Democrats Are Overdue for New Leadership

[Celerity]

To mount an opposition under the coming Trump administration, the party needs new ideas—not the same establishment clinging to power.

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/democratic-party-leadership/

https://archive.ph/gxn5t


Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) whispers to Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) during a press conference on February 28, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum / Getty Images)

As the Democratic Party begins the long process of digging out from the 2024 electoral debacle, the list of prescriptions to reinvent the party’s core governing agenda and messaging complex grows longer and longer. But there’s one short-term pressure point in this battle that’s showing some heartening signs of change: the jockeying for leadership positions within the pending 119th Congress.

Congressional power struggles aren’t the stuff of marquee ideological showdowns, particularly when a party is continuing its tour in the minority. But as the next House session prepares to launch next month, some important generational and political shifts are already under way. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, 61, has displaced 77-year-old Jerry Nadler as the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee—and Raskin’s departure as ranking member on the House oversight panel has created another key leadership opening, after he’d leapfrogged the seniority system to become the ranking member there. Thirty-five-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is hoping to fill Raskin’s slot on Oversight, challenging nine-term Virginia Representative Gerry Connelly, 74, who is battling esophageal cancer. Other House committees, such as Agriculture and Natural Resources, are also poised to see younger members move into ranking positions ahead of leaders with traditional claims to seniority.

This proto-youth movement isn’t a stampede to wrest control of the party away from elder statesman types, but it is a salutary recognition of the need to reinvent the party in basic ways. The House GOP conference imposes term limits on committee leaders; they serve across three sessions, with the party’s Steering and Policy panel issuing waivers for a fourth term. It’s true that this system has produced a great deal of volatility for GOP initiatives in Congress—though it would seem that the party’s broader leadership challenges are ideological rather than structural, with hard-line anti-government groups like the Freedom Caucus exercising de facto veto power over the Republican congressional agenda.

Democrats, by contrast, have been rigidly dedicated to seniority as a key plank of power, both within the House and Senate and across all branches of government. As longtime House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi withstood a challenge to her tenure during the first Trump term, Democrats saw Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and President Joe Biden cleave to power well past their optimal effectiveness in office, with disastrous consequences. Against this backdrop, the present churn in congressional leadership is a welcome departure from form for a party that’s been steadily ossifying into a gerontocracy.

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[ShazzieB]

2. I love that picture!

Those are two of my favorite people in the House, and I love seeing them interacting like that. (Wouldn't you just love to know what AOC is saying to him. I know I would!)

I'm delighted that Jamie Raskin is going to be the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee. He's brilliant, and SO well qualified! And if AOC gets to fill that spot on the Oversight panel, that would be fantastic, too!

I am all for elevating new people to positions of power in Congress.

[Celerity]

3. I guess someone did not agree with us. I missed what they said. Oh well.

[ShazzieB]

5. Yeah, I noticed that!

Probably one of our recurrent "serial" members who sign up over and over again with new names just to make one horrible post that gets them banned!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. In addition to Nancy Pelosi, the Moderate wing of the party is supporting Congressman Gerry Connolly

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Just_Vote_Dem]

6. No, no moderates now. Time for new blood

I'm all in for AOC!

[Cirsium]

8. "New Dems"

Founded in 1997, the center-left New Democrat Coalition is made up of 100 pragmatic House Democrats who work across the aisle and across the Capitol to advance innovative, inclusive, and forward-looking policies. Representing almost half the Democratic Caucus, New Dems are united behind a mission to build an economy that works for every American.

New Dems work to bridge the partisan divide with a solutions-oriented approach to politics. The Coalition’s primary goal is to find workable solutions to the most pressing issues facing our nation—from ensuring every American has access to quality health care to increasing affordable housing in every community. New Dems have shown time and again how lawmakers can make real progress in Congress. And real progress is what’s truly progressive. That’s why New Dems are the ‘Can Do Caucus.’

Pragmatic! Bipartisan! Solutions oriented! Across the aisle!

