Sanders supporters took over the Nevada Democratic Party. It's not going well.

[JoeOtterbein]

Politico

The senator lets it be known that he’s unhappy with work his followers have done in the critical battleground state.

By HOLLY OTTERBEIN

02/25/2023 07:01 AM EST

When Bernie Sanders’ supporters took over the Nevada Democratic Party two years ago, progressives across the country were thrilled.

Socialists had managed to bring down one of the most powerful establishment forces in the nation, the famed Democratic machine built by former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. They saw it as a blueprint for the progressive transformation of state parties.

Two years after the experiment began, there are regrets.

Judith Whitmer, the insurgent party chair who wrested control of the party from mainstream Democrats, is facing a challenge in her reelection campaign next month amid doubts from her own former supporters and accusations that she abandoned her progressive principles. And even key figures in Bernie world — including Sanders himself — say they are unhappy and embittered by what’s transpired.

snip

more at link

[Bettie]

1. The thing is

there needs to be representation from ALL Democrats in the party, not just one end of the spectrum or the other.

For Republicans it's easy, they do as they are told. Democrats are a different animal altogether.

Most of us are not authoritarians, we're not a monolithic group, we have disagreements on how things should be done, but ultimately, we all want ordinary people to proper in many ways.

Unfortunately, it seems that if moderates are in charge, they want zero progressives involved at all.

And when Progressives are in charge, they too, charge forward with no input from the moderates.

I've said my piece, now I'll sit back and watch as this devolves into a "progressives should all sit down and shut up" thread.

[Emile]

2. +1 well said!

[Ocelot II]

10. The thing is, running a state party shouldn't be an exercise in ideology.

It's all about management - raising money and keeping track of it, GOTV, public relations, all the boring machinery that a lot of people don't want to bother with because they want to change things. Whether you're a progressive or a moderate or whatever, you set that aside and take care of business. Party ideology isn't your job. The DSA is complaining that this party chair didn't do a good job, which seems to be true, but their complaint is: “This is our lesson, and we hope socialists everywhere will pay close attention: the Democratic Party is a dead end,” it read. “It is a ‘party’ in name only; truly, it is simply a tangled web of dark money and mega-donors, cynical consultants, and lapdog politicians.”

No. That's bullshit. What they should be complaining about is poor management and disorganized fundraising, not whining about "dark money and mega-donors, cynical consultants, and lapdog politicians." That's not how you strengthen a state party and win elections.

[betsuni]

22. +1

[Hekate]

23. +2

[Cha]

29. Yeah DSA.. "The Democratic Party" is NOT

a "dead end".

Who GOTV for Sen Catherine Cortez Masto's Reelection? That's Helping to Save our Democracy.. you?

Them and their "dark money' stale refrain.

[The Magistrate]

11. Part Of The Problem, Ma'am, Is A Sort Of Semantic Stretch

It can be illustrated by the problem of criticizing religious radicals of the sort who pray for President Biden's death. Call such people out as what they are, vile and evil creatures, and even on left forums one can count on people to take up cudgels against 'bashing Christians'. People like, say, Turner or Dore or Joy Grey, are no more of a kind with the general run of people who support enacting progressive ideas into policy and law than are critters like Jefferies and White and such of a kind with an ordinary soul who considers themselves a Christian, in belief and practice. Calling out the one is not calling out the other, and ought not to be treated as if it is. Opposing, even denouncing and condemning the sort of people so sunk in the old 'not a dime's worth of difference' attitude they become in effect a left auxiliary of the christo-fascists, is not an attack on progressives, and certainly not speaking out against progressive policies. It is, rather, an attack on people whose activities hamper instead of aid enacting progressive policies most every Democrat supports, and damn few Republicans do.

[Hekate]

24. Indeed it is, Sir

[Alexander Of Assyria]

16. Sanders progressive agenda has been shunned for years, by Party and Media.

For instance, private owned utilities should be owned by…The People… corporations, corporate owned politicians and corporate media hate such things like a virulent virus…once in the host, it can spread! Then where going to get the millions needed to run a campaign for dog catcher in America?

Sanders is enemy of greedy profit, the greedy will fight back, and politicians will be happy to carry the water.

Would like Sanders supporters to take over all States, input from all other in party of course, but this ship is sailing to port…time to fight back against the corporate takeover of democracy, on a larger scale…the fascists are doing it, for another reason.

