I’m not so willing to give the DNC a pass.
Is it easy? No. But it’s not like the DNC has tried numerous strategies and had brilliant plan after brilliant plan fail despite their well-considered attempts. The DNC algorithm for finding a candidate is quite simple:
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Survey the existing party ranks.
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Find the highest-ranking centrist within the party you can.
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Ideally, don’t have a primary at all. But if a primary cannot be avoided, throw the full weight of the party apparatus behind that person before the primary and do everything possible to sabotage anyone else during the primary.
2016 was a coronation, with massive numbers of superdelegates endorsing Hillary before the first primary vote was cast, putting their thumb on the scale. 2020 saw the DNC actively collude against Sanders. When it looked like he was about to win the primary, they arranged that all the centrist candidates except Biden drop out, while leaving Warren in to dilute the progressive vote. The ONLY reason Biden got the nomination was because the entire party leadership structure colluded to get the other centrists to drop out, ensuring his victory. And of course, in 2024, well you’re aware of that clusterfuck.
The lesson here really isn’t that hard. Primaries exist for a reason! Competitive primaries ensure that your candidate can handle themselves well, and that they actually have some broad support among the electorate. They’re a trial by fire that only fools skip.
I CAN do better than the DNC. I can do better than the DNC because I have some humility and realize that I have no business trying to select who the next ideal democratic candidate is. If I ran the party, I would adopt the following rules:
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Every election must have a primary. Even if an incumbent is running, a full competitive primary will still be held. The incumbent president should receive no advantage in that primary other than name recognition.
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Some process to prevent the kind of candidate collusion that occurred in 2020. Any candidate that is found to have done this should be ineligible to receive the party’s nomination.
The ONLY arbiter of who should win the nomination should be the voters. Candidates need to arise from natural political movements that arise free of central DNC influence. The party shouldn’t play favorites, and it shouldn’t nuke candidates just because party leaders don’t like them.
