Democrats Do Want Change — in DNC Leadership
By Deb Cupples on April 19, 2008 at 6:28 PM in Barack Obama, DNC, Democrats, Donna Brazile, Florida, Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean, Michigan
In early March, I predicted that party leaders’ attempts to sway the Democratic presidential primaries would create a new wave of Independents. Since then, I’ve seen hundreds of comments from democrats expressing intent to register as Independents. Perfectly understandable.
For starters, the DNC’s disenfranchisement of Michigan and Florida (the fourth largest state) was neither forgivable nor an "error," because the DNC did it with ears closed and eyes wide open.
Thursday, DNC leader Howard Dean hurled gasoline on the fire by insisting that super-delegates declare support for a candidate NOW.
In other words, Mr. Dean wants Barack Obama — and he wants him before democrats in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Indiana get a chance to vote (as Susan at No Quarter points out).
Apparently, Dean was unnerved by Obama’s not-so-stellar performance at Wednesday’s ABC-hosted debate. And some Obama supporters were unnerved by media bias in the campaign coverage — likely because much of the earlier displays of bias were in Obama’s favor.
The DNC’s "sins" go beyond Dean’s flip-flopping (weeks ago, he called for super-delegates’ votes by July 1). Some high-profile DNC "leaders" — people who are supposed to represent all ordinary democrats — have publicly taken sides in the primaries and tried to take the nominating process out of ordinary democrats’ hands.
That’s both un-democratic and un-Democratic. It’s also logically questionable, given the numbers. Outside the Beltway points out:
"The most significant of the early contests, which got incredible amounts of media attention, were in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Those states awarded 57, 30, and 54 delegates, respectively. [i.e., 134 delegates]
"Next Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary has 188 delegates at stake.
That’s followed on May 6 with Indiana (84) and North Carolina (134); May 13 with West Virginia (39); May 20 with Kentucky (60) and Oregon (65); and June 1 with Puerto Rico (63). All those states (and territory) award more delegates than New Hampshire and all but West Virginia award more than Iowa."What’s so all-fired important that it can’t wait for six weeks?
"Barack Obama is ahead of Hillary Clinton, 1644 delegates to 1498. The eventual nominee will need 2,025 delegates. Someone will be much closer to that number six weeks from now.
"So, what’s the hurry? It’s not as if the Democratic nominating electorate has expressed an overwhelming preference for one candidate and the other is just a nuisance, as Mike Huckabee was toward the end of his run.
"Surely, the people of the remaining states deserve a chance to weigh
in? Most of them will be competitive in the fall and Oregon is a key Democratic state."If Dean’s goal is to make sure Democratic partisans think the outcome is fair, what could be better than letting the process take its course?"
As a Floridian and a Hillary supporter, I’m doubly unhappy with the DNC — and I don’t usually get emotional over politics.
Why would any ordinary democrat want to be a member of a party whose leaders are so willing to ignore (or shaft) roughly half of the group’s members?
I’m seriously considering re-registering as an NPA (No Party Affiliation) — unless the DNC replaces leaders such as Howard Dean and Donna Brazile (the self-styled "uncommitted" superdelegate who rarely misses an opportunity to protect or promote Obama when she’s on TV).
Remember, we can vote for Democratic candidates in general elections without registering as Democrats or giving money to the DNC.
To let the DNC know how you feel, use this e-mail form or call 202-863-8000 (thanks to NQ for providing the contract info).
Memeorandum has commentary.
Originally posted at the Buck Naked Politics blog.
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Remember, when you get solicited by any democratic organization for money, write Zero in the sum and staple a nasty internet message from an Obama surrogate to the form. Pick a nice filthy one where they call you names you haven’t seen come out of adults mouths in years. If you have a threatening message, staple that one to the form. If you have a message that calls Hillary names related to femal sexual organs, use that one. Then tell them to go get their money from that person. Don’t put a stamp on the return envelope, make Coward Dean pay for the pleasure of being flipped the REAL BIRD.
Uppity, I’m starting to think you were Joan of Arc in a past life.
Hmmmm……St. Joan was ….well…The saint of Uppitiness….No ?
DONE! I’m now printing out the most obnoxious web comments I can find and am hoping I get a DNC mailing every week for the rest of the year!
