The battle lines for the mind and soul of the Democratic Party going forward just got a lot clearer today. Rep. Keith Ellison just announced his candidacy for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. Together with Howard Dean, these two candidates present unambiguous choices in terms of the future direction of the party. Dean, a staunch supporter of HRC and a former chairperson of the DNC has been a consistent voice for the mainstream, centrist policies which have characterized the Democratic Party for the past four decades. Ellison, a Sanders supporter and the first Muslim in congress, has been a vocal and eloquent spokesman for progressive ideas and policies for the past 10 years and was recently named by Sanders to consult with the DNC in order to help shape the Democratic platform in this year's election by providing alternatives to the party's past penchant for maintaining the status quo.
The choice could not have been made more clear: more of the same as represented by Dean or the beginnings of a new move forward as will be championed by Ellison. The millions of supporters of the real change promised by the Sanders' candidacy were largely disenfranchised by the DNC's stubborn insistence on clinging to a 'safe' course by nominating HRC. It now has been presented with the opportunity to correct this massive error of judgement and embrace a new wave of progressive activism and, in so doing, reshape the Democratic Party into an institution which more accurately reflects the will of an emerging, positive, forward thinking, and hopeful electorate.
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