Webb Endorses Dean

by Chris Bowers, Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 09:55:24 AM EST

Another big win for Dean:Wellington Webb dropped out of the race to chair the Democratic National Committee today and endorsed former Vermont governor Howard Dean for the job.

Webb, a former three-term Denver mayor, pulled out of contention immediately after an influential group of state Democratic Party chairpeople overwhelming supported Dean, a 2004 presidential candidate who promises to rally the "Democratic wing of the Democratic Party."

Also today, Colorado Democratic Chairman Chris Gates backed Dean after stumping for Webb for more than a month.

If inevitability was dead yesterday, today it is an undead zombie rampaging the populace:Some senior Democratic operatives say unease about a Dean chairmanship is widespread among congressional leaders and many governors. But almost none of those grumbling privately have expressed their concerns publicly -- in part, some believe, because they fear crossing the ardent grass-roots, Internet-activist community still backing Dean. Wow. Fear.

Tags: Democrats (all tags)

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As I updated:

The Oregon DNC Member delegation supports Dean for Chair. Blogger & DNC Member Jenny Greenleaf has posted a note about the Oregon delegation on The American Street (PR to follow). This includes Meredith Smith of the ASDC Executive Committee, who is now on board with Dean. That's 6 more votes for Dean.

by Jerome Armstrong 2005-01-31 09:57AM | 0 recs

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Re: As I updated:

Is it six or three? It seems that three members are still undeclared from the website.

by Parker 2005-01-31 10:03AM | 0 recs

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Re: As I updated:

5 votes.

by Jerome Armstrong 2005-01-31 10:35AM | 0 recs

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Re: As I updated:

Do you know who Herman Ferrell voted for on the ASDC executive committee vote?

by Andrew C White 2005-01-31 10:11AM | 0 recs

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fingers crossed....

...i can't stand it!!! f12 won't get here soon enough for me.

being a veteran of the imperfect storm, i'm still not ready to celebrate our "inevitability". i would advise caution. jerome, at this point, i get the sense that everything's happening behind closed doors. do we even have any influence over the process at this point, or are we merely observing from the outside?

it seems to me that the only thing we can do at this point is keep writing VERY NICE letters to our in-state dnc members.

by annatopia 2005-01-31 10:23AM | 0 recs

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Wouldn't you be scared?

I mean just look what happens when you say Dean is your second choice, let alone that you don't support him...

But hey, that's a really terrific sign, cause it means that they are really paying attention to the blogs, and the press that they now can create...

by Alex Urevick 2005-01-31 10:00AM | 0 recs

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Re: Wouldn't you be scared?

Yeah you are right, but we have already been Kerry'd in the primaries, so no more Mr. Nice Guy...

by Parker 2005-01-31 10:04AM | 0 recs

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What the Republican base has

going for it is that their leaders fear them. It's a good sign that ours is begining to fear us.

by bruh21 2005-01-31 10:04AM | 0 recs

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DNC chair

Howard Dean Has The Power!

by susan1 2005-01-31 10:04AM | 0 recs

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Re: DNC chair

Yikes! no celbrating till all the votes are counted.

by Parker 2005-01-31 10:08AM | 0 recs

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Re: DNC chair

Parker as a voice of reason. I must be dreaming! ;-)

by Alex Urevick 2005-01-31 10:20AM | 0 recs

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Dean weaving

a Webb of alliances and suppport to rebuild the Democratic Party and propel it to its former prominence and greatness.

We the People support Dr. Howard Dean.

by Andrew C White 2005-01-31 10:06AM | 0 recs

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Regarding fear...

I posted this on dKos on the same subject...

Keep the pressure on...

I sent the following note to my local DFA group this weekend.
The democratic "powers that be" are starting to pay attention. We have their attention.

Lots of good discussion below about what is and is the a special interest or the voice of the people but that is a sideline to the main point I think which is that we here have a direct voice and are building a direct form of communication with the party leadership and they are starting to try and figure it out... and yes, fear it in some cases. They need our help in figuring it out. We need to keep the pressure on, scold them when they need scolding, appalud them when they deserve applauding, and direct them in a loud, clear, and firm voice on things we consider of the utmost importance...

