DNC chair rebukes David Hogg for pushing primaries against Democratic incumbents
DNC chair rebukes David Hogg for pushing primaries against Democratic incumbents
A number of party leaders are frustrated that Hogg, who has a leadership position in the party, is pushing primaries against some incumbents in deep-blue seats.
A number of party leaders are frustrated that Hogg, who has a leadership position in the party, is pushing primaries against some incumbents in deep-blue seats.
Democratic party leaders Thursday morning admonished officers to not take sides in primaries, addressing a situation involving activist and Democratic National Committee vice chair David Hogg.
"Let me be unequivocal. No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger," DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a press call. "Voters should decide who our primary nominees are, not DNC leadership. Our role is to serve as stewards of a fair, open and trusted process, not to tilt the scales."'
As of now, however, the DNC does not have the power to remove Hogg if he refuses to stand down on funding primary challenges through a separate PAC — unless the body changes its rules, a senior DNC official told NBC News.
“Under the present bylaws, there is no action that can be taken against David Hogg without changing to the bylaws to extend that policy of neutrality to all primaries," DNC Finance Chair Chris Korge told NBC News. "There is no codified, legal way to remove an officer for doing what David Hogg has done because it only extends to the presidential race. "
Korge said that, as of now, the situation is to be addressed at a future meeting, likely in August.
Korge said he believed it was imperative for the body to formally change its bylaws because the party division the Hogg situation has caused harkens to an old ghost Democrats don't want to revisit.
“It smells like 2016, when progressives said the DNC had it in the bag for Hillary Clinton," Korge said, referencing angst in the party that the DNC had its thumb on the scale to block Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., from the presidential nomination. "No party official, no officer of the DNC, should do anything that would result in the division that was created by the perception that existed back in 2016."
On Thursday, Martin went on to say he had spoken to Hogg about what he perceived as a conflict but he did not expound on whether he gave him an ultimatum.
"I understand what he's trying to do," Martin continued in the press call. "As I've said to him, 'If you want to challenge incumbents, you're more than free to do that. But just not as an officer of the DNC, because our job is to be a neutral arbiter. We can't be both the referee and also the player at the same time. You have to make a decision.'"
In pushing back on Thursday, Hogg cited Trump's power clashes with institutions in saying the party needed to take more aggressive actions. He added that he had not violated any DNC bylaws.
"They’re trying to change the rules because I'm not currently breaking them. As we’re seeing law firms, tech companies, and so many others bowing to Trump, we all must use whatever position of power we have to fight back. And that’s exactly what I'm doing," Hogg said in a statement.
How dare he rock the boat when the current bunch are doing so well.
Hey man, we gotta be patient, the old guard is really busy doing absolutely nothing
Oh c'mon! Insider trading, setting up offshore accounts and shell companies is work!
That's exactly the plan. Schumer has said out loud that the plan is to just let the republicans off the leash, let them sink their own poll numbers and hope they teach the voters a lesson.
That lesson, of course, being that you can put a Democrat in office to do nothing, or you can put a Republican in office and the democrats will still do nothing. These fossilized assholes need a solid kick in the pants. I would like to wish Schumer and his ilk a very merry get fucking lost.
There's totally moderates we can flip guys, totally! We're hot on their trail!
the old guard DEMs works with the old guard gop behind the scenes to get deals through, which arnt immediately clear to public. most europeans can see right through the performative politics of the 2 party system.
such bullsh!t - Hogg sees they aren't doing their jobs, they aren't fighting and they need to go. Good for him.
This is the problem, these establishment Democrats aren't supporting the people who are willing to fight, they want to write strongly worded letters and consider legislation... those days are gone.
Jefferies needs to be thrown out, Schumer needs to step back or walk away.
I really thought Martin would be good for the party but I'm not seeing it
Note that the text OP posted above is NOT the whole article!!
IDK why that isn't made clear?Since last week, Hogg has appeared on just about every cable news show and digital outlet, advocating for a party reset of sorts — not just because it lost the White House to Donald Trump, but also because, he said, it lost faith among voters.
David Hogg is right IMO, the party needs a reset, and the platform needs a reset. For one: Calling themselves the Democratic party, they really should work more to improve democracy in USA! As it is they are not really democrats any more than people calling themselves pro life when in fact they aren't at all pro life. What they are is against abortion rights.
Likewise the Democrats have helped maintain the status quo, in a dysfunctional flawed democratic system.
