As you most likely already know, the big political news in Michigan today is the announcement that Dan Benishek will not run for re-election next year. Today's Daily Kos Elections, Morning Digest diary featured that information.
His decision makes a light purple district more likely to go all the way blue, at least in an abstract sort of way. But the discussion that followed the DKE diary points out the huge gap between theory and practice for running successful Democratic campaigns in Michigan.
So let's have at it, here among friends. If YOU were the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, what would be your top three priorities? What would you stress and what would you change? After years of defeat, there are lots of arguments to be raised on behalf of doing things differently.
Before we head into that discussion, let me bring forward one piece of good news for Michigan Democrats, IMO: the debut of Yousef Rabhi on the state level. On Monday, Rabhi--currently a Washtenaw County Commissioner, now Vice-Chair after a term as Chair--announced that he is running in 2016 for the state house seat now occupied by Jeff Irwin, who is term-limited in that position.
I think this is a great development. Rabhi is smart, committed, and principled.He's also a young man of color, with a well-developed political sensitivity to matters of racial and economic justice, along with an extremely strong background in environmental issues. I'm excited to have him move onto the larger stage, and I think he has a very bright political future. I hope he is at the leading edge of more new, young, adept and progressive Democratic candidates.
Please help us build this weekly Michigan thread so that it includes any information relevant to turning MI Blue again that you would like me to highlight. MI contributors are always welcome!
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