Note how sanders did NOT use his deciding vote before last election to gum up anything…what is not being done also deserves attention and respect…Manchin is example of opposite.

[The Magistrate]

30. The Two Wings Present Different Problems, Sir

Which looms largest depends on the moment.

The gist of it is the 'progressive wing' presents difficulties in election season, the 'moderate wing' presents difficulties in governance season.

The 'progressive wing' is not wholly responsible for the electoral difficulties charged to it. Democratic Party candidates standing in a general election can count on being called to account for statements made by various campus radicals or fossil Marxists, who have no connection to or influence in the Party. This is a decision made by the press, in its unending effort to present the major parties as equivalent in all regards. It's become cliche: a student caucus somewhere denounces Mr. Lincoln as a thoroughgoing racist and demands his statue be removed from the campus; a Republican member of the House proclaims it's white people are the chief victims of racism today --- so it's clear left and right both contain problematic racial extremists. The obvious differences in the situations need no spelling out here, save noting that a Democratic candidate will be hounded over the resolution of the campus committee, and no interviewer will ask a Republican candidate whether he or she really believes as does their colleague, that white people labor under a horrid burden of racial persecution.

The 'moderate wing', however, is largely responsible for creation of the difficulties it places before a Democratic administration and Congressional majority. In office, Democratic politicians of progressive views are reliable votes for the program of a Democratic administration and majority, even when watered down from their own goals. Whatever the 'free radicals' of the left may be, the working pols of the Progressive Caucus understand half a loaf is better than none: they will complain, but will vote right. Moderates' not only operate as wreckers, cooperating with Republicans to thwart the policies Democratic voters put a Democratic government in power to enact, they generally do so under cover of a cloud of squid's ink proclaiming it is disloyal progressive are the problem, because they complain not enough will be done, even as 'moderates' vote to see nothing is done. They claim this is necessary for them to hold their seats so a majority can be maintained, but in fact most who make this argument fail to hold their seat through the next election, because the real result of their actions is not to get some votes from 'reasonable' Republicans, but to discourage Democratic turnout, because they did not do what they were elected to do. This is not rocket surgery: Democratic voters elect candidates to uphold policies and pass laws Democratic voters think best, and won't go an extra mile to vote for someone who prevents this happening.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

33. Sir, entirely agree. Astute analysis. The Moderate D demanding resignation of Al Franken, to

which the Press latched onto like leeches..and so did the honorable thing, for good of the entire party. Political hero in my book. But the Press won’t say so, but that doesn’t make it so.

Now doing the honourable thing has gone the way of the dodo bird, considered a dumb thing to do…when did thst happen?

Santos, MTJ, those those suddenly plentiful elected demons posing as humans, Liars and Haters all the way up to the coup planning former president…where are any calls to Resign!? Should be resounding….yet, silence in the Press…with some spatterings in distant corners.

One thing tRump was partially right on, the Press is the enemy of the People, Friend of the Powerful, like themselves.

Remember the Dixie Chicks?

[The Magistrate]

34. Some Of This, Sir, Is Simply Because Our People Sit Still For It

Combative instincts seem sadly lacking.

The dark art of political interviews consists in saying what you want to say as the answer whatever the question is.

To illustrate....

A Democratic candidate is asked what they think of the student resolution to topple Lincoln's statue, do they support it? When this is done, the answer should be along the lines of:

Well, Chuck, I never heard of it till just now, but there's a Republican chairs a major committee just declared racism against white people is our greatest problem today. Actually says whites suffer horribly under racist persecution. That's a sitting Congressman, a committee chair, who casts votes, has real sway over our laws. Not some kid emerges from an all-night bullshit session in a sophomore dorm ready to fix every little thing plagues this world. A committee chair, a committee chair in Congress said white people are the chief victims of racism in our country. Do you live in a country where a white man's on the bottom of the totem pole, Chuck? It's a ridiculous thing to say, and flat insane to actually believe it. So that's the problem, we've got a political party whose leadership is so out of touch with reality they'd look west to see the sunrise.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

37. Republican Party, without a party platform, is not out of touch, they touching conspiracy

conspiracy theories hatched on social media to the point of criminal molestation.

A party without a platform can create policies fantasies on a whim, and discard them on a lessor whim.

