Time is right for Dean`s "new" Democratic Party

[democrank]

James Carville`s recent outburst against Howard Dean reminded me of an abusive man I once knew who warned his wife against the new freedom she was about to experience. "You`ll be nothing without me."

Just days after a major Democratic victory, James Carville exerted special efforts to make certain Americans understood the severity of Howard Dean`s failure. It brought me back to Al From`s famous DLC memo that defiled all anti-Iraq War Democrats and made me wonder....What`s with these people?
Didn`t America just say she would rather not have all her neighborhoods filled with matching brown shirts? Didn`t we just send a Democratic Socialist from Vermont and a rancher from Montana to the Senate? The voters were clear. Enough with the status quo.

This election was like a fairy tale, one in which the lowly peasants managed to cross over the moat, surround the castle and wrestle the keys away from the gatekeeper. Carville should understand that we not only interrupted the feast, we get to decide the next menu. No armored breastplates, no decorative lances, no ermine robes. Just some regular old hard work that brought us simple unity.

How easy it was to settle into a resigned state of powerlessness and to accept the notion that not rocking the boat was a sign of true patriotism. Luckily, that falsehood will sit on the sidelines and await historians. Maybe that famous "Dean Scream" was the beginning of the end in more ways than one.

[ixion]

1. I've always supported Dr. Dean...

I think he's managed to energize the grassroots, and speak to independents as well.

I'm all for ridding the Democratic Party of the DLC. I don't believe they do it any favors.

[HereSince1628]

2. Unfortunately, not only did the DLC foreclose the term "Leadership" relative to Democrat

they did the same with "New."

The DLC is well aware that the base has moved away from their top-down, corporate loving, elitist style, and they are going to work hard to soften resistance.

The M.O. of those folks is to assert their claim and just keep asserting it. They did it with "Leadership", and their doing it with their claims about which part of the political spectrum really changed control in Congress.

They've got 6-7 candidates to put in the race and to run as a platoon to either tear down or wear down any opposition so their real choice needn't get soiled in the process.

They want to quickly re-establish their position of control over the electorate's perception of what is a "right-thinking" Democrat. And the best way to do that is to follow their tradition of just claiming it.

So right from election night it was a race to get to achieve spin control on explanations for the Congressional election results and more than a week of their claiming, with little evidence, that it was only them and their message that made congressional change happen and demeaning Howard Dean.

The DLC had little to put up as resistance to six-years of tyranny, but they are ready for a knife fight with anyone who threatens their hegemonic claims on the party.

[Zodiak]

4. I am Zodiak and I endorse the above message n/t

[acmejack]

3. You saw what they did to the good people of Illinois CD 6

Who dared to organize a formidable grassroots effort and field acandidate who appeared to be capable of winning that District. In fact their cadidate very nearly beat incumbent Harry Hyde, the previous cycle without any help from them, pulling 44%, so they had to intervene and bring in an appealing out of didtrict candidate, lots of funding and all the Party heavyweights to make sure the local favorite wouldn't prevail in the primary. Democracy at it's finest! And people here ask me why I dislike Rahm so! We all know who now holds that seat now, don't we?

Rahm's strategy was impeccable and the Republican's are grateful, I'm sure.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Excellent! K&R

[petgoat]

6. I hope they fire Dean's ass--if then he can run for Pres in 2008! nt

[bianca2001]

7. It was the DLC

that persuaded Al Gore NOT to run in 2004 and.....in that same year

they MADE SURE that Dr. Dean lost to John Kerry......

[TheJollyNihilist]

8. My View

The number of GOP seats that were held on to by margins of 1% or less speaks ill of Dean's strategy. Those seats were in play, and needed national money. To my understanding, Dean doles those dollars out. In that one respect, he's failed.

[Cha]

9. Nah, Dean didn't "fail" but

thanks for playin'.

[Jim Sagle]

10. KKKarl never sleeps....

;)

[GreenTea]

11. It's disgusting that Carville or any Dem would attack Dean; their greedy thirst

for power will doom the democrats. Dean knows how to win, but the others will always choose losing methods, and lust for their own power over the democratic party and it's people.

FUCK CARVILLE & THE DLC!

[hollowdweller]

12. Actually Dean is taking the party back to the formula that worked.

It's not new other than the use of the internet.