Howard Dean: "...we're going to need the DLC to beat George W. Bush"

[wyldwolf]

On MTP.

Thanks Howard. NOW you're getting it.

Interesting, though, that he recently labled the DLC the "Republican wing of the Democratic Party." (For those keeping score, Kerry is a Republican, Clark is a Republican, the DLC is republican and so is, apparently, all it's members)

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2003/12/31/dean_errs_in_battling_the_new_democrats?mode=PF

it surprised Al From, the DLC's founder and CEO, to see Dean seem to suggest in a recent speech that the Clinton administration was more about limiting the damage Republicans inflicted on working families than real progress. Actually, as From points out, Clinton, who chaired the DLC before he resigned the post to run for president, realized many traditional Democratic objectives by pragmatic means.

Certainly it's hard to argue with the New Democrat success at the presidential level -- particularly given what had come before. Founded in 1985, a year after the Democrats nominated Walter Mondale and suffered a devastating defeat with a candidate who proved less than the sum of his interest group parts, the DLC picked up electoral steam after the party nominated another liberal -- and lost again -- in 1988.

Clinton's legacy as the first successful Democratic president since JFK should have put any lingering resentment about the DLC to rest. But this year the doctrinaire left has persuaded itself that a new, solipsistic paradigm obtains: One can win merely by energizing the base.

Actually, that's an old, discredited theory, the same argument once offered as a quadrennial losers' lament: The nominee could have won if only he had sailed more resolutely to port. The only difference is that this year, that argument is proffered not to defend an unwillingness to change course but as an excuse to revert to form.

Now, in this year's fractured Democratic field, tacking left may be the easiest path to the nomination. But neither history nor logic suggests it is a winning course for the general election, a contest where swing voters will prove as important as ever. This election will be won -- or lost -- among moderate, independent-minded members of the middle class, a group defined less by anger toward the current administration than anxiety about the future.

[xultar]

1. Well sounds like the DNC/DLC debate is...OVAH. n/t

:party:

[bushclipper]

2. meat of the article

WITH THE Democratic front-runner in High Howard mode, his gaffe-a-week campaign is giving his party pause and his opponents ammunition. So much so that Dean, after having spent a year unfairly flaying his rivals as craven cave-ins to George W. Bush, is now crying foul because they are finally returning fire. And issuing not so oblique threats that if he's not made the nominee, he'll take his supporters and go home.



Perhaps Dean meant to say the intellectual wing of the Democratic Party, for it is the DLC that laid the philosophical foundation for the Clinton administration. Paul Tsongas used to point out that Democrats couldn't love jobs but hate employers. It's just as true that Democrats can't love the Clinton years but hate the DLC.

[Capn Sunshine]

19. Did we win?

It's kind of like asking who wins a nuclear war.

[curse10]

3. It's time to stop labeling democrats as repugs

I'm sorry, Howard, but neither Clark or Kerry are repugs. In fact, they are more liberal than you.

[wyldwolf]

7. Is Dean emulating DU or vice-versa...?

I've seen many a' DU'er label other DU'ers as "Republicans" when they disagree on an issue.

Other labels:

freepers
infiltrators
operatives

[mhr]

4. Looks Like The Borg Won, He Has Been Assimilated!

eom

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

5. Mondale and Dukakis were BOTH moderate, pro-corporate centrists

The DLC's main strategy was to pick a Southerner. What a brilliant, genius political move. :eyes:

[Uzybone]

6. "Outsider" no more

well at least his followers wont be able to claim he is.

[chocolateeater]

8. Look at this page

http://www.fundrace.org/moneyindex.html
Dean is at the top in Grassroots funding. But dont't take my word for it follow the link.

[nancyharris]

15. Interesting web site

Look at who is # 2 and 3 in “Grass Roots Index”.

[chocolateeater]

21. Yes, I had noticed that

Dennis has a larger percentage of small donations than Dean, but less geographical spread.
In recent years Republicans have been better at getting small donations than Democrats. :shrug: Why I don't know, since the R's sell the people out to the fat cats.

[FloridaPat]

9. I got a call from the DLC for money.

The fellow calling figured the nation would be lucky just to get Bush out. Forget the senate and house. The repubs have committed so many crimes and lies, that if the DLC had a backbone, they would have these people in jail or up for impeachment and people wouldn't admit to being a republican for a 100 years. But they're not.

As for contributing - I just got laid off again after being out of work 9 months last year.

[NNN0LHI]

10. I thought Howard and his supporters didn't like the DLC? Whats up? n/t

[polpilot]

17. You do mean the pro-Iraqi War DLC? Go to the DLC site. NO I DON"T

SUPPORT THE CURRENT DLC AT ALL.

Dean '04...

[NNN0LHI]

18. I think that is the same DLC that Dean said he needs to beat Bush?

Unless there are two of them?

Don

[Cheswick2.0]

11. yes ane the DLC should fall in line

Behind a candidate who can beat bush, Howard Dean.

[bitchkitty]

12. Another $20 thread!

Thanks ww!

[joshcryer]

13. hahaha

cute gif...

[wyldwolf]

14. yet you will add no commentary?

Refute nothing?

[George_Bonanza]

16. Figures, since he was endorsed by Gore and McGreevey

Both DLC heavyweights. Is Harkin DLC? I'm not sure.

[youngred]

20. Considering he WAS DLC

there isn't much surprise here. Dean is more in line with the DLC wing of the party than the far left wing