Time mag says the state chairs exec committee endorsed Fowler for DNC

[BlueInRed]

I was surprised by this one, as I would have expected if they were going against Dean it would have been Rosenberg or Frost. This is a mess! With this development, it's bound to go to a second ballot, IMO.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1022630,00.html?promoid=rss_top

<snip from first paragraph>
"A dent was knocked into the aura of inevitability surrounding Howard Dean's run to be the next Democratic Party chair Sunday afternoon when the executive committee of state party chairs voted to endorse Donnie Fowler rather than Dean. Just last week the former Vermont governor had touted endorsements from some state party leaders. But it was Fowler — bespectacled, Southern, and, at 37, the youngster of the field — who prevailed in Sunday's vote. Fowler, a South Carolinian who lives in California and is the son of former Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Fowler, headed Al Gore's field operation in the 2000 presidential election. Last year he ran the field operation in Michigan for John Kerry, who won that state by three percentage points."
<snip>

[lojasmo]

1. Fie. N/T

[blm]

17. I'm for Dean for prior stated reasons, but am OK with Rosenberg or Fowler.

From all I have heard, it seems those 3 all recognized the need for transparent elections.

I preferred Dean because he seemed most ahead on that issue and the dominance of GOP control on the media.

[Eloriel]

19. Oh, good. Frees Dean up for that '08 run. n/t

[lojasmo]

25. Heh. True 'nough.

I'm just sick of AB(X) politics, of which this is a prime example.

Or perhaps it's a move to pull the party further toward the republican party.

Either way, it smacks of suck.

[Cheswick2.0]

27. yup...maybe the party has woken up and realized Dean is the candidate

for 2008

[Kahuna]

34. Or maybe not?

:shrug:

[latteromden]

2. Shit. I'd rather have almost ANYBODY but Fowler. (n/t)

[xultar]

3. You'd rather have Romer than Fowler? n/t

[latteromden]

5. Key word: "almost." Roemer is one of those ones that fits into the

"worse than Fowler" category. :X

[xultar]

8. Just checking...wasn't sure I couldn't remember the entire DNC slate.

I knew Rosenberg but he's pretty kewl. I was hoping that he wasn't on your crap-ola list.

[BlueInRed]

9. me too (except Roemer....) n/t

[mdmc]

4. sucks for us.

we deserve it.

[lojasmo]

10. What do you mean by "we deserve it"?

Also, what does the GIF in your sig say?

[mdmc]

11. OM MANI PADME HUM

a mantra that purges negative Karma.

We deserve this type of leadership (take Dean's advice - get involved).
We cry like bitches when our leaders fuck us. We need to wake up.

[saracat]

6. Who compromises the Exec Com?

I know my state chair was supporting Dean and that seemed to be the consensus of our Delegation.

[BlueInRed]

7. I have no idea...

I'm also guessing that since it's the executive committee, that may mean the group at large couldn't reach a decision for the entire group. I'd welcome anyone with inside knowledge on how this works.

[janx]

18. That was my first question too, saracat.

The Time article does not make that clear. I'm waiting to hear from the DFA blog about this one.

[necso]

12. Fowler has his own website for the DNC Chair campaign.

http://www.changetheparty.com/

That's not a bad sign. And it's worth a look if you are undecided or thinking about a number 2 pick (this is politics).

He worked for Clark and Kerry. He has nice things to say about Dean and MoveOn. He's young and appears to be willing to listen to people and work with other groups. He also has no established constituency (that I know of). But I really don't know much about him except for a few snippets here and there -- and his website, which would hardly include unflattering stuff. There is, however, the possibility that he may emerge as a "compromise" candidate.

If anybody has anything specific to say against this guy, I am willing to listen.

[KittyWampus]

13. His Website Is An Empty Shell.. Or It Was A Week Ago. There's Almost

no information about Fowler on it.

[necso]

16. Well,

I was just there, and there was some stuff. (This thread got me thinking about Fowler again.) Now, I am not saying that it's the best website that I have ever seen -- but I don't imagine that he would be designing websites at the DNC (or hiring the same guys that designed this one).

[KittyWampus]

20. Somehow, You're Comment Has Me Laughing! My Point Was It Wasn't

easy to get a picture of the fellow from what I read there.

Maybe he's been too busy to fuss with it...

[necso]

30. There doesn't seem to be

a great deal of policy stuff on the website. But I don't see the Chair as being a big policy making position anyway. And if it was me, I would tread carefully in these waters.

