This Monday Congressman Ro Khanna (Rep. CA) was on Brian Tyler Cohen’s (BTC) show discussing Trump’s cabinet picks and the future of the DNC, talking about the conversations that are taking place amongst DNC politicians in the wake of Trump’s 2024 victory.
The meat of this conversation starts at 2:26 in the video.
****Bolding is my own emphasis****
BTC:
“I want to move over to the prospect of the next DNC Chair. You’ve come out and said that the next DNC Chair should swear off corporate PAC money — so what is your rationale for that?”
Khanna:
“Obama did it. The American people are sick of corporations having the kind of influence they have in our politics — too many corporations [have] sold American jobs offshore for cheap prices and low wages, and I think they want they want to see a party that is ultimately not beholden to large interests.”
BTC:
“I agree, but I want to play Devil’s Advocate for just a moment. Is there any worry about unilaterally disarming if Democrats don’t accept corporate PAC money but Republicans by contrast have a blank check? Just with Elon Musk alone, they basically have carte blanche in terms of how much money they would need. Isn’t being subjected to self-imposed purity tests kind of what landed us here in the first place? Isn’t winning and having the money to be able to get our message out more important?”
Khanna:
“Sure, but the question is ‘how do you win?’ No one is saying unilateral disarmament in a general election. What I’m saying is — first of all — no Super PACs in the Democratic Primary. That doesn’t help us win in any way… and have the DNC focus on grassroots fundraising and building real constituencies and real small dollar donors as Obama and Bernie did, instead of relying on a small group of people to write big checks.
I think we’d be a stronger party if we’re trying to get the DNC funded from individuals. Now, in a general election, if some billionaire is writing big Super PAC checks, then of course we need to respond to that… let’s at least go back to where Obama was — remember he ran as a candidate of reform, Bernie ran as a candidate of reform — we want to be the party of reform.”
BTC:
“Is there anybody that you like for DNC Chair?”
Khanna:
“I don’t want to come out with a specific person because I want to see where they’re going to stand on Corporate PAC money, where they’re going to stand on getting Super PAC money out of politics, and where they’re going to stand on the ‘Main Initiative’ — basically restrict billionaires from contributing to Super PACs. Why should a billionaire be able to give $50million to a Super PAC, but only $6,600 to a candidate? [We need to] have the same restrictions — [something] you could do even under Citizens United.
I’d like to see a DNC Chair take those pledges… Now there’s some good candidates: Ken Martin, Ben Wikler.”
Having just witnessed what happened with Biden a few months ago, we know that DNC Politicians do not release teasers of things on a whim nor by accident. If Congressman Ro Khanna goes on the air with BTC and says Martin and Wikler by name, it is because they are being considered for the role of DNC Chair.
Even more importantly, we have to take note of how Khanna qualified what was the important apparent credential for a potential DNC Chair: Getting corporate billionaire money out of politics with the goal of making the DNC the party of reform again (a la FDR).
In a different section of the video (starting at 6:51), BTC asks for Khanna’s thoughts on DNC media strategy.
BTC:
“Is there some sense, moving over to the media front of this, among your Democratic colleagues in the House, as it relates to the media, conferring all of this attention and energy and validation onto Legacy Media is actually a losing strategy?”
Khanna:
“Well absolutely. People know that you have got to get out there and talk beyond the Legacy Media. When I go on MSNBC, and I like going, you’re getting 100k, 200k, maximum 500k people are seeing me — and it is often the same people. If I want to make a good impression on my mom or dad, in their 70s, I can go on. But if I want to reach a broader audience, I’ve got to go on places like you, Brian. And you were a leader in being in the Independent Media space, and also the issues you are talking about are different.
If I go on MSNBC today, which I may, I am going to get asked about Kash Patel and Hunter Biden. No one is going to be talking about money in politics. No one is going to talk about DOGE as much, and so you get to have more substantive conversations on podcasts.”
BTC:
“And to your credit, you have been a leader in embracing Independent Media — a lot of folks in the DNC aren’t… but is there some sense among Democrats, more broadly, that they do have to broaden their horizons… to embrace Independent Media?”
Khanna:
“Yes, there has been. I remember when Bernie Sanders went on Joe Rogan and the backlash he got, even from Progressives on our side, and now everyone is trying to get on Joe Rogan — and they’re trying to get on your podcast over here, Brian.
I think there’s been a wake up call for the Democratic Party that we’ve got to be on these podcasts, we’ve got to engage with Independent Media, but more than that you’ve got to be willing to mix it up and not be so afraid of a gaff… I am sure that there are things I regret saying, but the news cycle is so fast people get over it — they understand that people misspeak, but you’ve got to be out there and being yourself.
I think that’s what people want more than anything.”
I do not want to sound too optimistic, but this is the sort of signaling that we want to see and an extremely good sign that members within the DNC are recognizing (as Robert Reich has explained) that the strategy is to double down on shifting the party to the Left and getting the hell away from Legacy Media.
It is on us to continue to pressure our representatives to do what we want them to do and finally get their hands out of the pockets of billionaires.
As a small microcosm within Independent Media, I know I will be paying attention to these developments moving forwards, with cautious optimism.
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