Speaking Of Howard Dean...

[WillyT]

When exactly is his job over? Does anybody know how this works???

Don't get me wrong, I love Howard Dean and he can stay in that job as long as he wants as far as I am concerned, but...

I've been hearing that once there is a nominee, the party apparatus becomes his or hers. And that if they want, they can choose a new head of the DNC.

So my question is... if they were going to make a switch, or Dean has had enough and wants to do something else, when would this occur?

Do they do it when there is a presumptive nominee (within the next week)?

Do they do it when there is an official nominee (August\Convention time)?

Does Howard Dean see this thing through to the November elections (November, lol)?

Does he see them through to the Inauguration of the President, and the swearing-in of the houses of Congress (January)?

Anybody out there know?

:shrug:

[Gore1FL]

1. His term expires next year, but I forgot what month

Obama will have a lot of say in who gets it next, but his word is not final, just weighed heavily.

[madfloridian]

2. Obama is now total boss of the party.

When Dean speaks it will be what Obama wants. It is a political job if a Dem wins, and Dean said that would not suit him.

I think one person should not be so in charge,no matter who.

[elfin]

3. I think it is up to the Nominee to change his status

after either the nomination or election.

I like Dean - navigating in a thorny situation, while giving all their due and deflecting the DLC powers that be (were?).

BUT he may be gone with exuberant thanks by the soon to be presumptive nominee (Obama).

Dean has done an amazing service and his "50 states" ground up will serve us well in the future despite disclaimers by his detractors.

[madfloridian]

4. I doubt many chairs would continue it.

.

[rwheeler31]

5. We need this man in the administration.

[AllentownJake]

6. One of the mistakes Kerry made

Was not trying to remove Terry and placing his guy in charge of the DNC. Dean is great but the candidate should control all party apparatus till November.

I suspect Dean will resign after the convention and Obama will appoint the man who ran his Iowa campaign as that person has quietly moved into the DNC.

[blm]

9. It was hard to publicly fight Clintons in 2004 when all their backstabbing was behind the scenes.

The problem in 2004 was that whoever the nominee, the DNC was already so collapsed in so many states that there was no way to work on strengthening the infrastructure in so many states and run a campaign in less than 5 months.

That is why so many who WERE aware of what really went on in 2000 and 2004, got behind Dean quickly in 2005, as they had been around the country and witnessed the collapse of party infrastructure state by state.

There were states like Ohio that had no machine to tap into - and Gore found that out in 2000, but the state party collapsed more by 2004. THAT was the stewardship of Clintons and their loyalists - they had absolutely no interest in a strong Dem party structure unless it was being used for them.

[blm]

7. Obama would NOT push out Dean as Clintons planned to after Super Tuesday.

Many of the Dems who were pissed at the way the DNC was run into the ground as it served only the Clintons needs since 1993, have rallied behind Dean and Obama, so I highly doubt anyone, including Obama would even think to dump Dean. That antiDean crap was/is coming from the very same Clinton crowd who sought to poison the party against Gore and then Kerry.

It is NOT going to work any more. As of yesterday the deathgrip the Clintons had for years slipped its last inch.

[midnight]

8. Howard Dean's mission is to elect a Democratic President.

When that is accomplished then he will hand over the position to the next chairman.