I'm glad Dean won, but this process needs to be reformed

[bluestateguy]

I, like many at DU, am optomistic about the party's future under the leadership of Howard Dean. He ran a masterful campaign for Chairman and courted state party organizations, as he understood that that's where the votes were, rather than running a national, top down, talk show based campaign.

But I think I speak for many here when I say that the rank and file Democrats should have a say in this process. Many, though not all, of the DNC members are elected by rank and file Democrats, while others only serve on the committee because of the political offices they hold. I can handle that, but I would like to have some say as to who the Chair of my party will be, especially when my party is out of power.

My proposal: make it so that half of the votes for DNC Chair are cast by the Democratic National Committee. The other half should be cast by delegates pledged to the candidates who would be elected by rank and file Democrats in the states, apportioned by population, with bonus delegates for states that vote Democratic in presidential elections. Hence Minnesota, which is about the same size as Arizona, would get more delegates than Arizona. Voting would be held in a way that is similar to a closed presidential primary election. In states with party registration, only registered Democrats may vote. In states that do not have party registration, one could vote for DNC Chair only if he/she voted in the state's most recent Democratic primary or caucus. Delegates would be awarded proportionately in each state. To avoid giving a single state an advantage, voting would be held on a single day in all 50 states.

[John_H]

1. What? The rank and file imposed more influenc on this process

than ever before in the history of the party. Just a few years ago the chair (someone other than Dean, no doubt) would have been selected long before the first media attention.

The question is whether the people that put dean where he is understand that they are now responsible for making him fulfill his promises.

in the past, the part bosses would hold the chair accountable for working in there interests, with hell to pay if he strayed.

Will the activists that muscled dean in do the same? I sure hope so. How depressing it would be if the status quo continues into another needless fiascoof the same "strategists" leading us toward more losses, as only they can do so efficiently.

[cestpaspossible]

2. Don't forget how people become voting members of the DNC

mostly, they are elected by rank and file party members who are committed enough to be involved in their local party.