DNC chair doubles down on his ultimatum for Hogg

[question everything]

Democratic National Convention Chair Ken Martin on Saturday doubled down on his ultimatum for rogue Vice Chair David Hogg: Take a neutrality pledge or step down. “Party officers have one job: to be fair stewards of a process that invites every Democrat to the table — regardless of personal views or allegiances,” Martin said.

After weeks of infighting about how the hobbled party should move forward, Martin laid out his longstanding vision on Saturday in a post on X and called out Hogg, who caused an uproar last month after he told POLITICO that he would fund Democratic primaries for “ineffective, asleep-at-the-wheel” Democrats.

Following Hogg’s comments, Martin made it clear that as a party officer, you must remain neutral in Democratic primaries — and suggested Hogg should step down from his role if he can’t get on board.

The statement comes hours after it was reported by POLITICO that Hogg privately pitched a compromise to his party in recent days. He proposed a so-called internal firewall in which he would stay on as vice chair but be barred from accessing internal committee information about races as long as he was supporting challengers.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/dnc-chair-doubles-down-ultimatum-183533212.html

[Deuxcents]

1. Right off the bat, I don't think I like this...it's our way or get out sounds like a party we're trying to beat.

I’ll need to catch up on this issue..

[WiVoter]

2. Agreed

[dflprincess]

5. Ken is a "my way or the highway" kind of guy

I know a few DFLers who had run ins with him & it did not end well for them.

But I do agree that the party needs to remain neutral in primary contests (or as in Minnesota, unitl the party has officially endorsed a candidate). This includes when the the incumbant is being challenged - Ken has not always been so good at that.

[Cha]

3. GOOD! Mahalo, question everyhing..

[question everything]

7. Back at you Cha

[Cha]

10. Backatcha!

[Sympthsical]

4. The DNC has a fractious problem

This new "We are totally and completely neutral arbiters who shall not even hint at partisan favor in any way" line they're using on Hogg is not taken seriously by anyone anywhere. After what happened ten years ago?

L.O.L.

They're acting like Democrats under 50 don't have eyes and haven't seen how the DNC has behaved in favor of power over small-d democracy. It's only when someone who's *gasp* mildly progressive comes sauntering in that this, "What?! My god, our principles!" shtick is being attempted.

Everyone is way too cynical to buy it. And that's something they earned all by themselves.

This exercise in protection of power is very ham-fisted and reflects very poorly on the organization in the eyes of younger voters (or hell, middle-aged voters at this point). It's not doing them any favors. I know a lot of people here have different views, but here is not the demographic salient to building the future party in the face of a right-wing that is increasingly appealing to younger voters. Even Millennials have started to get way more Trumpy than I care to admit.

Power's cluelessness got us here. They won't get us out. If they kneecap Hogg, there's going to be problems. Speaking only for myself as a Xennial, I've been over this shit for the past decade. I'm ready for a party revolt and some serious reform at the topmost levels. No one can seriously look at the political landscape around us and think power has done us any favors over the past ten - hell, twenty - years.

We desperately need a change.

[Deuxcents]

8. Thank you for your post..I am a Boomer and have been frustrated with the lack of support for progressive

Changes that are needed to communicate to younger voters and most times, the tired old tactics that are not and have not worked and turning good democrats away. I will agree that if they silence David Hogg, we will have problems.

[Sympthsical]

9. They've appointed themselves guardians of a donor-based system

And they think we don't see the benefits of being extraordinarily friendly to wealth and corporate influence. While the status quo is maintained, they get to go on to live cushy jobs on various boards, as lobbyists, and media consultants. Their beds are forever feathered as the economic situation for the working classes has steadily deteriorated since at least Reagan.

And we get told. "Incrementalism is the way!" Fucking incrementalism status quo bullshit. We take little bites and then Republicans tag in and take great big chomps out of the country's political and democratic well being. The same old pattern. Le petite bouchée on our side then Republicans rotate in to bite our dicks off.

When is enough enough? I don't get it. How does anyone look at where we are today, where the trends are today, where our country has gone over the past 40 years and still continue to think "These people have been doing a stellar job. Just fantastic. Let's keep with this."

We don't have citizens ready to start holding some heads accountable. We have fans who will squeal if power shares a special smile for them. And that seriously must end.

[Deuxcents]

11. Agree. We need more voices like David Hogg who dares, and rightly so, to suggest we need change

He’s young and may not have that political savvy tongue just yet but to shoot the messenger and not take note of the message is not going to further our cause.

