DNC Chair race - Pete Buttigieg withdraws with magnificent speech.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

I was pulling for him and feel anxious that our ongoing strife between Bernie people and Hillary people will bring us down.

I hope Buttigieg may go on to greater things. He gets what I think is wrong with us. He articulates what Democrats are and how we can be better than anyone I can think of, including Barack Obama.

So impressed that he walks the walk and pleads for Dems to unite.

If someone can find his speech, can you post it here? I think we all need to hear it.

[pkdu]

1. He has a bright future...hopefully in Indiana THEN nationally . nt

[white_wolf]

7. Hopefully he takes Pence's old job.

He's young enough that he could serve as governor for eight years then run in 2028. I REFUSE to contemplate Orange Julius Ceasar winning another term and I think a couple of terms as governor might really help him.

[pkdu]

8. Yep - Governor or Senator , then who knows. nt

[elfin]

2. Darn it

I liked his as the most viable option. I wish he had come onto the scene early enough to garner more support and publicity.

I do not "like" Ellison for some reason I can't articulate. Probably due to his past financial info. Perez seems good, but "establishment" does not hearten me. I crave for a nuts and bolts new face like Mayor Pete.

I fear we are going to blow it yet again.

[bunnies]

5. What is Ellisons past financial info?

I feel like I missed something.

[elfin]

11. It is what I read at The Hill

Seems slipshod

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/311270-old-finance-woes-haunt-ellisons-dnc-bid

First paragraphs in the post ----

"Opponents of Rep. Keith Ellison’s bid to be the next Democratic National Committee chairman are raising new questions about the Minnesota Democrat’s past to make the case that he’s unfit to be the party’s next leader.

Ellison's critics in the DNC and some supporters of Labor secretary Tom Perez, the other top candidate, are pointing to the Minnesota Democrat’s past tax troubles, campaign finance violations and minor legal issues that once led to his driver’s license being suspended as evidence that he’s ill-equipped to lead the DNC.

Some of those instances date back to the 1990s. All of the issues have been rectified and were previously used in attacks against Ellison during his first run for House in 2006.

That year, Ellison’s then-wife, Kim Ellison, who acted as his campaign treasurer, wrote to the Minneapolis Star Tribune to accept responsibility for all of the violations."

[bunnies]

32. Thanks for the info.

I can see how that would be cause for reservation.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. Ellison is my Congressman and I don't think you need to worry

if he gets the job. He's smart, tough and a great organizer. He will step down from Congress if he gets the position, which would be MN-5's loss, but I think he would do an excellent job. I like Buttegig; he has a promising future but he needs to get more experience in national politics. Perez would be OK too, as long as he resists the temptation to fall in with the entrenched "old" DNC.

[renegade000]

14. We blow it when people assume politics is only a matter of choosing the right leader...

You still have to play the game after you choose the team captain. We blow it when people assume the captain is going to single-handly win the day or are so butt-hurt over who gets to be captain that they just sit on sidelines and pout.

Frankly people should be worrying more about how their local Dems are organized, doing community outreach, and fielding candidates than working themselves into a self-righteous fury about the national party. A 50-state strategy doesn't have to be orchestrated top-down.

[elfin]

20. I agree - unless a leader uses the position to polarize factions that are replayed locally

This polarization may not be intentional, but all too easily inflamed. aI dread the rebirth of Sanders/Clinton friction. I see signs of it both on this site and communiques from regional "Indivisible" groups. We must not, cannot expend precious resources and energy this way IMO.

[Larkspur]

3. I'm not surprixed. Pete had no significant base of support and was too new to build one quickly

And Howard Dean who endorsed him is at odds with DFA, who enthusiastically endorsed Keith.

The Democratic Party is divided and has been for a long time. The old DLC wing does not want to lose whatever is left of the gravy train and Perez is their best hope to keep that train rolling their way.

Pete was a distraction. He's young but in a red state, his hopes of rising the political ladder are stunted. Tis a shame, but that is the hand he was dealt.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

19. I am not that pessimistic.

Pete can rise and win in Indiana. He is so smart. Thinks on his feet. Speaks directly to people and issues and takes politics right out of the picture.

