You wouldn’t exactly say the debate Wednesday night between candidates for Democratic National Committee chair burned up social media, but the event, hosted by the Huffington Post, was worth a look.
The stage is set. HuffPost's @lpolgreen and @ryangrim are ready. Bring on the candidates. The #DNCdebate, live at 7: https://t.co/mO6jH25PEh pic.twitter.com/XxmAJ3IMij
— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) January 18, 2017
After all, party chair is no small gig, and after the relationship turned sour between the party faithful and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, this is an opportunity for the Dems to declare just what direction the party will take in response to the Trump administration.
7 candidates for DNC chair. 4 people of color. 2 women. THIS is the future of the party. #dncdebate
— EKB (@emmaBAErrera) January 19, 2017
No surprise here: many of the candidates are ready to resist Trump by doubling-down on a progressive agenda, and according to the straw poll, Rep. Keith Ellison, endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, is far and away the favorite over his competitors.
It’s no wonder, seeing as Ellison is eager to fight and convinced that the House Progressive Caucus is “slaying every day.”
Rep. Ellison says the House Progressive Caucus "is slaying every day"
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) January 19, 2017
Ellison’s progressive credentials are well known, but would anyone like to stand out by rejecting the “progressive” label? No? OK.
All 7 candidates for DNC chair raised their hands when asked if they consider themselves to be progressive
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) January 19, 2017
All 7 candidates raise their hands to identify as "a progressive." #DNCDebate … so that word is now basically empty.
— Zach Carter (@zachdcarter) January 19, 2017
Labor Secretary Tom Perez recently jumped into the race and dialed back the violent rhetoric a little bit by suggesting the DNC needs to bring better utensils to its knife-fight with Trump.
Tom Perez on Democrats' future: "We can't go to a knife fight with a spoon." #DNCDebate
— Marina Fang (@marinafang) January 19, 2017
Obstruction, or at least the attempt, is definitely the name of the game in 2017 and beyond.
DNC candidate Tom Perez: Treat Trump like Mitch McConnell treated Obama https://t.co/j0rmaAmGEA
— Marina Fang (@marinafang) January 19, 2017
"We’ve got to understand the phenomenon of voter suppression. This is a part of the Repub. playbook and will continue to be"—Tom #DNCdebate
— Tom Perez (@TomPerez) January 19, 2017
Sally Boynton Brown, executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party, seems to have taken a close look at where the Democrat Party has erred recently and really NAILED IT.
"Facts don't matter to people anymore. We have to connect with their emotions." Sally Boynton Brown on mistakes Dems made. #DNCDebate
— Marina Fang (@marinafang) January 19, 2017
Brown: "Facts don't matter to people anymore. We have to connect with their emotions." #DNCdebate https://t.co/bPRYbBIgKY pic.twitter.com/MZHl8zUGEL
— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) January 19, 2017
@marinafang That's hilarious. That thinking is exactly why the dems got thrown out.
— The Patriot (@Patriot64The) January 19, 2017
That’s the ticket: connect with people on an emotional level — hey, maybe even consider trying out emotions other than fear the next four years. Just find that sweet spot between “putting y’all back in chains” and “pushing grandma over the cliff,” and then see if some Hollywood celebs might shoot a video or something to really connect with the little people.
Jehmu Greene is looking to build a street-fighting army of millennials; maybe they should have thought ahead and set up a recruitment table at the LGBT glow-stick rave/protest outside Mike Pence’s rental house that’s getting more social media play than the #DNCDebate.
"We need an army of millennials," Jehmu Greene says of role for DNC. "We need to build that street fighting force" against Trump.
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) January 19, 2017
Would anyone like to tackle the “s” word?
Everybody on stage dodges question on what to do w/ superdelegates #DNCDebate
— Zach Carter (@zachdcarter) January 19, 2017
I can't believe after this election anyone on the stage is defending superdelegates. #dncdebate
— Michael (@Michael2014abc) January 19, 2017
Everybody dodged the superdelegate question. Coincidentally, DNC members who will vote for the next Chair are superdelegates. #DNCDebate
— Zach Carter (@zachdcarter) January 19, 2017
Pop quiz, hotshots:
Q: What is the biggest mistake the DNC made during the 2016 election?#DNCDebate pic.twitter.com/K43KIMOiEw
— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 19, 2017
@Phil_Lewis_ Nominating HIllary
— DRF (@drf30) January 19, 2017
@Phil_Lewis_ Not encouraging more competitive candidates to run in the primary against Hillary.
— Shad_V (@black_n_tired) January 19, 2017
@Phil_Lewis_ running the same old tired ass election
— Vernon Carter (@TrkTurner) January 19, 2017
The biggest mistake for the DNC in 2016 was rigging the election against @SenSanders #dncdebate
— Altiax (@altiax) January 19, 2017
What did everyone think? Anyone?
So the Huffington Post live stream of the DNC debate has . . . 2,600 viewers. Doesn’t bode well. #DNCdebate
— JohnGilmore (@Shabbosgoy) January 19, 2017
