My open letter to the DSCC
Yeah, I know, another "open letter". Except this one I'm printing and mailing so this is an actual letter too.
Date: June 7, 2016
Senator Jon Testor, Chairman
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
120 Maryland Ave, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Dear Senator Testor:
Like many progressive Democrats, I’m eagerly looking forward to the weekend retreat at Martha’s Vineyard from June 24-26. Many of us progressives have been deeply troubled of the process of which the presidential primary has occurred. Through a series of events that we feel the DNC has been responsible for, some questionable tactics from the Clinton campaign, the influence of Super PAC’s, and the mainstream media, we feel disenfranchised by our own party. The accumulation of all this came to ahead today with the major media outlets reporting that Clinton has clinched the Democratic nomination when this is factually wrong. To date she is still several hundred behind the required number and the only way she goes over the top is with super delegates who do not vote until the July convention.
I’ve attended several of these weekend retreats and I know well that many of the people attending will be super delegates and senators up for election or contesting a seat in November. Many of these are good progressive candidates that I’m proud to support like Ann Kirkpatrick and Jason Kander. I look forward to meeting them and others and listen to their stump speeches. However, I will not stand idle if any candidate attaches their speeches referring to Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee or presumptive nominee since this is a fallacy. To many of us, it reeks of an attitude of fall in line or else. If speeches go that way, I might as well leave not only leave the retreat but the party as well. To paraphrase Malcolm X, we don’t feel we left the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left us. This is why Bernie Sanders is an Independent because our own party by in large has moved to the center. He’s a New Deal Democrat, which is something other candidates need to embrace and make a priority in their campaigns and on Capitol Hill.
Let me be clear. This isn’t about sour grapes. This is about letting the Democratic process play out as it’s supposed by its very own rules. This is about transparency. It’s also about a fight for the very heart of the Democratic Progressive movement, which has inspired millions of new voters to get involved in the process who never would have before. We also donate time, money, and we vote. Please do not make a tragic mistake. Tell those speaking that Bernie’s votes and his voters do matter and nothing has been decided until the convention. Denying us that right and the dignity we deserve would have horrible consequences.
Comments
If you're going to mail this one...
You should probably get the spelling of Jon Tester's name right.
Now, how do I get an invite to this Martha's Vineyard thing? I haven't been there in 30 years (when I got off my ferry, I saw Carly Simon! And, she smiled at me when I told her that her lights were still on -- now everybody drives around that way during the day). I'd love to see Carly Simon again. Or hear Jason Kander. I gave him some money. How do I get into this gig? Does being a DNC Convention delegate get me anything?
Also, it's "by and large," not "by in large." Unless you're buying in bulk.
As for references to Clinton being the nominee, get used to it. Yeah, it sucked that superdelegates votes were counted in February. And, sure, that influenced the narrative and affected the outcomes in the primaries and the caucuses. But, those primaries and caucus are pretty much over, and the results are baked into the cake now. The superdelegates are not going to overturn the democratic result, and we shouldn't be asking them to do that, if we're serious about democracy. Whatever effort the Sanders campaign has put into that, it won't continue past this week. Outreach to superdelegates will surely shift to the platform and to rules changes.
Finally -- Sanders is now a Democrat. He had to declare that to be on the ballot in New Hampshire. Deal with it. I think it's pretty cool. We need more like him, not fewer. If you threaten to leave the party -- or, if you actually do that, you're not going to win friends and influence people who rely on the party to help get them into office. For that matter, you're not going to win friends and influence those who suppport Democrats. They're going to advise you not to let the door hit you on the way out. If you act like a sore loser, then that's what you will be. If you decide instead to build on what's been accomplished in this race, you might be surprised at what we'll accomplish. But, one thing's for sure -- whether you leave or stay, blogging isn't going to make much difference. I'm doing it -- have been doing it for years -- in the hope that there are some persuadables, but that's probably a delusion. What neeeds to be done is to reach out ot the young who are the core of future progressive majority and get them off of Facebook and get them involved in the meat of democratic politics. Or, you could leave it as "Testor," and see how far that gets you.
Representing the 99% at the Dem Nat'l Convention in Philly.
Thanks for the correction
Will note name update in proper letter. Spellchecker doesn't do names well. As to your other points...
"The superdelegates are not going to overturn the democratic result, and we shouldn't be asking them to do that, if we're serious about democracy". The problem there is we as Sanders supporter are playing by the same rules as Hillary did in 2008 so why should it be any different now? Your suggest the "results are baked into the cake now". The cake won't be ready until the convention when the oven bell goes off. So if you like drippy cake batter and try to pass that off as cake to everyone else, you can. I'm not eating it and I suspect many others won't either.
As for Bernie's standing in the Democratic party, watch C-Span more. He's listed as Bernie Sanders I-Vermont. I bristle when people from TOP say that Bernie's not a "real Democrat" despite always caucusing with them. Yes, it's great he's able to run as a Democrat and has tried to pull the party more to the left. If the idea of what the mainstream pushes as a Democrat who is pro-death penalty, pro-trade agreements, pro-fracking, and has cozy relationships with big oil and phase companies, then this isn't my party nor Sander's. I donate time and way too much money (and that's how you go to these retreats, FYI) and vote. If they don't want it and happy to be sure the door doesn't hit me on the way out as you say, then your perspective is wrong. They are the ones who walked out the door.