Chair of the DNC process or How do we Bring Back Howard Dean!

[Pryderi]

Who are the members of the DNC, and how do we pressure/contact them to vote Kaine out and Dean in?

Would anyone here at DU support Gibbs as chairing the DNC?
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43035.html


Democratic insiders are taking the temperature of some top party donors about the possibility of naming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs as chairman of the Democratic National Committee heading into President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012, senior officials tell POLITICO.

[madfloridian]

1. Gibb's finest moment...2004. That is sarcasm btw

"Political Mugging in America"

[whathehell]

2. Dean, Yes....Gibbs?....Absolutely not. n/t

[AlinPA]

3. IMO, reinstating Howard Dean as Chair of DNC would create a huge rally of Democratic

people. It feels like now is the time, right now, because people are looking for an organizational leader to get behind the President.

[Pryderi]

4. I agree! What can WE do to initiate the process to get Dr. Dean back running the DNC?

[AlinPA]

7. Maybe DU and other progressive groups can start a Draft Dean for DNC Drive.

(DDDD).

[Pryderi]

8. Good idea! Looks like there is one on FB:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Bring-back-Howard-Dean-to-head-the-DNC/167857399899845

[AlinPA]

9. Go!

[Pryderi]

10. done!

[JamesA1102]

25. Except that the DNC Chairman's term has two years left to run

so I guess you are talking about starting a campaign for Dean to serve as DNC Chairman after the 2012 elections.

[Me.]

5. Kaine Was Awful At The Job

So they'll give him a top post in the admin?

Also, I thought Kaine was Obama's choice...

"The logic for a Chairman Gibbs, according to one official: It would “put the Obama imprimatur on the DNC, once and for all”

[Pryderi]

6. Also, OFA was transferred to the DNC and they were ineffectual. Dean would know how to use it.

[gkhouston]

11. We don't need someone's "imprimatur". We need someone effective who's more

concerned about Dems winning than about who gets the fucking credit.

[JamesA1102]

18. And just what qualifies you to make that judgement? nt

[Pryderi]

12. How we do it:

http://www.democrats.org/about/in_your_state/
Find the leaders in your state and contact them.

[JamesA1102]

19. Waste of time, DNC chairman is a four year term nt

[Pryderi]

13. Call your state party rep. Here's a list

http://www.nfdw.com/dems/index.html

[AdHocSolver]

14. Kick. nt

[Hippo_Tron]

15. The President is the leader of the Democratic Party

As such, the members of the DNC vote for whomever he chooses to be DNC Chair. Furthermore, the DNC Chair generally has no control over strategy and the party is run by the White House's political team (David Axelrod who is probably soon to be replaced by David Plouffe).

[Pryderi]

16. I thought the DNC chair is voted on by the members of the DNC, not appointed.

[Hippo_Tron]

20. Technically the DNC members vote on the chair

And such elections are of significant consequence when the party is out of power (as it was in 2005 when Howard Dean was elected). However, the President of the United States is the leader of his political party and as such elections for the chairmen are merely symbolic when the party controls the White House. The President designates whomever he wants to be party chair and the DNC members always vote for that person.

Furthermore, the DNC Chair is almost always a figurehead while the party is in power. Strategy is determined by the White House political team. Additionally he's not even a substantial figurehead because he's overshadowed by the President and often by congressional leaders as well.

[Pryderi]

21. After the 2010 elections, I don't trust the strategy. We need a leader that has a strategy that

wins, and Howard Dean knows how to lead the party.

[Hippo_Tron]

22. Howard Dean needs to run for President if he wants to lead the party

[JamesA1102]

23. And you make that judgement based on what? nt

[Pryderi]

28. Maybe you're just uninformed but that's ok, James. Howard Dean was the Chair of the DNC from

from 2005-2009, under his leadership and his 50 state strategy, the Democratic party won back Congress. I thought you might have been aware of this information.

[JamesA1102]

30. So you must think that Michael Steele is a genius

since under his leadership the GOP won 60 seats to take over the House.

[JamesA1102]

17. You must think Michael Steele is a genius. nt

[Pryderi]

24. No I don't. If it weren't for Steele, the Dems would've been spanked even harder. n/t

[JamesA1102]

26. So you're saying that the Chairman of a party is not responsible for

how many seats they win, that there are other factors involved.

[unkachuck]

27. "Would anyone here at DU support Gibbs..."

....no....

"...how do we pressure/contact them to vote Kaine out and Dean in?"

....make your checks out to: 'Howard Dean c/o DNC' or, stop making your checks out until Dean is the chairman....

....either way, if want our money they need to give us our chairman back....

[Toucano]

29. You are investing too much in a personality at the expense of a movement.

Howard Dean is not a magical troll who can make all your dreams come true.

Focus on the movement, not individual players. Otherwise, you will be perennially disappointed.

[SoCalDem]

31. "We" don't get a choice.,

Dean is persona non gratis and will NEVER get a chance to serve again. I doubt that he would even want to. What he accomplished before is now pretty much gone & I don't see him wanting to try & re-assemble it.

He seems to enjoy being the burr under the saddle:)