December 16, 2004
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Dean still not ready for prime time (ROBERT NOVAK, December 16, 2004, Chicago SUN-TIMES)
Practical Democratic politicians, intent on reversing a decade of decline, feel trapped in a bad dream with Howard Dean as the most prominent prospect to be the party's national chairman. The mere thought of picking the 2004 presidential candidate who campaigned furthest to the left and was soundly repudiated by Democratic voters suggests inability to cope with political reality.Dean has toned himself down, no longer resembling the screamer in Iowa or the radical populist on the campaign trail. His Sunday interview on NBC's ''Meet the Press'' was so polite it instantly was labeled the ''unscream.'' Nevertheless, Dean as chairman would identify Democrats as the party of the left, more interested in purity than victory.
Many Democrats I contacted entirely agree with me, but not publicly. Only former Sen. Bob Kerrey, out of office and virtually out of politics, states openly that Dean as Democratic National Committee chairman could be disastrous. Others do not want to offend Dean's legions, hoping a white knight will lead the party of Jefferson and Jackson.
It's almost as if, after George McGovern carried but one state as 1972 Democratic presidential nominee, he started running for national chairman.
Who else will be a plausible spokesman for what remains a Left of Center party? Posted by Orrin Judd at December 16, 2004 11:29 AM
The biggest problem with Dean is not so much his "leftness", but his absolute inability to connect with the black community. Al Sharpton started Dean's slide in the primary season when he asked Dean about relating to minorities, coming from (lily-white) Vermont. Dean was speechless.
The loony left is probably just as lily-white, and is pampered to boot. The party pros Novak alludes to must be shaking their heads, but they brought all this on themselves (including the clever craziness of Sharpton himself, who should have been denounced as a lying huckster by Hillary Clinton in 2000).
The Democrats desperately need a purge, but who will administer the Ipecac?
Posted by: jim hamlen at December 16, 2004 11:59 AMAl Gore could still emerge as the leader of the Lefter portion of the Democrats. He'd be lousy at it, but so would Dean.
Posted by: Timothy at December 16, 2004 12:22 PMThe DNC chair has one job, to raise money for the party. In order to do this he has to impress the big contributors. Dean is popular with Hollywood trendnoids and gays, but how well known is he on the Street? He is no friend of organized labor, but the modern Democratic party pretty much ignores the concerns of working Americans.
Posted by: Bart at December 16, 2004 5:02 PM