Burnt Orange Report

I freely admit that I have never supported Dean as a good candidate for DNC chair and the reasons are lengthy. They stretch from the fact that he is so vastly unpopular, even with members of his own party, to the fact that he proved himself miserable when it came to understanding how to run a winning campaign, to his inability to manage his own staff. Not to mention the fact that I think his successful fundraising strategy was dependent on the facts that it was both an election year and he was raising money for a presidential race. Two things that are necessary to raise the kind of nickel and dime money he went after and depended on for his successful effort. Two things that will not be available to him for the majority of his tenure as DNC chair.

That said, I believe the party is lacking unity and I don’t believe at this point a shouting match about why Dean is not the best candidate for the job will benefit anyone. As they say, “It’s all over but the crying”. For those of us who supported who we believed to be stronger candidates for chair, it’s time to wipe our cheeks, take a couple of deep breaths, count to ten if necessary and start looking to the future. I am in favor of supporting Dean with my loyalty, but not necessarily with my money. I believe as Democrats in Texas and in other red states it is time for us to really start working on the problems we may have within our state parties. It’s time to look to our state parties for leadership and doing what it takes to win back congressional and senate seats. Remember, national political control is won one state at a time.

I know it’s an old story by now, but the fact is the national party has been raising money in Texas, I believe Texas ranks #3 when it comes to national contributions from a state. It is also an old but true story, that Texas has been largely ignored by the national party, and to be honest I don’t think Dean will change this. Before I send them money I need to know what the DNC’s strategy will be in our state. Whatever it is, with out a great deal of consulting I don’t believe it will be a winning one, I simply do not believe Dean knows what it takes to win in the red. But I believe many of us in Texas do. That’s why I advocate spending our money in our own state, concentrating on getting Democrats elected at home both to state and national office. It is time we separate ourselves from a dependency on the national party in U.S. house and Senate races. I think it can be done, in fact, I think after some of the anger and dissatisfaction among moderate voters regarding redistricting, we may be on the cusp of a golden opportunity in this state to start swinging back blue.
I’m not advocating a war on Dean. What I am advocating is taking control of our own destiny here, concentrating our efforts at home, Texas is a large state with 32 house seats. Inroads made here will have a national impact. I’ll give Dean a fair shake, but not my money. Time to spend our money and our expertise at home, where we know it can make a difference.

Democratic Suicide. Thats what they are calling the now certain victory of Howard Dean for the DNC chairmanship. How absurd. Anyone whose fingers are still numb from Dean's loss in Iowa will tell you how quickly perceptions can change. Howard Dean will continue to manage the party's funds wisely and bring much needed investments to our state organizations. Come 2008 we will run a 50 state campaign. Dean is rhetorically gifted but I believe he will forgo the talk show circuit after his victory and immediately go to work. Howard Dean was a lot of things before he was a failed presidential candidate. Those who see him as a caricature, a screaming maniac, a loony; are going to be surprised. Their perceptions will be turned upside down when he turns out to be a successful and component chair.

I certainly hope Dean does turn out to be a competent chair. I however am not looking for mere competence. I as well as other Democrats particularly in the state of Texas better be looking for something pretty G.D. remarkable.

I also am no fool, I recognize Dean is more than the screaming lunatic the press portrayed during the primaries, and however, I remain unimpressed. I am aware of his fundraising skills during, I repeat, an election year, I am aware of not only the outcome of his primary race but the races he supported, I am mostly aware of how his campaign was managed, again, I remain unimpressed.

I am not declaring a Dean win Democratic suicide. I am however advocating for Texas and other states in similar situations to move forward and take charge of their/our own states politics. We have the money, we have the know how. It's time we utilize it.

Again, not to be the voice of discord, but well then again maybe I am. I simply do not know how Dean is going to prove helpful in a state like Texas where he's less popular than the Dixie Chicks. (well, on the whole, some of us still love you chicks.)