I also e-mailed Dr. Dean and Dumbo Brazile and told them they should both be fired and that my husband and I are registering as independents thanks to the two of them.
Ahhhhhh. That felt really good!
You know, I read the headlines about Obama, on Yahoo just now it was “Obama “lashes” Clinton for a negative campaign” and I think those people are high on crack, they’re SO out of it.
Don’t they know how insipid they are?
You know how something gets so silly, so out of touch, it reeks of BAD porn, say, 1960’s porn, the Ed Wood of porn, without the talent or quirkiness, but with the fat, Slavic, cross dressing Hollywood producer, spooled in his own world, away from the rest, all set to the cheesiest music, ever?
That’s Obama’s campaign.
In the movie “Irreconcilable Differences” one scene has Ryan O’Neal’s character, a movie director, remaking, as a musical, “Gone With the Wind” starring his character’s girlfriend, (Sharon Stone), as Scarlett.
Stone plays an untalented, uneducated egotistical actress who can’t sing and can’t act, an impossible woman, tantruming while abusing her mother on set, the ” remake” a disaster of logistics and script, O’Neal’s director a hapless fool, emasculated by Stone.
And that’s Obama’s campaign, divide them all, fifty per cent plus one.
I don’t think it’ll work, at least Bush appeared to have a little class.
Obama appears to be trash, run by amateurs, no teeth.
HI uppity,
I’ve done it — and written emails to the DNC outlining my displeasure. Someone is paying attention: I can tell from Sitemeter, which shows that someone from the DNC in DC is searching for my blog by name on Google.
Of course, that NQ is running stories about democrats’ disgust is even better.
I was ahead of the curve. I have been sending nasty letters back to the DNC for months with no money just complaints and I have changed my party affiliation to UNENROLLED/ INDEPENDENT. I made them aware if this change. I was a Democrat for 46 years.
We all need to change our party affiliation now while it will still impact the SD and Coward Dean. Hundreds (thousands) of people fleeing the party should send a clear message to them . Let’s Do It!!!!!!!!!!!
I for one will be changing my party affiliation to independent. I cannot in good conscious ever vote for the likes of Barack Obama. I have voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1972, but no more. The conduct of the Democratic Party during this election has been appalling. And with Obama as the nominee, they are going to find out that their dreams of increasing their margin in Congress are going up in smoke as well, especially since they were elected to hold Bush accountable and wimped out on the one thing they were elected to do. But that’s okay, because it would appear that Obamallamadingdong may be a closet Repuublican anyway.
I for one wish there was a third party alternative. I almost wish Hilary would drop out after the primaries and well before the convention and go in that direction although her loyalty to the Democratic Party seems to be etched in stone. I for the life of me can’t see why after the way they have treated not only her but her husband. And I’m not buying the fact that such a candidacy would help get McCain elected. Certainly there are many out there such as myself that see McCain and Obama as a couple of rotten apples at the bottom of the barrel. At any rate, I can dream can’t I?
Maybe the DNC can’t count to 100. They promised to get it done in 100 freaking days.
Scott,
Yes, perhaps they cannot count.
Well, they obviously think 48 == 50.
Good one!
Clyde you are a dreamer after my own heart. Feel exactly the same. Disney was a dreamer and look what he built. Since we’re dreaming the “impossible made possible” (recent statement by Hillary herself) how bout we dream that PA and remaining states so SEE THE LIGHT that we have both our party AND the only qualified Presidential candidate by June and that’s that.
Clyde I am with you. The party seems to continually nominate the same kind of wimpy candidates. They had a winning formula with Clinton but now seem to want him out of the party. I seem to be missing on what the logic is here.
I registered as an Independent about a month ago. Since I had already voted in the California primary, I had no reason to wait. I sent Dean and the DNC emails in which I told them that they had abandoned the party values. I never received a peep in response.
I’m actually hoping that if enough people change to Independent that we gut the Democratic party of it’s base. It’s no more than they deserve and would certainly send a strong message to the DNC.
And who knows, maybe if enough people join the Independent party they will be a real force to reckon with in the future.
