Chairwoman Debbie Wasseman-Schultz
Democratic National Committee
430 South Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
Democratic National Committee
430 South Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
19 June 2016
Dear Chairwoman Wasserman-Schultz,
As a registered Democrat I am concerned with the direction that this
party is headed and I question the very leadership within the party.
The major party that is best suited for reform, progressive ideals
and values has instead taken a back seat to mediocrity that resembles
Nixon Republicans and has little in common with the New Deal
Democrats of yesterday. I was happy to hear last week that Brandon
Davis will become the general election chief of staff for the party.
I would be delighted if he is your successor at the DNC, especially
as the party deals with the computer hacking issue.
Under your leadership, the Democrats have lost numerous House,
Senate, gubernatorial and state legislature seats. You have been
criticized for making unsupported claims. Your leadership has seen
the party revert to pre-Howard Dean behaviors, and when the party put
up fantastic candidates in red states back in 2014, those candidates
did not stand a chance because the party could not fight bad press. I
am glad that you have backed off your support for payday lenders, but
it is too little and too late.
Earlier this year, when you said that, “Unpledged
delegates exist really to make sure that party leaders and elected
officials don’t have to be in a position where they are running
against grassroots activists,” I was appalled. While some
grassroots candidates truly are fringe, others are more democratic,
ahead of their time, and far more progressive. For a party that has
in recent years taken an anti-Citizens United stance, there has been
no sign of the practice of that preaching. I agree with the idea of
using the United States Postal Service as an alternative to payday
lending .My hope is that the Democratic Party returns to its
pro-labor roots and distances itself from Wall Street.
The party has demonstrated an
inability to defend against Republican attacks. That Donald Trump's
campaign received unprecedented media exposure for
free is appalling and
the fact that the party has not raised concern about it is shameful.
Thanks to a press that has been pushing Trump to run for years, the
estimated air time that he has received is worth $2 billion. There is
a difference between free speech and fair speech. Free speech is
allowing anyone to say (within reason) whatever they please, without
censure. Fair speech is giving everyone equal time to do so. I hope
that a future Congress and presidential administration restores the
Fairness Clause that existed before Ronald Reagan's catastrophic
presidency.
Your unwavering support for the
Clintons has caused me to question my respect for the party. This is
the Democratic party, not the Clinton party, and the fact that
Democrats have been endorsing the Secretary in lopsided numbers
compared to Senator Sanders raises red flags. The existence of the
Clinton Victory Fund has also bothered me; I am left with the
impression that the Clintons are
the Democratic Party. That is not democracy but oligarchy. Going
forward into the general election, Secretary Clinton has to address
her vulnerabilities and confront her critics. I would like the party
to adopt at least some of Sanders' platform going into the fall. The
senator has the correct positions on universal healthcare, the
environment, infrastructure, education and practically everything
else. It bothers me that we have become a nation of citizens afraid
of taxation, allowing ourselves to be taken advantage of by the most
powerful, leaving the have-nots with little say in the system.
Speaking of critics, it is time
that you address yours. Critics are there for a reason. Your critics
are bothered that you have sold yourself out, that you support big
business and pretty much support the status quo. The party
establishment is sitting around with heads in the sand, failing to
recognize that Donald Trump's popularity is in part because he is
both politically incorrect and wants to shake up the system. If the
Republicans in July overpower Trump and choose someone like John
Kasich, I hope that the Democrats can fight back, whether with
Hillary or another popular Democrat like Jon Tester or Mark Dayton.
On a quick, final note, I would
ask the party to stop supporting weak and highly vulnerable
incumbents. Many of these incumbents are weak for good reason: they
did not listen or build a rapport with their constituents. For all of
Congressman Chris Gibson's flaws as a member of the GOP, he has on
many occasions broke with his own party on many issues. Remember the
days when bipartisanship was a given?
For the sake of the Democratic
Party I ask that you step down as Chairwoman and allow the party to
heal and strengthen. The party should not go into an election cycle
with party leadership with this sort of discontent toward the party
leadership.
Sincerely,
Alexander Ivanoff
No comments:
Post a Comment