The website does seem to be a work in progress -- "Notice: You have an error in your SQL syntax." -- I do?

Personally, I believe in letting local policy emerge from the grassroots. Of course, the battle for national policy is another matter. There I believe in both the grass roots and independent national efforts.

...

I was trying to be bland, non-critical -- and rather oblique. It does have a certain peculiarity about it. Perhaps it was droll.

[DemDogs]

14. Anyone know who is on the executive committee?

What states are on the executive committee? Will the state chairs who disagree step up?

[cally]

15. I liked Fowler when I met him

He seems to be focused on grassroots and winning campaigns. He understands internet activism. He's young and energetic and personable. I'm surprised he got the endorsement but maintain an open mind. I'm not set on Dean being the only person who can help the Dem party.

[Walt Starr]

21. Fowler is unacceptable

Sorry, nobody but Dean.

I'm figuring I'm gone come February 12.

[DaveinMD]

31. more bs

Dean is not the only good Dem. I like Dean. I hope he's the chair. But this attitude is ludicrous. See ya.

[Walt Starr]

36. Sorry I'm through giving in

I've given in every last time for more than two decades. This is my line in the sand. No more.

[Guaranteed]

37. We've also noticed this odd relationship between acting cowardly

and losing....

Maybe it's time to cut it out. :)

[Walt Starr]

38. Dean as DNC chair would eb the first time in two decades

that I will have seen the Democratic Party be anything other than cowards.

[DaveinMD]

39. whatever

there is only Howard Dean. I like the guy, but he is not god. He's not the only worthy Democratic leader. This is another attempt to divide our party.

[Adelante]

22. Fowler's okay with me

Roemer is the only one I can't live with.

[JNelson6563]

23. And those in the trenches in MI groan loudly!

What a useless ass Fowler was in this state for 04. Useless.

Julie

[MontecitoDem]

24. Other than him not being Dean....

what specifics can people offer for and against Fowler? I'm curious.

I've heard some people complain that MI was disorganized, and other people say that it was because the sheer number of volunteers and operations going on were unprecedented.

I saw him at a 21st Century Democrats Grassroots Training - and thought he was pretty impressive for this type of position. He recognizes the new media mean a different level of involvement from volunteers, and he seems thrilled about that. I understand he was very disappointed with the Clark campaign when the alleged "Washington-types" came in to take over, and that the disconnect between the draft-Clark movement and the traditional consultants caused some serious friction. He's religious, he's from the south but has lived in the Bay Area for a long time. He's the son of a former head of the DNC. That's about the extent of my knowledge about him.

Truthfully, I'm not wildly interested in who the next chair is, because the real work is for us at the grassroots and within our state party organizations, I think. Just looking for some actual facts and info.

thanks!

[BlueInRed]

26. I've been watching him on CSPAN

and I cannot imagine this guy on the Sunday talk shows. So far, all the others I can see sitting by Russert, but I can't see him doing it.

I've read a lot of negative things about him on this board. Maybe they're not true, but they were enough to give me pause in favor of several others. Maybe a search would turn up some of the threads that touched on his service.

[Cheswick2.0]

28. so they have decided to endorse the candidate most likely to be

a tool for the party big shots. Not surprizing.

[DaveinMD]

32. based on what

[cali]

29. Let's face it

something about this just stinks. I knew it was going to happen, but Fowler? If they'd backed Rosenberg, I could accept that,. Fowler? Forget it. Any nepotism involved? After all, his father was a popular and powerful former DNC chair. If Fowler becomes chair, the DNC won't see another penny from me.

[Rose Siding]

40. You'd think DNC state chair would assure party loyalty

but that isn't necessarily so. Take the LA state chair for instance...

Celebration inspires bipartisan spirit of giving

WASHINGTON -- Shaw Group CEO Jim Bernhard Jr. may have been elected chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party, but that didn't stop his company from donating $100,000 for Republican President Bush's second inauguration.
...
Bernhard, whose company has contributed to both parties in the past, said he didn't expect any Democratic complaints about the bipartisan giving.
...
An analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics showed that the Shaw Group political action committee gave $124,565 to federal candidates in 2004: 40 percent to Democrats and 60 percent to Republicans. In the 2002 election, it split its giving 50-50.

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1106206163291010.xml

I don't know WHY that's not a huge scandal. If that's how all the "elected Democratic officials" operate, how can we trust anything they do at the top?

[ynksnewyork2]

33. Just heard that on the news

[Connie_Corleone]

35. I'm fine with Fowler or Rosenberg.

Either one would be good choices.