It isn’t even necessary for people to switch to being independent voters. The so-called Reagan Democrats have maintained Democratic registration while voting in Democratic primaries and crossing over to the dark side in the general when the Democrats have failed to nominate someone they could resonate with. I suspect that the “McCainocrats” will do the same–in droves.
excellent point.
and some of us, like me in texas, don’t register by party. we just vote for whoever we like.
we don’t like obama.
Actually, I think Sen. Obama might appeal to the Reagan Democrats - they might like his hopey-changey slogans and his willingness to tell them what they want to hear.
No. Not a chance. They will go for McCain if Hillary isn’t the nominee. They see through Obama. In my opinion.
In my opinion, the most ridiculous thing that Howard Dean keeps saying is “rules are rules”.
And now he is stumping his feet like a 5 years old boy demanding that Superdelegates need to decide now when the rule said they can decide at the convention. They don’t have to decide now or end of June. They can decide at the convention.
Howard Dean just wants to follow the rule when it suits him and his golden boy.
His 50 states policy turned into 48 states, and he hasn’t shown any regret about it. What a leader?!
If rules are rules, why were IA, NH, and SC allowed to break them by moving up their primaries in violation of said rules?
It’s all part of Dean’s strategy to give particular voters more of a say in things.
And because, in Florida’s case, the primary was moved up by the GOP jerks, it was probably a screw-you to them (which is really stupid, because it penalizes the Dems, not the repubs)
go to hillaryisourchoice.com
to send the DNC a letter
Rules are rules only if they bring about the right outcome. FL and MI were punished because they moved their primaries up and now, with Dean calling for the SDs to interfere NOW, he in effect punishes those states that did follow the rules and are patiently waiting their turn to vote.
I agree with you.
They never intended to hold Bush accountable, this democratic Congress, it was a PR ploy from the start.
I hope those corrupt, American betraying democrats lose their seats, and Pelosi goes.
And Dean HAS to go, one way or the other, the democratic party needs reform.
But a third party?
No.
The Kos and Obamabots go, and they will.
I have never seen people with less power preen like dumb turkeys, chasing a mail truck, say.
I would also say, from my perspective, lines have been permanently cut, and this will not play out well, in the future, for some.
It’s one of the things, the erosion of power, you don’t see it happening as it is, but when you look back, you see it was rather obvious.
Forest through the trees, I guess.
Like your comment but not clear. Are you saying you expect Hillary to win? and the nuts can go form their own party?
If so, GREAT IDEA, and hope it plays out that way.
No one has ever deserved a party nomination more than Hillary does. Let’s see it happen by June. Then their camp can have time to go sort themselves out.
Despite what John Nichols of the Nation claimed on NationalPublicRadio this week, we Hillary supporters will not cheerily join the cattle line. There is too much at stake right now, not just for US but whole world, not just for now, but future of our entire planet. RISE HILLARY RISE.
Footnote: I never noticed until today Pelosi looks up for re-election this November. Whatever else is going on, will probably do a lot of long distance volunteering calling on THAT race. She should be sooooooo out.
Every member of the House of Rep. is up for election every 2 years. Pelosi has a rock solid safe seat, unfortunately.
sad if her seat’s safe. but a dem majority isn’t safe if they force their stooge on us. so she would lose her majority leader slot. at least that’s something. she deserves far worse.
correction - speaker slot.
getting sleepy…
Sadly she does, but if the Dems lose control of the House, she won’t be Speaker. lol
Her seat may not be as secure as she thinks. I am getting letters about a woman running against that seems to have some great backing. The only thing i have not seen is whether she is backing Senator Clinton or Obama.
Your points are good, and you certainly have a colorful way of putting things!
So many of us feel the same about the party right now, they need to know that without us, there is not much of a party left.
We’re making it easy at: http://www.writehillaryin.com
No, we’re not giving up at all. We’re sending $$$ and calling the voters and encourage turning our words to action.
Above website has DIRECT LINK COMMENT BOX TO DNC to tell them how you feel. I also appreciate picking up the phone # for them here - in case they don’t get to all their emails.
