Fighting to lose

Published February 15, 2014

by Gary Pearce, Talking About Politics, February 14, 2014.

Instead of exploiting the Tea Party’s war on Establishment Republicans, Randy Voller seems set on replicating it in the Democratic Party.

 

Behind this week’s chaos is a history of hostilities between some party activists and what they see as the Establishment Enemy: elected officials in Raleigh and consultants who help elect them. It goes back to Howard Dean’s candidacy in 2004, which brought in enthusiastic grassroots activists, and Jerry Meek’s election as chair in 2005.

 

Meek did a good job keeping everybody together. But Voller seems intent on keeping himself in power by driving a wedge. According to one party leader, Voller said he fired ex-ED Robert Dempsey because he “spent too much time working with the Hagan campaign.”

 

Hello? Too much time working on a race vital to North Carolina’s future, not to mention a majority in the United States Senate?

 

To get a full picture of the chaos, read the first-hand account by WRAL’s Mark Binker of Voller’s statewide conference call with party leaders Tuesday night. One person on the call texted: “Randy is selectively muting opponents, kicking reporters off the line….It’s like a dictatorship.”

 

Voller defends himself and his plan to make Ben Chavis ED of the party by saying it will “fire up the base.” But parties that focus solely on firing up the base forget to win a majority. Successful parties, like Democrats in the 1990s and President Obama (who disavowed Chavis’ support in 2008) do both.

 

The Tea Party is about to drive the Republican Party off a cliff. Why should the North Carolina Democratic Party join them?

 

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February 15, 2014 at 9:57 am
Bobby Poon says:

Living in the past.The future for the NC dem party is Rev. Barber.He is taking over and you can't stop him.The N&O and the Chapel Hill crowd are all behind him.Better get on board the train is leaving the station.

February 19, 2014 at 9:15 am
Cash Michaels says:

Mr. Pearce, as i've stated, AND PROVEN elsewhere, you're allegation that in 2008, Barack Obama "disavowed" support for Dr. Benjamin Chavis...IS NOT TRUE. What is your source, given that it is apparently beyond the scope of a normal, or even an advanced Google search?

Oh, pardon me for a moment. i believe the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis would like to correct the record here:

--Again that is not true. Please permit to give you truthful details and facts. Not only is Gary Pearce grossly misinformed, he is spreading deliberate lies to achieve his divisive propaganda agenda against Randy Voller and me. Pearce was very mad last year when I publicly announced my endorsement of Voller's successful effort to be elected over the Pearce-Hunt puppet candidate for NCDP Chairman. Russell Simmons and I in 2008 together helped to get out the youth vote for Obama across the U.S. especially in NC,VA, DC, MD, NY, NJ, MI, CA, FL, etc through HSAN and Respect the Vote via Hip-Hop Caucus which was an outgrowth of HSAN. Also HSAN sponsored the highly publicized and televised 2009 and 2013 Official Black Tie Hip-Hop Inaugural Balls in Washington, DC. In fact at our 2009 Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball, President Obama sent an Obama campaign official named Mr. Hill to speak on the President's behalf to thank Russell, me and HSAN for helping to turn out the largest youth vote in American history in November 2008 across the nation, including NC. On my website Cash, drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix.com/drbfcjr there is a video of me, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton at the Brown and BlacK Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate in Des Moines, Iowa in December 2007 where I was representing the perspectives of Latino and Black youth across the US to impact the 2008 Presidential Campaign. Two more important points: 1. I have personally known, worked with, and supported Barack Obama since in the 1990s when he was a State Senator in IL and a member of the UCC. He even once publicly welcomed me from the floor of the IL Senate and thank me for my pioneering work as one of the founders of the national and global Environmental Justice Movement. State Sen Obama at that time was a leading "community organizer" for Artgeld Gardens housing project on Southside Chicago where I also did environmental justice work in Chicago for the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice in the 1980s and 1990s. 2. For the 2012 Obama Campaign, President Obama decided to hire full time Valeisha Butterfield (daughter of Congressman Butterfield) as the Obama Campaign National Youth Director as a direct result of her leadership and effective work as the Executive Director of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) from 2007-20011. Of course Gary Pearce has never once asked me what is my relationship with President Barack Obama. I do recall that doing the 2008 campaign, Obama did disavow the endorsement of Minister Farrakhan, but that had nothing to do with me because in 2008, I was not affiliated with nor a member of the NOI.--

Mr. Pearce, as a gentleman and the former press secretary to Gov. Jim Hunt, i suggest you do the honorable thing, sir, and RETRACT that inaccuracy for the record. Whether you apologize or not is your business!

Thank you.

Cash Michaels