posted on December 12, 2004 12:13:35 AM new
DNC chair hopefuls outline visions
No frontrunner evident at assembly of party leaders
Saturday, December 11, 2004 Posted: 7:24 PM EST (0024 GMT)
Howard Dean is considering a run for the national party job.
RELATED
• Democratic National Committee
POSSIBLE CANDIDATES
Jim Blanchard, former Michigan governor
Howard Dean, former Vermont governor
Donnie Fowler, campaign organizer
Martin Frost, Rep. from Texas
Harold Ickes, former Clinton adviser
Ron Kirk, former Dallas mayor
Simon Rosenberg, founder of New Democrat Network
Wellington Webb, former Denver mayor
Source: The Associated Press
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (AP) -- Eight potential candidates to head the Democratic Party pledged on Saturday a renewed commitment to win votes from churchgoers and appeal to people throughout the South and West.
The next chairman of the Democratic National Committee will become one of the party's leading opponents to President Bush's second-term agenda and a principal planner of the Democrats' strategy to rebound from widespread losses in recent years.
In February, nearly 450 committee members will pick for a successor to Terry McAuliffe, a close ally of former President Clinton who is stepping down after four years in the post.
No favorite was evident this weekend at an assembly of state party leaders.
In five-minute speeches to the gathering of Democratic officials, the possible contenders did not mention the party's defeated presidential nominee, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. But they described many areas where the national party needs to improve.
Candidates called for fresh talent, better communication with voters, new ways to campaign on values and a strategy for attracting support in rural areas. Democrats must become a more tenacious rival to the GOP, they said.
"We can't be the pussycat opposition," said former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard. "We've got to be the hard-hitting loyal opposition. Every Republican member of Congress who voted to have an indicted leader ought to be ousted and defeated."
Blanchard drew a rare interruption of applause for his reference to the House Republicans' recent change to party rules that will protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay's leadership status even if he is indicted as a a result of a campaign finance investigation in Texas.
The candidates insisted the party has the values to win broader support, but is not doing a good enough job of conveying that message.
"Too many Americans see our party as a coalition of disparate voices, but they don't understand our basic principles," said former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk. "That's our fault."
Nearly every candidate spoke of a "50-state strategy." That is a position popular with the state leaders, a majority of whom represent states neglected by Kerry's campaign.
Kerry concentrated his resources on fewer than 20 states where the race against President Bush was predicted to be close. The Democrat conceded much of the South and West to the Republican incumbent.
But as one of Kerry's rivals during the primaries, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, pointed out, Democrats were successful in winning state and local office in many parts of those regions.
"We won in Alabama, we won in Georgia. We won in Idaho, we won in South Carolina," Dean said, mocking his notorious "scream" speech from the night of the Iowa caucus that sealed his defeat in the Democratic primary.
With that election behind him, Dean is considering a run for the national party job. He distributed copies of his book, "You Have the Power," autographed for every state chairman, along with some Vermont maple syrup and a coupon for free Ben and Jerry's ice cream.
"We won in a lot of states that are so-called red states," Dean said, referring to those states that went to Bush. "There is not such thing as a red state or a blue state. They're all purple."
Aides said Dean wants to make sure he can win before declaring himself a candidate and that he is looking at the possibility of running for president again.
Other possible candidates for the DNC position include:
--Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb. He promoted his experience in winning elections in the West. He ticked off specific complaints from several states, such as money problems in South Dakota and Republican's Spanish-language advertising in Nevada.
--Texas Rep. Martin Frost, who lost re-election on November 2. He stressed his southern roots and noted that Democrats picked up seats in Congress while he was leading their re-election effort in the late 1990s.
--Former Clinton adviser Harold Ickes, who talked about his long career in politics and his most recent project -- overseeing more than $200 million in spending on Democratic issues through new kinds of independent spending groups knows as 527s.
--Simon Rosenberg, founder of the centrist New Democrat Network. He urged the party not to cede the debate about values to the Republicans and to look for modern ways to communicate with voters.
