by WorldTribune Staff, July 24, 2016
[Editors’ Note: An earlier version of this article erroneously listed Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as a Vice chair of the DNC. She resigned in February, 2015 after calling for more primary debates and endorsing the candidacy of Sen. Bernie Sanders.]The female power brokers of the Democratic National Committee decided “early on” to clear a path enabling Hillary Clinton to “skate into the general election,” a female DNC member told Daily Mail Online.
Speaking on condition anonymity, the committeewoman said “I haven’t heard anyone say we should make Hillary undergo a trial by fire. To the contrary, the women in charge seem eager, more and more, to have her skate into the general [election].
“I have nothing against women in politics,” she added. “But it’s not healthy for the party if we get behind a woman because she’s a woman, and risk having her implode after she’s nominated because she isn’t tested enough now.”
Among the DNC senior officials are: Chairwoman Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Vice chair Donna Brazile, Vice chair Maria Elena Durazo, Secretary Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Chief Executive Officer Amy Dacey, Chief Operating Officer Lindsey Reynolds, National Press Secretary Holly Shulman, Deputy National Press Secretary Miryam Lipper, Research Director Lauren Dillon, Deputy Research Director Lauren Smith, Convention Committee CEO Rev. Leah Daughtry.
Five of the nine elected leaders and a majority of vice chairs of the DNC are women. Wasserman Schultz has been removed from presiding over or speaking at the Democratic National Convention after WikiLeaks released DNC emails showing staffers worked to derail the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The committeewoman who spoke to the Daily Mail said the women who head the DNC paved the way for Clinton’s coronation before vote one was even cast.
The DNC scheduled only six sanctioned Democratic debates this time around, compared to 27 when Clinton faced off with then Sen. Barack Obama. Limiting the number of debates gave Clinton “a lot fewer opportunities to screw up,” the committeewoman said.
The Democratic National Committee includes 448 members, 75 of whom are nominated by the chairwoman. State party committee chairs and vice-chairs are automatically members; Democrats in all 50 states and every U.S. territory elect 200 more.