Monday, October 29 at 2:00 pm
Progressive Populism Will Save The Democratic Party
As Democratic leaders and strategists gear up for the 2018 and 2020 elections, the party stands at a crossroads. For progressive populists, the path forward is clear: Democrats must get back in touch with the party’s working-class roots by championing a specific set of policies, including Medicare for all, free public college tuition, a guaranteed federal jobs program, and housing as a human right. They say this strategy is key to winning back disillusioned working-class voters and to regaining power in Washington and beyond. But others view this as a dangerous path. They argue that a handful of high-profile progressive wins have been overhyped by the media and, rather than make promises that may be impossible to execute in this political climate, Democrats should champion centrist, economically viable policies that will win elections and solidify the base. How can the Democratic Party, out of power and outnumbered in Washington D.C. and state capitals across the nation, bring itself out of the political wilderness?
The Debaters:
Karine Jean-Pierre
National Spokesperson & Senior Adviser, MoveOn.org
Karine Jean-Pierre is the national spokesperson and senior adviser for MoveOn.org, a progressive public policy advocacy group and political action committee that raises millions of dollars for progressive candidates. Jean-Pierre’s professional experience has ranged from presidential campaigns to grassroots activism, to local politics, to working in the White House. She previously served as the deputy campaign manager for Martin O’Malley for President and the campaign manager for ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Initiate. She is a frequent political commentator and lecturer at Columbia University.
Jeff Weaver
Campaign Manager, Bernie Sanders's 2016 Presidential Campaign & Author, “How Bernie Won”
Jeff Weaver is a senior political adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders and was the campaign manager for Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign. After the 2016 election, he served as the president of Our Revolution, a progressive political action organization established to continue Sanders’s movement, until June of 2017. A long-trusted adviser to Sanders, Weaver is the author of the new book, “How Bernie Won: Inside the Revolution That’s Taking Back Our Country – And Where We Go From Here.”
Jonathan Cowan
Co-Founder & President, Third Way
Jonathan Cowan is the co-founder and president of Third Way, a leading public policy think tank and prominent voice in center-left debates in America. Cowan has over 25 years of experience at senior levels of politics and government, including in Congress and as chief of staff of the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Clinton administration. Cowan has served as a visiting fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics and is frequently cited as a policy and political expert in national outlets.
Steven Rattner
Chairman & CEO, Willett Advisors LLC
Steven Rattner is the chairman and chief executive officer of Willett Advisors LLC, the investment arm for former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s personal and philanthropic assets. In addition, he serves as an economic analyst for MSNBC and is a contributing writer to the New York Times op-ed page. Rattner previously served as counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury and led the Obama administration’s successful effort to restructure the automobile industry, which he chronicled in his book, “Overhaul: An Insider’s Account of the Obama Administration’s Emergency Rescue of the Auto Industry.”
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