I have a confession to make: I’m a former politician who hates party politics. Even when I served as minority leader of the Ohio Senate, engaging with party apparatus was my least favorite part of the job. Now that I’m out of office, it should be no surprise that I have generally avoided paying attention to the race for Democratic National Committee chair. But, with just a few days before Democrats elect new leadership, I figured it was time to at least tune in to the CNN debate.
I honestly had not formed a strong opinion about any of the eight candidates vying for DNC chair (although I have known Jehmu Green for more than a decade). But I did have an idea of what kind of values, priorities and approach I would want from future DNC leadership.
We all acknowledge Democrats are in their wilderness years right now. Democrats have lost control of the White House, Congress and a fair number of governors’ mansions and statehouses across the country. The decline of the Democratic Party didn’t just happen overnight. But President Trump delivered a death blow in 2016 by co-opting Democratic policy priorities and communicating them in a relatable way.
Democrats need a leader who is able to bring together the diverse constituency of the Democratic Party by presenting unifying principles that everyone values. Simply put, we need to take our economic message back from Trump while maintaining our steadfast commitment to equality and social justice. It is possible to do both, but who on that debate stage could pull it off?
Even though I’ve been tuned out, I was aware the front-runners are Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., and former Obama Labor Secretary Tom Perez. Ellison is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, while Perez is backed by former Vice President Joe Biden. The choice between these two contenders is representative of the ongoing tug of war between the progressive and establishment factions of the Democratic Party. Neither the establishment or the progressive wings of the party seem to have particularly strong track records of success these days. Prior to the debate, I couldn’t see how Perez or Ellison could provide the leadership needed to make the changes necessary to rebuild the Democratic Party for 2018, 2020 and beyond.
It was a question from the audience during the debate that helped me see which possible chair may have what it takes to revive the Democrats. The audience member, who said they supported Ellison, asked each candidate how he or she would be able to bring together both immigrants concerned about family members being deported and Democrats who voted for Trump.
Most of the candidates offered up platitudes about organizing or local engagement. But it was the mayor of South Bend, Ind., Pete Buttigieg, that gave the most thoughtful response. He basically said it doesn’t matter if you are an immigrant wondering about your future or a blue-collar worker worried about getting a job or a transgender kid who just wants to be safe going to the bathroom, that we are all in this together for a better nation.
I paused and thought to myself, “Who is this guy? He sounds like he gets it.” I had heard Buttigieg was endorsed by Howard Dean, but that’s all I really knew. Turns out this Midwestern mayor is a veteran and a Harvard grad. Not a bad resume.
Butigieg also impressed me with how he addressed the issue of opposing Trump at all costs. Yes, Buttigieg asserted, it is important to challenge Trump, but Democrats can’t just focus on being the resistance. He said we need to talk about people and about our values, not just about Trump. If Hillary Clinton had taken that advice, maybe the election would have been different. It seems to me Butigieg has the right approach and right message to bridge the factions of the party.
Still, he’s a long shot at best. Ellison and Perez have been working the party infrastructure for months. A very small number of people actually elect the DNC chair, and these folks are the biggest insiders around.
Party politics is the ultimate example of inside baseball. While potential party bosses are hustling for endorsements from special interest groups, or arguing about whether the DNC rigged the primary process to favor Clinton, rank-and-file Democratss want to know where their party went. They want to know if they will have a job and if their family will be safe. They care if their kids or elderly parents will be protected.
On Saturday, I hope members of the DNC will base their decision on who has the right message, not just who may have the right endorsements.
Capri Cafaro (@thehonorablecsc) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a former member of the Ohio State Senate, where she was the Senate minority leader. She is now an Executive in Residence at American University’s School of Public Affairs. If you would like to write an op-ed for the Washington Examiner, please read our guidelines on submissions here.
