Special Politix Interview With Ben Wikler

The mailbag episode will have to wait, but for good reason! An opportunity arose for us to interview Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair (and DNC chair candidate) Ben Wikler. So we jumped on it—and warmly extend an invitation to other DNC chair candidates to join us in the new year.

In this episode, Matt and Brian ask Ben:

• What he thinks happened in the election, and whether the lessons are actionable for a DNC chairman;

• What does the DNC and its chairman actually do;

• How to tell a good, effective political operative from placeholders and check cashers;

• If he’s prepared the dirty tricks and abuses of power that Donald Trump might direct at Democratic Party leaders, including him.

Then, behind the paywall, a lengthy exploration of and primal scream about Nancy Pelosi’s decision to whip votes against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, blocking her from becoming the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, in favor of 74-year old, cancer-stricken Gerry Connolly. Why would AOC have been a better opposition leader on this committee? What does the episode portend for Democratic infighting and grand strategery going forward? And most importantly, wtf was Pelosi thinking?!

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

• Brian argues that reprising the strategy that just lost Democrats the election (including sidelining more dynamic messengers) makes capitulating to Trump the path of least resistance for other people and institutions.

• Michelle Goldberg on this great capitulation.

• Greg Sargent
  discusses the challenges of rebuilding in this climate with Ben and other DNC candidates, Ken Martin, and Martin O’Malley.