Funny how that Carville stuff spreads....from a TN blog. Tongue in cheek?

[madfloridian]

"Ford Will Run Again, but Not for DNC Chair -- The Chattanooga Times Free Press is still speculating about what outgoing Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. might do next. Adding to the speculation a TV gig may be in store, on Friday morning’s "Fox & Friends" on the Fox News Channel, co-host Brian Kilmeade said the congressman would "be great" on the show. Ford himself said he will likely run for office again, although Ford did turn down an offer by James Carville to run to replace Democratic Chairman Howard Dean."

http://www.tnpoliticsblog.com/2006/11/daily_dose_197.php

I think this may be tongue in cheek. Dear James Carville Matalin..just hush before stuff like this takes roots.

And James, will you please quit offering Howard Dean's job to folks? And tell Mary she goofed last year when she predicted he would be gone. You guys are a pair, you really are.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/611

[WCGreen]

1. He's gonna run against Lamar!

[hopein08]

7. That's what I think would be best...

if he wants to run for office again, that is.

IMHO, a TV gig (especially on Faux) is most definitely NOT a springboard into being a legitimate candidate for anything.

[SharonAnn]

8. Lamar Alexander will be much tougher to beat than Corker was.

[WCGreen]

14. It depends on if the Dems can present a solid difference

between the pro business and rich folks that the GOP favors and the working people that have been called populists in the past...

If they do that, Tenn is doable and Lamar! is beatable...

[Lurking Dem]

15. Lamar has 30 years

of political connections/clout in this state. I don't see Ford beating him.

[madfloridian]

2. More...people really seem to think this is within Carville's power!

This is really striking to me that he can so casually say this. Another statement about this issue...it's a good statement, but it shows that there is no real understanding of the chairman's post. At least I would rather think that than to consider this a power play.

http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=5666215

"In recent days, pundits have speculated about Harold Ford Jr.'s possible interest in the Chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee having lost his bid for one of Tennessee's soon-to-be-vacated U.S. Senate seats.

Ford's stature on the national scene was elevated as a result of nationwide media interest in the race and in his candidacy.

Today, his communications director, Carole Andrews, blasted the media with an email alert, quoting Ford Jr., indicating that the DNC post was not to be.

"I have just finished a tough Senate election, and while I care about the future direction of my party, I am not interested in taking over the DNC. We are now the majority party in the House and Senate, and it is time to move beyond the politics of the campaign and work towards bringing the country together around a common agenda that will strengthen us at home and abroad."

As far as I know only one person mentioned it. Look at the stature it gave him. I hate to think it was meant that way. He gets to turn down the DNC chair, that is what it looks like. No, he doesn't.

[peacetalksforall]

3. This isn't just a Carville-Dean thing, it's DLC-DNC. Sad. All

power to Dean and the DNC and I'll say that since this is already a polarized thing.

I believe center or left and far left is a really stupid argument in general. Everyone one of us if all over the place if and when we make a list of all the issues important to us and measure ourselves. A little center here and a far left there.

It depends on the issue. (I didn't say It depends on the issue, stupid.)

I am far left on the equality of man.
I am far left on man killing man.
I am far left on separation of church and state.
I am center on spending, but far left on disasters and far left on my expectation of government plans and funding and on my expectations of exquisite management and execution in the event of disasters supported by taxpaying citizens independent of individual aid and charity.
etc etc

I think we are all a little all over the place and meet in the center about certain things and that distinction MUST be made. The DLC seems to ignore that.

I wish someone would teach me what the virtues of the DLC are. I never knew I resented them until about ten years ago and I still don't have it straightened out in my head, but don't like what I see. I am particularly bothered about the weak arguments when invited to appear on tv and I'm bothered that for many years, only DLC people got invited to those shows where they were way too lukewarm and condescending.

What have they ever done to pressure right wing networks to cover the news conferences of the Congress members after some event in the chambers? What did they ever do to lay it on the line about the orchestrated war against and the character assassinations of the Clintons, Gores, and Dean?

[madfloridian]

4. Glenn Greenwald posts how something spreads like this...

http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/2006/11/how-myth-gets-built-into-conventional.html

Saturday, November 11, 2006
How myth gets built into conventional wisdom

(1) James Carville tells The New Republic's Ryan Lizza that he thinks Harold Ford should replace Howard Dean as DNC Chair. Lizza turns that into a claim that "some big name Democrats want to oust DNC Chairman Howard Dean, arguing that his stubborn commitment to the 50-state strategy and his stinginess with funds for House races cost the Democrats several pickup opportunities."

That in turn leads Anne Kornblut in her article today in The New York Times -- identifying the "winners and losers" in the midterm elections -- to assert that "the jury is still out on Howard Dean" because:

"With rumblings of a movement to draft Mr. Ford to replace Mr. Dean at the national committee, several Democrats privately said Mr. Emanuel was winning the power struggle.

“It’s pretty clear that the committees work and the D.N.C. works, but they don’t work together,” said James Carville, the Democratic strategist. “And now we’re getting ready to gear up in a presidential year, and I think Harold Ford would be a great chairman.”"

It's a "movement" of one, because all of this comes from James Carville's stray comment placed in TNR (and he's also the only one Kornblut quotes). But now this will be conventional wisdom -- tacitly accepted everywhere and never examined -- that Dean is in trouble, that a major faction of the Democratic Party wants Dean out as DNC Chair, that there is a war among various Democratic factions over Dean."

Glenn is right about how "conventional wisdom" spreads.

My take on Carville's statement

[madfloridian]

5. Wow, more from CNN...conventional wisdom spreads.

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. declared Monday he has no interest in chairing the Democratic National Committee, tamping down speculation he would challenge current chairman Howard Dean for the post.

"I have just finished a tough Senate election, and while I care about the future direction of my party, I am not interested in taking over the DNC," the Tennessee Democrat said in a statement released by his campaign. "We are now the majority party in the House and Senate, and it is time to move beyond the politics of the campaign and work towards bringing the country together around a common agenda that will strengthen us at home and abroad."

Ford unsuccessfully sought retiring Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's, R-Tennessee, seat. He leaves office when the 110th Congress convenes early next year and has given no indication as to his future plans.

"The attention of the world is upon us and it is time the Democratic Party take the country in a new direction," Ford stated.

[applegrove]

6. Fox is always trying to pick of future Dem leaders and diminish them

by making them pundits on their version of reality called "FOX".

[AtomicKitten]

9. Pssst: DNC Chair is not as lifetime appointment.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2957424&mesg_id=2960724

[gratuitous]

10. And while we're at it . . .

Dean's 50-state strategy seems to have worked pretty well in a "let's take back a majority of both houses of Congress" kind of way. It wasn't a complete and total victory, but damn it's as good as the Democrats have seen in over a decade. I'd say let Dr. Dean build on the strategy he's working on. The Republicans have to defend 22 Senate seats in 2008; let's see what kind of knots we can tie the GOP into under those circumstances, hmmm?

[AtomicKitten]

11. Yep, his strategy will pay off in the national election in 2008.

"Many hands make the load lighter."

[sallyseven]

12. Took back a bunch of Governorships and state senate

and Representatives seats. NH went Democrat for the first time in 100 years. The fifty state game plan works. Gets every on in to the act. Carvill should shut up.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

13. So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night

I hate to go and leave this pretty sight

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu

Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu

So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehen

I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye

I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye -- Goodbye!