Thoughts on the Oversight Committee vote
I had a very anxious morning today, worrying about the House Committee on Oversight and Reform of all things. They held a vote today (Tuesday, 12/17/24) on who would become the new chairperson.
The two candidates were AOC (D-N.Y.) and Gerry Connolly (D-V.A.). I'm not a huge fan of AOC's policies, but I think she's the most equipped to take on the new media systems that gave Trump his win. She could beat him at his own game. Connolly, on the other hand, is a 74 year-old man.
Guess who won.
It isn't that I'm an AOC fan. On the contrary, I am firmly more center-left than her brand of far-left politics. But it's my belief that the Democrats desperately need to inject the party with fresh energy and vitality.
Reading this state from Connolly abated some of my anxiety:
“He [Trump] may feel more emboldened, but that may also make him more reckless," Connolly said. "There is a law on this land and we're going to make sure it's enforced.”
“Our strategy is going to be to tell the truth and if that hurts then we know we’ve made our mark,” he said.
Connolly said he was able to defeat AOC because, “I think my colleagues were measuring their votes by who's got experience, who's seasoned, who can be trusted, who's capable on it, who's got a record of productivity. And I think that prevailed.”
In his defense as well as the party's, perhaps a committee as integral as Oversight isn't the battleground where the old guard and new guard can afford to clash. And to Connolly's credit, he's got over a decade of experience compared to AOC.
I just hope this isn't indicative of a larger adherence to outdated norms and habits within the Democratic party's internal operations.1 This past election has shown that the electorate is ready to move on from the politicians of the past. Trump only won because anti-incumbency biases swept the entire Western world.
We've got two years until midterms, which are historically favorable to Democrats. Hopefully Trump and his ilk don't wreck too much havoc between then and now. But damage control is only one half of the equation. Democrats need to figure out a new identity for their party that resonates with the capricious median voter. Stuck on the back step this cycle, they can't afford to rely on a campaign about voting against Trump. The electorate needs something to vote for. It surely isn't more octogenerians.
✘ Posted on — 12/17/24
✘ Last modified — 8 months