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100

Ken Martin elected new chair of Democratic National Committee (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 4 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

54 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Summary

Ken Martin, chair of Minnesota’s Democratic–Farmer–Labor party, won the race to lead the Democratic National Committee, defeating Wisconsin's Ben Wikler.

Martin takes over as Democrats grapple with major losses in the 2024 elections and seek to reconnect with working-class voters.

Supporters see his leadership as key to rebuilding the party, while critics worry it signals a continuation of the status quo.

His first major test will be the 2026 midterms as Democrats attempt to reclaim the House and rebuild their electoral strategy.

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[–] [email protected] 96 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (6 children)

As no one is talking about who Martin is let's go over his accomplishments and how he could be positive for the party:

Since he became leader of the state party, 14 years ago, they have not lost a statewide race.

He talks about how they need to appeal to working class voters again.

He frames himself as a pro-labor progressive.

Pelosi and Schumer wanted his opponent.

He said this during his victory speech

“Are we on the side of the robber baron, the ultrawealthy billionaire, the oil and gas polluter, the union buster?” Mr. Martin asked. “Or are we on the side of the American working family, the small-business owner, the farmer, the immigrant and the students?”

He also talks about how we need a country wide approach not specific states. He wants people to be running everywhere.

He's one of the better candidates that could have won. Not perfect, but definitely better than some of the other candidates.

Important edit: he also talked about how there were "good" billionaires and "bad" billionaires which is bs. But there is a reality that it's gonna be hard to run a campaign and win without the support of any possible billionaire. I mean, one of the reasons the GOP won this time around was because the billionaires manipulated shit. We should still make it so that billionaires don't exist because having a system that creates them is insane. But also, it's hard to win in the current system without them.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Pelosi and Schumer wanted his opponent.

Good enough for me

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago

That was my thought as well

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

His opponent was way better. He wanted to audit all of the DNC's consultanting contracts, which would have put people who keep getting lucrative contracts to lose elections (like Jennifer O'Malley Dillon and David Plouffe) in the cross hairs. Meanwhile, Martin wants to keep taking money from, "good billionaires," are condemned pro-Palestinian protesters.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'm just glad Pelosi and Schumer are pissed. I never expected change from the DNC.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

I was also surprised that Pelosi and Schumer wanted Ben Wikler, but I doubt Ken Martin means change. He seems likely to maintain the DNC's status quo.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Thanks for this. I'm glad Pelosi and Schumer's pick lost.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

This fact gives me a sliver of hope.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)

he also talked about how there were "good" billionaires and "bad" billionaires which is bs.

True, but there are bad billionaires and worse billionaires. Until we can get rid of billionaires, which is by no means a simple task, I prefer billionaires like Bill Gates and Mark Cuban who are at least using a portion of their wealth to do good things.

Is it enough? No. Is it largely performative to launder their reputation? Absolutely. Did they get that money through ethical behavior? Definitely not. But peoples' lives are materially improved by some of their actions, which is better than you can say for most billionaires.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

My thoughts as well. I think it's kinda like a low road vs high road thing. Taking the high road kneecaps you and keeps you from really being able to fight and challenge the BS. I think refusing to take any money from Billionaires in a world where people like Musk and Murdoch manipulate everything, not taking any Billionaire money will not work. There is no way for small donors to give enough money to outstanding those billionaires or to out manipulate media.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago

he also talked about how there were “good” billionaires and “bad” billionaires which is bs

What's not BS is that getting rid of all the billionaires is not going to happen anytime soon. So we should focus pressure on the ones interfering in the political process and promoting fascism.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

And what’s his history like?

Words are cheap, let’s see the action.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

Well he's not a representative or anything. He was chair of the DFL party which is the Democratic party in Minnesota. So he doesn't have a voting record but he was elected 14 years ago and again, they haven't lost a statewide race since. He's a strategist.

He led the campaign in 2008 for the the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment which is designed to help public lands, help keep water clean from pollution, and fund the arts and heritage fund.

Wilker, his opponent, was also supported by two billionaires but Ken wasn't.

Under his watch Minnesota defeated the amendment to ban same sex marriage and an ammendment for voters ID, they regained state senate and house majorities that they lost in 2010, he's the guy who helped get Tim Walz to be governor. He helped flip multiple seats in Minnesota from Red to blue including one that was red for 40 years.

Again, he's a strategist, which is what the DNC chair does, strategize.

Edit: original comment I responded to said "voting record" not history

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

Wilker, his opponent, was also supported by two billionaires but Ken wasn’t.

Sure, Matin wasn't supported by two billionaires, he was only supported by one. That's only 50% as corrupt!

Some candidates criticized Wikler for relying on billionaires to fund his campaign. George Soros and Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn cofounder, each gave Wikler $250,000, according to federal filings.

