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Howard Dean Resigns

By TChris, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 01:52:58 PM EST
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Detractors of Howard Dean's work as chair of the Democratic National Committee (all he did, after all, was to deliver strong Democratic victories in two successive elections, ultimately helping the Obama campaign flip red states blue and turn much of the formerly red west a nice shade of purple) won't have Dean to kick around any more.

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who rose to national prominence during a failed bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, will not seek a second term as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, clearing the way for a loyalist of President-elect Barack Obama to be named to the soon-to-be vacant post. ...

Dean's future remains cloudy although he has been mentioned as a possible choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services in an Obama Administration. Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) is also being mentioned for that job.

Chris Cillizza handicaps Dean's possible successors.

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    Howard Dean Resigns | 48 comments (48 topical)

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    As long as Daschle. . . (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by LarryInNYC on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:01:24 PM EST
    doesn't wind up at the FAA!

    Dean and Obama are obviously two netroots favorites, but if there's evidence they actually get along well I haven't heard it.  Obviously, there's been friction between Emanuel and Dean, and Emanuel clearly has Obama's ear.  Also, Dean was a pretty lousy money generator at the DNC and if there's one thing the Obama machine is about it's money.

    This from a big Dean guy in 2004.

    I think DNC fundraising under Dean... (5.00 / 3) (#26)
    by Romberry on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:00:19 PM EST
    ...was actually pretty good. The issue (for people like Emmanuel) was the Dean spent just about everything he raised to implement his 50-state strategy via the hiring and placement of full time staffers and offices in states and districts that had gone lacking for years. The preferred way for the inside the beltway crowd would have been to sock that money away for use in the presidential campaign cycle.

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    Most elected Democrats (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by Steve M on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:04:02 PM EST
    don't care about making investments in long-term infrastructure, they just want the DNC to have lots of cash on hand to buy advertising and donate to their races.  So it was inevitable that Dean would ruffle some feathers by engaging in long-range planning, but sometimes you just have to let the complainers complain.

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    PS Headline should say. . . (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by LarryInNYC on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:02:06 PM EST
    he's "retiring", not resigning.  I believe he had pledged to serve only a single term anyway.

    I doubt many in MI and FL (5.00 / 4) (#3)
    by dskinner3 on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:03:10 PM EST
    are sad to see him go. As long as he takes Donna B. with him I'm okay with it

    I was relieved to see that Donna's name (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Teresa on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:05:46 PM EST
    wasn't on that list. I hope she isn't a candidate.

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    She is as of now! (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by 1040su on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:46:13 PM EST
    Chris Cilliza has an update to his post.  He's added Donna & Alice Germond to his list.

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    Donna and Alice... (5.00 / 4) (#42)
    by Radiowalla on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 04:05:10 PM EST
    gag me!

    It would be so nice if the Democratic party picked someone who wasn't intimately involved in the nastiness of the Rules and ByLaws Committee meeting.  Someone who hadn't participated in taking votes away from Clinton and assigning them to Obama.  Someone who would actually work to democratize the primary system so that every Democrat has a vote that is counted.

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    Yep (5.00 / 3) (#43)
    by lilburro on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 04:12:04 PM EST
    First to say "I'm getting rid of superdelegates!" wins.

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    And "I'm getting rid of caucuses." (5.00 / 5) (#46)
    by Radiowalla on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 05:19:26 PM EST


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    I'm not sure how I feel about any of them. (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by Teresa on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:04:16 PM EST
    As far as Health and Human Services, I'd rather have Dean than Daschle.

    I don't know why McCaskill is given so much credit for being effective in the Obama campaign. Visible yes, but effective?

    I think Dean will (none / 0) (#32)
    by Pepe on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:16:39 PM EST
    stay out of government for a while and go on the speaking Circuit and make bank some major cash. That is what I would do if I had his bio. What other fresh face has the Dem inside scoop and is a great and entertaining orator?

    Plus he has been away from his wife and children a lot. Making Vermont home again and taking two day trips to pocket a few hundred grand 30 or 40 times a year makes a lot of sense. If fact there are probably $even or Eight$ million reason$ for him to do that if you do the math.

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    back to back... (5.00 / 4) (#6)
    by mike in dc on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:13:24 PM EST
    ...wave elections hasn't happened for Dems since 1930/32.  Dean deserves a lot of credit for getting the 50 state strategy off the ground.  Whatever enemies he made, he played a key role in getting the party to the triumphant position it's in today.  

    I hope he gets a cabinet position.

    Dean is too independent (none / 0) (#30)
    by Pepe on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:08:04 PM EST
    for Obama's tastes. Bush may end up paling in comparison to Obama when it comes to ego and demanding loyalty.