What’s the hurry? Well.. Howard Dean & Co. are not willing to risk people learning any more about the true Obama, and they sure can’t risk him saying something ridiculous again and further screw up the Dems chances in November. Dean figures if they can get this done, they can spend the next several months CLEANING UP Obama’s image, (sanitized for your protection so to speak)
Dean is so in love with his little strategy that he is willing to ignore, disenfranchise, and lose, more than 50% of the Party. He and Axelrove are having a circle jerk lovefest over their 48 state strategy. Axelrove uses Trippi’s book about Dean’s campaing when he teaches his classes, Dean’s ego just laps that up.
Sorry Howard, Donna, Tom, Nancy, et al, the REST of us happen to be your inconvenient truth: You cannot win without us in November. Your attempts to remake the Party are a dismal failure. You and Obama can call off your flying monkeys who’ve been telling us all week that “they don’t need us” in November.
Well, Good luck trying to win against a moderate/independent (appearing) GOP Candidate in November WITHOUT the lunchbucket Dems, the Bill Clinton Republicans, and the Reagan Democrats.
I thought Dean was a terrific presidential candidate and I was disappointed in his performance but thought his message about a 50 state strategy for the party was good a ground up organization. But he seems to have morphed into John Kerry, to me my worst nightmare. A wimp who want fight for his principles.
It’s such a stupid strategy on Dean’s part. I mean, Obama is who he is — and the essence will come out over time.
Its a shame that Dean isn’t thinking 6 moves ahead.
This has been the most undemocratic Democratic primary I’ve ever seen. The DNC has made it clear that it wants Obama to be the nominee even though at least half of the people voting do not agree. The florida and michigan fiasco doesn’t help. This is a disaster and if Obama gets the nomination, so long to the DNC. I will be registering as an Independent and will not vote for the Democratic candidate in November. This has been a biased and unfair process. Activist groups applying pressure to voters at caucuses does not result in a nominee that reflects the will of the party.
Many people have expressed similar sentiments, but I wonder if they will really refuse to vote for the Dems in November when the pressure starts to mount. I really hope we keep our word and send a message to the DNC in the general election.
They’ll likely vote for Dems (for congress), and some will vote for Obama IF he’s the nominee.
We’re all free to vote for Dems even if we aren’t registered that way. THAT’s what Dean et. al. need to realize.
I will. But I can only vouch for me. That’s the reason I post WIN WITHOUT ME!
People have to follow their own conscience. I accept that. I think it’s wrong to start pressuring people to do someting en masse. The much stronger position is to be resolute in your own intentions. That will attract more power and more energy.
WIN WITHOUT ME!
I am by definition of the Press fit the stereotype of an Obamabot, however I am an ardent Hillary Supporter. I am in process of changing my party afilliation from Democrat to Independent. The democratic party has been hijacked by the Ultra leftist liberals whose believes are so out of touch with maintream America. The party has consitently lost one presidential election after another and it seems never learn from its past mistakes. Somehow, except during the Clinton years, the Democratic party has lost its way it no longer represents the interest and believes of the working class of America.
This would be the first time I vote for a republican for president, and I would do so proudly for McCain, if the democratic party elites are blind enough to nominated Obama.
Do not forget something folks, if this goes to the convention, something else opens up there, the contested caucuses have to be dealt with! How many delegates will Obama lose from his campaigns dirty tactics at his stacked causcuses?
Another freak out for Dean and company from the debate is public exposure of Ayers friendship with Obama.
Why is this important, simple, Ayers of former Weather Underground fame which resulted from a few former pissed off Students for a Democratic Society memeber, being Rudd, Dohrn (Ayers wife) and Ayers was formed.
Some say that was the 60’s, but not true, the Students for a Democratic Society still exist and is growing and Ayers is a part of them and works with them and they are working for Obama! Who do you think are the trolls roaming the net pushing rediculous statements and bully tactics?
That Ayers exposure last week, has oceans full of problems if widely exposed as it should have been months ago! But the media never opened that Pandora’s Box until the debate last week!
The simple fact of the matter is, an Obama White House is a terrorists White House!
Interesting how Dean, Brazile, Kennedy, Kerry, Pesoli, Dodd and Richardson are pressuring for a Terrorist White House, you not think the GOP will have a field day with this fact?
Mel,
You’re dead on: the GOP will have a field day. They’re just waiting for the right time. I don’t understand why the DNC “leaders” don’t get it.
