Here's the thing Tom Perez is alight. Better than that even, he's pretty good. He's smart, savvy, media smart and has a lot of the right ideas. However: that isn't the point.
At every point since the election the progressive coalition has been snubbed. Usually with as much casual dismissal as can be summoned. With a snuffling arrogance that might be excusable with an actual winner and not a group of people that have been stunningly wrong and tin-eared about so much.
I'm saddened, in 2005 after Bush triumphed over John Kerry, the blogosphere... let by a group on dailykos (check the uid!) I was a part of, took matters in our own hand and lobbied every single DNC member to make Howard Dean the guy. You have to understand, the establishment didn’t accept him at all. In fact, I'd venture to say Bernie is more accepted by the establishment than Dean was. But we did it, and we won. Way before the tea baggers started their thing.
We did it because we were united towards a goal. A lot of us never thought we'd even win, but it wasn't the point. We were completely powerless and voiceless in Congress and the fight was what mattered. We even won. Dean's 50 state strategy led the groundwork that eventually ended up with the Democrats retaking congress. You know why? Because MAKING THEM FIGHT FOR IT is how you play the game.
I knew that wouldn't be happening this time when I would check in day after day and see a different collection of outrages of the day. The name of the President or his cronies with a baker's dozen of new indignities and infractions dominating every piece of media,
With the DNC election (a fight for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party) sitting comfortably in the C block of the news if at all.
Again, what this means is that the Obama coalition is in charge still... but it's the sharp forward thinking part of that coalition, not the obnoxious pseudo-third way types. Ok.
I'm not going to lie though: I'm sad.
This was a time to actually come together and try some new ways. What this move signals to me is that the people who absolutely refuse to admit that they did ANYTHING wrong in 2016, or anytime recently not only are still in power. They won't relinquish it without a fight.
That sucks, because again in 2005 the thing that made Dean winning DNC chair so amazing is it was a bunch of regular folks just like you and me, putting pen to paper, placing calls, faxes and writing e-mails. Sometimes to hilarious results, and we not only got somewhere, we were proven right in the end.
Not resisting Devos or Sessions, Destro or Darth Vader, but POSITIVE motion building towards something.
All down the memory hole!
That said: Perez has said he vows to return to the 50 state strategy, and I’m inclined to believe him. He's said all the right things, and to reiterate, he's very smart and a good dude. I even wish he had been Hillary’s VP pick.
But this was an opportunity for the progressive wing to take real power back, not protests, not phone calls, actual power. And we came right up to the line and fell short. That sucks not just because of the result, but because it's clear that no quarter will be given from the "other side" of the Democratic Party and it sure would be nice to be on the same freaking side already.