The Dems choose Dean
I’ve been waiting for quite some time to hear confirmation of what I’ve been expecting for nearly as long, that the Democrats would choose Howard Dean as the chairman of their national committee. I see that news has now arrived:
Dean Accepts DNC Helm With Low-Key Speech
Capping an improbable political comeback, Howard Dean was unanimously elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee on Saturday, accepting the job with a low-key speech that depicted the struggling party as the nation’s voice of fiscal responsibility and social progress.
Good for them. It’s about time the Democrats did something right.
There seems to be some concern that Dean might not be the right man for the job, but I think that notion is misguided. Rather than asking if Dean is fit to lead the Dems, I can’t help but wonder if the Democratic party is fit to follow Dean. If he can prod the Democrats into finding their collective backbone again, the entire nation will be in his debt.
Great rejoicing! I get the local DFA newsletter. About 80 people are showing up for meetings, and becoming active in local Columbus, Ohio politics. I haven’t been to a meeting since the election,(the location is far away) but it feels good to be part of this new development. Mom
I don’t know enough about what Dean stands for to know if I agree with his positions, but I do know that the Democratic party needs to find its soul to be competitive again, and this is a good first step.
It hardly matters what Dean stands for (after all, it’s not as if the DNC crafts legislation or anything); what really matters is that he stands! The Democrats have an important lesson to learn right there.
I’m sure Dean will make his fair share of mistakes (and possibly more than his share), but he will also rouse the party to do what an opposition party must do: show how it can perform better than the party in power. In this sense, tapping Dean for the job was the best thing the Democrats have done for some time.
…of course, if things pan out the way people are predicting right now, the Democrats will blow their chances of improving their position by nominating Hillary in 2008, so it could all be a moot point.
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