Vulnerable House Dems to DCCC: You're jeopardizing our reelection [View all]

[brooklynite]

Politico

"This is a real f---ing problem."

That’s how one vulnerable House Democrat summarized growing discord between members in battleground districts and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. That member and five others POLITICO spoke with in the past week alleged that the Democratic organization whose purpose is to help the party keep the House next year is instead hurting their chances of reelection.

The members were granted anonymity to speak freely about their frustrations with the strategy DCCC Chair Sean Patrick Maloney (N.Y.) has adopted in dozens of competitive districts. Their complaints fall roughly into three categories.

1. Botched messaging
Universally, the members said there’s been too much talk about Donald Trump and not enough focus on pocketbook issues. Terry McAuliffe banged the anti-Trump drum constantly on his way to losing the race for Virginia governor. But at-risk members we spoke with worry that Maloney is still embracing the Trump-as-boogeyman strategy, blasting Republicans as extreme for seeking his blessing or otherwise supporting him.

“This is crazy to me that the DCCC is rolling out a playbook that they know doesn’t work and that they encouraged people in 2018 not to use,” said the member who dropped the f-bomb to describe the situation. The person argued that in 2018, the committee gave the opposite advice — focus relentlessly on pocketbook issues and let Trump’s antics speak for themselves — and Democrats flipped more than 40 seats to take the chamber.

I haven't had DCCC reach out to me, which is troubling, especially since I've known Sean Patrick Maloney since his first House campaign. I and other NY funders have been pondering whether the House is winnable, or whether we should focus our resources on shoring up the Senate and going after Statehouse races.