Reply #29: Hiya! OP here! I hold forth not "us" vs. "them," but certainly...

[jswordy]

...the in-power bureaucracy vs. those from outside it who wish to change it. Surely no one can dispute that. In universal terms, all change is met by resistance, the resistance being directly proportional to the amount of perceived future change.

As one who in my professional life has been through a corporate takeover and two changes of top management, I can assure you that the response you see in the party to Howard Dean at present is totally predictable and even quantifiable. It certainly is evident it is the resistance of the entrenched vs. the change agent, and that kind of reaction is universal in any situation.

Even change that ultimately turns out to be good provokes an initial stress reaction and a period of tension.

Now, as far as "stop Dean at all costs," the people who are pushing that are the DLC, a group of governors, other inside party pols, and insider bureaucrats, who oppose the change they perceive Dean to represent and wish the status quo to proceed so that they may guard their jobs, their turf and/or their sphere of influence. That, too, is entirely predictable.

Lastly, while many of us who are political junkies are following this closely, the average voter out there is not even on this page, let alone following this item. So I would postulate, then, that this is perhaps the ideal place to have this struggle, where it is relatively out of sight of the general voting public.

For me personally, Dr. Dean represents best my own political views. So, should he not become chair, I will wait until another opportunity to advance those views becomes apparent, and Dr. Dean at this juncture remains the best conduit for their advancement.

I am certain an opportunity will arise -- either way -- because Democracy for America is already established, whether Dean is chair or not.

That's not "us vs. them" either. Rather, it is a pragmatic way for me to seek advancement of my own fiscally conservative/socially progressive agenda.