Say hello to the new boss, same as the old boss.

[AverageOldGuy]

10. As for Pelosi:

Give her a huge banquet, recognize her historic leadership, kiss her on both cheeks, and put her on a flight back to California.

[Crunchy Frog]

14. It's time for Nancy to move on.

We need new blood.

[Celerity]

15. Even losing Porter, Bush and Raskin (and they may be replaced by Progressive Caucus members) the vast majority of Dems

on the Oversight and Accountability Committee at present are Progressive Caucus members, not centrists.

The Progressive Caucus members are listed in bold.

Jamie Raskin, Maryland, Ranking Member
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York, Vice Ranking Member
Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of Columbia
Stephen Lynch, Massachusetts
Gerry Connolly, Virginia
Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois
Ro Khanna, California
Kweisi Mfume, Maryland
Katie Porter, California
Cori Bush, Missouri
Jimmy Gomez, California
Shontel Brown, Ohio
Melanie Stansbury, New Mexico
Robert Garcia, California
Maxwell Frost, Florida
Summer Lee, Pennsylvania
Greg Casar, Texas
Jasmine Crockett, Texas
Dan Goldman, New York
Jared Moskowitz, Florida
Rashida Tlaib, Michigan
Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. James Comer Endorses Ocasio-Cortez to Serve as Ranking Member on Oversight Committee

I do not trust Comer

Link to tweet

[Celerity]

17. I trust AOC, and I do not give a toss about what games Rethug Comer trying to play.

[yliza]

19. He's probably trying to tank her chances

He’s not the brightest bulb but he may be just smart enough to realize she’d own him. If he really is that stupid then he probably thinks he’ll be able to roll over her because she’s “just a girl”, in which case he’d be in for a rude awakening.

[Renew Deal]

34. AOC has broad appeal

She is seen as a change maker by those looking for that sort of thing.

[dsc]

33. He also said he liked connelly

[Jarqui]

9. How is this new leadership going to communicate with the American people

when Bezos, Elon Musk and the rest of the US media oligarchs control what Americans are going to hear and see?

The 2024 election was a vote on what and how the media oligarchs portrayed the two candidates and portrayed what they represented. Not what the candidates and parties actually stood for and actually represented. Changing Democrat leadership is not going to change that fundamental problem. The great arbiter of democracy, the media, is broken and serves the oligarchs who now control it. New Democrat leadership's voices will be muzzled and lied about like the voices of their previous leaders were.

[Crunchy Frog]

16. I guess we'd just better not do anything then.

[Jarqui]

23. That is not what I would do

I'd be more concerned that I find alternate ways for communicating to the American people or somehow curtail the control of the media.

Leadership won't matter if that leadership's positions are not offered to the electorate. (as one example)

[Autumn]

35. AOC is fucking awesome when it comes to communicating with the American people.

She's better at communicating than any speaker in my lifetime.

[Bettie]

21. Right? I guess we'd better just pick the oldest

members of the party, make sure that they have ZERO new ideas or respect for anyone under 60 and put them in charge of everything.

Oh, and moderate, no change, just constantly trusting Republicans to "do the right thing" and everything will be fine!

[Jarqui]

29. That is your solution. A straw man. Not my solution

They need to address getting their message to the American people - find ways to get their message through the broken media

If they don't do that, it doesn't matter who their leader is

[ThePartyThatListens]

32. They'll figure out how to bust through

The Establishment BS

[Passages]

11. Yes.

Respect Raskin and AOC big time.

[paleotn]

12. It's time. Time to change.

The old guard had a good run but their time has come and gone. Time for Gen. Jones and forward to take the reins.

I sometimes wonder where we'd be if Gavin Newsom were our nominee in 2020. I love Joe Biden. Have for ages but sometimes I think we made a mistake.

[Celerity]

25. Biden was great for what was needed in 2020, but right after the 2022 midterms he should've said he wasn't running again

He waited far too long to do so.