    I'm certain someone had a talk with Howie thus his departure. A fine thanks he is getting on three accounts:

    ~ Much of the state infrastructure Obama Obama had was pioneered and built by Dean and help Obama win.

    ~ Add to that Dean's decisions during the primary paved they way for Obama to get the nomination for which I will never forgive Dean for.

    ~ Dean also introduced and cultivated online fund raising to which Obama built on.

    It could be argued that with out Dean there would be no President Obama. I'm sure the Lefty blogs I refuse to visit anymore are awash in Dean bashing at this very minute.

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    I believe it's traditional (none / 0) (#49)
    by ChrisO on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 07:56:32 PM EST
    for the party chair to resign after winning the White House. The new President gets to put his man or woman in charge.

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    I believe it's traditional (none / 0) (#50)
    by ChrisO on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 08:06:39 PM EST
    for the party chair to resign after winning the White House. The new President gets to put his man or woman in charge.

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    Howard Dean (5.00 / 3) (#7)
    by Steve M on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:19:32 PM EST
    seems to be following the Schumer strategy of quitting while you're ahead.  Good call.  All the conservatives who ridiculed him and predicted a disastrous reign for him atop the Democratic Party are eating a lot of crow today.

    all dean did (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by cpinva on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:23:02 PM EST
    was help rape & pillage the democratic process, during the primaries TChris. before you bow down to his eminence, ask the people that voted for sen. clinton, who's votes were given to obama, how they feel about the good dr.

    hitler brought about a united europe, briefly. i doubt most people would agree that his ends justified his means.

    the 2008 democratic primary and nomination process did not go over well with lots of people, myself included, along with MI & FL. this will come back to haunt us.

    Didn't expect (5.00 / 3) (#9)
    by flyerhawk on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:26:03 PM EST
    that Godwin's Law would come into play here.  

    Howard Dean did not invent the Democratic primary process.

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    No (none / 0) (#33)
    by Pepe on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:18:47 PM EST
    but he exploited it.

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    Word (5.00 / 4) (#10)
    by smott on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:26:57 PM EST
    WHen I saw "a loyalist to Obama" in the opening post I nearly spewed all over my keyboard.

    Just what the bloody hell does anyone think Howard Dean was to Obama throughout the whole nauseating primary/DNC/RBC/FL-MI/convention fiasco anyway?

    Honestly.

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    "Is this over the top. . . (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by LarryInNYC on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:31:17 PM EST
    Sometimes I just can't tell!"

    hitler brought about a united europe, briefly. i doubt most people would agree that his ends justified his means.


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    Howard Dean = Hitler? (5.00 / 6) (#14)
    by TChris on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:37:31 PM EST
    I don't want to reopen (and will not allow in this thread) a debate about the Democratic primary, but the Hitler comparison is just over the top.

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    i wasn't (5.00 / 1) (#44)
    by cpinva on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 04:55:26 PM EST
    comparing dean to hitler, and you know (or should, you're presumably a bright guy) better.

    please, put the red herrings away; like houseguests, they smell bad after 3 days. "over the top" would have been for me to directly refer to the dr. as mengele's sidekick, i didn't.

    as well, i didn't "open" the primary debate again, it was a commentary on the good dr.'s actions during it, relative to the main thread.

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    over the top? (none / 0) (#17)
    by wystler on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:41:22 PM EST
    TChris, is that the best phrase you have? (because I can think of some truly choice ...)

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    Oh I dunno... (none / 0) (#19)
    by Salo on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:43:47 PM EST
    ...It's a major part of Dean's legacy.  A mixed bag like everything else.

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    Darn tootin' (none / 0) (#27)
    by LarryInNYC on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:00:35 PM EST
    I think of him more as the Napoleon type, myself. :-)

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    So then you accept (none / 0) (#34)
    by Pepe on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:19:45 PM EST
    the rest of the post you responded too by default then?

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    come on... (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by Salo on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:41:09 PM EST
    ...now.

    was help rape & pillage the democratic process, during the primaries TChris. before you bow down to his eminence, ask the people that voted for sen. clinton, who's votes were given to obama, how they feel about the good dr.

    Dean didn't. He was simply trying to keep the ship togesther.  Recall he was a victim of the media garbage in his own day.

    hitler brought about a united europe, briefly. i doubt most people would agree that his ends justified his means.

    ??? No he didn't, even if briefly. Maybe post humus by a force of reaction to genocide and wasted lives and money.

    the 2008 democratic primary and nomination process did not go over well with lots of people, myself included, along with MI & FL. this will come back to haunt us.

