Howard Dean Is Doing A Great Job!

For the last couple of weeks or so there has been a renewed effort on the part of the conservatives to try and paint DNC chairman Howard Dean as the wrong choice and bad for Democrats because of what he has said recently. To me that's a definite sign that Howard is doing a great job. Keep in mind that he's not saying all these things because, as some might have you believe, he's a loose cannon shooting off his mouth. A few weeks ago I was pointed to an article from the California Political Review (CPR) on how the San Diego Republican Party reformed itself, Like Clockwork.One of the "8 Building Blocks" in the article is the fact that the party is best suited trying to build the party and that candidates are best suited to reach out to swing, independent, undecided voters - whatever you prefer to call them.

The Republican Party of San Diego County defined the role of the party as being: maximize the size of its membership, tell its members which candidates the Republican Party supports, and maximize the number of members casting votes on election day. We would fulfill this role by enlisting the volunteers and raising the money necessary to carry out specific programs in these areas.

Put another way, the party would take responsibility for Republican voters, allowing candidates to focus their limited resources on those non-Republican voters necessary to achieve victory on Election Day. This represented a critical evolution in how the Republican Party approached campaigns in San Diego County. It recognizes that the party is the institution best suited to communicate with its own members, because those voters have made the conscious decision to identify with the Republican Party and are most likely to consider the party credible.

It also recognizes that the Republican Party is not the institution best suited to advocate to non- Republican voters. Think about it: a non-Republican registered voter has made a conscious decision against identifying with the GOP. But that same voter probably has not made the decision to reject a specific candidate, Republican or otherwise. Hence, the non- Republican voter will more likely be receptive to an appeal coming directly from a Republican candidate than to one from the Party itself.

Howard Dean is reforming the Democratic Party and in more ways than one. His job is to grow the party and raise money. Raise money from Democrats, not middle of the road wishy-washy independent, undecideds! That is exactly what he is doing. As you will see from this DailyKos diary or this one:

He knocks the Republicans off message by forcing them to react to his attacks. Better yet, these "attacks" are just slightly hyperbolized truths. Are the Republicans going to deny they're white and Christian. Let's get Denny Hastert on camera and have him deny he's white.

[and]

Dean gives red meat to the base. YEEEAARRRRRGH! (well, I like it). It's nice to see a leader with a spine. And it's nice for the public at large to see straight talker. If your base loses interest in your party because they've been taken for granted for so long you will start losing votes to apathy and fringe parties. Dean is calling progressives home with these seemingly inflammatory remarks.

[and]

Dean's remarks get Dems in the press without the words filibuster, opposed, obstructionist, or any other Corporate Media favorites.

Not to mention he's raising money from people and not corporations. Wow, a strong leader that is saying what needs to be said and raising money from the people. Maybe the Democratic Party can get back to being the party of the people again.