The Democratic Party's Democracy Problem

Barack Obama and the Democratic Party establishment that he supposedly overthrew in November are trying to lock in primary candidates in Pennsylvania and New York who, ahem, were never even elected to the position in question: Democratic nominee for the United States Senate.

Here in Pennsylvania, party leaders are flexing their muscle to discourage anyone (Representative Joe Sestak in particular) from challenging Senator Arlen Specter who, as an until-very-recently Republican, has never won a Democratic Party primary. While Specter is of course an incumbent Senator, Pennsylvania Democrats have never elected this political survivalist to be their candidate.

Specter, while not a hard-right Republican, has opposed much progressive legislation, including the union-friendly Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Fortunately, groups like Keystone Progress have set up a Specter Scorecard to track his progressive batting average, an invaluable tool for watchful progressives come 2010.

Sestak, who has expressed his annoyance with the Party establishment, says that he would politely decline the President's request to stay out of the race. And here in Philly, Democrats want a challenger.

To be sure, the guy's no dyed in the wool progressive, as TPM and Nate Silver have discussed. But a primary is probably a good thing for progressives any way you look at it.

First, Obama's own campaign against Hillary Clinton undermines the argument that a tough primary leaves the Party weak going into a general election. I was angry that Hillary stayed in the race at the time--but I turned out to be oh so wrong. McCain's smears failed to stick because voters had already heard it all. Second, as The Philadelphia Inquirer's Will Bunch argues, a challenge will either lead to a potentially more progressive (at least not more conservative) guy getting elected or to the election of a leftwardly pushed Specter.

In New York, the Village Voice's Tom Robbins writes that Obama has personally intervened to discourage primary challenges to newly anointed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. As Robbins puts it, Gillibrand's "sole vote came from a governor [David Paterson] who was also never elected to his own current post and who is unlikely to hold onto his own job should he face the voters next year." Gillibrand has upset many on the Left for a voting record that has been anti-immigrant and big on guns--is this the "new politics" we can believe in?

Comments

[S1m0n]

There's nothing even remotely anti-democratic about issuing the advice: "Don't run for that, you can't win it. Run for a job you can win. We need both of you in Washington."

It might or might not be a truth, but it's not anti-democratic to give it.

[Daniel Denvir - Huffpost Blogger]

I see your point--it is not technically a violation of democratic legal norms to advise someone not to run--but I think it is effectively anti-democratic, especially when our country only has two viable parties (sigh), when the whole weight of the party establishment gets thrown behind shutting down a primary.

[nyprogressive34]

Come on now, true progressive New Yorkers need to stand up Kirsten Gillibrand. She's not interested in what we need, she just wants to get elected no matter what it takes. Why else would she flip-flop on important issues like guns and immigration? Her postions change more than the weather! We need a true progressive, and we need a fair race. Don't let the powers that be intimidate all her competitors primary competitors, New Yorkers deserve a choice. If she can't win against a democrat, how is she supposed to win the election?

[drnoren]

nyprogressive34:
This is directed to you but also to DANIEL DENVIR...I have been FEC registered as a Democrat for this US Senate seat for some time now. June O'Neill, Chuck Schumer, Governor Paterson and many others know who I am. I'm just a peon little Oral Surgeon in Ithaca New York who is a fiscally conservative Democrat with a stepping stone health care plan that isn't the same as the Democrats, Republicans, etc etc. It's the only one that would provide direct economic stimulus. However, to make it work better, there needs to be personal accountability health care-wise..oops, dirty word. Obesity, rampant smoking, diabetes with poor control, hypertension untreated adds billions to health care costs and people just keep saying zombie-like.."I want Universal coverage"...yes, we will get that, but we need to fix parts of the system first before we spin our wheels trying to imitate other country's whose populations are a small percentage of ours. Does the same accounting system work in Joe's Diner as it does in Walmart? Ridiculous. I feel like I am a voice that may end up being herad but not without a major grassroots fight. I am very fiscally conservative but very liberal on other issues. I need people to organize meetings to hear what I have to say. I got a call at home from Senator Wyden two Sunday's ago. Interesting call. I hope you will take a look at the website.
Dr. Noren
www.norenforsenate.com

[jmpurser]

Thanks for writing about this. I was aware of President Obama messing with Specter's district of course but not the New York race. This is IMHO destructive to the long term interests of the party and the nation.

[roshni]

My daughter and I are volunteering for Sestak. He is a true democrat and an excellent candidate. While I voted for Obama, I do not support Specter. He switched sides because he is an opportunist.

[Busbydav]

I'm a little concerned with this sentiment that Sestak is not a progressive or not progressive enough. He is seeking to repeal DADT and HRC gives him an 88%, strongly supports a woman's right to choose, strong on the environment and renewable energy, wants to invest more in eduacation, I don't know whether or not he supports single payer health care but he has voted for metal health parity and extending SCHIP. He does not always vote the way I would like him to on military issues but he is a military man and I understand that. Is this the only thing holding him back from being a "true progressive"?

[roshni]

For all intents and purposes, Sestak is more aligned to democratic values than Specter ever could be.

[Daniel Denvir - Huffpost Blogger]

Jonathan Tasini just announced in NY: http://jonathantasini.com/

[Helzapoppin]

Obama didn't "overthrow" the Democratic Party Establishment. He was merely brought into the fold and promoted to be it's figurehead.

[Daniel Denvir - Huffpost Blogger]

Agreed--I said "supposedly overthrew."

[2Dank2Hit]

Sorry yo, but I fully support Specter. Why would you flush 30 or so odd years of experience down the drain?

[confidance government]

30 years of disconnect from the average American.......

[scooperss]

Odd is right. Why would you support someone who doesn't appear to support you?

[Daniel Denvir - Huffpost Blogger]

Experience doing what, exactly? Yelling at Anita Hill?

[roshni]

I will never forget how he humiliated her and called her a "scorned woman."

[TheIndependenceParty]

I'll register Democratic just to assure Specter does not get the Democratic nomination. So far I have not heard from Specter that he will support ANYTHING the Democratic Party is proposing in Congress.

Time for Arlen Specter to GO!

[roshni]

Thanks - please do. Glad to have your support. Encourage other independents to do the same.

[roshni]

Experience of what???

[Michael Pugliese]

Via Facebook...Buck up, Daniel. Even well kniown think tank policy wonks barely get replies/threads here on the HuffPo.
As for the DP...well having known folks who went through marxist-leninist sects in the 80's, and older M-L's who bought the CPUSA Stalinist BS for freakin' decades (one old woman I know joined in the late 40's and still believes nonsense like, "Trotsky was a Fascist, " and, "The Kulaks got what they deserved!, " or Hugo Chavez is the reincarnation of Jefferson and Fidel!, to be more current), it has its democratic and authoritarian sides. When I've been active in DP fora, I've thought it was so hyper-democratic, at times, it resembled some anarchist affinity group taking hours to decide by consensus some minor point.