The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, commonly referred to as the DCCC, on Friday implemented a new policy that would deter Democratic consultants from taking on primary challengers as clients. The goal is simple: to keep the progressive challengers at bay, National Journal reported. The DCCC said they would no longer award contracts to those consultants or recommend them to House candidates, which is said to protect moderate incumbents.
"The core mission of the DCCC is electing House Democrats, which includes supporting and protecting incumbents,” the committee wrote in a memo.
The decision is another sign the Democratic Party is having internal conflict. The establishment Democrats are currently facing tough challenges from younger, more progressive candidates. But the decision can be detrimental to leftist campaign consultants.
“The DCCC is oftentimes the gatekeeper for consultants to get to candidates,” Ian Russell, a campaign media strategist and former top official at the committee, told the National Journal. “Unless you have a steady stream of income coming from another source, it would be very difficult to navigate the House world if you were shut out by the DCCC.”
Republican pollster Frank Luntz pointed out one important tidbit: those who successfully worked on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-NY) campaign would be blacklisted by the DCCC.
This policy would’ve blacklisted anyone who worked on @AOC’s primary campaign last year. https://t.co/DobS2DlHoK
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) March 22, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez chimed in on the new decision and provided insight into the Democrats' struggles.
When I ran, the existing Dem tech was so obsolete that we developed our own canvassing app. It was so good it spun off into its own startup (https://t.co/hVw9pWknO7).
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 22, 2019
It’s a shame that innovative technologies proven to work at winning elections won’t be used by our party. https://t.co/XYXossyoTf
The majority of Americans live in safe districts, where gen election isn’t competitive.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 22, 2019
By stymieing primaries, you deny most voters their best chance at choosing their representative. We also deny the party the opportunity of training up a future bench, something we badly need.
The ?? in the room here is big money & lobbyist donors.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 22, 2019
Our current system incentivizes *all,* no matter the party, to place big donors before voters.
No primaries means lobbyist??will have even *more* influence over policy, bc voters will have one less avenue to pursue change.
Folks often try to make this convo abt members from mod, swing districts.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 22, 2019
We get that those members do what they need to rep.
But many members of Congress got there via safe primaries. It’s how many working people, women, + poc folks overcome institutional bias to get elected.
The DCCC's blacklisting can be a major win for the GOP if they play their cards right. If the Republican Party invests more in digital communications and grassroots efforts, we have a chance at winning back districts. The Democrats are so busy fighting within their own party that they're hurting their own cause. Republicans need to show up, reach out to new voters and be the voice of reason. As long as we continue to get our message out and the Democrats continue their in-fighting, the more likely we are to win.
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