The Hotline Blog is reporting a major victory for Howard Dean and proponents of the 50-state strategy everywhere. The biggest name in American politics, The Big Dog of Democrats, Bill Clinton has joined the effort.
More below:
Here's part of the
story:
A new DNC hire -- finance director Carl Chidlow -- was brought aboard to help bridge the two cultures. Chidlow was deputy finance director for Sen. John Kerry's record-setting presidential bid and considered one of the party's best professional fundraisers.
A friend says Chidlow decided to accept Dean's job offer after finding evidence that Dean truly was committed to competing everywhere. One of Chidlow's prime tasks today: to evangelize Dean's state-based efforts to major donors.
And Dean has one supremely important new ally who, when he goes public, will almost certainly help with donors. In late February, Dean traveled to Harlem and sat down with former President Bill Clinton, often said to be privately disparaging of Dean.
But as Dean walked Clinton through his 50-state capacity-building project, Clinton became a convert. He vowed to help Dean win the attention of donors
.
It's obvious that this is a big key for the whole effort. The fact that Dean has done so well fundraising with so little support from the tradition big money base of the party has been the under-remarked part of this whole story. Howard Dean has worked to revitalize the party's efforts at building up the small-donor base that is the lifeblood of a consistent effort. Those small-donors do more than just send a check, they are often the combination donor/activist that the party desperate needs, and has lacked over the last election cycles.
Now, with the reported involvement of the Big Dog, the tradition money people of the party can add their clout to this effort. With the enthusiasm and energy of the small donors and activists combined with the strategic power and, I hope we all remember, admirably consistent support of the donors, the Democratic Party can truly reenergize itself and take back the politics of this country.
If true, this is big news ...