If they really want to get the heartland vote, they should blend their options and have Jimmy Dean be the DNC Chair. "This is not the time to play hide the sausage."
IIRC Dean has done well collecting $$$ and building grassroot Democratic organizations. He is a bit of a loose cannon in his public appearances and has ruffled a few feathers of COngressional Democrats (both arguably a Good Thing). Here is a bloggers take on his MTP performance. Howard Dean on MTP by Armando Sun Nov 13, 2005 at 10:02:09 AM PDT Howard Dean was interviewed by Tim Russert this morning on Meet the Press and, to my way of thinking, said all the right things. Tell the Truth. When asked what Democrats will do on Iraq, Dean answered, in essence, tell the truth. He contrasted this with the dishonesty and deception that has marked the Bush Administration and Republicans on Iraq and almost every other issue. When asked what Democratic politicians should say about their prior votes on Iraq, he said - tell the truth. He markedly contrasted them with Bush and the Republicans, whom Dean called "corrupt" and "dishonest." This is a winning issue that most Americans agree with and behind which Democrats of all ideologies can rally behind. Extremist Religiosity Does Not Equal Moral Values. Russert put up a poll finding in the most recent NBC poll that found that 35% of Americans thought the Republicans were the "more moral" party, while only 18% thought the Democrats the moral party. Dean did not bite into the premise. He understood two things about that poll finding - (1) That only 35% of Americans thought Republicans the more "moral" party is a huge problem for the GOP. If 65% of Americans have not been spun on this issue, then the GOP attempt to brand the Democratic Party as the party of the perverse is failing. (2) That Democrats comfortable talking about their faith of course should and will. This signalled to me that on "values" questions, Dean embraces the Big Tent concept, where different approaches for different Dems in different parts of the country is an essential strategy for Democratic success. Dean stressed that it is our underlying values, not the source of them, that bring us together as Democrats. Dean also took an opportunity to tweak Russert's assumption that faith = Christianity. Russert spotlighted a Tim Kaine statement about his Christianity and asked Dean if Dems willbe talking more about their faith. Dean reminded Russert that faith does not equal Christianity. I thought it was an embarrassing moment for Russert. The Alito Nomination. Russert tried to put Dean on the defensive on the question of the Alito nomination, suggesting that Dem opposition would amount to obstructionism. Russert referenced a NYTimes editorial today as a negative example of this. Dean turned this entirely around, embracing the Alito nomination process as a chance for Dems to define themselves as the Party of Mainstream Values. In particular, Dean endorsed this portion of the editorial: The Alito nomination comes at a critical moment for the Democratic Party. With President Bush's poll numbers plummeting, Democrats are finding a new optimism about their chances in 2006 and 2008. But to capitalize on the Republicans' weakness, the party needs to show that it has an alternative vision for the country. As the Democrats refine their message for next year's elections, the first thing they need to be able to say to the American people is that they did not sit by idly while the far right took over the Supreme Court and began dismantling fundamental rights and freedoms. Keep Us Safe. While acknowledging the Democratic political weakness on national security and the need to address it, Dean resisted Russert's call for Democratic alternatives on Iraq and other national security issues. Dean rightly pointed out that Republicans are in complete control of the government and that they do not take advice from the Democrats. Which leads to my final point - When Do Democrats Define Themselves? Dean gave the right answer - when the voters have a chance to make a choice for real change, in 2006. The Elections. The Democrats are doing what they are supposed to do right now - opposing a Republican agenda harmful to the country. And agreeing on those few occasions when the Republicans do the right thing. That is called being an opposition party. The time for offering alternatives is when the voters can choose that alternative for real change. And that is 2006. Kudos to Dr. Dean for a stellar performance.
So why did Dean duck on the chance to be on simultaneously with Ken Mehlman? Scared that he doesn't have the issues to stand behind? I guess Dean would rather just lob flames at the Republicans in isolation. When confronted by the facts, he either wilts or goes berzerk on people like in Iowa.
My understanding is that working for Jimmy Carter was a horrific nightmare becuase of his managerial style. [rquoter] Carter was a micromanager who, while president, famously drew up a schedule for the White House tennis court. source [/rquoter] [rquoter] Jimmy Carter was a micromanager and his administration showed it. One of his favorite anecdotes about himself (I heard him tell it twice in person** and i had already read it) was that when he was a Georgia state senator he read every word of every bill -- and had to take speedreading courses to keep up. He implied, though he never said, that he finally gave up when he became Governor (i.e., got a full-time job outside the family business for the first time since he'd been in the Navy). source [/rquoter] There are tons more, but he always micromanages everything and works for personal goals even when they may not be possible to achieve or even when they are counterproductive. He's done great work with Habitat for Humanity and any number of peace issues, but in some ways he’d be even more likely to lead the Democratic Party to defeat than Dean. I can say without irony, that while he is a wonderful ex-President he was a horrible President and would make a horrible executive officer for the DNC.
Howard Dean is awful -- I watched his interview this morning and couldn't believe how out of touch he was with everything going on. DNC needs new leadership in a hurry - Nancy Pelosi is just as bad.
Out of touch? The people in power fought to ban gay marriage in lieu of terrorism, inflation, loss of jobs with wages that can raise a family or a war that seems to have no clear goal. Come back when the Conservatives are in touch.
wait...just because the Republican party has those problems doesn't mean the Democratic party is spot-free. personally...i think they both suck. carter was merely a suggestion. i'm just hoping for a better alternative next time around. and i wish someone other than dean were calling the shots.
Howard Dean's politics may be fringe but that doesn't matter because this isn't a public approval office. Dean was the only democrat who actually had some fight in him throughout the last presidential campaign. He's being placed in a role to bring some of that to the party while not having the public focused on such a top ranked Dem being a northeast liberal.
As usual you have your facts wrong. It was Mehlman who chose not to be on with Dean. You should stop reading Drudge so much.
I am not saying spot-free, not by any means. But calling Dean out of touch is willful ignorance in today's information orientated society. Dean might not be the best person in your viewpoint, but he has done a much better job than the lobbyist chairs before him.
