Outrage Among Progressives as Rahm Emanuel Eyed for DNC Chair Role!

Progressive circles reacted with anger and disbelief to reports on Friday that Rahm Emanuel is considering a run for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. Many on the left questioned if the Democratic Party has learned from its recent electoral losses, including the presidency, Senate, and its connection with America’s working-class voters.

Axios initially broke the news that Emanuel—currently serving as President Joe Biden’s ambassador to Japan and previously a congressman, mayor of Chicago, and chief of staff to former President Barack Obama—is contemplating a bid for the DNC’s top leadership role. The current DNC chair, Jamie Harrison, who took on the role in 2021, is reportedly not seeking re-election when his term ends in March.

Emanuel has garnered support from influential figures within the Democratic Party’s establishment, a faction often aligned with military and financial interests.

“If you asked me, ‘What should we do? Who should lead the party?’ I’d say bring Rahm Emanuel back from Japan and make him the chairman of the Democratic National Committee,” stated David Axelrod, a key political strategist for Obama’s presidential campaigns, during his podcast on Wednesday.

Axelrod later elaborated on X, formerly Twitter, praising Emanuel’s combative and victorious approach to political battles.

The response from progressives was swift and sharp. Jonathan Cohn, policy director at Progressive Massachusetts, expressed his incredulity on the social network Bluesky, asking, “How is this not a sick joke?”

Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy and former advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), commented on X that appointing Emanuel would be like a scientifically engineered plan to alienate working-class voters further.

Comedian, author, and podcaster Kate Willett criticized on X, saying, “If there’s one person who paved the way for what might be decades of Trumpism, it’s Rahm Emanuel. Imagine if Obama had saved peoples’ homes in 2008 and jailed the bankers? Had truly reformed healthcare? Emanuel worked hard to prevent those things.”

Miles Kampf-Lassin, senior editor at the progressive outlet In These Times, reiterated, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: No amount of rebranding can alter the fact that Rahm Emanuel’s political career has been a disaster—neoliberal centrism is the last thing the Democratic Party needs.”

In an article for New Republic, Hafiz Rashid argued that Emanuel becoming DNC chair would be a catastrophic choice, noting, “Emanuel has been out of touch with local and state politics for years… It seems unlikely to help.” He emphasized that Democrats need a leader who understands current winning strategies and grassroots dynamics, areas where Emanuel is notably deficient.

Warren Gunnels, staff director for Sanders, sarcastically suggested on X, “Elite’s plan: Get Dick Cheney’s endorsement and appoint Rahm Emanuel as DNC Chair.”

“One word,” he concluded. “No.”