While progressives are correctly focused on reforming the broken, dysfuctional, and out-of-touch Democratic Party establishment, it's important to take a step back and realize that Hillary would never have defeated Bernie in the primaries if not for so-called progressive organizations.

Sure, the DNC violated their charter in not representing the interests and popular choice of its members, but the exact same thing can be said of labor unions, environmental and civil rights groups. If not for their early and undemocratic endorsements of Hillary, the DNC would have been unable to have made a difference in the primaries.



In 2016 Sanders backers fumed over the Democratic National Committee’s conniving with Hillary Clinton’s campaign. But the DNC could screw up a two-car funeral. It’s too ineffectual to effect anything as big and complicated as an election. Progressives made Clinton. Without labor, she’d have opened the 2016 campaign with three straight losses (in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada). Labor’s top goals were blocking trade deals and enacting a living wage. Sanders was with labor. Clinton wasn’t. He outperformed her in nearly every general election poll. Labor went with her anyway, often without consulting the rank and file.

Most old line, Washington-based African-American, women’s, LGBT and environmental groups did likewise. It was the progressive establishment, not the party establishment, that secured Clinton’s nomination. The democratization of the Democratic Party starts with the democratization of the left.

Before I go any further, let me remind you just how undemocratic these so-called progressive institutions have become. Let's start with three examples of labor unions.

SEIU

A coalition of local union chapters came out Friday against national leaders at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) for supporting Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over her rival Bernie Sanders.

Labor for Bernie includes many local union chapters, notably some from within the SEIU. The coalition has used rallies and grassroots mobilizing campaigns to advocate for the Vermont-democratic socialist. Despite Bernie getting a lot of support from local chapters, national leaders at the SEIU announced an official endorsement of Hillary Nov. 17.

“SEIU’s decision to endorse Clinton is short-sighted and unprincipled,” a coalition email obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation declared. “It is based on a failed strategy of engaging in purely ‘transactional’ politics with corporate liberals. That’s why members who support Bernie Sanders are so understandably frustrated.”

...Despite his own union’s hesitance toward Hillary, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka sent a memo to the leaders of associated unions in July telling them not to endorse Sanders.

AFT



Teachers unions were among the earliest and most enthusiastic supporters of Hillary Clinton, with the American Federation of Teachers calling her “the champion working families need” and powerful AFT President Randi Weingarten hugging her on stage.

...The only hitch in Clinton’s plans to rally this vital Democratic constituency: Teachers aren’t fully on board. Bernie Sanders netted more money from people who listed themselves as teachers and educators than Clinton in February, according to a POLITICO analysis of FEC records.

The Vermont senator received more than 9,000 donations and raised more than $413,000 from people who identified themselves as teachers or educators, surpassing the $394,000 raised by Clinton from about 4,500 such donors during the same month.

Union locals in general



While Hillary Clinton quickly secured endorsements from a slew of large labor organizations in 2015, more than a dozen local and regional union groups have broken with their national leadership and voted to support Bernie Sanders instead. While it’s common for a national union to stay neutral so its regional affiliates can endorse independently, it’s far more rare to see a local affiliate buck the will of its leadership and tack in another direction. That’s exactly what’s been happening.

...Take the Washington Federation of State Employees, which represents 19,000 people. Although its parent union, the powerful American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, endorsed Clinton in October, the state council thought differently. In January, its executive committee voted to support Sanders and suggested their national leaders take another look at the endorsement process.

Before the first primary Hillary had the endorsements of 23 unions, versus three for Mr. Sanders, but the undemocratic process of how these endorsement came about is the real story.

Now let's look at environmental groups.



The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund’s endorsement of Hillary Rodham Clinton Monday has prompted a backlash from many of its members, who argue Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) deserved the nod.

The endorsement, which was first reported by The Washington Post, marked the first time in more than three decades that the group had endorsed a presidential candidate before a single primary vote was cast. The group’s board Chairwoman Carol M. Browner, who served as the Environmental Protection Agency administrator under President Clinton and advised President Obama on climate change during his first term, said Hillary Clinton won the endorsement because she was best prepared to advance environmental priorities in office.

...But the move touched off a furor among Sanders supporters, who noted that he had a 95 percent lifetime rating from LCV compared to Clinton’s 82 percent.

Several vowed to withhold future donations to LCV in retaliation for the move and either give the money to other environmental groups, or Sanders himself.

NRDC



In late May, before Clinton claimed the nomination, the major green group NRDC Action Fund issued its first-ever endorsement during a primary, choosing to back Clinton over Sanders.

...In both of those cases, the groups received backlash from some grassroots environmentalists, as well as smaller groups that endorsed Sanders. Sanders, they asserted, had a much stronger policy platform when it came to fighting climate change and protecting the environment. Indeed, Sanders’ campaign has pushed for a national ban on fracking, a nationwide carbon tax, and a complete end to the use of fossil fuels in America. Clinton, who otherwise has a robust environmental policy record, has not called for any of those things.

I could go on, but it becomes redundant. Democracy isn't just failing at the DNC, or just in Washington D.C., or just in the state capitols, or just in the political parties.

Democracy is failing in non-partisan, progressive organizations as well, and this gives you an idea of just how immense the task progressives have before them.

The Intercept compiled a list of how undemocratic these organizations have become.



In the war for endorsements in the Democratic presidential primary, there is a clear trend.

Every major union or progressive organization that let its members have a vote endorsed Bernie Sanders.

Meanwhile, all of Hillary Clinton’s major group endorsements come from organizations where the leaders decide. And several of those endorsements were accompanied by criticisms from members about the lack of a democratic process.

...For example, Clinton got an endorsement from the Human Rights Campaign this week. That decision was made not by a vote of HRC’s membership list but instead by a 32-member executive board that includes Mike Berman, the president of a lobbying firm that works for Pfizer, Comcast, and the health insurance lobby. Northrup Grumman is among its list of major corporate sponsors.

The Sanders campaign blasted the group as “establishment” and said that Sanders has a much stronger record on LGBT equality than Clinton. Outspoken gay activist Michaelangelo Signorile wrote that HRC had clearly traded its early endorsement for “access to the White House” for its leaders.

The success of the progressive insurgency depends just as much on reforming these institutions as it does in winning primaries. The reform work isn't as sexy, and it will rarely get headlines, but it is just as important.