The Future of the Democratic Party
Our Party needs to have a much bigger conversation than the one we’ve had over the past month. We are tinkering with the roof and windows of our house when we should be working on the foundation.
Political parties in our country are in danger. 50% of the population didn’t vote for either of our Presidential candidates. It would be easy to blame that on flawed candidates. It is also easy for people to claim that another candidate could have won. We can never know that. We should agree that, if we want fresh ideas and perspectives, then we should talk directly to the folks who didn’t vote and ask them why.
I want people to explore how out of alignment our values and actions have been. It is only after assessing our situation, and grounding ourselves in our values, that we can think more deeply about what we need to accomplish.
Based on what I’ve heard here in Idaho, across social media, and in discussion with executive directors, chairs and vice-chairs from across the country at our recent meeting in Denver, there are four topics we need to address: power, partnership, insurgency, and culture.
Power. The way we do power as humans is changing. People are revolting against the old power structures of hierarchies, titles, resumes and bank accounts. The Democratic Party must focus on trust and inclusivity, and return to our roots by returning power to the people.
Partnership. The DNC must step up and be THE umbrella organization committed to building all other progressive organizations. This commitment must begin with State Parties. We should not be fighting amongst ourselves for donors, dollars, and relevancy. That wastes our time and energy. The DNC should provide critical communication, resources and support to state parties, as well as bringing other progressive organizations to the bargaining table to ensure we are maximizing our resources and minimizing redundancies.
Insurgency. We need to own this word. This is a time like no other and we don’t have time to focus solely on ourselves. We must not allow the Republican Party to continue to rob, cheat, and lie to the American people. They have made it clear they aren’t playing by any rules and we must figure out a way to respond. This is war and we need to build an Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. And a Coast Guard wouldn’t hurt. The American people must be made aware of what is being done to us — now, before it is too late. We need to address the enormous issues of fake news, data integrity, voting rights, big money buying our elections and the upcoming redistricting issue.
Culture. The DNC culture must reflect our values. Transparency and trust are critical building blocks to running an effective organization. We have to restore these starting right now. Our leaders should never try to affect an outcome, for starters. We are a Party of the people and everything we accomplish should have a clear process for input, communication, and buy-in that is inclusive and thorough. The DNC should not be a campaign apparatus for particular candidates — it should be a capacity-building force to be reckoned with.
The first step to achieving these critical elements is to select a leader who recognizes these needs and will act quickly and decisively upon them.
The number one job of the DNC Chair is to raise money so that the DNC can push resources and support to state parties and the rest of the progressive network. In order to be an effective fundraiser we must have a full time chair who puts in the time but we must also have a good story to tell. Without bold, organizational change we will face headwinds in raising funds and re-establishing ourselves as a progressive change agent.
Our next leader must also be a collaborative partner who can build a new political culture, and insurgency, to take our country back. To do this we need a leader who isn’t beholden or hampered by a myopic vision of the few and powerful. We need someone from outside of the DC beltway, who understands how the rest of the country operates and what our real day-to-day concerns are. We need a leader who is truly neutral and doesn’t hold a stake in the conflicts that have weighed us down for the last year. That leader needs to start a conversation that reminds us who we are. That leader must build a vision for the future where all Americans are treated equally, have a fair shot, and know they will have help if they fall short. The Democratic Party needs to get back to being a force for good in the world where we solve the problems that plague our Country, not the problems that plague our Party. Not a single person should need to walk away from or distance themselves from the Party because they are embarrassed or conflicted about being a Democrat.
We should work on both our short-term plan as well as our long-term strategy, and we need to move right now simultaneously on both. We need to look at this historic moment as a gift — an opportunity to take an honest assessment of where we are and where we want to be. We shouldn’t settle for the easy, comfortable route or just adding new spokes to the same old wheel. I want Democratic leaders to have an extensive discussion of how out of alignment our values and actions have been. It is only after honestly appraising our situation and grounding ourselves in our values that we can think more deeply about what we want to accomplish during this time of discernment. It is time to create a path forward to address the large, overwhelming issues we face and build a new Party for the 21st century based on innovation and resiliency. I look forward to being a part of this conversation and would welcome your feedback, ideas, and energy. I have seen what diverse groups of people with great energy and ideas can do and I am excited for the future of our Party.
