Can Things Get Worse For The Democrats? Satan Is Running To Be Chair Of The DNC— Rahm Is Back

Democratic Party Establishment Goes To War... Against Democratic Voters

Last week, Rahm Emanuel abandoned his post in Tokyo and spent his time plotting with his allies in Chicago about how to take over the DNC. You thought Jaime Harrison was bad? Emanuel is like the devil incarnate, a walking, talking embodiment of political evil. 

In his 2020 Pulitzer award winning The End Of The Myth, Greg Grandin wrote that “Clinton's advisor Rahm Emanuel urged him to target migrants in the workplace, to set a goal of making certain industries ‘free of illegal immigrants’ and achieving ‘record deportations of criminal aliens.’” Emanuel has a long track record of being completely aligned with the corporate wing of the party and an enemy of the agenda of its progressive base. His tenure as Mayor of Chicago was marked by neoliberal policies that prioritized austerity measures over the needs of working-class and marginalized communities. He oversaw the closure of public schools, many of them in predominantly Black neighborhoods, and implemented police practices that worsened relations between law enforcement and communities of color. Given that the DNC needs to energize and galvanize a more left-leaning base to combat the rise of right-wing extremism, Emanuel’s brand of centrism would alienate many progressive voters who are— let me count the ways— pushing for bold action on climate change, healthcare, economic inequality and social justice.

His deep ties to corporate America, banksters and Wall Street are indicative of how he would prioritize the interests of wealthy donors and corporations over those of ordinary voters. This kind of influence has already contributed to the perception that the DNC is out of touch with its base, especially after the party’s failures in key swing states during this year’s elections. His authoritarian approach to party leadership has always been to suppress progressive candidates in favor of more conservative, corporatist ones. He was a key player in the Democratic Party’s efforts to block or undermine primary challenges from more left-wing candidates during the 2018 Democratic primaries when he supported right of center candidates over progressives. As head of the DNC, he would certainly continue this trend, further alienating the grassroots of the party, and diminishing the DNC's chances to appeal to the rising generation of voters who are more sensible and more committed on issues like climate change and economic reform.

It’s important to remember Emanuel’s role in the party’s leadership during the 2016 election, when his influence contributed to the party’s failure to engage effectively with working-class voters, particularly in key battleground states. His disconnection from the economic struggles of ordinary Americans and his focus on corporate-friendly policies were part of the reason why many voters in the Rust Belt, like in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania, turned away from the Democratic Party and voted for Trump. A DNC led by Emanuel would institutional these mistakes in future elections, the same way his disastrous policies instituted when he led the DCCC have crippled that organization for nearly two decades!!

His abysmally low approval ratings and the backlash from numerous public policy decisions as mayor of Chicago indicate that his brand of leadership does not resonate with broader policies, particularly those that are supported by the Democratic base. There’s no doubt that electing someone with such a divisive record would make it harder for the DNC to unite its various factions and expand its reach to independent voters, progressive activists and younger voters who will be turned off by his deserved reputation as a corporate Democrat.

In a rapidly changing political landscape, the DNC needs a leader who can adapt and respond to the evolving needs of voters. Emanuel has shown outright hostility to embracing the demands of progressive movements such as those calling for Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, a pathway to citizenship, a more even-handed approach to Israel/Palestine and police reform. His leadership style is top-down and authoritarian, and he has shown no interest in working collaboratively with younger, more grassroots factions of the party. This will only serve to reinforce the disconnect between the DNC and the diverse, younger and more progressive base it desperately needs to mobilize for future elections.

Yesterday, Allan Smith, Natasha Korecki and Alex Seitz-Wald reported the jockeying for the Democrats’ 2028 presidential nomination. There wasn’t a word about the DNC in their excitement about Governors Gretchen Whitmer (MI), Josh Shapiro (PA), Gavin Newsom (CA) and billionaire JB Pritzker (IL) Wes Moore (MD), Andy Beshear (KY). Other potential candidates they mentioned are Kamala Harris, expected to run for governor of California in 2026, swing state senators like Jon Ossoff (GA), Raphael Warnock (GA), Mark Kelly (AZ), John Fetterman (PA), Ruben Gallego (AZ) as well as Chris Murphy (CT), Cory Booker (NJ), Amy Klobuchar (MN) and gay Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. They did throw in the names of two progressives, AOC (NY) and Ro Khanna (CA). Aside from not mentioning the DNC, Smith, Korecki and Seitz-Wald also forgot to mention progressive champion Sen. Jeff Merkley (OR).