Dean isn't the Problem (It's the Dems running for President) Vennochi...

[KoKo]

Dean isn't the problem

By Joan Vennochi, Globe Columnist | June 9, 2005

DEMOCRATS ARE running against Howard Dean instead of George W. Bush and the GOP -- or, better yet, running for principles that matter to the country.

-SNIP-

But Democrats never cared what McAuliffe said; all that mattered was the money he raised, compliments of his vaunted schmoozing skills. Now a few hot-shot donors are upset that Dean isn't stroking them as constantly as McAuliffe, and suddenly he's a failure. According to a recent report in ''The Hill," during the first three months of this year, the DNC raised $14.1 million, ahead of the pace McAuliffe set in 2001. Dean is focusing on fund-raising in small increments through the Internet, as he did during his 2004 presidential bid, which revolutionized presidential campaign fund-raising. That's the big picture Democrats should focus on. Broadening the donor base from the bottom up is good for the Democratic Party.

If Democrats want to get outraged, why not get outraged over daily efforts by the Republican National Committee to marginalize Democratic opposition? The RNC dubbed Democrats ''the Party of No." The RNC is constantly spewing out press releases accusing Democrats of ''hypocritical and obstructionist" comments and ''baseless attacks." When liberal Democrats stand up to conservatives in Congress, they are derided as ''the Michael Moore branch of the Democratic Party."

Yesterday the RNC put out a ''Democrat Leaders' Report Card" which gave the Democrats an ''F" in communication skills, civics, and unity and an ''A" in obstruction. It is hard to argue with the assessment, and that -- not Howard Dean -- is the Democrats' problem.

Congress is a place where voters expect partisanship to yield to compromise. And Congress is where the Democrats have failed to convey a sense of mission and purpose, probably because too many are running around the country running for president.

more of this great read at:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/06/09/dean_isnt_the_problem?mode=PF

[Larkspur]

1. This is an excellent critique of the real problem with the Dems

[Mass]

2. Well thanks for Vennochi for agreeing with the Republicans

and tell us that the Senators should compromise with their Republican colleagues. For me, they compromise too much, but once again, she is a shill Republican and has been proving that again and again, so I guess I should not be surprised here.

The only surprising thing is that she is bothered by Dems dissing other dems.

[TayTay]

5. Vennochi is a Rethug

She has always been one and she does everything she can to down the Democrats. Don't get too comfy with her; she would just as soon knife Dean as look at him.

[Mass]

7. I know, but it seems a lot of people here dont mind

[AndreaCG]

9. I've read her columns

and would have to disagree with you.

[KoKo]

11. Yes...seems to me she wrote a very unfavorable article about Dean

recently. But this article is interesting, I think. :shrug:

[David Zephyr]

3. Sharp perspective from Joan Vennochi. Thanks KoKo1

"If Democrats in Congress did their job, Dean would be the chorus. Now he's the whole act. Dean's fellow Democrats would rather boo him than themselves."

Go Howard!

[bryant69]

4. I agree in part

I do agree that Democratic Presidential hopefuls have inexplicably targetted Dean, but I don't agree that the answer is more compromise. While I support the Judicial Compromise (nervously), I think we've gone about as far as we can with these Republicans punks. What we need isn't compromise, but better communication on what our political enemies are doing and why they are doing it.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[yurbud]

6. the focus on small donors could give us a BIG advantage over GOP

We can tell corporate America to go fuck themself if we don't need their money.

That is why so many moderate democrats seem to be tongue tied on issues where what they need to say and do is obvious--they don't want to offend the big donors who are paying them to screw the American people.

Hillbilly Hitler art:



Blog:

[acmejack]

8. Power from the people

of the people and for the people. At no point should corporations and their money enter into this, they should not have any rights, they operate by the people's leave.

[KoKo]

10. for the night crowd...a kick.......

[KittyWampus]

12. Oh Goody, More Hyperventilating How Those Mean Democrats Bashed

poor defenseless Howie.

As DU perpetuates the Mediawhores' bullshit story.

[KoKo]

13. NO! Read the whole article...she really get's to many issues discussed

here on DU. Please don't dismiss her article. Read the whole thing and get back and post.

I think she made many good points and she DEFENDED Dean? :shrug:

you are thinking I read the article wrong? If so, why?

[LightningFlash]

14. And who's purposefully shutting down hearings.....With fascist tendancies.