Watched the interview after reading this (great article, btw). From the start, the only thing running through my head was: "what a contemptible little man."
I don't know enough about this Ken guy to judge his effectiveness as a leader (though the opinions in the comments seem pretty clear on that). Regardless, if they're not able to replace him, the DNC needs to keep this guy out of the public eye at all costs. Dude has like... -20 charisma.
I hate to say it, but he inspires zero confidence; we need a team leader not a wonk. But also I never give money to the DNC - only to candidates; the whole NC structure is too theoretical. 😩
I can only respond as someone who gets all the can-shaking emails and maybe has seen Martin once or twice on teevee-- didn't catch the pod and don't really want to know too much about the infighting.
My intro to the Martin-era DNC was a bunch of emails about what the damn membership card was going to look like!! As if I or anybody else could really give half a shit about something so trivial. My impression of him personally hasn't improved much since-- he just doesn't have the mass-comms touch.
What I care about is getting money etc to the states and locals, with Pelosi's instructions to Mikie Sherrill when Sherrill said she'd have to stand a little apart on an issue. It was "just win, Mikie." A few candidates are raking in huge cash piles, but everybody needs money and everybody needs to win. If Martin can do that, more power to him. If he can't, then maybe the party needs somebody else.
"I belong to no organized political party. I'm DEMOCRAT." Will Rogers said it a century ago. It's still true today. I'll probably end up contributing $6,000 to Democrats between now and the election. But you know what? Not one cent will go to the Democratic National Committee, nor to the House or Senate Democratic campaign committees. When their appeals arrive in my mailbox they go directly into the trash. Unopened and unread. Because, in the DNC's case, it couldn't organize its way of a paper bag. That and the party structure, with its myriad of special interest caucuses is ungovernable. And not particularly trustworthy. And just utterly full of itself. The Senate committee? Don't get me started. Chuck Schumer is past his prime, out of touch and has been for a decade. (See Schumer's pick in the Maine senate contest.) Jeffries may be the poet laureate of Democratic House leaders, but he's no Nancy Pelosi, who herself stayed on too long before stepping down.
Yes, I was a Winkler fan. Yes, the interview was disastrous. BUT I DO FEEL WE ARE DOING THE REPUBLICANS WORK FOR THEM WITH ALL THE PUBLIC INFIGHTING - DIVIDE & CONQUER. They must be breathing a bit easier tonight. Yes, the DNC did give money to all 50 states, extra in red states we'd neglected before to build infrastructure and do partisan voter registration. Beto O'Rourje BEGGED the DNC for $$ in 2018 to do partisan voter registration and was denied.
Maybe we could best spend out time and creative energy on our REAL objectives in 2026, do a quiet internal poll of all State Chairs on how effectively the national DNC has helped them win all these state races instead or airing internal struggles so publicly. I love the Pod guys but don't believe they acted in our best interest on this one.
In addition to all the astute comments here I want to say that doing an autopsy was a terrible idea. We all know why Kamala Harris lost. There’s no reason to discuss it any further other than to disqualify her for the future.
Well this voter has always thought Martin epitomizes the type of Democratic Party bureaucrat we don’t need: another mush-mouthed weak-willed white male.
I wouldn’t be able to pick Ken Martin out of a lineup. He’s done absolutely nothing except send me mail requesting donations. He should’ve had someone like Pete Buttigieg out there every day disputing and discussingeverything in this corrupted administration. But it’s business as usual. It’s disgusting.
"a growing concern that Martin isn’t the man for the job" - yay! But "members failed to identify an alternative candidate willing to step into the role"? What about Ben Wikler, who came in 2nd place?
Nonprofit non-party organizations and super PACs do appear to be one of the key negative factors in that unreleased report, where fractured factionalism has not only resulted in dismal general electorate approval numbers for the party but also defeatist fundraising. Where are those non-party dollars going? As a former moderate Republican turned independent to escape MAGA (NeverTrumper) looking for a welcome into a New Big Tent Democratic party, I see nothing to convince me to do any more than vote non-MAGA.
And all the while MAGA has been so destructive, there is a polarizing extreme force: "Socialists must not concede the declaratory ground to social democrats. Defining what, exactly, socialism means and why it benefits society broadly must be a first priority for socialists wishing to enter into the democratic arena, or else this definition will be left up to their political opponents." https://sfarchive.dsausa.org/issues/spring-summer-2019/shifting-alliances-socialists-social-democrats-and-the-new-u-s-left/ Is this where much of those non-party dollars are going?
I give money to specific candidates directly. Not sure we need the DNC. That said, if he is actually getting rid of consultants and funding state and local candidates, that’s definitely a good thing. Consultants are the bane of this party, they seem to inevitably be out of touch with the base. And Democrats really screwed themselves by ignoring state politics and letting the repubes gerrymander the country. Also Wikler was passed over because he’s a strong progressive, another reason I’m not sure we need the DNC.
Allison Campolo is 100% correct. Democratic volunteers working their hearts out in red districts that the out-of-touch DNC deems unwinnable have little use for the national and state party. We receive no money and no love from either--and therefore give none in return. Democrats actually get more help from Indivisible than from the party.
I use Act Blue to support the Dem candidates of my choice because the DNC, DCCC, and, DSCC continue to back aged, long-entrenced incumbents (e.g., Janet Mills) who don't know what time it is. If the DNC manages to figure out how to lead a movement, then maybe the grassroots will be more inclined to follow.
Boy howdy do I not the job of being popular with Democrats.
Watched the interview after reading this (great article, btw). From the start, the only thing running through my head was: "what a contemptible little man."
