Obama-Biden And The End Of The Democratic Leadership Council

[cyberpj]

I'm curious about DU thoughts on this -

snip -

"Picking Joe Biden was more than a strategic move in the Obama campaign. It wasn't just about putting a white man with more experience in the ticket so that he would appeal to middle America. It was about carrying out what Obama has been saying all along: CHANGE, but not just for America, also for the Democrat party. Obama, with the help of Democratic Chairman Howard Dean, have strategically and diplomatically allowed the DLC folks during this election to stick around, but only too slowly weed them out.

You see, this whole Democratic primary has been more than just about who the Democrats will nominate as their presidential candidate -- it's been about internal cleansing of the party. Chairman Howard Dean would have great reason to do so. Back in 2004, the DLC was very critical of Dean's candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. He was told that he was way "too leftist," "too liberal"....something that the DLC is not. Then in 2005 the DLC and its members fought hard to not let Dean become party chairman. The party was split between "Clintonites" who wanted the direction of the party to move to the center, and Dean supporters who wanted the party to move to the left. Dean won, but there was lots of work to do: take the party back from the hands of the centrists.

Obama's vision is indeed the same that Dean had back in 2004; one of change and hope. Dean taught Obama how to raise money online, how to reach young voters, and how to get them excited. Dean has been the man behind the curtain, but Obama himself has grown wings and has reached new altitudes that Dean never could. So, for the progressive, left-wing of the Democratic party, the goal has been achieved -- they have put two of their own in the presidential ticket: Barack Obama and Joe Biden. And, they have potentially ended, 23-years of growing DLC influence in the party."

more:
http://dolores.newsvine.com/_news/2008/08/24/1780851-obama-biden-and-the-end-of-the-democratic-leadership-council-


Members of DLC:
http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/5/27/55951/1586
(Wait....Lieberman!!??)

[polichick]

1. Hadn't thought of that - but it sure sounds good to me. LOVE that Dean!

[Skwmom]

2. A label means nothing. The DLC is the corporate wing of the Democratic Party.

To get rid of that wing would require getting rid of the corporate lobbyists influence/control in D.C which is what Obama talked about in the primary. Sorry, but I just don't see how Biden can be viewed as anything other than a corporate player (especially if even half of what has been posted on the net is true).

Plus, it seems like the DLC got smart and stopped publishing a list of its participants. So who really knows who is DLC other than their ties to corporate America.

I like Dean, but one man can only do so much.

[WheelWalker]

4. Back in the box you go.

[Skwmom]

10. Oh yes. Democrats should be like the Republican base that

the Democrats have rightfully complained about for years.

When the Democratic Party turns into that, I truly will lose all hope.

There are a lot of people upset with the Biden pick b/c they really believed in Obama's "Change You Can Believe In," and we are getting rid of the lobbyist influence in Washington message and they feel like this is not the ticket which will deliver on that promise. The desire to get rid of corporate influence included not only Democrats but disillusioned Republicans and Independents.

Add those voters to the pissed off Hillary voters (who the Republicans and others will be provoking until the election) and that's a lot of voters who can impact the vote in November.

You know, ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away. As they say, the first step in solving any problem is recognizing you have one.

I think Obama made a huge mistake in picking Biden, just like Kerry did in picking Edwards. And I could certainly list the numerous ways that I think the GOP and others will use the VP pick to reduce Obama votes in November. But I won't b/c I'm sure that you'd accuse me of helping the enemy (though I'm sure there's nothing that I could think of that they haven't already).

Obama is going up against two people that are ruthless and good at the political game. Good luck at beating those two, because he's going to need it. I turned on the tv for a few minutes and they were praising Obama's Team but the people doing the praising and the manner in which it was done, gave me the impression that they weren't really praising them at all.

[cyberpj]

14. I was upset with the pick too at first but

I really don't believe Obama could have won with another new face and no experienced VP.

I now believe Biden was the right choice.

The only better choice in my mind would have been a Kennedy. And I'm hoping that's why Ted is trying to make it there, to remind us all of our true DemocratIC roots.

[cyberpj]

12. The DLC members are published at this link:

http://www.nndb.com/group/269/000093987/

It also lists the corporate ties.

[QC]

3. What will become of Austan Goolsbee, the head economist of the DLC?

He still seems to be pretty influential.

[MGKrebs]

5. I think Dean (and Obama) are more about grassroots than

"left" or "right". The revolution they are part of is about giving a greater voice to regular people. That may end up being "centrist" or "left" or "right", but it's the will of the people in any case.

[apnu]

6. Yeah Liberman, just goes to show you what shitty company the DLC keeps. (nt)

[BrklynLiberal]

7. I certainly hope that this is all true.

[Arnold Judas Rimmer]

8. Goodbye DLC. And good fucking riddance

This party has gone straight to Hell under those useless shitstains.

[cyberpj]

13. They're not gone yet and they're going to fight like hell to retain their power. Just watch. nt

[janx]

9. It was less about ideology and more about power.

She got most of it right, however.

[blm]

11. I applaud Dean's chairmanship and always have - but Kerry was the furthest left nominee this nation

ever had, and had a two decade record that was consistently further left than Dean's or any other 2004 primary candidate, including Dennis Kucinich.

Past DLC membership does not predict whether or not someone IS a centrist or will govern as one. Biden's record in the senate was to the right of Kerry's consistently, even though Kerry had been a past memebr of DLC and Biden was not.