What will the DNC look like when Dean leaves in few months?

[cali]

Will the 50 state approach simply evaporate? I'm afraid if Hillary gets the nom, we'll get a totally top down approach again, and a DNC chairman who's loyalty lies with her, and not with those on the ground. And even if it's not Hillary, Dean will likely be out. But if it is her, I doubt he'll be around after the Convention, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it happened before then. \

So who'll be the DNC chair then? Ickes? Ford? Not terribly inspiring, to say the least.

[Neshanic]

1. Enter Donna and the gang. The usual suspects.

[madfloridian]

34. Actually Donna Brazile has been a big supporter of Dean

which surprised me.

[OzarkDem]

2. We have to fight hard to keep Dean

Its absolutely essential, not just for the future of the party but for the future of grassroots politics.

[cali]

5. I wish there was something we could do

but I don't think it works that way. And even though he has the support of the majority of the State Party Chairs, he'll be out.

[madfloridian]

24. If donations from small donors were skyrocketing, it would help...

IF he wanted to stay. But they are not skyrocketing. Big donors prefer to give to the DSCC and DCCC and the presidential candidates. They don't like spreading the power out of DC.

Small donors have been fighting the primary wars of 04 and picking sides of their candidate.

We could do it, make our voices loud enough but we won't.

[Robbien]

3. Wasn't Fauxnews commentator Ford the DLC choice last time?

Wouldn't surprise me that they run the same play this time around. I don't see a prominent non-DLCer in the wings eager to taken on Dean's 50 state program in the DNC.

Rahm Emanuel is chomping at the bit to get the DNC back under "moderate" control.

[Eric J in MN]

16. Less than a year ago, after the Democrats regained both Houses of Congress..

...James Carville said that Howard Dean should be punished for us not having even bigger margins by being fired and replaced with Harold Ford.

[cali]

17. One thing's certain; Hillary and her team really have

no use for Dean whatsoever.

[OHdem10]

4. If he leaves,, this will be a serious loss to the party.

[madfloridian]

10. I used to post here to donate to the DNC, his dream was one million give 20 a month.

But when I did I got attacked, Dean got attacked. So I quit.

We could have totally changed the party with small monthly donors, but we refused.

[madfloridian]

6. It will go top down, the money will start flowing again, and Florida will be happy

And the grassroots won't have to worry about supporting the strategy to rebuild in the 50 states, because it won't be there.

It will go back to being just like before.

Many of us never wanted Dean as chair, but supported his effort. We thought his voice would be silenced.

It was silenced. He can not go on TV without being harassed by the anchors.

It will be all comfortable again for the party leaders. Probably Harold Ford, but Simon Rosenberg is a big player with the New Dems, so might be him. Simon has the NDN and NPI all set up.

Most of the bloggers on the left work with him, folks like Kos. That is why they seldom speak up when Dean is under fire. They are now inside the gate, and they shut it behind them.

Could be Carville or McAuliffe.

The big money did not support Dean, and the small donors have been stuck back in 2004 feuding over the primaries.

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. Why do you think Howard will be out? Does he want to leave?

I think he's done a terrific job. Man, I hope we don't lose him to D.C insider.:( Don't the DNC members do the voting?

[cali]

12. He'll be booted.

Or rather asked to step down. The nominee will want their own person in. That's just the way it's always worked, and I don't think there's much that can be done to change it. Add to that, the fact that Hillary's team doesn't have any use whatsoever for him, and he's gone. (though that's probably true no matter who the nom is)

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Excellent! We Can Start Losing Elections Again!

The DLC infiltration of the DNC caused an immediate loss of both houses of Congress.

On the other hand, a Democratic majority consisting mainly of George Bush Democrats has won us nothing anyway. So I guess it doesn't really matter.

[lordsummerisle]

9. Why is he stepping down? n/t

[SoCalDem]

11. I think the job is for a specified length of time. n/t

[OzarkDem]

13. He can stay

MacAuliffe was there for a long time. No problem with Dean staying, he's done an excellent job.

[cali]

14. No. It's a four year term, but there's nothing that says

he couldn't run again.

[OzarkDem]

25. His current term doesn't expire til 2009 n/t

[cali]

29. Rjight, but that's no assurance he'll stay in.

At all. In fact, if Hillary's the nom, you can be assured that he won't complete his term.