Perez is not as establishment as you think. He is very progressive and a fighter. I think he may pull this out if he gets Buttigieg.

I didn't hear Perez today. Ellison?

[Larkspur]

24. If Perez wins the DNC chair than the DNC members care more about themselves than the Party

Perez, who was Obama's Labor Dept head, did not get the support of the majority of the Labor Unions. He does not have grassroots support.

Perez represents the losers of the 2016 election, the side that lost to Trump. They do not deserve to run the party anymore.

[pansypoo53219]

43. not from what i saw on bill maher's show.

he is not in ofice like ellison. he can be full time.

[Larkspur]

48. MD Democrats were looking to recruit Perez to run for Gov

So if Perez decides to run for Gov, will he resign as DNC Chair?

Ellison promised to resign his House seat.

Will be interesting to see what happens over the next year.

[Me.]

4. Disappointed

[highplainsdem]

6. Here's a snippet of video tweeted by HuffPo reporter:

Link to tweet

I'm trying to find more via Twitter. Seeing lots of praise for the speech.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

17. thank you for posting. n/t

[AJT]

9. I was really pulling for him too.

A run in 2020 perhaps?

[monmouth4]

10. I'm disappointed also. Really liked him..n/t

[True Dough]

12. That's too bad

It's a surprising about-face. There has to be a prominent role for someone with his talents.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

15. If Ellison wins it will divide the party even more

Democrats will alienate so many if it's him. I wonder if Pete B. withdrew to help avoid an Ellison win.

[JHan]

16. Unity must be the priority for sure..

..and litmus tests make this impossible. Whoever wins has to understand this..

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. You don't know Ellison. He's my Congressman.

He's very into grass-roots organizing and he's good at it. He's pragmatic and not an extreme partisan, and if he gets the job he's much too smart to perpetuate the old Hillary-vs-Bernie crap of the primaries because he knows the party needs to unite. That's where the grass-roots stuff comes in. I think he'd do a fine job.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

33. All the jewish voters that will jump ship if he wins don't give a shit about that

With how divided people are right now over his candidacy he would be the absolute WORST choice.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

36. I think that's a gross exaggeration. People aren't going to leave the party

just because of who the DNC chair is. It's an administrative job; the committee as a whole makes policy. Ellison has been repeatedly re-elected in MN-5, which has a substantial Jewish community. They're mostly Democrats and they keep voting for him. He's not an anti-Semite and it's damn close to libel to claim he is.

[mvd]

18. He would have been a nice change

I hope it is Ellison, then. Perez would annoy a good many Democrats also. Would have been good for healing if someone new. I would give Perez a chance and people should give Ellison a chance.

[BainsBane]

23. I like Ellison

What I don't like is the crap surrounding his nomination and how his candidacy is bring used to further division. All of that makes it harder to support him for the position. I wish they could have let him run on his own merits. It doesn't help that so many of the attacks on Perez relate in no way to the role of chair. They make demands yet have no concept of what the position entails.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

35. I'm pissed off at the same idiots that wouldn't unite to avoid Trump winning

Thought it would be wise to make more threats to try to bully people into voting for Ellison. Fuck them.

[BainsBane]

37. Yep

Firstly, people don't respond well to threats. Secondly, anyone who didnt vote Dem in the GE has no business making demands. They've already proven their allegiance us with the GOP.

[BainsBane]

21. I was hopeful he'd emerge as a compromise solutiom

To avoid the long tiresome Bernie-Hillary factionalism.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

22. We are divided on how to unite.

Pete was the guy.

I have looked to outside references and have come to believe Perez less divisive than Ellison.

It's a matter of organizing skills. Howard Dean had the formula. Wonder who he prefers of the 2...

[mvd]

26. This Sanders supporter doesn't believe he is less divisive

On the other hand, I will give whoever gets it a chance. I still want to have hope for the party and none of these candidates is an instant turn off.

