What I've learned from the "Fire DWS!" threads is that almost nobody knows what the DNC Chair does...

[brooklynite]

All they think they remember is that they like Howard Dean and Dean introduced a "50 State Strategy" (which they can't actually define).

Point 1: The Chair of the DNC DOESN'T pick candidates

Point 2: The Chair of the DNC DOESN'T act as spokesman for the Party

Point 3: The "50 State Strategy" is still part of DNC policy, but it doesn't mean what you think it does. It was a policy to fund and build up State Party organizations, not to find candidates for every House race.

The job of the DNC Chair is largely to raise money, and the DNC in fact out raised the Republicans in almost every financial quarter for the past year.

So, if you want to change the DNC Chair, fine, but be realistic about what they're going to do.

Now, you can return to your stereotyping...

[AleksS]

1. Correct me if I'm wrong (please!) but doesn't the DNC chair also

Correct me if I'm wrong (please!) but doesn't the DNC chair also have huge input into where the money goes, and which candidates get how much support?

(I'll wait to continue until we get that sorted out. If the chair doesn't have much input into where the money gets used, then I'll have to do a Roseanne Roseanna-danna "nevermind!&quot

[brooklynite]

2. No, he/she doesn't

Decisions on funding candidates is determined by the campaign committees (DCCC, DSCC and DGA).

So the decisions on where to find and fund candidates in the House for 2006 and 2008 were made by (boo! hiss!) Rahm Emmanuel; decisions on Senate candidates were made by Chuck Schumer.

[Recursion]

7. Generally not, except through whatever influence they have on the various committees

The DNC chairperson's job is to make rain.

[jaysunb]

3. Dean changed the "mission"

Some folks didn't like being told to go govern and let others raise money and develop candidates. IOW, do YOUR job and we will do the support work. Pretty simple concept. Look what it did for the Republicans last.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. .

http://www.governing.com/blogs/politics/gov-democrat-howard-deans-fifty-state-strategy.html

[JI7]

5. you are right, it's in the primaries, but on DU and most places the primaries don't get much

interest outside of the Presidential ones.

[madfloridian]

6. Hey, many of us knew exactly what the 50 state plan was. The GOP just won with it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025773335

[MFrohike]

8. You're right

They should be aiming their complaints at Nancy Pelosi. She's the one who put Steve Israel in charge of the DCCC. He apparently likes giving money to people who couldn't get votes for free drugs in a crack house.

[Last_Stand]

9. So what you're saying is...

that the DNC is even more inept and an even bigger bureaucracy than I was giving them credit for?

Jesus fucking Christ, you'd think that the fate of the nation was at stake or something.

[cali]

10. fail. most of us are quite aware of what a DNC (or RNC) chair does, brook.

and DWS is not someone who inspires or an adequate spokesperson- that too is part of the job. I know the DNC chair does more than simply raise money- and that there are people at the DNC who do that as well as the chair- and yes, I'm surely as familiar with it as you. My parents, through the 90s, were, er, significant contributors.