Would the democrats be fighting for their political lives if Howard Dean was head of the DNC

[pennylane100]

Poll question: Would the democrats be fighting for their political lives if Howard Dean was head of the DNC

[harun]

1. If Dean was head of the DNC we would have 100 Progressive Senators

by now!!

Well that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but one can dream right?

[Phx_Dem]

11. He was and we don't. Not even close.

And you do know that Howard Dean is not a progressive, right? He's against gay marriage and is very much a fiscal conservative (by his own admission). I love Howard Dean, but he's no progressive and, IMO, that's a good thing.

[niceypoo]

13. The GOP are fiscal liberals - Neoliberalism

Fiscal liberalism, or neoliberalism, is based on privatization, which is pure GOP. Fiscally conservative means you pay your bills and dont incur debt.

Deans 50 state strategy was genius.

[Phx_Dem]

14. You can't compare today's atmosphere with the time when Dean

was DNC Chair. A Democratic President always makes mid-terms much MUCH harder. The GOP wasn't fired up when Dean was heading the DNC because they had the White House, and for time, both houses of Congress. Now the Dems have it all and the GOP is more fired up then ever before because we have (gasp!), a black Democratic President.

I have no doubt Dean would be doing a good job, but it doesn't mean we wouldn't lose seats. And frankly, I think Kaine is doing a pretty good job. It's not his fault the Dems who are up for re-election are such fucking wimps who want to extend Bush's tax cuts for the rich, and refuse to run on the HCR bill.

And the main point was Dean is not a progressive.

[ClarkUSA]

18. He also has the same position on the Ground Zero mosque as Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich.

Some people keep forgetting that Dean was the DLC-backed moderate Governor of VT before he remade himself to run for Prez in 2003.

[LAGC]

19. That's not fair.

What Howard Dean really said is that we just need more discussion on the issue, he was hardly siding with Palin and Gingrich.

He pointed out that there might be ways to compromise, and Imam Rauf has shown that he is willing to compromise, by proposing expanded worship areas for non-Islamic religions and other enhancements to make the Center more inclusive and open to all.

So I don't fault Howard Dean for his stance.

[ClarkUSA]

23. It's fact. Dean: "we have to understand that it is a real affront to people who've lost their lives"

Sarah Palin tweeted the exact same sentiments and Newt Gingrich echoed them as well. Check Google if you don't believe me. Furthermore, Glenn Greenwald, the 24/7 Obama basher admired by so many here at DU, agrees with me:

"Certain things are disappointing and surprising even for the most hardened cynics. Hearing Howard Dean -- the former liberal standard-bearer -- join Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin by saying the following is definitely one of them" (see video: http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/08/18/dean)

"Making this more repellent is that he doesn't even have the "I-want-to-get-re-elected" excuse. Today, former Reagan Solicitor General Ted Olson -- whose wife, Barbara Olson, was killed on 9/11 -- said he saw no reason for Park51 to move.... Yet here comes Howard "I'm-from-the-Democratic-wing-of-the-Democratic Party" Dean, advocating that the vicinity of Ground Zero be turned into a Muslim-free zone because some people don't want Muslims near it. It's episodes like this which breed increasing levels of pervasive disgust and even indifference about electoral outcomes... I emailed the Dean-affiliated Democracy for America, and received this reply from DFA official Charles Chamberlain: "It's not edited. It's real." And just to bolster that: the website of WABC-77, the radio station on which Dean made these comments, has the same exact clip of Dean's comments on its own site. So clearly the clip is authentic and unedited."

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/08/18/dean

[WI_DEM]

17. Actually as DNC chair Dean didn't only recruit and support "progressives"

his fifty-state strategy brought in quite a few of the blue dogs that we have had to contend with.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

21. How dare you put limits on Howard Dean.

It's be 180 senators, at least.

[mkultra]

2. HEYEEEEEEESSSSS!!

[zipplewrath]

3. Presuming anyone was listening

He had more influence when he wasn't competing with a White House for message issues.

[Uzybone]

4. Yes. If unemployment was over 9%

we would be facing the same situation as we do today. Its amazing that we have so many folks who think doing well at the polls are about personalities and party chairmen and cable show talking idiots.

Plus the M$M would have developed another caricature of Dean by now to help pull down the Democrats image.

[NorthCarolina]

5. If they were still as conservative as they are now, what difference would Dean make? eom

[AtomicKitten]

6. Probably. His voice still resonates btw. nt

[Davis_X_Machina]

7. They'd be fighting for their lives...

...if LBJ and Mahatma Gandhi were co-chairs.

We're looking at a referendum on the economy -- how would Howard Dean's being DNC chair have changed that?

[mediaman007]

8. He would have been proactive.

We may still do well, but Howard Dean would have done more stomping on Boehner and "chinless."

[CakeGrrl]

9. How does the head of the DNC influence Congressional votes?

Are people implying that Dean would've been a bigger success at influencing Blue Dog votes or winning some crossover Republicans?

How would he have achieved that?

[Unvanguard]

10. Unless Howard Dean can magically alter the unemployment rate... n/t

[young but wise]

12. Yes, it's the economy, stupid.

[Ozymanithrax]

15. Perhaps Dean could have got more blue dogs elected.

His 50 state policy led to races in areas not friendly to the Democratic message using Democrats that lean conservative, blue dogs.

[WI_DEM]

16. Yes, because the DNC has nothing to do with the economy.

[CreekDog]

20. Are we fighting for our political lives?

I mean, our political lives are at stake, but I don't see the leadership or WH *fighting*.

The WH has shown some fight recently, which I am encouraged by --I want them to stick by it.

But as our political numbers fell, what troubled me was how little "fight" our leaders seemed to have in them.

And that's where Dean's example is instructive.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. After his mosque comments, it'd probably be worse.

Good thing he quit.