Filibustering Gonzales for instance

Anyhow... this is communication and bond building vehicle is very important... and frankly it has nothing to do with Howard Dean at this point... this is ours to do and benefit from. Dr. Dean has helped make it possible but this is ours.

Anyhow... here is what I wrote to my local DFA group:

Hi Folks,

I just forwarded to you the following email from Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. A week before I received another email from him announcing a new web site, http://democrats.senate.gov/, which I also forwarded to you.

In the last week, the Senate Democratic Communications Center, which Sen. Reid opened at the beginning of the year, http://reid.senate.gov/record2.cfm?id=230369, began posting diaries at DailyKos, http://www.dailykos.com/user/Senate%20Democratic%20Communications%20Center/diary. Also, Senator Barbara Boxer posted a "thank you" diary at DailyKos, http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/27/124226/410.

Also, Donnie Fowler one of the candidates for DNC Chair, has been posting diaries at MYDD, http://donnie.mydd.com/. Likewise, Simon Rosenberg one of the other candidates, made a brief foray into commenting at DailyKos but has not followed up though one of the regular posters there and at MYDD, Matt Stoeller, is working for him and presumably posting for him.

I find this all very encouraging. I think some of the Democratic leaders and beginning to "get it." Certainly Harry Reid appears to get it. A direct two-way communication with the on-line activist community and a real effort to reach out to all of us. I say two-way because Ari Rabin-Havt, Reid's Director of Internet Communications, is the one posting under the name Senate Democratic Communications Center, and he is reading and responding to the comments. He even went so far as to directly email me to respond to a comment I made thereby giving me the opportunity to respond directly as well. I took advantage of the opportunity to suggest that they have more Senators post diaries about what projects they are working on thereby building that two-way direct communication between them and us. I also told Sen. Reid to make sure the Senators take a hard-line stand on Gonzales and filibuster his nomination. Gonzales must not be AG and Bush needs to be handed the defeat.

We are already making a difference. They are listening. They may stumble around a bit and I'm sure they won't do everything we want or the way we want it but we have an opportunity that has not be present before. Direct influence and communication with our parties leaders.

If you get to feeling down about what is happening in this country recognize that we have already made a difference and that we are turning the tide. There is still much to be done and "miles to go before [we] sleep" but the process has begun and we just need to keep the pressure on and not let up for a minute.

Peace,

Andrew

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

by Andrew C White 2005-01-31 10:17AM | 0 recs

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Re: Regarding fear...

First, we need to convince the DLC that they don't have to fear the "Democratic wing of the Democratic party" or "liberals". My biggest reason for supporting Dean has been that he will discredit the demonization of the Democratic party as "too liberal". The DLC types should be overjoyed that everybody to the right of Kennedy and Kerry automatically becomes a centrist, in terms of public perception, with Dean at the helm.

It's about time the Democratic party started paying more attention to the grassroots than they do to Limbaugh and O'Reilly. Once we rid the DLC of its Deanophobia, we can go to work on America.

by Gary Boatwright 2005-01-31 10:40AM | 0 recs

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You are an optimist

The DLC, or at least it's current leadership, is a lost cause. I do not believe they are salvagable. I welcome it if it happens but until there is some sort of sign that they do not consider me and my kind as the enemy then I have no choice but consider them as the enemy within.

It is unfortunate but the DLC needs to be neutered.

by Andrew C White 2005-01-31 10:52AM | 0 recs

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Re: You are an optimist

Honestly, I think we make a much bigger deal about the institutional juice of the DLC than is warranted. Their authority and power to pull strings within the party peaked somewhere around 1996.

It's more fun to envision a 'DFA/Reform' vs. 'DLC' epic smackdown, but that's not really needed or useful.

What's useful is to integrate the active online community, one by one, into the stale or defunct precinct / town Democratic committees and incalcitrant state parties, fully in contact with each other along the way.

I know this process is already in full swing, but there are lots of well-meaning and blog-unsavvy DNC folks who don't really understand where Kos and MyDD folks fit in to the big picture. There shouldn't be a doubt in their minds in the months and years ahead.

Staying positive, staying focused...

by CT Lex 2005-01-31 11:02AM | 0 recs

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You are probably right...

just because the DLC sought to humiliate Dean, Dean clearly showed after the primaries he was a team player, and did himself a world of good by not holding a grudge.

