The DNC is Getting Ready For a Contested Convention, and So Should Bernie’s Base.

The DNC is already making some pretty brazen power plays, and it’s time to get ready.

Photo via Tom Perez on Instagram

We are rapidly approaching the first votes being cast in the 2020 democratic primary, and every current indicator points to the contest being between Joe Biden, and Bernie Sanders. But with recent polls showing Bernie now in a lead outside the margin of error in both Iowa and New Hampshire, statistically tied with Biden nationally, and currently the favorite in California as well, it’s looking as though he has every shot of winning this nomination. I think it might even be safe to say Bernie is emerging as the favorite.

That being said, this also means that the work has only just begun, and moves coming from the DNC are already raising significant alarm bells.

Chairman of the DNC Tom Perez has nominated incredibly questionable choices to the Convention leadership. Dangerous choices that show a clear indication they are already planning on taking the democratic nomination away from Bernie at the convention.

Photo via Michael Kapp on Twitter

Let’s begin with Barney Frank, nominated to the position of co-chair of the Convention Rules committee who has already had tension with the 2016 Sanders campaign because of his hostility.

In a 2016 interview with Slate, Frank said:

“Bernie Sanders has been in Congress for 25 years with little to show for it in terms of his accomplishments and that’s because of the role he stakes out.”

Frank also said that he thinks Bernie’s voters “don’t have a very realistic sense” of the political process.

In other words, Barney Frank essentially holds the same view of Bernie as Hillary Clinton, Neera Tanden, and all the other DNC elites who rigged the primary process against him last time. Not only that, but evidently his supporters are unrealistic because we expect that our politicians should be beholden to voters as opposed to big money interests. It’s no accident that Tom Perez put this man in a position that could define the fate of Bernie’s campaign and potential nomination. I don’t think anyone could honestly believe that he will be an impartial, honest actor, and it’s fairly clear what he’s being sent to the convention to do. Are we really supposed believe he will be a neutral arbiter?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there.

Even more controversial and dangerous than Barney Frank is John Podesta, also on the Rules Committee, who said in the infamous leaked DNC emails that they needed to make sure Bernie is “ground to a pulp”, and asked “where would you stick the knife in?” If this process was even remotely designed to be fair, this man would not be allowed anywhere near this convention.

Another incredibly questionable choice is Alex Padilla, Vice-chair of the Platform Committee. Padilla gained notoriety for refusing to count 2 million votes in the 2016 California primary, a move that undeniably favored Clinton and handed a massive disadvantage to the Sanders campaign. He was sued for this.

Naturally, there are others.

Minyon Moore, set to be on the Credentials Committee, was a senior advisor for Clintons 2008 campaign linked to the violation of campaign finance laws by “coordinating with an external campaign effort.” That external campaign effort was evidently Jeffrey Thompson, who made “millions in illegal campaign contributions”. Randi Weingarten, nominated for the Platforms Committee, was one of the 154 people who were allegedly involved in a “pay to play” scheme with the Clinton Foundation. Jake Sullivan, the Vice chair of the Platform Committee, was Hillary Clinton’s senior foreign policy advisor.

It should go without saying that this is crunch time. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that if Bernie Sanders gets any less than fifty one percent of the delegates, all of these people and I’m sure quite a few others on that lengthy list will be ready to pounce. They are getting ready for a contested convention, and so should we. But, thanks to Bernie and his team’s tireless efforts at the last democratic national convention, they will not be able to touch his nomination if he secures the majority like these dishonest actors once may have been able to.

It is incredibly telling that the Democratic Party would rather another four more years of Donald Trump and the death of their party than have Bernie Sanders as the nominee. Everything depends on Bernie getting fifty one percent of the delegates beforehand, and it is up to his base to turn out in record numbers to make sure that happens. If he does so, these people will not have a say. Bernie is clearly pulling ahead, but this is not the time to get comfortable or take anything for granted. Now is the time to use cautious optimism as motivation to work even harder. All we can do is make sure that the will of the people prevails before they even have a chance to thwart it. Call, knock on doors, text, donate, but most importantly vote and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.