I don't know enough about this Ken guy to judge his effectiveness as a leader (though the opinions in the comments seem pretty clear on that). Regardless, if they're not able to replace him, the DNC needs to keep this guy out of the public eye at all costs. Dude has like... -20 charisma.
I hate to say it, but he inspires zero confidence; we need a team leader not a wonk. But also I never give money to the DNC - only to candidates; the whole NC structure is too theoretical. 😩
I can only respond as someone who gets all the can-shaking emails and maybe has seen Martin once or twice on teevee-- didn't catch the pod and don't really want to know too much about the infighting.
My intro to the Martin-era DNC was a bunch of emails about what the damn membership card was going to look like!! As if I or anybody else could really give half a shit about something so trivial. My impression of him personally hasn't improved much since-- he just doesn't have the mass-comms touch.
What I care about is getting money etc to the states and locals, with Pelosi's instructions to Mikie Sherrill when Sherrill said she'd have to stand a little apart on an issue. It was "just win, Mikie." A few candidates are raking in huge cash piles, but everybody needs money and everybody needs to win. If Martin can do that, more power to him. If he can't, then maybe the party needs somebody else.
"I belong to no organized political party. I'm DEMOCRAT." Will Rogers said it a century ago. It's still true today. I'll probably end up contributing $6,000 to Democrats between now and the election. But you know what? Not one cent will go to the Democratic National Committee, nor to the House or Senate Democratic campaign committees. When their appeals arrive in my mailbox they go directly into the trash. Unopened and unread. Because, in the DNC's case, it couldn't organize its way of a paper bag. That and the party structure, with its myriad of special interest caucuses is ungovernable. And not particularly trustworthy. And just utterly full of itself. The Senate committee? Don't get me started. Chuck Schumer is past his prime, out of touch and has been for a decade. (See Schumer's pick in the Maine senate contest.) Jeffries may be the poet laureate of Democratic House leaders, but he's no Nancy Pelosi, who herself stayed on too long before stepping down.
Yes, I was a Winkler fan. Yes, the interview was disastrous. BUT I DO FEEL WE ARE DOING THE REPUBLICANS WORK FOR THEM WITH ALL THE PUBLIC INFIGHTING - DIVIDE & CONQUER. They must be breathing a bit easier tonight. Yes, the DNC did give money to all 50 states, extra in red states we'd neglected before to build infrastructure and do partisan voter registration. Beto O'Rourje BEGGED the DNC for $$ in 2018 to do partisan voter registration and was denied.
Maybe we could best spend out time and creative energy on our REAL objectives in 2026, do a quiet internal poll of all State Chairs on how effectively the national DNC has helped them win all these state races instead or airing internal struggles so publicly. I love the Pod guys but don't believe they acted in our best interest on this one.
The Pod Save America interview was an embarrassment. As mendacious as it gets.
Democrats doing what we do best...eating our own. I sure hope the DNC gets its act together soon.
In addition to all the astute comments here I want to say that doing an autopsy was a terrible idea. We all know why Kamala Harris lost. There’s no reason to discuss it any further other than to disqualify her for the future.
Well this voter has always thought Martin epitomizes the type of Democratic Party bureaucrat we don’t need: another mush-mouthed weak-willed white male.
I wouldn’t be able to pick Ken Martin out of a lineup. He’s done absolutely nothing except send me mail requesting donations. He should’ve had someone like Pete Buttigieg out there every day disputing and discussingeverything in this corrupted administration. But it’s business as usual. It’s disgusting.
"a growing concern that Martin isn’t the man for the job" - yay! But "members failed to identify an alternative candidate willing to step into the role"? What about Ben Wikler, who came in 2nd place?
My thought exactly when I read that!
Why the heck are they discussing this now?? Makes me nervous!
Nonprofit non-party organizations and super PACs do appear to be one of the key negative factors in that unreleased report, where fractured factionalism has not only resulted in dismal general electorate approval numbers for the party but also defeatist fundraising. Where are those non-party dollars going? As a former moderate Republican turned independent to escape MAGA (NeverTrumper) looking for a welcome into a New Big Tent Democratic party, I see nothing to convince me to do any more than vote non-MAGA.
And all the while MAGA has been so destructive, there is a polarizing extreme force: "Socialists must not concede the declaratory ground to social democrats. Defining what, exactly, socialism means and why it benefits society broadly must be a first priority for socialists wishing to enter into the democratic arena, or else this definition will be left up to their political opponents." https://sfarchive.dsausa.org/issues/spring-summer-2019/shifting-alliances-socialists-social-democrats-and-the-new-u-s-left/ Is this where much of those non-party dollars are going?
I give money to specific candidates directly. Not sure we need the DNC. That said, if he is actually getting rid of consultants and funding state and local candidates, that’s definitely a good thing. Consultants are the bane of this party, they seem to inevitably be out of touch with the base. And Democrats really screwed themselves by ignoring state politics and letting the repubes gerrymander the country. Also Wikler was passed over because he’s a strong progressive, another reason I’m not sure we need the DNC.
Allison Campolo is 100% correct. Democratic volunteers working their hearts out in red districts that the out-of-touch DNC deems unwinnable have little use for the national and state party. We receive no money and no love from either--and therefore give none in return. Democrats actually get more help from Indivisible than from the party.
I use Act Blue to support the Dem candidates of my choice because the DNC, DCCC, and, DSCC continue to back aged, long-entrenced incumbents (e.g., Janet Mills) who don't know what time it is. If the DNC manages to figure out how to lead a movement, then maybe the grassroots will be more inclined to follow.