# What kind of DNC Chair will Howard Dean make? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 9, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250 "2005-02-09T19:41:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/1 "2005-02-09T19:41:47Z")
There was a crowded field of candidates to become the new Chair of the Democratic National Committee, but now all but Howard Dean have bowed out of the running. This weekend’s election in DC will really be more of a coronation. So what kind of Chair will Dean make? To get us started, here are Dean’s answers to a set of questions which MoveOn PAC submitted to all the candidates. They can at least give us some insight as to what kind of Chair he **intends** to be. Whether he can pull it off, and whether his answers to these questions really have anything to do with the DNC Chair’s job, are issues open to debate. > [@](#): > > **1) What will you do to insure that all voters, in each state, have access to a universally transparent, accountable voting system?** > – Sylvia S Pinyan, retired teacher > (January 27, 2005; Winston Salem, NC) > > If elected Chair of the DNC, I intend to work with Members of Congress, the state Democratic parties, secretaries of state, the Democratic Governors’ Association, other stakeholders, and the grassroots to ensure that every legitimate voter – regardless of their political affiliation – is able to vote and have their vote counted. We must address the obstacles that some voters in some locations faced this past November, like inadequate numbers of voting machines at certain polling locations, faulty electronic voting machines, and voting rolls that failed to include some properly registered voters’ names. And critically, we must take steps to ensure the verifiability of all electronic voting. For instance, we need to use the referendum process (in states that allow this) to ban unverifiable voting machines and to protect voters from partisan secretaries of state. > > **2) What would be your list of ‘ideals,’ things the Democratic Party stands for and will fight for?** > – Tom Peters, commercial fisherman > (January 26, 2005; Eureka, CA) > > Whether you call them ideals or moral values, there are a number of basic principles that I believe the Democratic Party should stand up and fight for. Here are a few: a livable wage is a moral value. Affordable health care is a moral value. A decent education is a moral value. A common sense foreign policy is a moral value. A healthy environment is a moral value. The feeling of community that comes from full participation in our democracy is a moral value. It is a moral value to make sure that we do not saddle our children and grandchildren with our debt. > > **3) What will be your strategy for sending the message that a progressive agenda is as much about “moral values” as is the Republican agenda, ie: that economic justice and equality, tolerance, civil rights and environmental protection are ethical and moral matters?** > – Anna Schwartz, physician > (January 26, 2005; Hastings-on-Hudson, NY) > > I believe that there are no red states or blue states, just American states. And I am confident that Americans will vote for Democrats in Texas, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Montana and all over the Untied States if we show up, knock on their doors, introduce ourselves, and tell them what we stand for. But we will not win by being “Republican-lite” – Democrats must have the courage of our convictions. Every chance we get, Democrats need to stand up for what we believe in, frame the debate, and call for reform. Each time that we do this we drive home the point that our progressive agenda is right where the majority of Americans are. Because Democrats – not Republicans – are the party of fiscal responsibility, economic responsibility, social responsibility, civic responsibility, personal responsibility, and moral responsibility. > > **4) What is your plan for creating an effective Democratic message machine to clearly and powerfully present our point of view?** > – Lynn O’Connell, advertising > (January 26, 2005; Alexandria, VA) > > I am running for DNC Chair because I want to reform the Democratic Party and make it a truly national party. Improving the Democrat’s message machine will be critical to our success. To drive home the point that we are where the majority of Americans are on the issues, we have to better integrate national and state party operations – the success of the former depends directly on the success of the latter. Two, taking a bottom-up approach to the development of the Party’s message, we need to set core principles that define the Democratic Party and what we stand for. Three, the Party must take advantage of cutting-edge Internet technology to fundraise, organize, and communicate with our supporters. And four, we must strengthen our political institutions and leadership institutes to promote our leaders and our ideas. All of this won’t be easy and it won’t happen overnight. It will require exceptional cooperation between the National Party and the State Parties, unprecedented use of the grassroots, unparalleled message discipline, and significant financial support. But taking the White House and Congress and every other office back from George Bush and the Republicans will make all of our time and effort worth it. > > **5) Many people like myself were energized during the 2004 presidential election. I volunteered to canvas neighborhoods and I made phone calls for democratic candidates. I made my first financial contributions for a political cause. How are you going to keep people like me involved? Do you want to keep people like me involved?** > – Lisa Scerbo, photographer > (January 26, 2005; Mechanicville, NY) > > It was new supporters like you that were one of the bright spots in the last election cycle. If I am elected DNC Chair, we intend to make the Democratic Party a truly national party by becoming competitive in every race, in every district, in every state and territory. We need you and other grassroots volunteers to stay involved – our vision won’t become a reality without your help. And we will keep you involved by building on our grassroots successes, expanding community-building initiatives like Meetup, and getting ordinary people to run for office. It is time we support all Democrats carrying the message of reform. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/2 "2005-02-09T19:55:49Z")
Based solely on geographic proximity, I’d say an Adirondack Chair. Sorry. Someone had to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/3 "2005-02-09T20:10:15Z")
