I hope this is a wake-up call for Tim Kaine, or we need another DNC chairman /nt

[still_one]

[FBaggins]

1. You mean we need a scapegoat, right?

Heaven forbid we consider the possibility that voters are trying to tell us something.

[still_one]

6. That isn't a scape-goat. What do you think is job is? It is to see we win critical races

and have enough funds to do it

[FBaggins]

14. Of course it is

If we blame him, then we can ignore issues, popularity of the president, popularity of congressional leaders and the legislative "record".

There's quite a bit of blame to go around. Why aren't we including Robert Menendez in the mix?

[Motown_Johnny]

7. that we can't take elections for granted

and need to nominate good candidates who campaign well?

[duphase]

10. In a horse race, it's the horse, not the jockey that counts most

In politics, we have a very fine, high-quality jockey/President, but he's astride a horse that leans too far right and that makes both horse and jockey subject to falling.

[still_one]

13. If someone runs a bad campaign, of course that candidate is responsible, but other factors are also

important. If the DNC took MA for granted, that is problem

[Tesha]

2. Thirty years experience suggests that nothing will be learned, no matter what today's outcome. (NT)

[quinnox]

3. honestly I didn't even know who was the DNC chair until

I read his name a few times today on Du. He must be hiding or something, he isn't very visible. Howard Dean kicked ass in the position, but Kaine seems a poor replacement.

[still_one]

8. You have just demonstrated my point. Right or wrong we knew who Terry McAuliffe was

and we sure know who Howard Dean was

[quinnox]

9. Agreed n/t

[FSogol]

27. Tim Kaine was also Governor of Virginia until last Saturday. n/t

[90-percent]

4. Careful

If Tim gets bounced, they're likely to replace him with somebody like Grover Norquist or William Kristol.

Be grateful for what you've got, Dem's. Don't fritter it away with your quaint notions about "democracy" and crap like that!

-90% jimmy

[Canuckistanian]

5. Tim who?

Never heard of him. I think there used to be a governor by that name.

[still_one]

11. My point exactly. Hardly hear from him. We sure know who steele is, and we definitely

knew Howard and Terry, whether we agree or not they were vocal

[Captain Hilts]

12. The DNC didn't even help Franken during the recounts. nt

[still_one]

16. Where does the money go that is contributed to the DNC, and who oversees that it is being

used effectively?

[DURHAM D]

26. Rahm nt

[laughingliberal]

32. Yeah, I saw no party support at all for his battle

It got to where I thought they would rather he didn't get the seat. After watching the health care reform dance I began to wonder if that 60th seat wasn't inconvenient for him.

[Captain Hilts]

33. Me too. Franken got zilch from the DNC. Obama finished his campaign with $30m left over. Why

didn't he help?

[Roselma]

15. I agree

The DNC chair should be looking at crucial elections and be on top of what is going on. If he was "on top," you'd never have guessed it, because he's been strangely silent. Howard Dean wasn't the type of chairman who let this type of thing happen. He'd have been sounding alarm bells for the Mass. Democrats, and he'd have been lining up outside support including money and high-profile speakers to support Coakley weeks ago.

[Tailormyst]

17. I think we need a new one.

[DURHAM D]

18. You have a complete misunderstanding of the role.

When the party has the W.H. the DNC "chair" is just a seat warmer. Nothing more. The President is in charge of the party and the message and the money. Look elsewhere for someone to blame.

How about the gays and the women - works for most? :hurts:

[RaleighNCDUer]

28. Disagree - while the President may be the titular head of the party,

he is kinda busy RUNNING THE COUNTRY. The DNC chair STILL needs to have oversight over the health of the party. He's the one who lets the Pres know that So-n-so in Whatsthestate's 10th district is in trouble and arranges for the Pres to make a campaign stop there - the Pres does NOT tell the DNC chair which district needs boosting, and how to get more funds to it, and backs the campaign. It is NOT the president's job. HIS job is dealing with other countries, getting us into or out of wars, outlining a general strategy for dealing with the NATION'S problems, not the problems of partisan races.

[DURHAM D]

29. You can disagree with the idea - but you can't ignore the reality.

Obama is head of the party. Do you think for one minute Rahm cares about Kaine's views on anything?

[RaleighNCDUer]

34. Rahm's opinion of Kaine's views has nothing to do with it.

Though the implication that they are at all divergent is ludicrous:

http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=253735&kaid=106&subid=122

Kaine is a DLC plant, set to undo any good that Dr Dean did. Whether his not doing his job as DNC chair is due to incompetence or by design, the fact is he did NOT do his job of assisting state party elections. That is the entire PURPOSE of the DNC - to get Democrats into office in state and national elections. That job doesn't go away just because there is a Dem in the top seat, because nobody's coattails are big enough to carry the entire country.

Are you maybe just wanting to find a way to lay the blame on Obama?

[DURHAM D]

36. And who planted the DLC chair?

[Bumblebee]

19. I agree. He was made a DNC chair as a consolation prize (for not being picked a VP),

not because he is good at it. I like the way Obama comes to his decisions -- but not this one!

[OllieLotte]

20. It's not his fault. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. Bring back Howard!!!!!

[RaleighNCDUer]

22. We would not need 'another'

if we had one currently who was doing his fucking job.

[DURHAM D]

25. When a party is not in control of the WH you can have a strong party chair.

When the WH is in control the chair needs to be invisible.

The only want to get Dean (or someone like Dean) as party chair a Dem can't be President. Is that what you really want?

Sorry - I posted this in the wrong place. It was actually directed at the post above you.

[RaleighNCDUer]

30. See my post #28 above. nt

[DURHAM D]

31. You are still wrong. nt

[derby378]

23. Paging Dr. Dean, come in, Dr. Dean...

We have an imminent opening at the DNC. Experience mandatory. Your resume indicates that you're a perfect fit.

[dkf]

24. Obama is the leader of the party. Not Tim Kaine

The president needs to get it in gear. There are only so many losses you can blame on individual campaigners. Once there are enough it will become obvious what they all have in common.

[quiller4]

35. I don't think this can be dropped at Kaine's feet. Coakley's people

not only didn't ask for help; they turned away offers of DNC aid just before Christmas.