“I bring a different perspective. I will probably be …the only person that’s ever been on food stamps that’s been chairman of the Democratic Party, the only chair that will have over $160,000 of student loan debt. I can relate to the story of so many in this country…”
(Jamie Harrison, DNC Chairman)
Players not Buffoons
Two weeks ago when the Democrats did fine in the midterm elections and held the Senate, Jamie Harrison was not mentioned much. Harrison is the Chairman of the Party and is African American. Harrison did the hard work that fended off the GOP charge.
Two years ago when South Carolina voters voted for Lindsey Graham over Harrison 54 percent to 43 percent for a U.S. Senate seat, many thought that was the last anyone would see or hear of Harrison. But Harrison, despite the loss, had proven himself against Graham even in defeat. He had outraised Graham during the campaign, a crucial skill in today’s money-driven political environment.
President Biden saw it too. He backed Harrison to run the DNC. It was yet another move by Biden that proved to be a smart move by a veteran politician.
The Civil Rights Generation
Harrison hails from America’s more progressive, civil rights political legacy. He is only 44 years old and connects with today’s young voters and their concerns on an individual level. These are the voters that determined the outcome of many mid-term races.
Harrison’s DNC has one more big task to finish this year: beat Herschel Walker and the GOP’s celebrity politics in Atlanta. If Raphael Warnock wins in the runoff in Georgia next month, the Democrats will have gained one U.S. Senate seat in a mid-term election year when the economy is staggering.
The Democrats outraised the Republicans by $50 million this election cycle, which likely proves that Harrison is no fluke. Yes, there is too much money in politics but Harrison is winning the game as it is right now. The DNC is the beneficiary.
Harrison
When Harrison first came under consideration, the 45th President was still popular, and politically strong despite his criminal acts, and the Democrats were in trouble. The Republicans were counting the seats they stood to win in 2022.
Harrison admitted as much at the time so he worked tirelessly behind the scenes to fight for every vote or as he says in a DNC program he created — “Every Zip Code Counts.”
Harrison kept things positive, conceded no ground, and convinced the Democrats to shift the focus back to the state races also. It was a smart move. “We can’t just be focused on the White House. If we do what we have to do on a state level, then the White House is gravy,” Harrison said at the time.
The result: Democrats gained control of several state legislatures and governorships. Politics in America tightened more. This young DNC chairman, with modern ideas, answered the bell.
As the race for 2024 begins, Harrison has to feel good. Mistakes were made but under difficult circumstances, his party made out decent. He saved his party from the deep political wilderness. In 2024, they have a chance to surge even higher.
Harrison, a graduate of Yale, and Georgetown University Law Center has paid his dues and learned his trade in his home state of South Carolina under the great Jim Clyburn. He also has all the good ideas the DNC are using to modernize their party.
The GOP would be wise to take notes.
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This post was previously published on Bumpyjonas – he/him.
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