Dear DNC: Open the Gates Wide for Your People's Cabinet
Instead of choosing the People's Cabinet behind closed doors, the cabinet should be selected through an open process based in local caucuses.
by Sarah van Gelder, published in Common Dreams
Chairman of the Democratic National Committee DNC Chair Ken Martin on Friday announced the launching of a People’s Cabinet! This is potentially exciting news. As I wrote about last month, a People's Cabinet is a powerful way to combat the latest unlawful, unconstitutional, cruel, and downright stupid action from the Trump-Musk administration.
And it's a great way to lift up leaders who can propose common sense, people-centered alternatives.
One proposal that may be a stretch for the DNC, though: Instead of the same old top-down decision making, please make this an open process. Invite everyone to help select cabinet members—Democrats, Independents, and even non-MAGA Republicans (MAGA already has a cabinet).
The Democratic Party’s approval ratings are very low and there is a lot of ground to make up after the party first insisted Joe Biden would be the 2024 presidential candidate and then anointed Kamala Harris as the candidate—with no public input. This mistake was in addition to their failure to understand the economic pain experienced by so many non-billionaire Americans, the marginalizing of Sen. Bernie Sanders, and their unconscionable neglect of the horrors taking place in Gaza.
Instead of choosing the People's Cabinet behind closed doors, the cabinet should be selected through an open process based in local caucuses. Allowing "we the people" to select the People's Cabinet could draw tremendous energy and excitement, bring fresh ideas into the process, give people at the grassroots a reason to gather in their communities to build power and momentum for the midterms and beyond, and it would generate ongoing local and national news coverage.
We need locally based, sustained grassroots work to build the power for change. The Democratic Party could find this is exactly the reboot it needs to get beyond the stale and the stuck politics of its current form—a way to gather the many voices and populations that have felt left out until now.
Please, DNC, open the doors, bring in fresh air and new voices, and you’ll see the energy unleashed by the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour multiplied across the nation.
Couldn't agree more with you Sarah, as well as the comments so far. On other substacks I've been advocating for a new Big Tent with something like a People's Cabinet, reflecting what has happened in our predominantly two-party system. America is not Democrats vs Republicans, it is POT (Party of Trump) vs Constitutional Democracy. DNC could do several simple things to jump start this People's Cabinet:
1) Immediately proclaim this as Big Tent for Democrats, Independents and disaffected Republicans and welcome the compromise needed to develop a consensus platform for Americans to join in far greater numbers and approval than currently seen. Think "this is what 70% of Americans are waiting for" not "this is what entrenched Democrats think".
2) Immediately bring on a strong bi-partsan spokes-panel. Humor me - Pete Buttigieg and Liz Cheney. Push out consistent opposition messages, strategies and hope.
3) Then ask this newly Big Tent the organizational questions DNC is asking of itself. There will be a much stronger and legitimate Cabinet as a result.
4) Be showing incumbent Republican US and state house and senate members the off-ramp from POT. This can be done now to claw back the current tyranny, in 2026 to assure POT is thwarted and in 2028 is finally deposed.
5) Dream BIG. When is house impeachment and senate conviction of Trump and Vance more than performance politics but able to muster the votes? When can this new Big Tent muster more than every-election-cycle-yo-yo marginal majorities in the senate and house?
Great idea. Thank you.