I have no idea, but Republican pundits are already lining up to give their phony self-serving “attacknalysis” of why he’ll do a bad job and basically prove that Democrats are atheist baby eaters. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/4 "2005-02-09T20:58:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Whether you call them ideals or moral values, there are a number of basic principles that I believe the Democratic Party should stand up and fight for. Here are a few: a livable wage is a moral value. Affordable health care is a moral value. A decent education is a moral value. A common sense foreign policy is a moral value. A healthy environment is a moral value. The feeling of community that comes from full participation in our democracy is a moral value. It is a moral value to make sure that we do not saddle our children and grandchildren with our debt This quote gives me hope. The neo-cons and social conservatives have pushed the Republican Party too far right, it’s time for the Democrats to pull back instead of trying to become Republican-Lite. Dean’s call for justice could be the sounding trumpet that signals the end of lie that the Republicans hold a monopoly on moral issues. I’m not religious; but I welcome the awakening of the religious people who realize that the Republicans don’t support their call to compassion. In fact, I’d say the current administration lacks morality. Dean’s comments mesh well with the comments made by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and by Jim Wallis, an evangelical minister who leads the Sojourners and Call for Renewal groups that focus on social justice and eliminating poverty. _from the Presiding Bishop_ > [@](#): > > While there are some areas in President Bush’s budget that give me hope, I am deeply disheartened by others. As Congress begins its budget deliberations and the Administration negotiates with them, there are a number of areas I hope they will consider anew. In particular, I am concerned that this budget neglects and exacerbates our nation’s healthcare crisis, especially for children and seniors, and fails to honor the commitments our nation has made to combating poverty and disease overseas. Such a budget is not a reflection of the compassionate values of our nation, nor of the Gospel’s command to care for the least among us. _from the Sojourners website_ > [@](#): > > On February 7, President Bush released his proposed 2006 federal budget. In addition to projecting record deficits and increases in military spending, the budget proposes major cuts to domestic programs that benefit people living in poverty. > > This budget reflects a set of priorities that stand in clear opposition to biblical values. Spending more money on nuclear warheads and tax cuts that benefit the rich is not a strategy that would be affirmed by the biblical prophets-and the proposed cuts to low-income programs will not even realize the president’s stated goal of reducing the deficit. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/5 "2005-02-09T20:59:22Z")
A sadly ineffective one. He’s too easily painted as a liberal nutjob by his opponents, and the main run of US voters will too easily buy it. I think he was the man the party needed four years ago. Now . . . nah, just nothing. He’ll be Rush fodder for his tenure, and won’t ever gain the traction to lead the party in any meaningful way. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/6 "2005-02-09T21:16:24Z")
> [@andros](#): > > A sadly ineffective one. He’s too easily painted as a liberal nutjob by his opponents, and the main run of US voters will too easily buy it. > > I think he was the man the party needed four years ago. Now . . . nah, just nothing. He’ll be Rush fodder for his tenure, and won’t ever gain the traction to lead the party in any meaningful way. But who cares if he’s skewered in the media. He’s not running for public office or anything, and the number of people who will vote for candidates based on how they view the chairman of their party is miniscule. Dean’s success or failure will be viewed in how well he does in orgainzing the Democratic party, fund raising, getting the message out, stuff like that. Dean was a fairly lousey presidential candidate. He simply didn’t have the experience to run a national campaign, and in his campaign stops he sounded like he was talking to Vermonters, not the nation. As such he wouldn’t be my first choice for Chairman. That said, I have a lot of faith in the man, I lived in VT during most of his tenure as governor and was impressed, my parents have worked with him in several different capacities and several close friends were “Deaniacs” during the 2004 campaign. I think he’s smart enough to have learned from the mistakes that both he and other Dems made in 2004 and I’ll remain optimistic that he’ll do better as a DNC chair then he did as a Pres candidate. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/7 "2005-02-09T21:32:28Z")
I think it’s where he belongs and where he can yield the most power, most effectively. He awoke hope in me (suburban mom with kids–and they play soccer! What ho!) and I wanted him over Kerry, b/c IMO, Dean understood the abysmal state of health care in this country. Hothead? So what? We need a hothead–the Dems need someone who is NOT afraid to speak his mind and take a stand. Dems must be FOR something–carve out a position, and don’t alow the other party to set the agenda–something the neo-cons excell at. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/8 "2005-02-09T21:32:42Z")
> [@Malodorous](#): > > But who cares if he’s skewered in the media. He’s not running for public office or anything, and the number of people who will vote for candidates based on how they view the chairman of their party is miniscule. Dean’s success or failure will be viewed in how well he does in orgainzing the Democratic party, fund raising, getting the message out, stuff like that. You’re right. And I believe that Dean is too high-profile to succeed, except among the die-hard party faithful. In his case, I think it does very much matter if he gets skewered in the press, because the people he must rally and organize and get the message to are not all do-or-die Dems. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/9 "2005-02-09T21:35:16Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Hothead? So what? With all respect, I think that’s at the core of the problem with Dean. Too many people already believe he’s a hothead, when he simply is not. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/10 "2005-02-09T21:39:41Z")
