Editorials & Other Articles

DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Thu Feb 9, 2017, 02:12 PM Feb 2017

Obama's Party Building Legacy Splits Democrats

February 9, 2017By Taegan Goddard

Politico: “A painful Democratic rift over Barack Obama’s political legacy is finally bursting into the open. For years, the former president’s popularity among Democrats stifled any public critiques of his stewardship of the party — a period in which the party suffered tremendous losses at the state and local levels.”

“But now that Obama and the political operation that succeeded his campaign, Organizing For Action, have expressed interest in playing a role in the task of rebuilding, it’s sparking pitched debates over how much blame he deserves for the gradual hollowing out of a party that now has less control of state elected positions than at any other time in nearly a century.”

Jonathan Swan: “After eight years of Obama, Democrats are learning how to be in the opposition. And they’ve now got powerful new tools, lessons from the Tea Party movement, and authentic national rage to be tapped.”

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https://politicalwire.com/2017/02/09/obamas-party-building-legacy-splits-democrats/

7 replies

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Obama's Party Building Legacy Splits Democrats (Original Post) DonViejo Feb 2017 OP

So Democrats want to blame the black guy for historic low voter turnout that was only interrupted Trust Buster Feb 2017 #1

You Better Believe It! sweetloukillbot Feb 2017 #2

That's the latest hot take from the dudebro pundit circles... Blue_Tires Feb 2017 #7

Uh, it's all his fault that the party assumed the energy and commitment was permanent bigbrother05 Feb 2017 #3

gee, not the DNC head DonCoquixote Feb 2017 #4

I read the article newblewtoo Feb 2017 #5

the head of the party gets the blame...or the credit. goes with the territory just like msongs Feb 2017 #6

Trust Buster

(7,299 posts)

1. So Democrats want to blame the black guy for historic low voter turnout that was only interrupted

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 9, 2017, 02:17 PM

Feb 2017

by HIS two presidential elections ?

sweetloukillbot

(11,028 posts)

2. You Better Believe It!

Reply to Trust Buster (Reply #1)

Thu Feb 9, 2017, 02:38 PM

Feb 2017

Blue_Tires

(55,445 posts)

7. That's the latest hot take from the dudebro pundit circles...

Reply to Trust Buster (Reply #1)

Thu Feb 9, 2017, 04:59 PM

Feb 2017

I'm only surprised it took them this long...

bigbrother05

(5,995 posts)

3. Uh, it's all his fault that the party assumed the energy and commitment was permanent

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 9, 2017, 02:45 PM

Feb 2017

W/o him at the top of the ticket, Dems returned to their usual lackluster performances. Thanks, Obama!

Basically, when he wasn't on the ticket, the R's were still running against him and nothing stirs a GOP heart like voting against someone they can blame for making them feel like losers.

DonCoquixote

(13,616 posts)

4. gee, not the DNC head

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 9, 2017, 03:17 PM

Feb 2017

under whose tenure we bled like a stuck pig?

http://observer.com/2015/12/why-democrats-need-to-fire-debbie-wasserman-schultz-and-who-should-replace-her/

who at the very least, did stupid things trying to support Hillary that gave the gop ammo?

No No, we cannot blame Ms. Scultz.

And before the banners try to ban me, you have to admit, there is a reason SHE WAS FIRED!

newblewtoo

(667 posts)

5. I read the article

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 9, 2017, 03:25 PM

Feb 2017

here earlier today: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/obama-democrats-party-building-234820

One of the take away items from that:

OFA’s data treasure trove, after all, didn’t settle at the DNC until 2015 — three years after Obama’s reelection.

“It created a shadow organization that was recruiting the same volunteers [as the DNC], using resources from a very limited number of donors, and therefore, as a result it weakened the DNC and the impact that the DNC and state parties could have on politics during his tenure,” said South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison, a candidate for DNC chair. “You’ve got five organizations knocking on the same door with five different messages. That’s not conducive. In the age of Trump we need to be a lean, mean, strategic machine."

and this:

The concerns over OFA’s role as a parallel organization to the DNC are just as ripe when it comes to Our Revolution, the heir to Bernie Sanders’ campaign: a group that has not handed over Sanders’ golden email lists to the DNC, and which has endorsed Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, widely seen as the Sanders-wing candidate.

My take away? A house (party) divided (into factions) cannot stand.

“We all welcome President Obama and Vice President Biden, they’re heroes and giants in the Democratic world. This has nothing to do with them, this has everything to do with the political operatives in the D.C. bubble and not out in Nebraska,” said Kleeb. “I’m sorry, you had eight years to build us a party, but you failed. So no, sorry, we do not want you. Thanks, but no thanks."

Diversity is fine but we need unity of purpose otherwise we are just herding cats.

msongs

(67,413 posts)

6. the head of the party gets the blame...or the credit. goes with the territory just like