NYT Dean says if it won't work, it won't work....no hostile takeover.

[madfloridian]

This article is almost entirely different than the bloggers from Orlando are presenting, yet much the same. Dean seems to be an early favorite, but that means nothing. Of course, I don't care, I would rather build DFA....but that is just my opinion.

I am amazed at the big impression Ron Kirk made there. The bloggers show him, Webb and Dean in the top 3 so far, and say he was an unknown to them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/12/politics/12dems.html

SNIP.."Of the field, Dr. Dean is clearly the best known, but he found reminders here of what his advisers acknowledge are the challenges he faces in trying to succeed Mr. McAuliffe. At a breakfast Dr. Dean held Saturday morning, one Democrat told him he had an "uphill battle" after a presidential campaign that was largely based on attacking the very party establishment he is now seeking to lead.

Dr. Dean did not dispute that assessment, though he seemed to go to great lengths, in what he said and how he said it, to present himself as a more moderate candidate than he was in the presidential race.

"I think I have a lot to offer, but I'm not interested in a hostile takeover, I'm really not," Dr. Dean said at the breakfast. "If this is not going to work, it's not going to work." END SNIP

[janx]

1. "He seemed to go to great lengths" etc.

Why can't these journalists just give us the facts without injecting their conjecture and opinion? Is it too much to ask?

Anyway, it's good to know that Dean's taking the high road on this one. He really has nothing to lose.

[madfloridian]

5. Right you are.

He has a base already if needed.

[autorank]

2. I'm for Dean, but remember Ron Kirk opposed Iraq immediately.

And, how many times can the Democrats go to the black community and ask for 90% of the votes and offer nothing in return at the top of the ticker or in the party heirarchy. I remember when McAuliffe beat out Maynard Jackson, former mayor of Atlanta. That was a sad and sorry day, as we all know.

[mhr]

3. Kirk Ran For US Senate After He Left The Mayorship Of Dallas, TX

He was beaten in the 2002 Senate race by Republican Cornyn.

[BlueInRed]

14. Kirk also knows about those Diebold machines

There were numerous reports in 02 where the Diebold computers in Dallas County refused to record votes for Kirk and/or switched them to Cornyn (just like that cartoon). I bet Kirk would take the computer hacking stuff seriously.

Dean is my strong first choice, but I'd be perfectly happy with Kirk. He's a master at making all sides happy and seems to know how to reach out to new groups.

[mhr]

15. Yes, Kirk Is Very Polished - I Just Hope He Could Be Feisty Enough

For the Sunday talk shows.

[Blue_Roses]

19. oh, he's fiesty all right

He and repub, Laura Miller had heated exchanges all the time. I loved seeing the sparks fly between them. He knew how to put her in her place.

I like Ron Kirk and he would do great in this position. I like Dean too, so it looks like they have their work cut out for them.

[shance]

16. Dean and Kirk are both terrific, both clearly need to be leading.

n/t

[janx]

27. Yes they are. n/t

[madfloridian]

4. I am not familiar with him.

So I just don't know. I do know that Dean and Webb were top 2 with Kirk a close 3rd on the exit blogger polls.

I have a feeling back door deals will not allow Dean in the door.

I was sort of glad that Hindery had to drop out. Ickes was very low in the scoring as well.

[angee_is_mad]

33. Taken 4 granted

that's the democratic way. Keep the base in the closet until election time. Visit a few black churches and get the black vote.

Am I the only one who is sick and tired of bein g sick and tired? A 3rd party is looking better everyday.

Hell, what does a black person have to lose? Lord knows things can't get any worse!

[autorank]

36. Agree with your sentiment. It will get worse until we get congress back.

And I mean 'get congress back' with a vengeance, like the Repukes did in 1994. The national Democrats need to smarten up real quick. The one good thing is that when we get the House back, the Black Caucus will have so much seniority it will be awesome. They've hung tight. Charles Rangel (D) NYC is slated to be #2 on the House Ways & Means Committee, very powerful job. The Chairman would be Bob Matsui (D) Sacramento who is loved and reelected by his downtown Sacramento district by 80% year in and year out (unabashed liberal). This is worth hanging in there to see. Ways and Means rules. Lots of good things would come from this and there would be time for some serious payback.

I hope they do a co-chairmanship Dean/Kirk; Kirk/Dean.

[fujiyama]

6. Dean is very level headed

and he's a Democrat through and through.

I hope he's the one, but if he doesn't get it, I hope whomever gets it is an effective speaker against Bush's policies and is able to continue the success Dean, Clark, and later Kerry as well had - in raising money from grass roots, rather than relying on the same corrupy sources as republicans.

[movonne]

9. After four more years, who will have any money..Just the very

wealthy and 90% of them are repubs.

[janx]

7. I am disappointed in Webb.

Mr. Webb talked about the trouble Democrats now face in West Virginia, as a symptom of how the Republicans had outmaneuvered the Democrats. "In West Virginia, the issues are the three g's: Gods, guns and gays. We have to be able to address those issues."

He essentially took Dean's language and appeared willing to capitulate to those things which are red herrings, which have very little to do with the problems Americans are facing.

He is from my state. We are 49th in job growth and 48th in the funding of education. West Virginia and the rest of the country has the same problems we do. Why is he talking this way?

