I Cogitate

Well, I spent a couple of hours yesterday watching and listening to the various candidates running for the position as next chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Hallelujah to C-SPAN for carrying the conference in Atlanta.

Here's my take on the bunch.

Simon Rosenburg: thoughtful, technocrat, proven fundraising track record, understands the innovation that needs to take place, understands the necessity to aid and develop state organizations, for what it's worth--definitely has the looks and feel of a blue stater.

Tim Roemer: I don't understand why Nancy Pelosi is pushing him to run. I don't get the sense that he is enough of a reform candidate--my fear is he's another Washington insider who will represent what has failed. He didn't detail what he has been doing in the last decade (since leaving Congress) at pushing forward Democratic politics, looks good on resume for having been on the 9-11 Commission (national security), photogenic but leans towards the looks of a blue stater (despite originally being from Indiana).

Howard Dean: the kind of guy I want on my side in battle but I wonder about his lack of political discipline--not just because of his now infamous Iowa growl/shout but by the state of his disorganized presidential campaign and his sometimes inability to stay on point. His heart is in the right place regarding wrenching the power and money away from D.C. and getting it to the state Demo organizations--he's definitely a reform candidate. But does he possess too much baggage? Can he get red-staters who haven't been buying him to take a second look? I'm not sure.

Wellington Webb: Appeared that he is a candidate for change and stressed being from an area of the country the Democrats need to win back but he came off to me as giving more of a performance than anything else. Of course, each candidate WAS preening for votes. Being black could be a reassuring point for one of the bases of the Democratic Party but he failed to detail what his accomplishments were as mayor of Denver and exactly what he has been doing to promote the Democratic Party the past few years. Looks like a blue stater. Next.

David Leland: A political operative from Ohio, it's not his fault but he simply doesn't have the physical characteristics and 'face' to be DNC Chair. He offered some good ideas but didn't explain why anyone from rapidly-emerging Republican stronghold Ohio should take on an even bigger task if he hasn't been able to solve the 'swing' of Ohio. Next.

Donnie Fowler: This isn't being fair to him but he reminded me a bit of Eddie Haskell from the "Leave It To Beaver" television show. From what he said, he appears to be a solid political operative out in the field and offered some good ideas but his appearance and demeanor would not sell well as the titular head of the Democratic Party. I don't know how old he actually is but he came off as being somewhere in his 20s, which probably isn't true. He could generate the coffeehouse vote but we already have that. A red state disaster. Next.

Martin Frost: A recently defeated congressman from Texas, he displayed a folksy manner that came across well. Coming the the Red Star State, he should know what changes and reforms the Democratic Party need to undertake in order to sell better in the South and the Rockies. I wasn't able to get a strong feeling of his desire for being a change agent. He came across more an a nice uncle than anything else. Definitely could sell him in red states.

To me, it appears that Rosenburg, Dean and Frost are the top candidates. Nobody stands out. Each has weaknesses. But we need to keep in mind that this is primarily a position for re-designing the apparatus and the funding of the Democratic Party throughout the United States.

Rosenburg has zero baggage, a solid track record, stressed the need for reformation and would do fine on political talk shows.

Dean will either be loved or hated (both within and without the Democratic Party), will definitely be a reformer, is a fighter and a fight-backer and would also be a fine television show guest. He also stated that he would not use the DNC position as a catapault for a 2008 presidential run.

Frost is harder to call. He may end up as a compromise candidate.

We'll know the answer to this by mid-February.

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January 23, 2005

It appears there are really just three candidates at this point: Howard Dean, Martin Frost and Simon Rosenburg.

I love the spitfire tenacity of Howard Dean and believe he has the best chance for reforming the Democratic Party from one ruled by an iron fist out of D.C. to one much more egalitarian. Dean is gaining endorsements from some unusual sources--Demos in Oklahoma and Florida, plus Rep. John Murtha who is a fairly conservative Democrats in Pennsylvania. Yes, he's also the frontrunner of this threesome for saying something he will regret later or something that can and will be twisted into political fodder by the Republicans but I'm tired of mousy politicians and candidates. Dean has backbone--I just hope he picks and chooses his flamethrowing vocabulary and moments more wisely in the future.

Martin Frost has some solid political credentials from surviving as a Texas Democrat until last year but he didn't necessarily cast himself as a populist in doing so. It was more Republican-lite but maybe that was simply a necessity. But I'm not hearing from him on how he will invert the Democratic National Committee power structure and get attention and funding spread locally and regionally. He appears to be the choice of the insiders happy with the current power structure.

I would not be upset if Simon Rosenburg lands the job. He isn't going to wow the troops with his verbal electricity but, of the top three, he now looks like the one who can bridge the gaps in the Democratic Party between the left, center and right wings. He realizes there are crucial changes to be made, he's familiar with technology, good at fundraising and has at least talked about the absolute necessity for growing the party locally and regionally.

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