The Dean Plan. I have it!

[last1standing]

No, I don't haven any inside knowledge as to exactly what he'll do if/when he's named DNC chair, however, based on a few years of listening to him, reading his platform, and applying some common sense, I think I have a good idea.

As DNC chair Dean will not be able to alter the national platform or cause DLC centrists like Harry Reid to suddenly support civil unions or grow balls and start fighting for our core values. He has no interest in even trying to do that. Neither is Dean going to stand on the bully pulpit and "scream" for an ultra liberal agenda. Dean is not a liberal, he is a moderate. He has repeatedly said this every time he has been asked. He will also not turn away any big fat corporate checks that are shoved into his hands. He has no aversion to collecting cash.

What Dean will do is work to build local parties around the country. Dean understands that the underpinnings of a successful national campaign lie in grassroots organization. By rebuilding the local institutions that have been dominated by republicans for the last quarter century, Dean expects to see a surge in donations and more Democrats elected at the local level. When this happens there will be a solid foundation that is currently lacking for our statewide and national candidates to use when visiting states such as Nevada, Virginia, New Mexico, and Iowa, all states that came very close to voting for Kerry, and all states that have successful statewide Democratic office holders.

Dean isn't looking to move the party to the left, he's looking to transform it into an organized, efficient, locally based operation. In other words, a Hydra. With a hundred heads all working together, it will be impossible for the repubs to destroy the hopes of any election just by cutting off one head. We will be much more able to fight while being attacked instead of constantly playing defense.

And yes, I believe that Dean will use this new Hydra to launch his own campaign in 2012 or 2016. If he can pull this off and rebuild the Democratic party into the majority again, he will certainly try to use the very organization he has created to advance his own agenda. Personally, I'm all for it. He has taken on a challenge. If he succeeds, he deserves the chance to run again for president. If he doesn't, he should give someone else a try.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

1. how old is Dean? nt

[last1standing]

2. I believe he's 56 or 57.

Still able to run in 8 to 12 years.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

3. awesome

[flpoljunkie]

4. You will want to read this about Dean from the Globe's Oliphant.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/02/03/a_year_later_dean_fits_leadership_role?mode=PF

The real Dean is a world-class organizer, a notorious fiscal conservative, a social liberal with a track record, and someone who happens to have opposed America's near-unilateral invasion of Iraq while running for president. ( I must add only after he saw which way the wind was blowing with the activists in the primary)


Since his campaign collapsed, his new political organization has had remarkable success finding interesting Democrats to run for (and win) election to lesser offices around the country - from deep in Dixie to the Rocky Mountains. Dean could have easily gone the celebrity route with something like a talk show; he could have easily sniped snidely at the people who beat him last year. But he didn't.


Like Ickes, I think those of us Lefties who opposed Dean for president on issue grounds are well positioned to say a year later what a good choice he is likely to be as party chairman. He'll probably never forgive those of us who didn't support his presidential candidacy, but the truth is that it's his own suitability and the support of former opponents that is making his second act possible.
__________

Last 3 paragraphs, you will want to read it all. By the way, Harry Reid has balls--you obviously don't know much about him.

[last1standing]

6. Very good article. Others here should read it.

I agree with most of what he said.

As for Reid, my opinion of his willingness to stand up and fight is a mixed bag. We'll have plenty of opportunities over the coming years to see what he's made of. I hope to Hell that you're right and I'm wrong.

[moggie12]

7. Great article - and good for you for sticking up for Harry Reid

I liked this paragraph from that article:

"Going into last weekend, the board of the party's association of state chairmen had voted to support one of Dean's opponents, Donnie Fowler of South Carolina. But over the weekend, Dean mobilized the state party chairmen themselves and they overrode their own national board to back him. For a metaphor about grass roots as opposed to so-called institutional support, you couldn't ask for a better one."

With Harry Reid leading the public charge, and Dean shaking things up internally, I'm starting to feel hopeful.

[FreedomAngel82]

22. I really like Harry Reid

He's great and has that homey feel and everything. He's not loud as some people on the right but he has you listening. :)

[KittyWampus]

9. flpoljunkie, Thanks for posting that article. As for opening post... after

the nonsense slamming Reid... I didn't bother going any further.

[last1standing]

10. I take back my comments about Reid.

I still don't have a very good feel for him, but if nearly every person who posts in this thread is taking me to task for his sake, he must have something.

It's too late to edit my original post but consider this my unabashed apology to everyone who loves Harry Reid. :)

[moggie12]

11. Apology accepted - don't let his cardigan fool you

Senate Dems have been getting their act together ever since he took over. Maybe it's not 100% of what everyone wants, but it's a 100% better than it used to be. Great post otherwise!! :)

[FreedomAngel82]

21. Maybe he can help here

in TN. The democratic nominee for Congress has been running for it since I was a freshman in high school back in 1997 and hasn't won yet. This time he didn't do too bad though. The guy he runs against is Zach Wamp who is really popular here though. One dem lady I voted for won for some job in Nashville (can't remember what it was now) and we have a democratic governor, so a democrat could win here. :)

[sendero]

5. If that's his plan...

... I could not agree more. That is how the Reps have gotten where they are. Grass roots organization.

[JNelson6563]

8. He posted his plan already

Here it is:

The Future of the Democratic Party

By Gov. Howard Dean, M.D.
This is one in a series of weekly syndicated columns written by Governor Howard Dean.

