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What Does The Next DNC Chair Need To Help The Party Win?

Ray Buckley, front, chair of the Democratic Party of New Hampshire, addresses a forum on the future of the Democratic Party, featuring candidates running to be the the next chair of the Democratic National committee. (David Zalubowski/AP)
Ray Buckley, front, chair of the Democratic Party of New Hampshire, addresses a forum on the future of the Democratic Party, featuring candidates running to be the the next chair of the Democratic National committee. (David Zalubowski/AP)

With guest host Ray Suarez.

Democrats hold leadership elections Saturday for the party’s national committee. After Trump’s election, how do they rebuild and start winning again?

When Barack Obama took the oath of office in 2009, Democrats held the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, and were competitive in state legislatures and city halls across the country. Eight years later, it’s a battered brand, chased out of power in state capitals, a minority in both houses of congress, and struggling to effectively oppose President Trump, with no clear direction. This hour On Point, choosing a new Democratic National Committee chief.

Guests

Gabriel Debenedetti, national political reporter for POLITICO, covering the DNC race and the Democratic Party. (@gdebenedetti)

Bill Curry, columnist for Salon. Former White House counsel to former President Bill Clinton. Two-time former Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Connecticut. (@billcurryct)

Jamal Simmons, writer and political analyst. Consultant at the Raben Group. (@JamalSimmons)

Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL-Pro-Choice America. (@ilyseh)

From The Reading List

POLITICO: Buckley shakes up DNC race with Ellison endorsement — “New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley dropped out of the race for the Democratic National Committee chairmanship on Saturday, endorsing Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison in a move that shakes up the contest to lead the party.”

The Wall Street Journal: Bernie Sanders Loyalists Are Taking Over the Democratic Party One County Office at a Time — “In Washington, Democrats are grappling with what it means to be a minority party in the age of Donald Trump. In the rest of the country, populist followers of Sen. Bernie Sanders are mounting a sustained effort to answer the question from the bottom up.”

Washington Post: Howard Dean endorses dark horse DNC candidate Pete Buttigieg — “Former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean endorsed DNC candidate Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday, with a media tour that began on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ and continued on a call with reporters. On the call, Dean said that the 35-year old mayor of South Bend, Ind., was uniquely positioned to connect the Democratic Party with the ‘rising’ electorate, including millennials who are opposed to President Trump but vote infrequently.”

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