IDK why that isn’t made clear?
its a community rule not to post the whole article, so I posted some of it
i agree with hogg that the party needs a reset, but the vice chair of the party should not be the one making that comment because it gives all appearances that the party will be picking and choosing the primary candidates and throwing their weight behind their preferred candidate. that's going to lead to party fractures and a lot of hard feelings. you want to ensure more republicans winning easier than they should on the local level? have the party pick the candidate instead of the people in the district.
that's why i am very glad the chair has pretty much laid down the law. the party leadership (save one) is committed to electing democrats wherever they are whoever they are. one person in leadership is committed to electing specific democrats to office.
which if you think about it is a colossal failure. he's down in florida. he's had ample opportunity to elect his chosen democrats in florida with his pac. how successful were his candidates? and you've got people who see that (lack of) success he had in florida and say, "yeah, let's take that plan and apply it nationwide, even if the better democrat for an area isn't someone that hogg prefers."
i agree with hogg that the party needs a reset, but the vice chair of the party should not be the one making that comment because it gives all appearances that the party will be picking and choosing the primary candidates and throwing their weight behind their preferred candidate.
It's neat how this hasn't been a concern until just now.
the party leadership (save one) is committed to electing democrats wherever they are whoever they are
Maybe they shouldn't commit to democrats that continuously vote with the Republicans?
I don't see why there shouldn't be standards.
Voters should decide who our primary nominees are, not DNC leadership.
Tell that to Sanders, Clinton, and Harris... That's just recent memory...
🙄 🤡 🤦♀️
They straight up told us who the nominee would be against Trump. What a fucking joke. "Democracy is in peril so we have to suspend democracy.
In this past election, it's kind of a non-issue. Both parties have always had it in their rules that if the nominee drops out after the primaries, the party can select a new nominee without holding another primary. And to be honest, it's an understandable rule, at least within the scope of an overall shitty system. People generally aren't going to show out for primaries, then watch a nominee drop out, then show out for yet another round of primaries, and then show out for a general election. It's hard enough just to get people to vote once.
Prior to 2024 though, the DNC and DCCC putting their fingers on the scale to fuck Sanders and elevate Clinton is unforgivable.
“Let me be unequivocal. No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a press call.
This is a position the DNC has acted contrary to for decades, and only decided they conveniently held when someone wanted to primary centrists. Ken Martin is not a departure from the centrist wing of the party's decades of self-serving bad faith; he is a continuation and possibly an acceleration of it.
Justice for Bernie!
Nothing surprising here but it is somewhat notable that the DNC response to activists whipping up enthusiasm and engagement among younger voters is to change the bylaws in order to stop them. Real pieces of shit, they are. Proven time and time again.
Making reform impossible is a very dangerous game.
Woah, there, enthusiasm?! Listen, buddy, we prefer our voters begrudged.
The outrage is telling. Hogg is making an effort to introduce fresh faces and ideas at the primary level. This gives Democrats a chance to choose which ideas they want to go into play in congress. That is all.
If those voters are happy with what they currently have, the incumbent is safe. If not, those new ideas go up against opposing ideas. If a plurality like those ideas, they get to see them play out in congress. The only risk here is that they lose the seat.
Since at the moment, he's doing this in reliably blue districts, the risk is lower than elsewhere. This is a recipe for real change in the Democratic party for the better.
The only reason to fight against it so hard (that I see) is the protection of individuals' comfort at the expense of the welfare of our nation. It's evidence of moral rot in the the party that is threatened by true representation of the citizens' needs.
I support Hogg's efforts - as long as he does not have the morality of "boss Hogg". (For the kids out there who have no idea of what i mean, find and watch a season of The Dukes Of Hazzard.)
The democratic party is very big on hierarchy and pecking order from what I've seen. They believe that being a long time party member should count for much more than being an actually effective politician or persuasive speaker. To suggest that the ancient corpocentrists should be even remotely threatened is tantamount to heresy. That's why they were so horrified when Obama "stole" 08 from Hillary.
the donors control both the gop and dem , they are afriad they cant control the likes of future aoc, and BERNIES
Thus marking the greatest opposition democrats have mustered against anything this year.
They always have money and energy to fight their own progressive wing.
We remember 2016 and 2020. Stop lying about not interfering in primaries.
"They’re trying to change the rules because I'm not currently breaking them. As we’re seeing law firms, tech companies, and so many others bowing to Trump, we all must use whatever position of power we have to fight back. And that’s exactly what I'm doing," Hogg said in a statement.
