Who is Keith Ellison? Meet the Muslim American who Bernie Sanders wants as DNC chair

[portlander23]

Who is Keith Ellison? Meet the Muslim American who Bernie Sanders wants as DNC chair
Ben Geier
Mic

For all the controversies that engulfed the Democratic Party in 2016, perhaps the biggest was the leadership of the Democratic National Committee. The chairwoman, Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, was forced to resign just days before the party’s nominating convention in July. This came after hacked e-mails revealed that she was working behind the scenes to help Hillary Clinton beat Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries.

Ellison was the first Muslim elected to Congress

When Ellison earned his seat in 2006, he became the first Muslim American to serve in the U.S. Congress. Ellison converted to Islam while he was in college.

He’s a champion of left-wing causes

There’s a reason Sanders likes Ellison so much. Ellison is a strong supporter of tougher bank regulations, putting him in the company of Sanders and other progressive Democrats like Elizabeth Warren.

He wants to change the way the DNC raises money

Ellison told the Huffington Post on Wednesday that he wants to end DNC acceptance of lobbyist money, another move likely to boost his profile with progressive party members.

[guillaumeb]

1. Recommended.

Imagine voter enthusiasm as a substitute for big donors trying to control the debate.

[Demsrule86]

2. Yeah starve our candidates ...that should win elections.

I posted that today and am now staunchly against Keith as DNC chair...although I like him personally.

[FogerRox]

3. Didn't somebody recently

raise 218 million dollars in a national race via small dollar donors?

In fact I'm managing a candidate for NJ Gov. We're not taking any lobby money, no Super PAC money.

WE expect to raise 3 million by June 6th. $27 dollars at a time. Well, if some well to do individuals want to chip in the max thats ok.

The fact of the matter is Bernies financial model worked, and has upended the digital political consulting field.

[George II]

6. No he didn't. In fact he got the maximum from thousands of his donors, and....

....his campaign accepted more than the maximum from hundreds of donors (maybe thousands) and he also accepted hundreds of donations (many over the maximum) from foreign entities.

When you buy a set of furniture for $2700 and pay it of in 100 installments of $27, you didn't pay $27 for that furniture. Yes, it's true that he got an average donation of about $27, but many many many of them were repeat donations from the same people.

Finally, his "financial model" didn't work in the sense that he didn't win the position for which he was campaigning.

[creeksneakers2]

4. No E-mails revealed

that Debbie Wasserman-Schultz did anything behind the scenes that had any effect on the outcome of the primary elections. They only times they confronted Bernie were when Bernie smeared DWS and the committee. Later it was revealed that Donna Brazile gave Hillary debate questions in advance. That was terribly wrong. Other that that though, the only attacks against Bernie were private communications between officers that never led to anything.

[George II]

7. Thanks. Those myths will live a long time, but that won't make them truth or reality.

I'm not sure what you're referring to in your sentence "that was terribly wrong", that Brazile DID give her the questions or the story itself. The fact is that for ONE question there may have been a single email on the same topic as an ultimate debate question. She did not blatantly give Clinton any questions in advance.

[gulliver]

5. I can't support a "Muslim American" identity

This article justifies Ellison being given less consideration. By itself, the fact that Ellison is a Muslim means nothing to me. If it is given as a reason to be for him, then it becomes a negative. Why? Doing that would prove that the person giving that reason considers something that is irrelevant, Ellison's religion, a good reason to be for him. They would be engaging in identity politics, exactly the kind of thing that keeps us from focusing on "shared human" politics.

On the merits, I still find little that makes Ellison stand out in terms of video or writing. Someone please point out something. I think Granholm would make a much, much better DNC chair. She's an exciting, funny, smart advocate for Dem causes. Also, as a former governor, she vastly outranks Ellison in terms of political accomplishment.