MyDD :: DNC Chair: It's a Full Time Job!

DNC Chair: It's a Full Time Job!

by kmthurman06, Tue Nov 16, 2004 at 12:58:52 PM EST

Tom Vilsack was in Germany last week and letting people know he wants a new job. Problem is, Vilsack -- who happens to hold down the job of governor of Iowa -- has two more years in his current one.

Influential Dem Moines Register Columnist David Yepsen says of Vilsack's flirtation with DNC Chair: "Iowans need our governor here, minding the store, not running about stirring up partisan passions. Just the mere talk of his taking the chairmanship threatens the spirit of good will Vilsack was trying to foster with legislative Republicans after the election." I would feel the same if my governor planned to put his duties on hold to moonlight somewhere else. Both jobs demand his full attention. One is bound to suffer -- and one of the two will have to be sacrificed.

Jerome at MyDD says that Pelosi and Reid are with Vilsack. I hope not. But I wonder: why would Nancy Pelosi hand the job to a sitting Governor, when she believes, as we all do, that we need the next chair's full attention focused on 2006?

The other solution: Vilsack as the figurehead of the DNC, with someone else truly running our party. The National Journal's Hotline asked yesterday "who will be Vilsack's `running mate'?" With all due respect to the National Journal -- it doesn't matter. We need a chair fully devoted to spending his time rebuilding the Democratic Party -- not a show pony with a handler. The only time a sitting governor or Senator has been Chair or Co-Chair is when we controlled the White House.

Lets make sure people know that the DNC Chair is a full time job -- and that in Governor Howard Dean, we have just the person to do it.

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not really (none / 0)

There are plenty of precedents for a "General" chairman as spokesman and a more managerial chair/ executive director to run the day to day mechanics of fundraising, party building and managing the staff.

In fact, since Dean has never run a staff that size (other than the tail end of his campaign) and is not particularly experienced in the details of building a large donor and voter base ...it will be crucial that he too have an effective executive director, who may or not be called something like "national chair."

Or I guess I've forgotten that Howard Dean, whom I genuinely admire and am proud to have supported in the primaries, is superman and the only one who can run the Democratic Party ...

by desmoulins on Tue Nov 16, 2004 at 01:39:58 PM EST

Re: not really (none / 0)

Actually, there has only been co-chair situations while the Dems do not control the whiter house. Instead the Chair is responsible for the running of the party, in coordination with his staff.

And yes Howard Dean will have an executive director as well and many more people.

After all someone has to clean his supersuit.

by kmthurman06 on Tue Nov 16, 2004 at 01:58:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: not really (none / 0)

From 97 to 2000, Ed Rendell was general chairman and Joe Andrew ran day to day operations with the title of chairman.

by desmoulins on Wed Nov 17, 2004 at 12:44:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: not really (none / 0)

Okay this doesn't make much sense at all. The comparison is moot, Rendell did not have another job and we held the White House

Also, as I have said before no one expects Governor Dean to run day to day operations, Mcauliffe didn't.

Keep finding examples. Gov. Dean will have a COO and there has not been a an elected official who held the post while he was in office unless we controlled the White House.

by kmthurman06 on Wed Nov 17, 2004 at 11:27:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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