Facing the Pain

Facing the Pain

As Dr. Dean elbows his way up the DNC food chain, this interview should suggest to every gray haired, DNC elder that Dean does understand an essential problem with the current Democratic Party: it has lost its bottom-up, decentralized, organizing spirit. Even as Dean preaches the need for more party ownership and organizing, Democrats shouldn't embrace Dean without critically examining his record. Afterall, Dean's volunteer army of progressives, cynics, and young people imploded in Iowa because of its enormity. Another key aspect of Dean's Iowa debacle was the lack of discipline within his volunteer army. And it was one of Dean's key organizers who headed America Coming Together (which on paper looked great) but was really just a 527 version of Dean's "Perfect Storm."

Dean's right. The DNC needs to put more emphasis on building the grass roots of the Democratic Party. Whether Dean is that person remains to be seen. Should Dean become the next DNC chair two scenarios could develop. First, Dean could surround himself with Clinton and DCCC people who talk about building the party, but really just put a grass roots gloss on their methods while continuing to do more of the same. Second, Dean could surround himself with the same people who helped him lose Iowa, the Democratic Nomination, and ultimately assisted in Kerry's failed Presidential run. These folks have the big picture under control, but wrongly equate grass roots organizing with culling together people who are willing to go door to door for $50 a day.

In either case, the Democratic Party will be faced with more losing and soul searching.