We could do worse than emulate Hoho. There is a reason why his supporters would walk through hell for him.

Since March 2003, I have seen him grow in stature and credibility, and look forward our friends finding out about Dean what the rest of us already know.

by nanorich 2005-01-31 11:16AM | 0 recs

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Re: You are an optimist

I think you are right on a couple counts here. Right now the DLC still holds too much sway as far as I am concerned. I think they need a solid defeat to finish the job but I agree that it does seem as if they have peaked and are already waning. This is good news for Democrats and the Democratic Party.

Of greater importance is strengthening the Party at the local and state levels. One of the reasons I am fully on board with Democracy for America is the drive to get grass/net roots folks to take seats on their local town, city, and county committees as well as running for local office wherever they are. This can result in nothing but goodness for all concerned. Our experience here in New York is that in many places we are welcomed with open arms but in others it is the "barbarians at the gate" syndrome. We're working on it though and enough are open to us, and enough existing committee people supported Dean and us, that I have no fear but that we and the Democratic Party will come out much stronger for the relationship.

I strongly encourage everyone here to contact their local committees and find out how to get involved. Most committees have open seats available to be filled.

As for blog-unsavvy DNC folks and elected officials... there is much work to be done but some folks are starting to get it. See my comments on fear. It is a work in progress but we are succeeding.

by Andrew C White 2005-01-31 11:29AM | 0 recs

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Re: You are an optimist

That's the spirit!

My own experience with the New Haven Town Committee and others in CT is that the average age is somewhere near 105 and their eyes popped out when a handful of young folks walked in the door.

I imagine also that, despite all the differences across regions (organizing in Manhattan vs. Cobb County, Ga., for example), there are a LOT of shared problems with jumpstarting (or modernizing)old precinct bodies.

What's the best way to share strategies and stories about local organizing? Is DFA already doing a good enough job here?

Anyway, glad we see eye to eye...

by CT Lex 2005-01-31 01:34PM | 0 recs

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Fear and Loathing

Are what both parties have been running on for a long time, so it makes sense that they're turning this paradigm of fear upon themselves.

George Bush has made us afraid of Not Us.

The Democrats would have us fear George Bush and Gang.

It's what the whole ABB railroad was about in the Democratic Primary.

They're practicing self-voodoo by this point, I'm sure, sticking pins in themselves and then screaming OUCH, who's hurting me!

So it sure doesn't take much to scare them, does it?

Uggie Buggie, DNC!

The problem with trying to rule through fear is, at some point, the people become immured and unresponsive to fear tactics.

I think about 75% of the Democratic Party is indicating that's where we are now, with their support of Howard Dean.

by Patricia Taylor 2005-01-31 10:41AM | 0 recs

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Re: Fear

It would be even better if they actually welcomed us. After all, we're not fanatical lunatics like those the Republican Party has sold its soul to.

Hopefully with Howard Dean's leadership they will begin to realize that we ARE the Party, not some "interest group" (cough, Roemer, cough) to be regarded with suspicion.

by Jim in Chicago 2005-01-31 11:14AM | 0 recs

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Fear?

What they fear is losing their phony-baloney jobs, gentlemen. And to the extent that's true, they should fear "the ardent, grass-roots, internet-activist community."

Are we not Democrats? Do they work for us or the other way around? They are not succeeding at their job and we, the people, are doing something about it. They either got to get it going or get gone.

by James Earl 2005-01-31 11:54AM | 0 recs

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Webb endorsed?

I heard him on Saturday and he said to a friend of mine that he didn't think Dean should be the face of the Democratic Party. The overall feel from the many there was that Fowler wins (in a really tight race) cause, "Dean's got DFA, he doesn't need the Party tood." Ridiculous!!

by bendygirl 2005-01-31 12:46PM | 0 recs

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Re: Webb endorsed?

Webb's done an about-face. In today's WaPo about the ASDC endorsement, Webb is quoted as saying "it was mathematically clear that Dean has the votes to win on the first ballot."

by KimPossible 2005-02-01 03:46AM | 0 recs

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Re: Webb Endorses Dean

Are what both parties have been running on for a long time, so it makes sense that they're turning this paradigm of fear upon themselves.

George Bush has made us afraid of Not Us.

The Democrats would have us fear George Bush and Gang.

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