[Larkspur]

27. Howard said today on MSNBC that Keith was his #2 choice n/t

[BringBackBarack]

25. My husband was pooh-poohing him when I told him Howard Dean was supporting him

He thought Buttigieg would be "same old, same old." Then he heard him speak and said, "I like this guy. He reminds me of Obama. I admit it when I'm wrong!" I also loved his speech and can see a very bright future for him in our party.

[FloridaBlues]

30. Cspan has the meeting on now, ballots being counted

No matter who gets chair there will be Dems who are disappointed their candidate didn't win. Let's hope the new chair is up for this task and unify's this party. No small task.

[brooklynite]

29. A note from a DNC friend of mine...

"Pete is terrific. Perez will win."

[underthematrix]

31. Pete Buttigieg is awesome - very classy

He was one if my two favs Tom Perez or Pete. However, whoever wins will have my support because I have to keep my eye on the prize - taking back the WH, Congress and Supreme Court.

[PatrickforO]

34. I was a fervent Bernie supporter in the primary but when it was Clinton, I supported her.

There are a lot of confusing memes and statements out there, and some people seem to be blaming each other and others are accused of refighting the primary.

So what do I see?
- tons of engagement at the local level
- people in my state organizing around the 'national popular vote' legislation
- more people getting better news as the media gets pissed off at Trump for excluding them (spectacularly bad move, that)
- more marches, protests, letters, petitions and phone calls (Angus King said his office is getting many more calls and letters than usual)

As to us? Well, there ARE some unresolved policy issues, but it seems to me that forums like this are a good place to argue those out. Our party has a continuum of people, from those who are more conservative to those, like me, who are extremely progressive.

This is a national forum, and I relish some of the debates I've gotten into with people on here - favorite topics of mine include eliminating the Fed and having our government coin its own money (I enjoy countering the argument of inflation which always is raised against this), and renegotiating the 'free trade' agreements (from GATS on) so it isn't so easy to move capital around (hear the 'sucking sound' as American jobs are lost - remember Ross Perot?). I also oppose TPP based on my contention that the ISDS provisions undermine the sovereignty of our democracy at local, state and potentially federal levels.

But at the local level, people are really beginning to pull together, because hifalutin issues like 'free trade' and the desperately-needed repeal of the Federal Reserve Act pale when faced with the horror of opposing a school board candidate who wants to rewrite textbooks according to hard right 'christian' ideology.

So, let's all have these debates at the national level, but at the same time get in there at the local level and confront real problems and imbalances in local and state levels. Because when this is done, at the local level we can roll up our sleeves and do great things.

By the way, concerning the DNC - I like either Perez or Ellison. Both are high quality people.

[samnsara]

38. frankly i can..and WILL...

...support whichever one is elected.....

[SleeplessinSoCal]

40. I think the concern is who will leave for a third party.

Buttigieg talks FDR, NOT BERNIE. Very helpful. Very smart.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

39. Part of Buttigieg speech

"I want to thank my competitors for their graciousness beginning the day I got into this race — proving what unites us is greater than our divisions," Buttigeig said.

"It looks like I'm not going to be the next chair," he added. "But whoever is, I am urging to do the things that must be done to be open to change, to look beyond Washington, to not treat the presidency like it's the only office that matters, to pay attention to communities like ours in the heart of our country — not as an exotic species — but as your fellow Americans."

[LWolf]

41. On-going strife...yes.

Or the party could embrace change and move forward. I have plenty more to say, but I'll say it in the real world, where it won't be censored, and I can't be silenced.

[geek tragedy]

42. Perez is fine, but this feels like a missed opportunity nt

[highplainsdem]

44. Finally found video of the complete speech:

It's with the article here:

http://www.wndu.com/content/news/Mayor-Pete-Buttigieg-withdraws-from-race-for-DNC-chair-414785353.html

It's the second of the two video options, the one labeled "Mayor Pete Buttigieg DNC Speech" and running nearly 8 minutes.

Posted a separate topic about it here to make it more visible:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028709588

[SleeplessinSoCal]

45. thank you. excellent speech, don't you think? n/t

[highplainsdem]

46. Yes, it's a fantastic speech. Thanks for calling everyone's attention to it!

He has an amazing future ahead of him.

[aikoaiko]

47. Tag to read/view later