Back in my day – there were insiders and outsiders.  In the #NCDP, you worked your way up – usually at the precinct level unless you had money or name recognition.   Sometimes, it took years to get to the district level.  It wasn’t magic – if you believed in the ideals of the Democratic Party – you worked your way up to one day become an insider.

It was a vetting process.

I understand things change – and it doesn’t work that way anymore.  And, I understand anyone can be nominated from the floor in the NCDP and win an election.  Keep in mind, that all of these “jobs” are volunteer and I respect anyone who wants to donate their time to help get Democrats elected to political office.

But, we have a problem in the Democratic Party – and it’s a big problem.  And, it’s more than image – it’s a credibility problem.

Somehow – there needs to be a vetting process within the Democratic Party that prevents people with active or pending criminal charges from getting elected to NCDP top positions.

For example, if someone is on probation – the delegates in a district have a right to know that before they vote.  And, if that person also happens to have another pending charge – that violates that probation (or even if it doesn’t) the NCDP should have the ability to step in and do something.

Back in my day – a person with these issues would put the Party first and not run in the first place.  There’s a difference between what’s good for the Party and one’s own self-interest.

We have way too many Democrats who are out for themselves – not thinking far enough ahead to see that their actions not only hurt the Party’s credibility but it also is hurting themselves, in the long run.