    It will come back to haunt. However, no military or political victory is ever permanent as Clausewitz was keen on pointing out to his officers. All results can and will be reversed.
    So there's not much point in bellyaching about it it for the moment.  It's far more important to keep talking and pressuring for the policy refroms you would like to see at this point.


    Parent

    It's kinda funny (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by Steve M on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:45:53 PM EST
    that the netroots have been so supportive of Dean's efforts to build a national party even though a national party basically means welcoming a bunch of people into the party who disagree with netroots positions.  There's a real schizophrenia on the blogs when it comes to purity vs. pragmatism.

    what netroots position... (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by Salo on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:48:52 PM EST
    ...the recumbent Sphinx or the overturned Chimera?

    perhaps the nth degree Janus?

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    Pragmatism (5.00 / 2) (#25)
    by TChris on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:52:38 PM EST
    allowed the Democratic Party to take control of Congress.  The trick now is to convince voters that all of the progressive agenda has value, including those parts that more conservative Democratic politicians resist.  I'm not sure it's schizophrenia so much as an attempt to balance a pragmatic approach to regaining power with an ideological desire to move the country (and thus the entire Democratic Party) farther to the left.

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    Correct (5.00 / 4) (#28)
    by Steve M on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:01:58 PM EST
    but while, for example, Markos appears to be about 80% pragmatic, his commentors appear to be about 80% purist.  They support the pragmatism in theory, but they rage against any example of it in practice.

    The Prop 8 vote in CA is an example of the chickens coming home to roost.  Some people didn't realize that building a Democratic majority does not mean you instantly get a majority of the country to agree with you on everything.  It simply means you have a majority coalition and that you have a better chance of getting some of the agenda items you want.  But Howard Dean has been very explicit that his strategy involves welcoming people into the Democratic Party even though they may disagree with us on some of the hot-button issues.

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    Well of course (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by Pepe on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:39:29 PM EST
    "They support the pragmatism in theory, but they rage against any example of it in practice."

    The strategy is to gain control of the agenda through having the majority and then slowly replace the new conservative Dems with more user friendly candidates.

    Here is the take-away: If people don't rage against the conservative Dems then there is in essence is no one run against. You have to express dislike first and then get that message out in the districts and states they are in and try to get elected a more palatable candidate.

    So yeah, helping electing someone you don't agree with and then complaining about them makes perfect sense. In one word it is Incrementalism.

    Parent

    Howard Dean did his job ... (5.00 / 4) (#31)
    by Robot Porter on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:08:53 PM EST
    delivering a Democratic congress in '06, then expanding on those majorities this year.

    Sure, I don't always agree with everything he says.  But I'm a Democrat, I sometimes disagree with my own statements.

    ;)

    Just to freak out the blogosphere, I think they should select Harold Ford as his replacement.

    Say what? (5.00 / 2) (#37)
    by gyrfalcon on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:26:54 PM EST
    I thought Ho-Ho was an Obama loyalist.  At least everything he did as chairman gave that impression.  OTOH, we know virtually nothing about what was going on behind the scenes at the DNC during the primaries or since and what Dr. Dean was doing.  That's a story I'd sure like to hear because I had a hard time figuring out what the heck he thought he was doing.  He's a smart guy and surely has good reasons, but the only one that seemed to fit what he was doing and saying publicly was that he was knocking himself out on Obama's behalf.

    Dean (5.00 / 1) (#38)
    by txpublicdefender on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:38:13 PM EST
    I think he deserves a lot of credit for helping to deliver Congress for the Dems in 2006, and get the White House and Dem gains in both houses this year.  Of course, more than one person was responsible, but his putting forward the 50-state strategy was what started the ball rolling on getting organized in states where the Democratic party seemed to have virtually no organization anymore.

    I think the push-pull that Dean had with Rahm on strategy for getting a majority Dem congress actually ended up serving the party well.

    Also, why do people already have to start bashing Obama to the nth degree?  He hasn't appointed a single person to a cabinet position yet, and we already have someone announcing their expectation that GWB will pale in comparison to him in terms of ego and demands of loyalty.  What evidence, exactly, do you have to support such a statement?  Give him a chance.

    Dean for Secretary of HHS (5.00 / 2) (#48)
    by Don in Seattle on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 06:45:06 PM EST
    Dean has a history of enacting real medical insurance reform at the state level. A former physician himself, whose wife is still practicing in Vermont, Dean understands the American medical system, and would be able to speak credibly on its reform, in a way that no pure policy wonk ever could.