I’m not sure how much of an impact any given party chair can have, but I see no reason why Dean can’t be effective. He’s shown that he’s good at raising money, and I suspect that is the one area where the party chairman can make a difference. Personally, I think Dean got a bum rap by the press. His so-called “I Have a Scream” speech was blown WAY out of proportion, and I get the feeling that the press just wanted something, anything, to latch on to in order to explain the big mistake most of them made by crowning him as the front runner too early. As for his Democractic ideals: > [@](#): > > Whether you call them ideals or moral values, there are a number of basic principles that I believe the Democratic Party should stand up and fight for. Here are a few: a livable wage is a moral value. Affordable health care is a moral value. A decent education is a moral value. A common sense foreign policy is a moral value. A healthy environment is a moral value. The feeling of community that comes from full participation in our democracy is a moral value. It is a moral value to make sure that we do not saddle our children and grandchildren with our debt. That is stock Democratic politics and could have been said by almost anyone in the part, so I don’t think that tells us very much at all. The key to the Democrats winning the presidency next time is simply to pick the right candidate-- someone not from the Seante, not from the Northease, but someone with executive experience and who can talk to middle America. It ain’t rocket science… Gaining back controll of Congress might be a bit harder, and it isn’t at all clear to me how that happens unless the Republicans are seen by the electorate as having screwed things up too much… ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/11 "2005-02-09T21:49:57Z")
> [@andros](#): > > You’re right. And I believe that Dean is too high-profile to succeed, except among the die-hard party faithful. In his case, I think it does very much matter if he gets skewered in the press, because the people he must rally and organize and get the message to are not all do-or-die Dems. Perhaps my understanding of what a party chairman is supposed to do is flawed, but I think he _is_ supposed to rally and organize the do-or-die dems. They, in turn, are supposed to get everyone else on board. The face of the party to the populace is the candidates, they are the ones that voters see and care about and hopefully vote for. The job of the party chairman is to organize those candidates, get them money, etc. Dean may or may not be good at these things, but unless 2006 and 2008 are increadably slow election seasons, I don’t think the avearage voter will hear much about Dean’s beliefs one way or another. And if nothing else, I expect he’ll see to it that the goddamn balloons will come down on time at the 2008 DNC. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/12 "2005-02-09T23:56:28Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I’m not sure how much of an impact any given party chair can have, but I see no reason why Dean can’t be effective. He’s shown that he’s good at raising money, and I suspect that is the one area where the party chairman can make a difference. That’s what I think, too. He seemed to do well at inspiring people and very well at raising money. That’s what the job entails. Doesn’t matter if he’s a liberal. He’s not making up the party platform, running for office, or naming candidates. Does anyone know anything about Ed Gillespie’s politics? ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/13 "2005-02-10T00:19:57Z")
> [@andros](#): > > With all respect, I think that’s at the core of the problem with Dean. Too many people already believe he’s a hothead, when he simply is not. Sorry, I should of clarified that. I don’t feel that Dean is a hothead–I believe he has strong convictions. I feel he has been depicted as a hothead by media and those on the right whose job it is to marginalize and demonize all who disagree with them politically. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/14 "2005-02-10T00:21:41Z")
Crikey! that’s I should HAVE clarified, not “of”… ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/15 "2005-02-10T00:34:14Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Does anyone know anything about Ed Gillespie’s politics? Good point! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/16 "2005-02-10T01:53:00Z")
> [@andros](#): > > With all respect, I think that’s at the core of the problem with Dean. Too many people already believe he’s a hothead, when he simply is not. I disagree. I don’t think his infamous “yea haw” was an isolated incident. He does not present himself well. Recent Dean quote: “I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for, but I admire their discipline and their organization,” Try to imagine a former Republican Presidential candidate saying that about Democrats. How do you expect him, as a representative of the Democratic Party, to win over voters with this attitude? Aside from the fact that he just alienated every registered Republican, He’s a nutjob in front of a camera. If you watch him in any interview he goes from sane to goofy in mid-sentence. He then reverts to sound bites with a look on his face that’s something between Charley McCarthy and Jack Nicholson in “The Shinning”. I have nothing against him personally. His views are his own and may reflect the party. However, his presentation is so bad that I suspect he has the full support of the GOP. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/17 "2005-02-10T02:09:02Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > How do you expect him, as a representative of the Democratic Party, to win over voters with this attitude? That’s not his job. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/18 "2005-02-10T02:18:00Z")
That would explain the last election. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/19 "2005-02-10T02:19:06Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > That would explain the last election. :smack: That’s not THE CHAIRMAN OF THE RNC OR DNC’s JOB. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250/20 "2005-02-10T02:29:57Z")
Marley23, You’re right, it’s not his job to run for office but I’m pretty sure alienating cross-over votes is not on the job description. You may like his politics but that doesn’t help your cause if he’s doing more harm than good. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dnc-chair-will-howard-dean-make/289250.md?page=2)