Martin received a donation from a billionaire as well — Vance Opperman, a Minnesota-based businessman, donated $100,000. Martin has defended the party's need to accept money from wealthy donors to keep up with Republicans. He has said he would not take contributions from people who do not share his values.

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/democrats-elect-ken-martin-party-leader-in-minnesota-as-their-national-chair/63640066

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Don't forget with the trifecta we got universal school lunches, the largest one year increase in school spending, legal abortion rights (both legislatively and from our supreme court), legal marijuana etc. it's been pretty great as a Minnesotan. Also the recent election after this 2024 moved to a tied session which is pretty good considering how shit the rest of the results were

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

Good point. I forgot all about that stuff cause I'm not a Minnesotan.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

“Are we on the side of the robber baron, the ultrawealthy billionaire, the oil and gas polluter, the union buster?” Mr. Martin asked. “Or are we on the side of the American working family, the small-business owner, the farmer, the immigrant and the students?”

Yes and never, respectively.

Important edit: he also talked about how there were “good” billionaires and “bad” billionaires which is bs.

Yeah. His wing of the party doesn't seriously believe that there is such a thing as a bad billionaire.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 days ago

Now more than ever is the time to put the Democrat party in the dirt. Over the next four years American workers can and must establish a party for the workers.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 4 days ago

https://thehardtimes.net/culture/dnc-announces-plans-to-learn-nothing-from-this/

[–] [email protected] 26 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

You watch. They will double down on trying to peel away Republicans.

This was my last vote for "not as bad as Trump." They need to sit down with the few progressives they've allowed to force their way into the party and bring me a platform I can feel good about. Step one of that is going to be not continuing the rightward slide of the party.

This was already as bad an election outcome as I could possibly imagine, DNC. If we have an actual framework for free elections still in existence for the next one, I'm not going to vote for what I hope and think you might do if you can suck up to enough conservatives to get you into the whitehouse. You need to come with a platform that's going to excite me.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 3 days ago (20 children)

As a non Democrat, why would Democrats try to pull away republicans when republicans have been playing politics like a team game?

Build your own damn team and give them a reason to be on your team.

Biden and Harris only got my votes because Trump has shown himself to be a piece of shit and Republicans are either throwing a blind eye or playing along in his game or Nazi.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As a non Democrat, why would Democrats try to pull away republicans when republicans have been playing politics like a team game?

No disagreement from me.

Build your own damn team and give them a reason to be on your team.

Yep

Biden and Harris only got my votes because Trump has shown himself to be a piece of shit and Republicans are either throwing a blind eye or playing along in his game or Nazi.

Yep. But we can't sink any lower, so that was the last time. If we get another election, they need to inspire me with something better than just being less conservative than the Nazi party.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yep. But we can't sink any lower, so that was the last time.

As long as Republicans move to the right, Democrats will too.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

And that's the reason for my comment.

We're already at the point where if we go one hair further we never get another election. I'm not 100% sure we aren't already past that point.

I've chased Dems as they've run right for voters, with the implied promise that if only they had control they'd be pulling some things in the other direction, for multiple decades. I have supported and agreed with the folks who have pointed out that during their only short period of real control they did manage to get the ACA (and probably other things I'm forgetting) passed.

They need another strategy than "we're going to chase the less crazy R voters" if they want my vote again. They need a strategy other than "follow us to the right and we promise we'll pull left when we can."

Because events like this (and I well know there are many more), combined with how aggressively Kamala chased R voters, to the detriment of campaigning for D votes, make me feel that the only people who ever thought they had an intent to let progressive or even non-geriatric voices hold power were the idiots like me who kept voting for them.

I'm only going to get Charlie Browned so many times, and 2024 showed me exactly how many times.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

I've used the Lucy and the Football so much at some point I think Charles Schulz's ghost started being a campaign aid to the DNC.

[–] riverSpirit 7 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Because they took leftist votes for granted.

Dems always expect the left to fall in line and back them, hence why they feel they are free to consistently move further right rather than to appeal to the wishes of their voters, because after all, what are the leftists going to do, vote Trump?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As a non Democrat, why would Democrats try to pull away republicans when republicans have been playing politics like a team game?

Because the alternative involves treating the left flank of the party like they are human beings with agency.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Treating the left as humans is impossible for liberals, like your current stalker troll.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 days ago (2 children)

DNC Elects "Guy you've never heard of" to drive up public engagement in the DNC

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago (3 children)

He beat out another “Guy you never heard of” for the position. The Dems are doomed.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

TBF, how many Democrats give a fuck about who the chair is. Can you name the last 3 chairs?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Yes I can. Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, Tom Perez, and Jaime Harrison. Pretty easy if you actually pay attention to american politics

[–] riverSpirit 15 points 3 days ago

Ken, “We will happily take bribes from good billionaires but not the bad billionaires”, Martin won?

Oh great, nothing will change.

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