Retaking the Party: An Interview with the Miami Valley Progressive Caucus
The Miami Valley Progressive Caucus is a grassroots organization spawned from the "Bernie-crats" in an attempt to retake the Democratic Party.
Mathias Detamore is the President of the Caucus. A former delegate of Bernie Sanders from the Dayton area, he along with others founded this organization in hopes to run progressive candidates and move the Democratic party back to the "left."
Mr. Detamore was kind enough to sit down with me and explain a bit about himself and the Caucus itself.
The Miami Valley Progressive Caucus was founded by former Bernie Sanders delegates from the Dayton area. Mathis Detamore, after moving back to Dayton, decided to get involved locally to get Bernie Sanders elected. Detamore was elected to be a delegate Sanders.
"It was our organization that worked directly with the national campaign [The Sanders Campaign] when they came to town."
The platform of MVPC is the same as that of the Sanders Campaign, to take over the Democratic Party from the inside.
The plan is to work at the grassroots level to get progressive individuals into party positions and as well as candidates on the ballot. In Dayton specifically, MVPC has endorsed Darryl Fairchild and Shenise Turner-Sloss for Dayton City Commission
"We are looking at taking over the party, and we say that loosely. Really what we are trying to do is strengthening the Democratic party."
The Miami Valley is a large area of rural, suburban and urban areas. MVCP is covering the entire nine county region known as the Miami Valley. Montgomery Co. is the most populous, and probably the easiest county to gain support in. Dayton has a strong Democratic history.
I asked Mathis, "Does MVCP support Mayor Nan Whaley."
He responded simply, "not in the slightest."
For those unaware, Nan Whaley is the Democratic mayor for Dayton. She has been caught up in a few local scandals with giving kickbacks to donors and the Garden Station debacle.
The Miami Valley Progressive Caucus is partnered with Ohio Revolution, one of many state by state progressive organizations formed by Bernie Sanders delegates and the DNC in Philadelphia after the Sanders defeat.
To finish up the interview I asked Mathis what he felt was the worst thing Donald Trump has done so far.
Like many Americans, he felt that it was Trump's executive order on immigration. He made the point that they [Republicans] have control of everything.
Why is Trump signing executive orders when he has a favorable Congress?
MVPC has an event on Saturday, February 4th at 1pm. The address is 721 Springfield St. Dayton, Ohio 45403.
(Article by Jaimes Campbell)
