This one I was wrong about

[barking_iguana]

I claim credit for not getting carried away with Hillary hate and knowing that one way or another, she'd be on board well before Denver.

But I was dead wrong about the DNC and Dean. I thought that with Dean's poor fundraising record (in contrast to his outstanding decisions on where to spend what money there was) and with new presidential candidates usually putting their own people in, Dean's days as Chair were about over. But Obama has asked him to stay on.

That's probably good. Maybe he's only had trouble raising money because Clinton allies withheld contributions over the past two years because they and Dean (even more than the Clintons themselves and Dean) represent opposed concepts of how the party should be funded and the power structured. In which case, it should be great from here on out.

If that's not the only reason, if fundraising is a skill-based weakness of the current team, rather than a circumstantial weakness, then there needs to be some change. But the change doesn't necessarily have to be at the top. Dean's 50-state strategy is exactly what the party has needed, and still needs.

Comments

[chemoelectric.livejournal.com]

You would expect the DNC to have trouble raising money when that money has gone into Obama and Clinton campaigns instead.

[barking-iguana.livejournal.com]

The trouble, relative to the congressional committees and to the RNC have been going on for almost all of Dean's tenure, not just since McCain wrapped up his nomination.

[chemoelectric.livejournal.com]

It does seem like something that would be a Dean weakness. In 2004, he never did build up an organization equal to the media hype that propped him up.

But so far it looks as if Obama is going to take over the fund-raising design. He's a take-charge guy but in a good way, not the firing way.

[chemoelectric.livejournal.com]

Howard Dean has in common with Barack Obama that he often seems to say things and make decisions on the basis of what is right.

[tayefeth.livejournal.com]

I got mail today from Dean saying that the Democratic Party is not going to be taking money from lobbyists at all this campaign season. I'm still in the process of deciding whether to laugh or not. I mean, it might be a good idea, morally, but I'm not sure about that, and I'm not sure we can actually raise enough money to beat the "never surrender" out of McCain...