[otohara]

24. Drone On....

Webb puts me to sleep....he has a presence about him, he's a big guy and wears really nice suits. but boring...Remember, he's got some problems with nepotisim tucked away in his past as Denver's Mayor.

[janx]

8. How the interview probably went versus how it was written:

Nagourney: Are you considering some kind of hostile takeover, Governor Dean?

Dean: I think I have a lot to offer, but I'm not interested in a hostile takeover, I'm really not.

Nagourney: What exactly to you mean by that?

Dean: (thinking, "You moron!") If this is not going to work, it's not going to work.

___________________

NYT rendition:

.."Of the field, Dr. Dean is clearly the best known, but he found reminders here of what his advisers acknowledge are the challenges he faces in trying to succeed Mr. McAuliffe. At a breakfast Dr. Dean held Saturday morning, one Democrat told him he had an "uphill battle" after a presidential campaign that was largely based on attacking the very party establishment he is now seeking to lead.

Dr. Dean did not dispute that assessment, though he seemed to go to great lengths, in what he said and how he said it, to present himself as a more moderate candidate than he was in the presidential race.

"I think I have a lot to offer, but I'm not interested in a hostile takeover, I'm really not," Dr. Dean said at the breakfast. "If this is not going to work, it's not going to work."

[madfloridian]

11. LOL

Good one.

[janx]

13. People who study journalism/media are taught these

techniques of interviewing. I know because I did graduate study in it. If you want the person you're interviewing to use a certain word or phrase, then you use it first, in hopes that the person you're interviewing will repeat it. This used to be considered legit.

What's happening now is even worse.

Journalists now reconstruct the whole thing, using pieces either in or out of context with a liberal sprinkling of conjecture, and...voila!

[pocoloco]

10. A hostile takeover

would work for me!!

[RainDog]

12. If the DLC wins

then the repukes have won, and as far as I'm concerned, I will no longer be a democrat if the party decides to elevate the rightwing of the dem party.

this is, literally, the final straw for me.

The democratic party will have sealed its fate and will have sealed me out.

Why should I support a tepid right, when that empowers the repuke extremists who will destroy all the institutions that have made our country humane over the last sixty years, and will further erode the separation of church and state, and will, as far as I'm concerned, have destroyed the Constitution at that point.

But there's a big upside for all this for me. I won't spend as much time reading about politics and I won't feel one bit of guilt for doing everything I can to get a job outside of the U.S. asap, and take my children with me.

[DaveinMD]

17. The DNC Chair

is not an ideological position. It has no bearing on public policy.

[janx]

18. Ultimately, s/he does. n/t

[DaveinMD]

20. I disagree

McAuliffe was a failure because he never did party building and only fundraising. He had zero influence on the ideology of the party.

[janx]

23. Just because he chose to operate that way

doesn't mean that another person would. The Chair of the DNC could have a lot of influence ultimately, even if he or she doesn't overtly.

And I'm not just thinking of Dean.

Any chair can affect policy by responding to certain elements of the party.

[DaveinMD]

26. its an administrative position

its job is to build all elements of the party and to raise money. Its not to promote a liberal or conservative philosophy.

[janx]

28. Relax. I agree with you.

I know that. But if it's done efficiently, it can have a great effect on the party.

[Cheswick2.0]

30. party chair can have a lot of influence on philosophy

depending on decisions he/she makes about who gets support etc...

[janx]

31. No, dammit! We've been through this! It's nothing but a

water boy!

;-)

[elshiva]

21. DNC Chair's power

What is the Chair's power? Someone wrote Dean could be chair for two years than run for president again. Is this true?

I don't think Dean's the messiah, but I think he is a decent, wonderful human being who I happen to have a crush on.

I majored in Religious Studies in College and know that any good deed will build the reign of God on earth. So, we need less political infighting and more discussions on ending Iraq. I am sick of personal attacks.


God/ess Bless You all and Happy Hannukkah!

[Eric J in MN]

22. If Howard Dean takes the position of party chair, there

will be an expectation that he won't run for president in 2008.

[JaneQPublic]

25. NYT: Dean will not seek 2008 presidency if elected Party chair

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/09/politics/09dean.html?ex=1103259600&en=520f812e0aafcede&ei=5006&partner=ALTAVISTA1

"Dr. Dean, looking tanned and cheery, said flatly that he would not seek the presidency in 2008 if he was elected party leader, addressing a concern many Democratic leaders have voiced to him as he has made the rounds these past few weeks."

If that's the case, I don't want him to be DNC chair.

[janx]

29. What a lovely screen name!

There are so many possibilities for names that I forget to appreciate them sometimes.

I suppose that the position will depend upon what the chair makes of it, regardless of who it is.

[Cheswick2.0]

32. my local news carried the story and had film of Dean speaking

then they showed him walking in the hotel with a tall Black man. Was that Web or Kirk?

He said that we are not as well organized as the republicans and that we should have a state chair which would be a paid position with benenfits and that we should pay grassroots organizers.

[janx]

35. Webb's tall. I don't know about Kirk.

My apologies. I'm tired. It was probably Webb, not Kirk, but I'm not certain.

[Nordic]

34. if it's not Dean, the party's gonna lose a ton of people

and I'm gonna be one of them.

I am done with the party unless Dean takes it over and rebuilds it.

And no one can change my mind.

[DFLforever]

37. Ditch the party but join a DFA group

That's what some I know plan to do.