Apparently, the Daily Kos thought police want to purge everything but the orthodoxy they espouse. They make real dialogue about change impossible and fail to understand how voters need to be INSPIRED for Democrats to succeed.
On Nov. 6, I wrote a Daily Kos article — suggesting the Democrats name Beto O’Rourke as Speaker — to be the voice of the party, while Nancy Pelosi managed the House Caucus. Completely independent of me, the next day Otto wrote the same thing.
Whatever the merits of the idea (that the Speaker’s role should be viewed completely differently) the vitriolic response was shocking. We were both called all sorts of epithets: sexist, ageist, misogynist, etc.
I also resent the implication of the Daily Kos thought police that I don’t represent the Democratic party, that my views don’t count, because I’m male.
My family and I hosted fundraising events, gave money, block walked, lent our names to advertisements to the Jewish community supporting Beto O’Rourke as well as Collin Allred (US House 32) and our local State Representative (102) candidate Anna Maria Ramos — both INSPIRING winners who toppled incumbents.
I also served as an election judge, helping ensure that many voters were not stymied by Texas’ voter ID law and that as many people as possible could exercise their constitutional right on November 6th.
We were proud to do our small part to win, while not resorting to insults for other Democrats whose views we don’t share 100%.
Those close-minded, intolerant sentiments were reflected twice in the Daily Kos on November 16th. The first, by Laura Clawson, called out “white dudes (who) keep whining”. The other — from KOS — was even blunter, with a theme of “five stupid white guys” and even a hashtag to that effect. It’s interesting that both writers are “Daily Kos Staff” . . . reflecting a harsh institutional rejection of any ideas from liberal Democrats which don’t fit their perception of righteousness.
That’s a tough pill to swallow in an age where freedom of expression is under siege by our so-called President.
The fact is: many of those opposing Pelosi in the House and elsewhere in the Democratic party are not old white men, and their views should be respected.
WE think the speaker should NOT be nancy pelosi because we know america wants real change
For those of us who want a change in Congressional leadership, our beliefs are sincere and grounded in a desire for what’s best for the country.
Unfortunately, for all the great things Nancy Pelosi has done in her career, for all the paths she has blazed, for all her tremendous legislative skills, the one thing she cannot do is INSPIRE Americans to see a real vision of what American can become under Democratic rule.
The same goes for her top lieutenants: Steny Hoyer (white male), and James Clyburn (black male). Our party is still underwater in perception (41% vs. 50%) in the Daily Kos’ own poll. Our stale leadership in the House and Senate (YES, I’d love to see Schumer replaced also) and contributes greatly to this negative perception.
My comments aren’t ageist either.
- Bernie Sanders is the same age as the Democratic leadership, but he INSPIRES. Young people flock to him.
- Elizabeth Warren is nearly 70, but she INSPIRES. Voters are passionate about her.
It’s not the chronological age that matters — it’s the freshness of the ideas.
To govern you have to WIN.
Hillary Clinton would have been an exceptional President, and would have governed brilliantly. But she failed to INSPIRE enough of the country to WIN in the first place.
And it wasn’t just white men who failed to vote for her. Minorities failed to turn out in anything close to Obama-like numbers in places like Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Miami (that was the whole ballgame right there). Young people failed to turn out nationwide in Obama-like numbers as well. Why? Because Hillary Clinton didn’t INSPIRE them.
Suburban women didn’t support her in the numbers we needed in key states either. Even my 94 year old mother — as staunch a Democrat as ever was — thought Hillary was an abominable candidate, holding her nose as she voted for her.
Fast forward to 2018. Where did the new House majority come from?
- It came from voters in the suburbs, INSPIRED by the need for change. These faces and voices included minorities, young voters and women — and even men like me
How did deep red Texas flip two Congressional Districts, 12 state house seats and 2 State Senate seats?
- With the help of fresh, INSPIRING candidates and by riding the coattails of an INSPIRED message from Beto O’Rourke, even as he fell just short statewide.
I attended the victory party for Colin Allred (Texas 32), who my family supported with sweat and with money. Allred ran a positive campaign focused on his ties to our district, where he grew up. Energetic, African-American, son of a single mother — Allred is an American success story. More importantly, he INSPIRED voters in our District. “No matter what ship we came over in, we are all in the same boat together,” was a theme he repeated for every audience.
At the victory celebration, a large cadre of volunteers changed in unison the mantra that kept them going through the long hours of a bitter campaign: “ONE MORE CALL! ONE MORE DOOR!” Such devotion is not possible if you are not INSPIRED.
Business as usual in 2020 is not going to be enough.
We need a Presidential candidate to lead the ticket who INSPIRES. And we need Congressional leadership who can INSPIRE between now and then. Nancy Pelosi and her team cannot provide that inspiration.
At the very least — as a sort of compromise — Pelosi should commit to retire after this term, while simultaneously replacing her leadership with a team that can INSPIRE. That way she can have her well-deserved swan song, and the party can benefit from her great management skills — but Democrats can also show the country that a new sheriff is in town.