This man has a good head on his shoulders. I still think there are better ways to use Hogg's position and funding, but political leadership for the day after will also be important so I'm not too miffed.
FUCK the DNC. They helped put us in this mess.
Rebuke away, ya dumb fuck Dems. What the young Mr Hogg is attempting — funding primary challengers to the most empty-suit Democrats — might be futile, might not, but you gotta respect the effort.
"Wake up, wake up," he shouts at the corpse of the Democratic Party, which will probably wake up only long enough to smack him away, and then go back to sleep.
Summarized translation from political speak:
Stop interfering with out interference!
Democratic party leaders Thursday morning admonished officers to not take sides in primaries
Lol! This, coming from the same folks that would rather back Republicans instead of progressives in their own party? Fuck these people. Primary them all.
Lmao and they can’t get rid of him, I fucking LOVE that.
Sucks to suck, status-quo old-guard fucksticks.
If they even fucking dare try its the very last time an entire generation votes D.
Eh, there's no shortage of clowns who'll defend them as the lesser evil (or, God forbid, actually good at what they do) and shut down any attempt at making things better no matter how low they sink.
Fuck the DNC. Complicit pieces of shit
Let me be unequivocal: No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger
Hah, right. The more accurate statement would be something like
As a DNC officer It’s only acceptable to put your thumb on the RIGHT side of the scale
As a liberal who donated literally hundreds of dollars last year to ActBlue thinking I was saving democracy, Democrats have completely lost me. I’m done. After a loss as bad as 2024, how those Democratic leaders all stay in their positions is beyond me. Schumer, Jeffries, the entire DNC should’ve been fired and replaced. They are losers who made us lose to a fucking moronic orange rapist. And the fact that they’re STILL lying about putting the thumb on Clinton’s scale over Bernie’s in 2016 is as dishonest as it is infuriating. Fuck the Democratic party forever.
(For the record, will continue voting blue because the most corrupt democrat is better than the nicest magat, but we need a new party on the Left STAT)
We get the left party by splitting the Democratic Party. The Republicans are dead-old-white-men-walking, they will implode. I’m Team Hogg on this one
The gall of saying that DNC officers shouldn't ever influence a primary nominee after them shafting Bernie in 2016, and foisting Biden and then Harris on us in 2024. Silver lining I guess is now they're on record as having that policy and are likely codifying it
They'll rescind it as "outdated" when another Bernie shows up. They're pushing for neutrality because they know they're ahead with Bernie out for the count and AOC too captured by the establishment to be a real threat.
Sweep out the old guard.
'Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary' - Karl Marx
Sanders? Now that biden's not running anymore, age is disqualifying again.
AOC? Women suddenly can't win now that Clinton and Harris are no longer running.
Hogg? Welp, guess we suddenly like Marx and hate gun control. Until he's no longer a problem.
Controlled Opposition strikes again.
Go David!
A Democrat politician is not a lifetime appointment. Right now if you aren't actively being the solution, then you are part of the problem.
You can also learn about and/or donate to Leaders We Deserve
"Pipe down, plebian"
Hogg is right and Martin is a fool. This do nothing say nothing change nothing is what got us here.
Hey many slammings = 1 rebuke?
Have to agree though, its so very unfair that Hogg is calling for any level of accountability for our reps performance in office. How dare he suggest our reps get off their arses and actually do any work at all for the democratic party, instead of just doing whatever the eff they want, including backing republican causes. Its outrageous.
They’re not getting it. They haven’t been getting it for a long time. A shakeup at the top is long overdue.
How bout actually winning people over on issues instead of forcing people to have no other option? Are these circumstances not dire enough to warrant appealing directly to the people to determine their preferred candidate and not keep losing elections to absolute clowns?
Fuck the DNC.
Dinosaurs face pressure, news at eleven.
Until I can pour them into my gas tank, they're not facing enough pressure.
Any options for sending them a message aside from the DNC contact form?
Their mailing address:
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE 430 South Capitol Street Southeast Washington, DC 20003
What I'm sending:
"Please find enclosed a printed copy of an email sent to me by Leaders We Deserve in which they thank me for my donation to them. Here you can see that I am willing to donate to causes that credibly represent me. Pay special attention to the absence of a donation in this envelope, as it was not an oversight on my part."
If you do something similar, black out the "to" line on the email if you don't want all the spam.
Sounds like endorsement to me.