What went wrong? Dem. Party contestants to face tough questions
WASHINGTON—The Democratic National Committee is throwing the doors open for an frank discussion of what went wrong in the 2016 election – and how to retool for the future.
As the party searches for a new chair and vice chair, the DNC has decided to hold four regional forums, moderated by journalists instead of party insiders. It’s the first time Democrats have held regional forums for party elections in more than ten years.
The idea is to expose the candidates to the tough questioning needed – and that the party’s new chair will face in office -- as the party seeks to rebuild after Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s unexpected loss on Nov. 8.
The party faces significant challenges in the effort to revamp its leadership and re-energize its base. In addition to taking the White House, Republicans now control a record 67 of the 98 state legislative chambers, more than at any other time in the history of the Republican Party, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The dates and moderators for the DNC events, which will be live streamed, are:
- On January 14 in Phoenix: Jon Ralston of the Nevada Independent
- On Jan. 28 in Houston: Evan Smith of the Texas Tribune
- On Feb. 4 in Detroit: Ron Fournier, editor of Crains Detroit Business.
- On Feb. 11 in Baltimore: April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks
The moderators were chosen to straddle the spectrum of Democratic constituencies. For instance, Ryan is likely to address the concerns of urban African Americans, such as criminal justice reform. Fournier is a hard-nosed journalist and former Associated Press Washington bureau chief who was openly critical of the Clinton campaign and hails from a Rust Belt state that Democrats lost for the first time since 1988.
The DNC’s 447 voting members will choose their next leader during the weekend of Feb. 23-26 in Atlanta; it’s part of a long process of soul searching that will give early indications of where Democrats decide to steer a party that’s also suffered significant losses at the state legislative and gubernatorial level over the past decade.
Already the race is showcasing the tug by party activists who believe it needs to take on a more progressive cast. The top contenders for the next party chair include Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison and Labor Secretary Tom Perez.
Ellison is a leading figure among congressional progressives and grassroots groups including MoveOn.org who has the support of Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, as well as Sen. Chuck Schumer, the new Senate minority leader. Although Ellison was endorsed by the AFL-CIO before Perez entered the race, Perez has deep ties with unions and the labor community as well as with the Obama administration. He bills himself as an experienced manager who can rebuild the party’s infrastructure.
While there are distinctions between the two on some issues – for instance, Perez did not openly oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership under Obama – they are both essentially grassroots progressives.
“The tour is an opportunity for top Democrats to listen to the American people, to lay out their vision for the future of the party,” the DNC said in a previous release announcing the forums.