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CBS Host: DCCC Protecting 'Older White Men'

June 4, 2019

A co-host for CBS This Morning knocked the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for a campaign policy which appears to protect "older white men" at the expense of young, female, and minority candidates.

Tony Dokoupil discussed the DCCC's policy of prohibiting consultants from working with challengers to Democratic incumbents.

"I have a story of unintended consequences. Democratic leadership in the House, they have a new policy meant to protect incumbents, people currently in office. The policy is no consultant can work with a challenger to that seat. The idea is to help keep the people who are in Congress, make them stay in Congress. Here's the problem: Two-thirds of those people in those safe House seats are older white men. The people who are making the challenges often are often female, often younger, often people of color. So people are looking at this new policy and they're thinking not a good look for the Democratic Party, unintended consequences."

The clip of Dokoupil's remarks was first highlighted by America Rising.

Amy Pritchard, a Democratic political consultant, quit her senior position at Deliver Strategies last week after the firm agreed to comply with the DCCC's policy.

"It is hard enough for challengers, for a lot of reasons," Pritchard commented. "And this policy is a bridge too far. I'd like to see a majority of women in Congress, and it's not going to happen with this policy."

Last year, Pritchard worked for Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D., Mass.), who defeated longtime Democratic congressman Michael Capuano.

The New York Times notes that the DCCC's policy "will most likely block candidates seeking to follow in the footsteps of Ms. Pressley, who is black, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who is of Puerto Rican descent, both of whom defeated veteran white male Democrats last year, Michael Capuano and Joseph Crowley."

"A lot of Democrats are terrified that what happened to Capuano and Crowley will happen to them and are looking for backup," Pritchard added. "I actually thought this policy was a joke until I saw it written up, but they are enforcing it aggressively."

Published under: CBS , DCCC