I am not sure that Dean understands just how unhappy many Democrats are about the way he is handling this primary season and the steps that they are willing to take to let their feelings be known. Most of the women that I have heard from on my blog and through my extended network say they either will not vote, will not vote for Obama specifically, and will vote for McCain before they would vote for Obama. Further, unless Florida and Michigan are seated, they will leave the party. According to the polls, one third of Hillary supporters are saying the same thing. So, just what do all of these exasperated Dems have to do in order to make it clear to the party that they ARE NOT KIDDING!?
Really, the situation created by Howard Dean is an outrage. And his demand that the delegates choose sides immediately is an insult to all of us who haven’t yet weighed in with our votes.
Halli Casser-Jayne
http://www.thecjpoliticalreport.com
Emails will help convey the message. Though, the DNC leaders see a bit dull. They seem to want a Democrat, any Dem, to win the White House. Why, I don’t know, because while McCain is scary these days, Obama is somewhat frightening in some respects and a total unknown in others.
How do we know whether Obama is truly better than McCain, given that Obama hasn’t told the truth about who he is?
Huh? I get the impression that Dean, Brazile, et al don’t care about November, they just want Obama at all costs, though HIllary clearly has the best chance in November.
Maybe they prefer to LOSE in November, which has happened ever since the 60s, except for the Clintons (2 terms) and CArter (1 term, then backstabbed by T. Kennedy).
Yes you can vote for your candidate of your chioce, that is the way it is suppose to be, but voting for one to vote against the other at any cost is the wrong thing to do. It is time you think and cast your vote for the qualified candidate.
You should not hold anything against Sen. Hillary Clinton because her husband was a president. The question should be is she qualified to be a President?
You know the answer, she is the most qualified. If you are looking for history, she will be the first woman nominated by any political party in USA. That will be history, help make history America.
I am staying in the party so that I can vote Dean and Brazile into oblivion when the time comes. Brazile thinks she will be “cock of the walk” if she can get Obama elected and I intend to be her Water- loo.
Sounds like a plan! Brazile has been very disingenuous, which bothers me.
moveon .org busted on research ( just like they do on others). THEY WERE AGAINST THE Afghan war!!!!
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/4/19/111736/838#3
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/quiz/?sc=8
EVERYONE
GO TO HILLARY WEBSITE WITH THE LINK ABOVE
AND TAKE A QUIZ ABOUT** WHO SAID THIS**
Yes! Yes! Yes! Dean has to go. I never understood how that hot head who made a fool of himself in the 2004 election ended up as head of the DNC to begin with.
well folks, the college educated (i have a masters), high income (over 400K), are majorly supporting obama, no? if we’re so smart why are we such suckers? ah, idealism, the opium of youth and apparently education. who the hell could support someone who said the repugs are the party of ideas? who doesn’t want to fight the fights of the nineties, which are the good fights, the important fights, the fights all democrats should be eager to fight? obamiacs. i just don’t effin get it. this guy should have been drubbed long ago. will you vote for this guy over mccain? will we have four more years of disaster, of digging the hole deeper? what a mess.
why are dems so stupid? i appreciate the sentiment, but going independent won’t do it. we need to take the democratic party back. impossible? probably, but where are our cojones? gone, gone, totally gone?
We have been knocking on doors for local democratic candidates. The ANGER and total DISGUST with DC dem. leadership among dem. voters is something we have never seen before.
Voters are angry enough to spit nails over the undemocratic caucus system. People are also aware of the difference between states on which voters can vote in the primary (dem., republican or independent) enabling Obama to rent a “democrat for a day”. If you wish to raise voters blood pressure, mention the disenfranchisement of Florida and Mich. voters!!
There is nothing democratic about the dem. primary system, perhaps exposing that fact is Dean’s ONLY accomplishment.
I think Dean/co.are just as surprised as the rest
of us, with all this info.on obama.
if she doe’s well on tue’s she gets the nom.
as some one said on yahoo answers
[ the losers]
dean ,kerry,kennedy, and daschle, need there messiah, to regain power.
they are using obama to WIN the elections they colectively COULNT win.
power parieites….the losers