democrats have won the popular vote in six elections, and yet only succeeded to the presidency four times. So, in the wake of our defeat, we have to ask ourselves some serious questions.
Do we heed Bernie Sanders’s warning against identity politics? Do we follow in the footsteps of Tim Ryan and challenge the cosmopolitan-dominated establishment? Do we borrow the tactics of Jason Kander and appeal to white, rural America, making room for a more conservative Democratic faction? Do we wish to be more progressive like Senators Warren and Sanders or take a more moderate approach?
Is our future in Youngstown, Ohio or Charleston, South Carolina? Macomb County, Michigan or Phoenix, Arizona? Is it time for a pivot to the South or do we still need the Rust Belt?
These are the questions that our party faces as we elect a new chair in the coming weeks and months. Three candidates have officially emerged from the wreckage of the 2016 election: former Governor and DNC Chair Howard Dean of Vermont, Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota, and State Chairman Jaime Harrison of South Carolina. Other candidates might throw their hats into the ring like Tom Perez or Ilyse Hogue, but the longer they hold out the less likely it becomes.
Howard Dean
Once considered a champion of the progressive left, Howard Dean now occupies the pages of a past Democratic playbook, one that avoids identity politics and focuses instead on economic populism. Dean was innovative during his time as DNC chair from 2005–2009, implementing the “50-state strategy” that focused time and resources on every state instead of just presidentially important ones. Although initially controversial among traditional Democrats, his plan led Democrats to victories in the House and Senate in 2006 before culminating in the election of Barack Obama in 2008. This time Dean is campaigning on a similar promise: build the party from the ground up through energizing young people and attracting the white working class. The addition of white voters in 2016 would have been significant, potentially providing the 100,000 votes needed in the Midwest to tip the election towards Hillary. Dean’s strengths also create his biggest weaknesses. Detractors see his vision of the party as antiquated, relying on the coalition of the past instead of building a new one for the future. In the age of Donald Trump, Democrats must confront racial issues head on in order to prevent the banning, deportation, and marginalization of millions of racial minorities. Dean is a 68-year-old white man hailing from a state that is 95% white. Many fear that his approach would not bring enough attention to the voices in the African-American and Latino communities.
Keith Ellison
Congressman Ellison is a firebrand progressive hailing from Minneapolis and most of its suburbs in Minnesota. Serving as a Chief Deputy Whip and Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Ellison was one of the first to endorse Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Presidential Primaries, and Sanders returned the favor a couple of weeks ago, supporting Ellison’s bid for DNC Chair. Ellison is considered to be the front runner in the race due to his broad base of support from liberal icons like Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to more moderate establishment figures like Senators Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer. Ellison wishes to take a more grassroots, decentralized approach to the efforts of the national party. “This election cycle, we did not motivate enough people to the ballot box. We must champion the challenges of working families and give voters a reason to show up at the polls in 2018 and beyond…We also need a robust party organization in every state that prioritizes voter relationships over everything else.” Ellison has pointed out many times recently that Trump’s margin of victory was slim and had we mobilized voters such as “the guys in the barbershop, the lady at the diner, the folks who are worried about whether that plant is going to close” in Milwaukee, Detroit, and suburban Philadelphia, the outcome of the election would have been different. Ellison has emphasized that getting out the vote and being on the ground, even in non-election years, is central to the party’s long-term success. Over his tenure as Congressman he has taken his district from last to first in terms of voter turnout in Minnesota and has consistently won his district by considerable margins. However, Ellison has given no indication that he would resign from his current post to fully dedicate himself to the role of Chair. Dean, Harrison and many others view this as a serious liability as the job deserves the full-time attention of the chair.
Jaime Harrison
Harrison enters the race as the underdog, the Chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party who was unknown on the national stage until he announced his candidacy earlier this month. His lack of name recognition should not discredit him as a serious candidate; Harrison has a B.A. from Yale and a J.D. from Georgetown. He put his degrees to use well, acting as the floor director of operations under former Majority Whip Jim Clyburn. After his time working in congress, he was the executive director of the House Democratic Caucus and a lobbyist for The Podesta Group. Harrison is experienced but doesn’t bring the same excitement that a former presidential candidate or the first Muslim Congressman can provide. Harrison takes a more moderate approach than Ellison and Dean, both of whom think a progressive economic message is a key to future victories. As a southern African American, Harrison might be uniquely able to shift the map to warmer climates, potentially adding North Carolina and Georgia to the Democratic strategy. Harrison wants to focus on building the party through state politics and the development of a deeper Democratic bench. However, no Democrat has won a statewide race in South Carolina during Harrison’s tenure. He has a vision but has failed to make a real impact in his home state. Compared the successful 50 state strategy of Dean and the last-to-first turnout swing in Ellison’s home district, Harrison’s achievements are slim.
Nate Silver, the Editor-in-Chief of the website FiveThirtyEight.com, argues that “Trump’s win was somewhat fluke-ish, taking advantage of a big Electoral College-popular vote split and an opponent who was really disliked and had some bad news hit at the wrong time.” Others believe that the outcome was indicative of Democrats’ failure to build up the party, especially within State Legislatures, during the last eight years.
The new leader of the Democratic National Committee will signify the direction that the party hopes to pursue. During the next four years, Democrats must focus on the midterms of the Trump presidency, rebuilding our state-wide talent especially in terms of Governors, the 2020 Census sparking House redistricting, and the 2020 Presidential election.
Yogi Berra once remarked, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” We ought to heed his advice. Ellison’s vision of getting out the vote, Harrison’s state party rebuilding approach, and Dean’s economic populism should not be viewed as competing strategies; that is a false choice and one we cannot afford to make. Rather, we need a synthesis of all three. No matter who is chosen, it seems our party will be in competent hands.
