Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is the next leader of the Democratic National Committee, replacing the insipid Terry McAuliffe. Dean’s dramatic fall from grace and
rocket-like rise to the most senior position in the Democratic Party is a testament to the power of his message and the desperation within the party for someone who can inspire its base.
Dean, the man who coined the phrase “Wrong war at the wrong place at the wrong time,” was a controversial choice to say the least. The other two Democratic leaders, House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, were backing conservative Democrat Tim Roemer for the DNC gig. Roemer is an anti-abortion defense hawk who believes Democrats lost the election due to opposition to the war in Iraq. Both Reid and Pelosi have been pushing for the Democratic Party to move further right, especially on defensive and so-called “values issues,” as a way of staying competitive in the so-called “American heartland.”
Dean represents a vastly different agenda. He stands for liberals’ hope that the Democrats will one day be as bold and courageous of an opposition party as the Republicans were during the Clinton years. He represents the hope that Democrats can reach out to this deeply religious electorate without coming out against gay marriage and abortion, and we appreciate his solidification this weekend of the party’s stances on these traditionally tough issues:
On abortion:
“We are the party in favor of allowing women to make up their own minds about their health care.”
And on gay marriage:
“We are the party that has always believed in equal rights under the law for all people.”
It’s about time this party has a leader who will openly take a stand and let the United States know it’s ready to put up a fight.
Dean said this weekend that he is ready to dive into the most Republican regions of the country, in which the “red” states greatly outnumber the “blue.”
“I’ll pretty much be living in red states in the South and West for quite a while,” Dean told reporters. “The way to get people not to be skeptical about you is to show up and say what you think.”
This might scare some liberals who remember the Iowa caucus “scream heard ’round the world,” during his presidential campaign in January. But Dean is not as extreme left as some pundits have painted him to be. He is fiscally conservative, and he has attacked the current administration for its reckless spending. Dean’s clear, powerful public speaking is also a welcome change from the bumbling
incoherence of President Bush, the longwinded ambiguity of ex-presidential candidate John Kerry, the senile pointless yarns of
Reid and the pissed-off soccer-mom lectures of Pelosi.
When he was a presidential front-runner, Dean proved he could effectively raise money through grassroots organizing and, most importantly, inspire disillusioned young voters to get excited about the Democratic Party. The donkeys need that leadership now more than ever. With Dean at the helm of the DNC, battle lines have been drawn in the fight for the soul of the Democratic Party. We hope
he wins.

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