The White Man oppressed fantasy touches some White People where they want to be touched, grabbed by their pussies engorged with resentment and their own personal failings they are now permitted to blame on Not White People.

Offloading one’s own personal failings by bashing a manufactured not white piñata on social media must be irresistible. Why? Head scratcher.

[NoRethugFriends]

3. Politico

[brooklynite]

7. Factual

Or are you suggesting Politico would never run a story about problems in the Republican Party?

[Alexander Of Assyria]

38. Politico shouldn't run any stories. Most are stories.

[The Magistrate]

4. It's The Great Difference Between Our Party And Theirs, Sir

We don't encourage our nuts and flakes. The people 'thrilled' by destruction of Party machinery in Nevada were not so much progressives as purist radicals of a stripe reality simply will not accommodate. These do us great harm electorally. It would need a good glossary by now, because the details and personalities commented on are mostly forgotten, but Lenin's 'Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder' is worth a read....

[JoeOtterbein]

9. TBH...

...I enjoy being the "left-wing nut" at parties all the time!

[The Magistrate]

12. Give Your Left Nut For It, Eh?

Sorry. Insufficient coffee, simply could not resist riffing on the usage.

Best of the day to you, Sir!

[emulatorloo]

18. A big bowl of mixed nuts is always a hit at a party!

Thanks for another excellent article from Holly. She does great reporting.

[brooklynite]

5. The point is: ideology has nothing to do with running a State Party.

The role of a political party is mechanical: raising money, registering voters and turning them out on election day. The DSA renegades didn't take over with that as their number one goal.

[JoeOtterbein]

8. +1 nt

[uponit7771]

15. +1,

[emulatorloo]

20. +++

[comradebillyboy]

6. No one looks to the DSA for political competence.

[Cha]

26. I sure as hell don't. nt

[Gaugamela]

13. Welcome my son welcome to the machine . . .

Political machines work because they preserve the interests of the status quo. If you try to make genuine change the machine breaks down. Moreover, opportunists like Kyrsten Sinema will frequently use the popularity of progressive ideas to advance their own career only to jump ship for personal gain. It’s not an indictment of those ideas, it’s an indictment of the machine and the ship of fools that is civilization.

That’s why we’ll never take any substantive action on climate change. The ship is sinking.

[emulatorloo]

19. Lots of great climate action in the IRA of 2022. Of course media doesn't report that.

Huge investment in Clean energy, decarbonization, et cetera.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

40. Nevada Democrats implode over battle for party control

This is not pretty. Only one incumbent governor lost in the 2022 cycle and this loss was due to the efforts of the DSA types who first ran a primary opponent against a sitting governor and then withheld support

Link to tweet

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/nevada-democrats-implode-battle-party-control-judith-whitmer-rcna71880

A central part of the drama over Whitmer's tenure has been the decision by a group of previous party leaders to, a few months after she took over, break off from her control and form a rival Democratic entity in Washoe County called Nevada Democratic Victory. It essentially became a shadow party apparatus with aides tied to more establishment Democrats in the state, including Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen.

Now, internal party documents obtained by NBC News outline just how heated that battle became and what steps the party structure controlled by Whitmer considered to get back at that faction.

The documents lay out a pressure campaign in advance of an ultimately abandoned plan to de-charter Washoe County Democrats from the state party, including a desire to hit back at the party's own senator despite a tight re-election race that was pivotal to Democratic control of the Senate that year......

Still, establishment Democrats charge that the state party at times worked against them in last year’s midterms, including backing a primary challenger to the sitting lieutenant governor.

“The State Party created additional challenges for the governor’s re-election,” Molly Forgey, former deputy campaign manager to Steve Sisolak said in a statement to NBC News. “They actively worked against the coordinated campaign supported by elected officials and national committees, campaigned against the governor’s appointed Lt. Governor, and used their limited resources to pay their allies instead of turning out Democratic voters.”

Sisolak lost his re-election race for governor. He was the only incumbent governor to lose re-election in 2022. A senior aide to his running mate, former Lt. Gov. Lisa Cano Burkhead, echoed Forgey's sentiment.

Still, establishment Democrats charge that the state party at times worked against them in last year’s midterms, including backing a primary challenger to the sitting lieutenant governor.

