Democratic Underground
A recent decision by Marion County Democratic Chairman Ed Treacy to exercise more control over the local slating process is creating an underground of inter-party resentment that could grow into a major battle based on racial lines.
As I told you before, Treacy is creating rules that would ban anyone from running against the slate from being slated for six years and he would also ban any elected official from supporting a candidate who was not slated.
Now I’m all for political parties running their organizations as they see fit, after all, they are not democracies. However Treacy’s decisions are creating a backlash that has a racial twinge to it. Treacy was supposed to address the IDAAC, the Indiana Democratic African-American Caucus, this past Saturday and explain his actions, but he never showed. However House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Crawford was there and was outraged when he found out about the new rule.
Things have also gotten so bad that a number of Black Democrats are privately griping that the move is designed to keep non-status quo Blacks from running in the Marion County Democratic Party. And many of them are threatening to take it out on candidates in the 2010 and 2011 elections.
What is also complicating matters is whether 7th District Congressman Andre Carson will support Melina Kennedy or an African-American for Mayor in 2011. Once again, while the establishment Black Democrats are rallying around Kennedy, there is growing sentiment in the Black community that if Carson doesn’t support a Black candidate there could be repercussions for him in a future election as well.
Now there is plenty of time for Democrats to get their act together and unite for 2010 and 2011, however it doesn’t help matters when your county chairman potentially alienates 45% of your base.
