There is still bitterness in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party from Bernie Sanders supporters who believe the primary was rigged for Hillary Clinton.
This problem was compounded when Tom Perez, a Clinton loyalist, was chosen to lead the DNC over Keith Ellison who had been endorsed by Sanders.
Now the DNC has formed a new commission and it’s made up entirely of Clinton people.
Michael Sainato reports at The Observer:
DNC Voting Commission Consists Entirely of Clinton Surrogates, Ignores Own PrimariesThe Nation reported on May 25 that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is launching a voting commission in response to President Donald Trump and Republicans forming their “election integrity” commission. Ari Berman for the Nation wrote, “The DNC says its commission will debunk the myth that voter fraud is widespread, document the impact of voter suppression efforts in the 2016 election, and propose solutions to expand voting rights.”The members of the commission include former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander who will chair the commission, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Sen. Cory Booker, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Colorado House Speaker Crisanta Duran, Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, DNC Vice Chair Karen Carter Peterson and District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine.The makeup of the commission signals that the DNC is less focused on expanding voters’ rights than it is on perpetuating the Democratic Party’s interpretation, which was fully exploited during the 2016 Democratic primaries to suppress Sen. Bernie Sanders’ candidacy and further the interests of Super PACs and wealthy donors.The chair of the DNC’s voting commission, Jason Kander, sits on the board of Priorities USA, a pro-Clinton Super PAC. Super PACs are specifically created with the intent to suppress voters’ voices in election by raising exorbitant amounts of money for candidates, effectively buying elections. Because they are inherently undemocratic, it’s hypocritical for the DNC to organize a voting commission run by someone who sits on the board of a Super PAC.
This will drive further speculation that Hillary is going to run again in 2020. Why the Democrats think Bernie voters will finally come around four years from now is anyone’s guess.
That’s not to suggest that the Bernie wing of the party is doing any better. In fact, their record so far is downright abysmal.
David Siders writes at Politico:
Sanders revolution hits a rough patchBy many measures, the Bernie Sanders revolution proved a smashing success. Young people registered to vote, and small donors opened their wallets. Economic issues like the minimum wage and student debt were pushed to the forefront of the presidential debate. From big city rallies to the backwaters of precinct-level elections, the progressive movement breathes new life in no small part due to the Vermont senator.But nearly a year after Sanders’ presidential run fell short, one thing is missing in the afterglow — a reliable string of victories at the ballot box.The losses are piling up. Earlier this month, Democrat Heath Mello, whom Sanders campaigned with, failed to unseat a Republican in Omaha’s race for mayor. Kimberly Ellis, the candidate endorsed by Our Revolution, the successor group to Sanders’ presidential campaign, lost a fiercely contested race for California Democratic Party chair. And on Thursday night, Republican Greg Gianforte bested Rob Quist, another Democrat for whom Sanders campaigned, in a nationally watched House race in Montana…“I would say that progress is sometimes slow, and that building a movement takes time,” said Wendy Carrillo, a progressive activist aligned with Sanders supporters who ran unsuccessfully in an April congressional special election in Los Angeles. “We’re really good on the messaging, and the rallies … But it needs to translate into votes.”
The media loves to talk about divisions in the Republican Party, and they do exist. Yet in many ways, the Democratic Party is as divided now as it was a year ago.
The activist wing wants control but the establishment isn’t giving it up any time soon.
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