[OzarkDem]

32. She may not be the nom

its not a foregone conclusion.

[bonito]

15. Stop it, your freaking me out n/t

[Eric J in MN]

18. Who says he's leaving? NT

NT

[cali]

19. Whoever the nominee is, that person

will put their own team in at the DNC. That's just the way it works.

[Eric J in MN]

20. "Terrence R. McAuliffe (2001-2005)"

When John Kerry got the nomination, he didn't get McAuliffe replaced.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_National_Committee

[cali]

21. Different situation

McAuliffe was an insider, and so is Kerry. As you noted above, Carville has been dumping on Dean- so have others connected with Senator Clinton. They really don't want him. And neither does Emanuel.

[OzarkDem]

27. Carville is a Republican

DINO. Cheney makes his house payment, his advice is worthless to Dems.

[cali]

28. He's worse than a repuke, but he's on the inside

And there's one other thing; Dean isn't raising the buck- not from the big donors and not from the grassroots.

[OzarkDem]

31. He will, we have to help him

Dems aren't ready to start giving yet, the primary is so early and the general is still over a year off. He'll raise it.

[madfloridian]

22. Here are the bylaws of how the chair is elected, from 2005

This is the technical way. Traditionally the nominee or president chooses, like Clinton chose McAuliffe.

Article Five
National Chairperson

Section 1. The National Chairperson of the Democratic Party shall carry out
the programs and policies of the National Convention and the Democratic
National Committee.

Section 2 The National Chairperson, the five Vice Chairpersons, the National
Finance Chair, the Treasurer and the Secretary shall be elected:

a. at a meeting of the Democratic National Committee held after the
succeeding Presidential election and prior to March 1, next.

b. whenever a vacancy occurs. The National Chairperson shall be elected and
may be removed by a majority vote of the Democratic National Committee and
each term shall expire upon the election for the following term.

http://a9.g.akamai.net/7/9/8082/v001/democratic1.download.akamai.com/8082/pdfs/20060119_charter.pdf

[OzarkDem]

33. Agree, Dean's not going anywhere until 2009

and even then he may be re-elected.

The DLC doesn't control the DNC. DNC is controlled more by grassroots Dems and Rahm has done nothing to win their support, whereas Dean has.

[Gregorian]

23. Thanks for posting this.

This is what makes this forum so valuable. In other words, I have a lot to learn about politics. This is another area where I am virtually ignorant. These posts bring us up to speed very quickly. Invaluable.

[AuntPatsy]

26. Lost

[madfloridian]

30. A lot of us remember this verbal assault on Dean on CNN

by Carville right after the election.

It was like throwing cold water in our faces after we won the election in 06.

Carville lets slip who was behind his CNN attack on Dean.

"Flush with victory after the election, Rahm’s allies, led by Carville, try to mount a coup at the DNC by publicly attacking Dean and suggesting he be replaced by Harold Ford, a Tennessee moderate who just lost a Senate race. “You can’t go into 2008 having a party chairman that is completely disconnected from the congressional leadership and the campaign committees,” Carville tells me, further pounding the wedge that divides the Deaniacs and the Clintonites. When I ask if Rahm agrees, Carville says, “It’s not any secret that Rahm has expressed disdain for Dean and not very secret that Rahm and I are close. It doesn’t take a lot of dot-connecting here.”

What about the Clintons, who, given Hillary’s presidential ambitions, have more cause for concern about who runs the DNC in 2008? “Let’s just say nobody has called me telling me this is a bad idea. Sometimes silence is eloquence.” Not only did Carville’s coup fail but it arguably strengthened Dean, who, speaking before his state-party allies, mocked the attempt as a desperate attack from the “old Democratic Party.” Cutting his losses, Rahm quickly leaked word to the press that he and Dean had negotiated a truce."

Dean may have governed VT as a centrist, but he is not one of the insiders. He does not fit with them. He has too many practical views of better ways to do things.

[OzarkDem]

35. When is Rahm up for re-election?

Dean is supported by Dem governors and local elected officials. Rahm can't do anything about that.

[madfloridian]

36. Rahm is not DCCC head anymore, he is in charge of the message for the House.

I can not think of his title...but any message or issue you see comes from his office now. Pelosi appointed him, I believe.