Since Election Day, there has been a lot of predictable moaning and groaning about the future of the Democratic Party. Particularly predictable are the suggestions that we need to be more like Republicans in order to win. Democrats need to learn by our previous mistakes—we have tried being "Republican-lite" and it does not work. It is a mistake to run away from the things we believe and I think we can win in the so-called Republican states by being real Democrats.

We have to realize that there are no red states and no blue states, just American states. I believe the country is still more in sync with Democratic values than Republican values. Our task is to remind ourselves and the American people of the hallmark issues that distinguish Democrats from Republicans.

For example, Democrats historically tackle economic issues with bold, common sense policies. Our last Democratic president created 22 million new jobs in this country. In the last four years, George W. Bush oversaw the loss of over 1.5 million. Democrats balance budgets, Republicans do not. Democrats consistently try to pass legislation that would provide some kind of affordable health care, Republicans do not. Democrats believe we ought to raise the minimum wage to help the average worker keep up with the cost of living, Republicans do not. Democrats believe corporations have too much power over our daily lives; Republicans do not—and to prove it, they have given away billions of dollars of our tax money to the biggest corporations in the world over the last four years.

On each of these issues, the majority of the American people are with Democrats not Republicans. Democrats have the right beliefs to win; we just execute a poor public relations plan. And, despite the enormous improvement in our ground game, the Republicans executed a more effective strategy. Republicans are far more successful because they work in a more unified, disciplined way with local supporters, especially with their base. They also avoid the Democrats chronic pitfall of listening to pundits from inside the Beltway.

I truly believe that Democrats can return to national dominance. But, we must not be afraid to compete in every race, in every district and in every state. We can start rebuilding the Democratic Party from the bottom up. Through my organization, Democracy for America, we have already started that process. This past election cycle, we endorsed over 100 candidates, at all levels of government—from school board to U.S. Senate and we contributed to almost 750 candidates around the country.

These candidates helped return Democrats to the majority in the Vermont, North Carolina, Oregon and Colorado State Houses; as well as the Senate in Oregon, Washington and Colorado. These candidates included more women than men, 25% were African American and there were members of nearly every other minority group, including American Indians. Nearly ten percent of the victors were from the gay and lesbian community, which included wins in places like Idaho and Missouri. And, 15 of the candidates we endorsed that won never ran for office before.

Democrats can win by simply being Democrats. Reinventing ourselves as Republicans is the death knell of our party. We need to get back to basics and start listening to people from outside Washington. Only then can we save the greatest nation on the face of the earth from the twin Republican perils of enormous deficits and constant misadventures abroad.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/features/2004/12/08/the_future_of_the_democratic_party.php

Julie

[janx]

12. Eight more days...

[FreedomAngel82]

23. The best part of that

article is: <Democrats can win by simply being Democrats. Reinventing ourselves as Republicans is the death knell of our party. We need to get back to basics and start listening to people from outside Washington. Only then can we save the greatest nation on the face of the earth from the twin Republican perils of enormous deficits and constant misadventures abroad.> Hear hear!

[XDreamBoi]

13. Dean

We in PA wish Dean all the luck for DNC chair

[PassingFair]

14. Welcome to DU, XDream!

And double thank you for your well-wishing. I'm submitting a resolution endorsing Dean for DNC Chair at our county convention tomorrow. With the UAW on board, the cards will be held high! Will be a beautiful moment!

[realFedUp]

15. Melding local Dem clubs with DFAers...

That will be the goal in my mind...get em
all on the same page and in the same room.
The local Dem clubs have been the ones
traditionally to set up before elections
and GOTV, receiving monies from state Dem
parties...they don't want to lose their
leadership positions.

The trick will be putting it altogether.

[SCDem]

16. That is what has happened in my little corner of the world

After the Iowa primary last year a lot of us Deaniacs were kind of bumbed but after sulking for about a week we decided we would just become active in our local County party. The Dean or more progressive voice has been shining through ever since.... our thoughts are not always welcome but I think we have done a lot of good and will continue to do so in the future.

[realFedUp]

17. great.

We might even share the same area clubs...

Most of the Dem clubbers were Dean supporters
in the primaries here also, but I'm not sure
how many Deaniacs, who weren't Dems chose
to join Dem clubs afterwards. Meanwhile the
DFA is going fairly strong.

[SCDem]

18. I can say at least 6 Deaniacs

who weren't previously involved in local party stuff are now super active and hold offices.

Keep up the good work!

[last1standing]

19. I'm just wondering why the Dems let go of local organization

to begin with. It still boggles me to think that we had all that ground support and just ignored it for so long.

It shows that this change will not come too soon. I just hope it's not too late.

[SCDem]

20. It's never too late for change

was it too late for 2004, yes, is it too late for 2006 or 2008? who knows but it will some day make a positive difference of that I am sure

[hippiechick]

24. That would be so wonderful except

... from my own personal experience here in Indy, organizing at the local level is incredibly difficult because folks with their own agendas and ego issues get involved and try to steer the group toward their own ends, turning them into popularity contests and pissing matches, rather than setting the bullshit aside and working together to grow one cohesive, all-inclusive group with an eye on the greater goals of the party.

[last1standing]

25. The problem is that has been done on the national level with the DLC.

Will moving more power to the local level be a panacea for all our ills? No. But it will accomplish two massively important goals. One, it will remove some power from the corporations who have been calling the shots in the Democratic party for the last 25 years. Two, it will create a bedrock of support in local communities who will work harder when they feel their voices are being heard and that their opinions count.

I look at moving power to the national level the same way I see these corporate mergers. The more monolithic they become the less good the do for the average person. Let's break up all mega-corporations including the DNC and put the power back where it belongs. In the hands of the people. That is Democracy.