Carville Names His Choice for New Democratic Leader
The midterms are approaching, the Democratic National Committee, under Ken Martin's leadership, is a non-factor and two million dollars in debt. I'm not a big fan of James Carville, by any means, but I agree wholeheartedly with his suggestion that Martin be replaced with David Hogg, the founder of Leaders We Deserve.
"If David Hogg wants to take it over, then, I ain't stopping you--go ahead man," Carville said, from a hospital bed where he is recovering from surgery.
Well, why not? He certainly could not do any worse.
What's Gone Wrong With the DNC?
Frankly, I cannot answer that question. It seems that none of its recent leadership has been able to resurrect the moribund institution. Could that be because leadership is given to individuals as a consolation prize? Is it institutional politics, where those who have been standing in line waiting for power finally get something to reward them for their patience? I've never been able to understand why Democrats can't make this committee work to their political advantage.
We are in a time now where the opposition to Trump is coalescing around individuals who are actually bypassing institutional, traditional, old-school politics and many of the long standing traditions within partisan politics no longer work either inside or outside the party. The DNC wasn't effective before Jaime Harrison became its chair. And the current leadership of Ken Martin hasn't fixed it. I know there were high hopes expressed by some Democrats that Martin would be different, and would provide the kind of leadership necessary to right the ship and make it an effective tool against the GOP, but that just hasn't happened.
Can David Hogg Fix It?
I get what Carville is thinking. And while Hogg's short tenure at the DNC and then subsequent departure and formation of Leaders We Deserve is not seen as some kind of breakthrough success by the party's old guard leadership, noting what he has accomplished, starting from scratch, is significant, given the cash they have to operate and the scale of their operation. At last count, the candidates they support have won something like 21 elections so far, on a shoestring budget.
I don't know how many Democratic party leaders listen to Carville, but I know he does have some influence. Hogg would not fit at the DNC unless he is given the freedom to completely reform it. The old version won't be missed, Democrats have become used to raising all of the support they need without much DNC help.
Let's be honest. The fundraising being done by Democratic candidates for Congress in this midterm election is working because Trump has become so unpopular, and people are worn out by his incompetence. Democrats are going to take back both houses of Congress, and I'm pretty sure about that, not because they have come up with a solid campaign theme and are running on it, but because a clear majority of voters are willing to put Trump out on the street to get a President who cares about the American people and their needs. Then the pressure will be on the Democrats to come up with a plan to bring affordability back and make government reforms that can't be undone in order to prevent another demagogue from getting control of the government.
The kind of politics that is now appealing to the age group Hogg is targeting isn't a fit for a traditional fundraising approach and the "old school" tradition under which the DNC operates. He was already there once, and didn't fit. So he'd need the kind of latitude to do politics how he knows to do it, which has been more successful than the DNC has been. And that would mean abandoning the "way we've always done things" in favor of what appears to be working among younger voters who are the party's future.
Maybe that's exactly what it needs to fix it. Then again, saddling someone like David Hogg with the DNC's debt problem and the other problems it has experienced might slow him down and take away the effectiveness he has put together so far. It would hold back one of the party's up and coming younger leaders.
Something does need to change at the DNC. It is especially difficult to see what is happening there while Democrats have the ability to cash in as a result of Trump's monumental disappointment.
So who else does James Carville have in mind? Frankly, I don't really care.
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