[AltairIV]

6. Why

Why is the DNC chair posting on twitter (X)?

[Sewa]

12. Lighten the fuck up Ken

The uninspiring Institutionist Dems are dragging the party down. A changing of the guard is needed.

Btw the DNC has a history of playing favorites. It isn’t something new.

[Nixie]

13. Good. The messaging against Democrats is what got us here.

Why on earth would anyone support doubling down on losing messaging.

You don’t have any power if you don’t win elections. Democratic socialism hasn’t won anything so why on earth would anyone support doubling down on losing messaging. Good grief.

[betsuni]

19. The almost religious fervor that THIS TIME the revolution will happen.

"Our belief in 'improvement,' as Obama calls it, rather than on revolution, rests on solid ground. Essentially all of the progressive social change made in America has been under liberal presidents. There were no radical presidents [and FDR was NOT a "democratic socialist" -- that's a straight up lie].

"For many years, I was a radical, but I've left that religion. What has changed? ... The only thing that changed is my understanding of what has worked and what has failed. My aspirations are still far more radical than Bernie's public agenda, but I now see his revolutionary approach as something sure to fail now and in the future. So keep this in mind. Taking cautious steps along a difficult path does not mean we're about to stop. It means we know what it takes to go the distance. It means that we do want to go far. And hoping for a utopian revolution does not mean that day will come. Those who attack fellow Democrats only slow our progress ... . Joining forces does not require compromising principles, only giving up some fond illusions."

Steven Stoft, "How Democrats Win, Resisting the Dark Side of Radicalism"

[Autumn]

14. Tell you what Ken. Maybe you ought to step your ass down.

[kentuck]

15. I have another idea...

Why don't you step down and let David Hogg take over the Chair?

[betsuni]

16. Hogg's Compromise: I'll cover my ears and hum whenever races I am the boss of are discussed by

all you antique corrupt establishment rigging geezers. Just do as I say, it will be fine because I am always right!

I predict he'll step down and many will use The Tale of Sir Hogg the Martyr in fundraising emails for years to come.

[pinkstarburst]

17. Maybe Ken Martin should step down

The DNC is going to remain neutral in the primary process?

Oh please. I think we all know that's a load of malarkey. We saw what happened when Bernie was gaining support and could have overtaken someone they considered to be rightful heir and nominee.

If they silence David Hogg or remove him, what they will succeed in doing is splintering off support among young democrats who feel the democratic party no longer represents their values. Do we want them turning towards 3rd party candidates? That would be a disaster.

Like it or not, we have problems that we need to address. Messaging problems, for one. Failure to convince the voting public that we will act on their behalf and fight for the things they care for.

I think this is a bad move on Ken Martin's part.

[W_HAMILTON]

22. Yes, we did see what happened.

Most of Sanders supporters didn't even know who he was a year before they voted for him and they only did so because he was the stand-in for the "not Hillary" vote -- and the "not Hillary" vote still lost handily.

Then Sanders supporters -- amplified by Russian and Republican propaganda -- claimed the process was """rigged,""" splitting off *just enough* votes from the left to allow Trump to eke out an Electoral College victory by ~80,000 or so votes.

Then Sanders and his supporters wrote the rules of the 2020 Democratic primary -- and he lost EVEN WORSE because people like myself, who voted for Sanders in 2016, brought friends/family to vote AGAINST HIM in 2020 for helping Trump get elected and being so entitled to think he should have/would have won in 2016.

Fucking BARACK OBAMA barely beat Hillary -- you think decades-long backbencher Bernie Sanders was gonna beat Hillary?

Give me a break.

[betsuni]

24. "We saw what happened to Bernie..." What happened to Bernie?

[TexasBushwhacker]

18. This boomer says lead, follow or get out of the way

Especially in swing states and districts, we cannot afford to continue to support incumbents who NEED TO RETIRE. Boomers and older are the biggest supporters of the GOP, and they're DYING. Younger voters are the future of our country and the Democratic party.

[jalan48]

20. The DNC is neutral?

[cadoman]

21. Hogg should step down but Martin should acknowledge this is a new, higher standard...

...that previous vice chairs were not held to. It'd be an improvement to the party structure but also acknowledging that Hogg did nothing wrong or unusual.

[Ping Tung]

23. Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe.......

Ever thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity. Lord Acton