Social Upheaval

I know you're not a Deaniac, but between the grassroots fundraising and Democracy for America (which started the Obama bandwagon and helped contest a lot of local and state races), I think Dean did a lot to change the Democratic status quo. Without Dean, the Kerry campaign would have been even more top-down, there would have been fewer small donations, and I think the election would have been even worse. Dean's not a leftie and he doesn't claim to be; he just has a lot of stupid followers who rode the civil unions issue into the ground.

And, as Democrats go, which of them do have a winning reputation? At least Dean won multiple terms as governor, which is more than Bob Shrum or Terry McAuliffe can say. But the Democrats haven't won the popular majority in a presidential election since 1976. No Democrats in our generation have a great national winning track record. Who do you think could actually build a progressive party with a national footprint and do better? Donna Brazile? Harold Ickes?

I wrote a wrap up of an ABC News piece on the horserace back in November. Of the candidates mentioned there, I think Simon Rosenberg sounds interesting, as does Antonio Villaraigosa and Art Torres.

I think Dean looks crazy even though he's not and I don't trust him. I don't think Dean had much to do with whether or not the Kerry campaign was top down: online activists changed Dem politics this election cycle and it would have happened without the Scream Candidate. I guess I can't trust anyone who cuts health care benefits to balance a budget. I believe too strongly in the fact that health care is a human right, not a privilege.

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