    In 2006, Dean had a serious disagreement with Rahm Emanuel over the merits of the 50-state strategy. I would have thought that the results of the 2006 midterms -- not to mention last week's results -- represented a complete vindication for Dean's position.

    Hopefully "we are all 50-state strategists now," and the next DNC chair will build on Dean's winning tradition.

    If he was involved in replicating... (none / 0) (#13)
    by Salo on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:34:30 PM EST
    ...vermants healthcare services, on a national level he could end up being a saint.  He deserves a shot at a cabinet position like that.

    sorry "Vermont". (none / 0) (#22)
    by Salo on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:49:23 PM EST


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    I thought you were going for "varmints." (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:52:08 PM EST
    And I couldn't figure out who you were referring too...

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    Varmint Heathcare Services.. (5.00 / 2) (#35)
    by gtesta on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 03:23:45 PM EST
    keeps the little critters healthy until Mitt Romney can shoot them. ;>

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    Dean's 50 State Strategy (none / 0) (#15)
    by lilburro on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:38:46 PM EST
    is a really great idea.  Maybe someone new who can add new ideas and twists to it would be good.  I for one am sick of the "regional Democrats" and I think it will be a challenge of the next DNC head to produce better Democrats - Republicans who run as Democrats, anti-gay pro-life Democrats, need to be phased out of the party.  That's the direction I want to see the DNC take.  There are certainly conservative Democrats who will be revolting in their little ways against Obama; the DNC needs to figure out how they're going to keep people together.

    Of course the prolonged primary process exposed Dean as a not so great political leader.  I was not into Dean in 2004, maybe others will argue he is a wonderful politician.  But he didn't have much to offer to any of the demographic groups that make up the Democratic coalition.  He didn't reach out in that process to anyone.  I understand neutrality is important, but he left a lot of people wanting more.  A better politician could've managed voter expectations and emotions a lot better.  

    what Dean understood (none / 0) (#23)
    by wystler on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 02:51:35 PM EST
    The 50 State Strategy was a massive change-over to distributed politics. The party began to recognize that long-term strength could come only from building the local organizations, especially in states where local Dems were behind the 8-ball.

    It was antithetical to TMac's spotlight/vendetta approach that worked so well in 2002.

    Your request - for a top-down challenge to those whom you deem insufficiently progressive (or liberal) - would doom the party. The reason Dems won in Indiana, in North Carolina, in Virginia, was in no small part due to resurgent local party operations (though having a charismatic ticket-topper certainly helped).

    Thus, your being sickened at the notion of "regional Democrats" will not be assuaged soon.

    The next challenge up, from an electoral politics standpoint, is the midterms. Given that they follow the census, that reapportionment/remap will follow, and that, by and large, state legislatures' make-up will determine the new congressional and state legislative districts, the local party-building must continue.

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    As digby said (5.00 / 1) (#52)
    by lilburro on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 09:55:00 PM EST
    How people can vote for the first African American president in American history, with all that implies, while simultaneously voting to discriminate against gays is testament to the incoherence of American politics and the lack of clear cut philosophy guiding people's choices.
    Quote.

    Lacking that, we're at a weird crossroads in terms of gay rights.  I hope liberal social issues get some sort of coattails as liberal(er) economics triumph.  Arkansas banned gay adoption; FL, AZ, and CA gay marriage.  FL, AZ, and CA seem like places where we need to work harder to get our own coalition on our side.  But Arkansas?  It seems like Arkansas needs federal/judicial intervention [to reverse the adoption ban] and local party-building.  Which I suppose is vindication of the Regional Democrats strategy.

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    In Fla. (none / 0) (#53)
    by Amiss on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 11:43:46 PM EST
    there used to be a law banning gay adoptions too, it may have been reversed since tho.

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    Dean (none / 0) (#51)
    by Lora on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 08:43:03 PM EST
    I think Dean was pretty savvy, after all.  You can't call the Dems a bunch of losers now.

    I was rather a Deaniac when he was running for Prez, and then disappointed with him afterward.

    But now...you can't argue with success.

    Now, if only the Democrats that have been elected will start ACTING like Democrats...

    Yeah, that was really a disappointment (none / 0) (#54)
    by sj on Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 01:28:01 AM EST
    For five years he was "my man, Howard Dean".  The 50 state strategy, the blunt truth telling, it was all good.  I was a buyer in the "Democracy Bonds" program to support the DNC.  And then came the primaries and the RBC.  I was so disappointed it hurt.

    I've believed for a long time that a big mistake of Senator Clinton's was not reaching out and forming more of an alliance with him.  Instead, there was Carville, mouthing off whenever the conversation came up.

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    Howard Dean Resigns | 48 comments (48 topical)

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