“The State Party created additional challenges for the governor’s re-election,” Molly Forgey, former deputy campaign manager to Steve Sisolak said in a statement to NBC News. “They actively worked against the coordinated campaign supported by elected officials and national committees, campaigned against the governor’s appointed Lt. Governor, and used their limited resources to pay their allies instead of turning out Democratic voters.”

Sisolak lost his re-election race for governor. He was the only incumbent governor to lose re-election in 2022. A senior aide to his running mate, former Lt. Gov. Lisa Cano Burkhead, echoed Forgey's sentiment.

[Cha]

44. That Totally Sounds like them.. Thank Goodness

Senator CC Masto & Supporters Prevailed!

What a trip.. fighting those ******** & the magamorons.

[yaesu]

14. When the fascist bigs had their

Socialism is evil vote in the House I figured therevwould be more bs like the article showing up. Just another "watch out, the socialists are coming" scare tactic. If mistakes were made it wasn't socialism it was the bribing power of big money in politics.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

17. Socialism makes mistakes, because it deals with humans, Capitalism is perfect, deals only with greed

[LetMyPeopleVote]

21. Who is surprised by this?

[Cha]

25. Thank Goodness & Democracy that

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto got Re-Elected in Nevada!

Who do we have to Thank for That!

[DFW]

27. The voters of Nevada, not the state party.

She is VERY good at what she does. Her staff, Tyler and the rest, are top notch, too. They were making calls and knocking on doors right up until the polls closed. I got to meet a lot of them on January 3rd in Washington. She had a great team behind her.

[Cha]

28. I imagined SEn CCM did. GOTV

and the Voters.

TY for your report, DFW.

[DFW]

31. They never gave up. They knew it was up to them.

CCM was VERY acknowledging of them, too. I spent more time talking to them than I did talking to her, and they knew how close it would be.

[Cha]

32. I Appreciate them so Much.. from the link..

The state party didn’t take Whitmer’s victory lightly. Shortly before it was sealed, party staff in an apparent act of protest moved hundreds of thousands of dollars from their own coffers to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and later quit their positions. Once Whitmer took her post, the Reid machine circumvented the state party and set up a coordinated campaign out of a local party in the state’s second-biggest county. Officials insisted it was necessary because Whitmer lacked experience in winning battleground elections.

[The Magistrate]

35. It's The Saving Grace, Ma'am

The rebels haven't a clue how to do anything but pack meetings, they've no idea how things actually work, and even less of how to run them.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

39. I would give the dissenters from the middle ground more credit than that, Sanders is their leader.

[betsuni]

36. +1

[LetMyPeopleVote]

41. Luckily enough of the Harry Reid machine survived to help Dems keep the Senate seat

Only one incumbent governor lost in the 2022 cycle and this was in Nevada due to in part to the new party leadership

[Cha]

43. Good ol Harry Reid Machine! TY

[LetMyPeopleVote]

42. Hopefully the March 4 primary/election will vote out these current leadership

Current leadership needs to go

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Cha]

45. Amen & Hallelujah!

bye Judith.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

46. This is not good news for the party

Link to tweet

[Cha]

47. TY.. Good Luck to our Democracy on

March 4 Nevada!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

48. Democratic socialists swept out of power in Nevada

This makes me smile. Only one incumbent governor lost in the 2022 cycle and it was in Nevada. I am glad that this group was voted out by an impressive margin

Link to tweet

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/democratic-socialists-swept-power-nevada-judith-whitmer-rcna72905

Nevada Democrats have ousted a slate of democratic socialists who took over the state party two years ago, ending a troubled reign marked by divisions and infighting.

Judith Whitmer was booted from her position as chair in a Saturday vote, with a new slate headed by Nevada Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno assuming control of the party......

The results come after a tumultuous term under Whitmer, who repeatedly clashed with key figures in the party. Establishment Democrats charged that she had at times undermined her own party, including Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who was in a close re-election race last cycle.

Whitmer also lost the support of some of her progressive allies, including in Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' camp and with local democratic socialists......

In 2022, Nevada Democrats largely held onto state posts in the face of what should have been good conditions for Republicans. Cortez-Masto's win by fewer than 8,000 votes ended up becoming the deciding seat in the Senate, allowing Democrats to retain power.

The exception was the governorship, making incumbent Steve Sisolak the only sitting governor to lose his seat in 2022.