Joe Conason, one of the most consistently straight-shooting political columnists, gives deserved props to Howard Dean in a short-but-sweet
article in Salon (subscription or ad-view required).
Right from the headline--"Howard Dean, vindicated"--Conason lays out the story of how Dean's Big Idea as DNC Chairman poured the foundation for our victories on Tuesday night. Conason also throws us netsroots into the mix of folk deserving of credit:
Despite all the complaints and demands directed at him over the past 18 months, Dean stuck to his principles. He and his supporters in the netroots movement believed that their party needed to rebuild from the ground up in every state, including many where the party existed in name only. These Democrats prefer to think of their party as one of inclusion and unity. They openly disdain the divisive strategies of the Republicans who have so often used racial, regional and cultural differences to polarize voters.
That's exactly right. We believe in inclusion and unity, and we disdain the horribly divisive tactics employed by the Republicans. We believe every single voter in this country deserves to be courted, deserves respect, and deserved to be heard. Dean has taken this idea and run with it in all the most practical ways.
Against the counsel of party professionals, whose long losing streak has done little to diminish their influence, the new chairman began the process of re-creating the Democratic Party in 2005. And contrary to the gossip and subsequent press reports, he succeeded in raising $51 million last year, about 20 percent more than in 2003 and a party record for an off year.
...[snip]...
In Indiana, among the reddest states north of the Mason-Dixon line, the Democratic National Committee placed two field organizers and a new party communications director on the ground a year before the midterm elections. While that doesn't sound like a very impressive assault on a Republican stronghold, those few organizers created a party presence and started preparing for battle in vulnerable congressional districts. Suddenly the Republicans had to deal with ground opposition where traditionally they had faced no field operation at all -- not only in Indiana but in deep-red Idaho, Wyoming, Kentucky and Nebraska, too.
After I read this article in Salon, I was delighted to watch Dean's election follow-up press conference on C-Span (top link on that page). I was impressed by how nuts and bolts Dean's ideas are--his views are disciplined and reasonable, and are focused on both why Democrats appeal to the majority of voters and how to get an increasing number of those voters to realize that.
Dean gives credit where it's due--mostly to the candidates themselves, but also to the DCCC and DSCC (who have publicly warred with him over strategy).
Back in Conason's article, he concludes with the idea that whatever comes next--the 2008 presidential race, namely--Dean deserves kudos for a job well done:
In the meantime, the party chairman has won the argument he started last year. Rebuilding the Democratic Party in every state is as much a matter of pragmatism as principle. There would have been much less for the Democrats to celebrate on Election Night if Howard Dean hadn't been so "crazy" -- and so persistent.
I for one and going to celebrate by increasing my monthly contribution to Dean's Democracy Bonds program. Please join me in helping our party grow even stronger. How many new Democracy Bond commitments can one little diary generate???