:: Running from the Thought Police ::

:: Thursday, February 10, 2005 ::

Splitting The Party? Not Really.

Via Josh Marshall, Ed Kilgore of the DLC wishes Dean well as chairman of the DLC. Considering that the local blog scene, other than myself, seems abivalent or wary of Dean, I think some of what Ed has to say is important.

The Doctor's campaign for the party chairmanship focused on the need to broaden the party's financial base, tap the activist energy so evident in 2004, and rebuild threadbare state party infrastructures nationwide. And he has consistently said he won't engage in policy or ideological fights that will get in the way of that task, usurp the policy-making role of elected officials, or disturb party unity.

So I sincerely wish him well. And I join those Democrats who are steeling themselves to fight against a definite and long-planned GOP effort to drag up and exaggerate every controversial thing Dean said last year to paint Democrats as a party lurching towards the left. I'm sure the Doctor knows he will be playing by a different set of rules than previous party chairs--you might call them Hillary Rules, insofar as every word out of his mouth will be distorted and exploited by the GOP to reinforce right-wing stereotypes. [ed. emphasis mine] Like Sen. Clinton, he will have to measure his words far more than is rightly fair, and like Sen. Clinton, he might want to throw a few counter-stereotypical comments into his public utterances to surprise people and set the record straight.

I think Dean has the right idea - make the national party stronger by making the local party stronger. The only thing I worry about is what the party can do next if his plan doesn't work.

:: The Squire 7:46 PM :: email this post :: ::
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