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December 16, 2004
DNC Chair Horserace
Alas, it appears that Dean is the front runner. I'm disappointed because (a)he's not that liberal, (b)he's not that interesting, (c)he uses leftie passion to his own benefit and (d)he doesn't have a winning track record. Can you tell I was never a Deaniac?
Other people (lots of other people) agree with me.
One of them is Bob Novak at the Chicago Sun Times.
Posted by cj at December 16, 2004 11:29 AM
Comments
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?
Posted by: Hyoun at December 16, 2004 10:50 PM
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.
Posted by: C.J. at December 17, 2004 11:58 AM
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