This is something that hasn't gotten a lot of direct coverage but I feel is worth mentioning. I was browsing through some Democratic quotes tonight and I noticed this one:
"We need to go everywhere. There is not one county in this state...that doesn't have Democrats. We have to be proud of who we are." - Howard Dean
As head of the DNC, Howard Dean's "50 State Strategy" hasn't made him any friends in the DCCC or the DSCC. Rahm Emmanuel and Harry Reid, justifiably, want to put money into close races. They think it's a waste that Dean is spending time and money in places like Mississippi and Utah, in districts and states that aren't competitive.
But Florida's 16th wasn't competitive this time last week. Now? As an earlier post said, "One down." I would actually argue that it's the second one, after TX-22 and the Sekula-Gibbs write-in candidacy, but that's besides the point.
Howard Dean is building a national party infrastructure because national parties win elections. They recruit candidates for long-shot bids because you never know when the next sex scandal will strike. The "battleground" strategy is shortsighted in comparison.
So let me say to Howard Dean:
Thank you.
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Tuesday, October 03, 2006
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3 comments:
Great point. I hate to sound like a complete party hack (well, I am a party hack), but I really feel like the Dean-Rahm rift is a case of two people trying to do their jobs well. The DNC needs to build a long-term party, while the DCCC needs to win as many congressional races as possible in 2006. Both goals are important, plain and simple, and it's understandable that each side disagrees about priorities.
I would have to agree with the first comment, the next 7 seem to miss the point a little.
... The spam's gone now, even if it was a bit amusing, considering the sex scandal....
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