| Dear Sharra,
Yesterday I was on MSBNC’s weekend show with Symone Sanders and Michael Steele. I was glad to have the opportunity to answer a few questions about how I would handle things as DNC Chair.
When Michael asked how I would get Washington insiders to “take a risk” on me, I should have said, “What are we risking exactly?" Losing Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania? Losing the White House? Losing the House and Senate?
Respectfully, the risk lies in staying with the same tired playbook. We should not fear changing.
Our greatest risk is not changing.
The most important quality in the next DNC Chair is not familiarity with how things have been done, but with how they could be done. The only way our political fortunes will change is if our next Chair is an agent of change.
For some reason, Republicans have an easier time with political pivots. Perhaps it’s because more of them come from the private sector and view things through the lens a business. If something didn’t work on Tuesday then you better fix it by Thursday, because if you don’t fix it by Thursday then your whole business could go down by Saturday!
Democrats, however, have a harder time with change. Even when it didn’t work on Tuesday, they didn’t really try to change it by Thursday, then the whole thing went under on Saturday — now it’s Monday and they’re still suggesting we forge ahead like we always do! This would be funny if it weren’t so dangerous for our democracy.
We need fundamental, not incremental change. We need an entirely different organizational culture at the DNC...
…where States are not funding the DNC, but the DNC is funding the States.
…where the power isn’t kept tightly in the hands of a small, opaque group of decision-makers and their DC consultancy class.
…where decision-making and budgeting are transparent.
…where ethics and democratic principles take precedence over ruthlessness and secret agreements.
…where our goal is to inspire a nation, not simply defeat an opponent — because that's the only way we will defeat them!
If I’m elected Chair, a dysfunctional organizational culture will transform. Such dysfunction isn’t worthy of an organization with such a critically important mission for the world. Such changes are crucial, and I will make them.
Thank you, | 
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