By then his numbers were so bad that they proved to be a gravitational force that Harris could not achieve escape velocity from, and we never had a full and proper primary to shift out the best possible candidate.

Harris did very well with the bad hand she was dealt (and Biden would have lost by a wider margin than she did, I am absolutely convinced of that based off so many things I had observed post 2022 midterms) but too many hurdles (of so many types) were left standing in her way.

[Crunchy Frog]

13. If the party tries to continue business as usual

with the same leadership, it will shrivel up and die. Become completely irrelevant.

I hope that the old guard will choose to put the country above maintaining their positions.

[Strelnikov_]

18. "2024 Electoral Debacle"

Really?

[Celerity]

20. If Trump getting back into power, with the Rethugs also controlling the SCOTUS, the House, and the Senate, is not a

debacle, I do not want to see one.

[betsuni]

22. LOL wasting time with the fictional "establishment" vs "anti-establishment" generation wars, weaponizing the

the magic word "establishment" to bash Democrats as the bigger enemy, the greater roadblock to progress than Republicans! Is it that pseudo revolution thing, the horrible evil immoral corrupt neoliberal status quo made-up "establishment" Democrats will stop at nothing to thwart the nice populists, etc.

[LudwigPastorius]

24. Exactly.

"Let's get them to waste their time fighting amongst themselves." -The Trump Nazi Party

[DontBelieveEastisEas]

26. They all cling to power. The new ones will too. So, this is not a solution. 1 term limits is. nt

[elleng]

27. Maxwell Frost is on the way!!!

[usonian]

28. The problem with changing the leadership is that the leadership changes. (explained)

Leadership changes constantly. It's happening right now
Our past presidents and leaders have not maintained a "permanent" presence guiding and coordinating the battle, no doubt because they don't want to seem "partisan" in primaries.



Many days, my commute to work was past the Lexington Green.
The Red, White and Blue owe a lot to the rag-tag rebels who repelled the well-equipped and well-organized permanent army of redcoats.

The red hats aim to replace the Red, White and Blue with one of their own.


So here's the challenge for Democrats.

The GOP represents a tiny minority, 10% or even 1%, with all the money and a permanent interest group.

Democrats represent all the people, and that permanent interest group varies.

Unlike claims by the "every accusation is a confession" party, no permanent group controls the party.

And the populace is affected by the great lie machine. That's why the oligarchs bought almost all of it.

So there's the problem and question. Democracies are fragile.

What are you and I going to do about it?

There are some organizations that have steadfastly supported Democracy and Justice.
SPLC is one. And there are others, but nothing like the Oligarch Army of media, institutions (like Hoover, which sucks), and other groups that are a constant presence.

Republican party leadership since roughly the breakup of the USSR has remained mostly unchanged in its goal and "capo".


But who leads our way, above the usual primary fray?

Is there a new Dr. Martin Luther King?
An American Gandhi, Nelson Mandela or Desmond Tutu?
Howard Zinn, Benjamin Spock, Daniel Berrigan, and others outside the political races are gone.

These were all visionaries more than organizers. (it varies, of course)
The party of Putin has more or less permanent organizers and propagandists and a "rotating racist" as a candidate.
How convenient!

Who has the skill with people and organizing/managing?
We have several. Look at the enormous skills of the Clintons, Barack Obama and Joe Biden
"but the primaries".

We need a more or less "permanent" leadership not swayed nor blown up by primary battles.
Change all you want. There is no solid foundation to keep the pressure on.

Think about it.
And .................

[DronePilot]

30. 2-term limit - mandatory retirement at whatever the accepted age is for the time. All positions.

The stagnation and tribalism from both major parties has halted progress.

[ThePartyThatListens]

31. Yah, this isn't new

Many have been saying this for years

[The Bopper]

36. They don't

Need “new” leadership, they need better messaging. Point being Trump and his constant LIES which, if we’re lucky, , the D’s will spend 15 minutes the first day and pretend he isn’t still saying it 4 years later. Any unrefuted allegation not responded to , becomes the truth to people who may not have heard it before.