Should Dean lose the nomination, he should replace Terry McAuliffe.

[ozymandius]

McAuliffe has been a disaster for the Democratic party. His tenure has been spent pandering to Republican-lite themes and offering the worst campaign advice to former Democratic office holders. The man inspires neither confidence nor enthusiasm in the Democratic party.

Unlike Howard Dean.

Should Dean not get the nod, then this man with his vast energy and motivational resources absolutely should become DNC chairman. If one were to look for anyone who represents the new populist soul of the Democratic party - with a bare knuckle approach to making that soul heard - that person is Howard Dean.

[pacifictiger]

1. If he wants it

a resounding YESSSS! Of course, he would have to fight all the complacent dems and that might be hard to do.

[feckerman]

2. Hear hear, I second that.

But I first the idea of HoDe being our nom!

[mzmolly]

3. My thoughts exactly! Though it's a non paying job. And were gonna win!

:)

[poskonig]

4. TMac has been pretty good lately.

He is slimy and a bit whorish, but he has been doing his job on television lately, kicking a lot of GOP-ass.

[TexasPatriot]

7. yeah, saw him on CNN today

and he was RIPPING bunnypants... and Blitzer was just lettin him go off.

[TheDonkey]

9. I agree, he really isn't all that bad

amazingly articulate. But i do believe we can do better (need more campaign advice and energy). Right now he excels at speaking and fundraising.

[ozymandius]

11. Well, it would be grand if he were to rip into Bush during a campaign.

That would be refreshing. Or, for that matter, any other Republican. So far, he hasn't done too well.

[aquart]

5. I hope we use them all.

A unity of the Democratic slate in front of the fracturing Republicans will be intensely impressive.

[ibegurpard]

6. Do you honestly believe a party power structure which has been

so unabashedly "anybody but Dean" would put him in that position? Ye gads!

[isbister]

8. I'd like to see him

go back to Vermont and have a wonderful life with his wife helping the people of Vermont.

[wheresthemind]

10. PLEASE correct me if I am wrong...

but wasn't Dean in charge of our Governorships in 2002? (I have no idea where I got that just popped into my head)

If so I am not sure I would want him running the party. However if he could prove himself I wouldn't mind seeing Terry out.

[John_H]

12. He'd be an AWSOME corporate money raiser

If his chairmanship of the Democratic Governors Association is any indication, he'll bring in a ton of money from Pfizer, Boeing, Phillip Morris, the NRA, and Wal Mart. At the DGA he broke corporate fundraising records and thereby helped centrist Dems like Siegelman, Barnes, and Hodges--and himself--win races.

I support Howard Dean as DNC Chair 100 percent!

[eridani]

13. I think he should put Joe Trippi on the job--

--to raise funds in small amounts from us little people instead of whoring after the corporados.

[Philosophy]

14. But if Dean loses that means that McAuliffe will have won

When his DNC-approved candidate Kerry wins the nomination, it will just be an endorsement of McAuliffe's leadership. If only the primary goal of the Democratic party was to defeat its own wayward members rather than Republicans.

[frank frankly]

15. fuck yes

I LOVE Howard Dean.

always.

and Judy.

[buckeye1]

16. I disagree.

The job of national chairman is not to give advice or throw bellowing tantrums.
I see no one here trashing the chairmen in 1994 or 2000. These were not good years.

Terry McAuliffe has done his job. He has found 10 million $ for a new HQ. Created a database of 150 million voters and will be able to support the nominee with 20 million $.

I think he has done well and he has said he will go when his term is over.
In 1984 the DNC was not only broke It was still in debt from the last election. No wonder we lost.

The job is to organize the party at the national level to be effective. Terry has done a good job.

[AntiCoup2K4]

17. And after Dean wins the nomination, Terry's history anyway.

So since we all agree that McUseless is toast, why not demand his resignation now? ;)

[Dehumanizer]

18. Say what you want about Howard Dean..

But Dean has had the most impact on the Democratic party in the last few years more than any other Democrat. This party has had a severe lack of spine since 9/11 and I owe much of this party's revitalization to Dean's grassroots energy. I no longer support him for the nomination because of how easily he is marginalized by the right wing media, but the fact of the matter is, he is owed a lot of credit. Much of Kerry's shift in attitude in the past six months is a result of Dean's popularity, and if Kerry does indeed beat Bush come November, Dean ought to be thanked by all Democrats for what he's done.

[ozymandius]

19. Yes!

One must wonder how Dean's absence would impact the other campaigns. I believe that both Dean and Kucinich have bolstered each other with their unequivocal stances on the war. IMO, Dean has made it safe for a candidate to swing at Bush. This is a very serious departure from the bad advice issued in 2002 - in which Democratic candidates were ill-advised to seem cooperative with the Bush administration. (Remember what happened to Max Cleland. That was a McAuliffe campaign.)

I have supported Dean for months now - and will continue to do so. But I am no longer attached to the outcome of this race. What I am attached to is the emboldened groundswell of, heretofore, disaffected Democrats who have both financed this campaign better than any other and innoculated the party against the powers-that-be that would otherwise enable Bush. These dynamics cannot be ignored. The DNC would do so at its own peril.

So when I say, should certain conditions prevail, Dean needs to replace McAuliffe (and everything he represents) - I say so in that his spirit is what the opposition party used to be. Dean speaks to powerful conscience the Democratic conscience used to have before it became fashionable to wear a pink tutu. Use that energy - or lose it.