SOME POWER HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM SENATOR JOE MANCHIN
…The
Senator that had controlled the state executive committee
It took
years, to get these 50, newly elected West Virginia executive committee members
Let’s face it! Political reform doesn’t come by any voters asking “pretty please” to the states power structure. But rather by steadily organizing to gain enough force that you can get rid of the powers that be. You could ask Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia about that. Even considering Joe’s sign-on to the renamed Inflation Reduction Act, this West Virginia senator has not only been a corporate individual, blocking national progressive policies that the U.S. majority wants and needs.
But up until now, he has maintained his base of power back in West Virginia with a tight, authoritarian grip on the local Democratic party structure. He rigged the rules to put “Little Joe Manchin’s” in every party elected position. In turn, this has let him control which individuals get to run as Democrats for his state’s down-ballot elected offices.
That is, until this June 18th. That’s when a little d democratic rebellion occurred that had been organizing, behind Joe’s efforts, for six years. In June, that’s when the state elected a slate of 50 candidates to oust the “Manchin-ittes” on the party executive committee, replacing practically all officers with grassroots activists.
Danielle Walker, now the vice-chair of the committee, and the first person of color in the state history to sit on the party’s governing body. She summed up the significance of this committee turn-around. “There’s a new beacon of light shining down on the government with people energized and ready to strategize with a return to the democratic process.”
For guidance on bringing this kind of progressive reform to your local/state Democratic Party hierarchy, go to: OurRevolution.com, the key national group prioritizing work on this fundamental democratic change in West Virginia.
Over time, we will see how this change has helped West Virginia, one of the least successful of all 50 U.S. states.
Copyright G. Ater 2022
Comments
Post a Comment