--Donnie Fowler, an experienced campaign organizers who has worked on the past four presidential campaigns. He warned the party against letting Republicans define where they compete and called for change in party communications.
_________________
To Quote John Kerry in his concession speech. "But in an american election, there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morning we all wake up as Americans
posted on December 12, 2004 08:03:10 AM new
Libra, you poor little dummy, you have no idea what you posted or why you posted it and I doubt you even read it.
posted on December 12, 2004 08:45:42 AM new
I wouldn't have posted it unless I have read it.
I doubt if you read it crowfarm. They talk about moral values, they talk about churches. What they didn't say, but meant, John Kerry was the wrong person, He had no leadership or guidance. My point is that if the democrats want to win they need to get to the root of america where moral values are important, and going to church is of the utmost. Now I know yeager and crowfarm don't agree with it but the majority of Americans are church going people and want moral values. They don't want the riff raff of the ungrateful movie stars and such.
My point is yeager you bash the churches in anyway you can but in the end they will win out.
_________________
To Quote John Kerry in his concession speech. "But in an american election, there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morning we all wake up as Americans
posted on December 12, 2004 10:07:09 AM new
Libra, you're totally mistaken if you think all "church-going" people are good decent moral people and those that don't go to church aren't......it's totally illogical, untrue, and just plain stupid.
What in the heil does THIS mean?.....
"""They don't want the riff raff of the ungrateful movie stars and such. """
posted on December 12, 2004 10:44:35 AM new
::What they didn't say, but meant, John Kerry was the wrong person, He had no leadership or guidance.::
Uh..no! Libra, the only people still obsessing on the past are republican. the democratic leadership is looking forward. They qare looking at what needs to be done to take back control and since everyone knows that Hillary is leading the pack for 2008 there is no point in focusing on the past.
If you watched Dean this morning you would know what the real focus is rather than what republicans think it is.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on December 12, 2004 02:29:20 PM new
Well the republicans won because of moral values and church goers. Isn't that what is said in the article that they have to renewe commitment to win votes from churchgoers that they have to win the south and west. Well put up Hiliary and then you will get that impeached president Bill as the first man. A very moral person.
Candidates called for fresh talent, better communication with voters, new ways to campaign on values and a strategy for attracting support in rural areas. Democrats must become a more tenacious rival to the GOP, they said
That is from that article. How do you start a new campaign on values when you have slime balls like Michael Moore and Alec Baldwin. If the democrats do that then they loose the California vote.
Fresh Talent like Howard Dean. Ya right, the screamer. Better communication with voters. Sounds Republican to me.
_________________
To Quote John Kerry in his concession speech. "But in an american election, there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morning we all wake up as Americans
posted on December 12, 2004 02:31:17 PM new
Fenix, tell us what is the real focus?
_________________
To Quote John Kerry in his concession speech. "But in an american election, there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morning we all wake up as Americans
posted on December 12, 2004 04:08:03 PM new
I think Bill Maher said it best when he said the republicans are the sorest bunch of winners he'd ever seen. Your guy won the election and you're all still bummed out and mad at Clinton.
posted on December 12, 2004 04:23:52 PM new
Libra says, """Fresh Talent like Howard Dean. Ya right, the screamer. ""
Gee, libra, you must've conveniently missed ZELL MILLER'S speech at the Republican Convention....well, that's ok....most Republicans hoped and prayed more people missed it. The Dems did miss a golden opportunity to point out the "screamers" and mad men in the Republican party.
AND you haven't answered my question yet:
What in the heil does THIS mean?.....
Libra says, """They don't want the riff raff of the ungrateful movie stars and such. """
posted on December 12, 2004 05:21:33 PM newYou mean Ronald Reagan or Governor AHnold ????
Good one, crowfarm!!!!
Cheryl
"Success in almost any field depends more on energy and drive than it does on intelligence. This explains why we have so many stupid leaders."
-Sloan Wilson
posted on December 12, 2004 09:31:24 PM new
I said who the riff raff was. You just can't seem to read and I am not going to type it again.
There you go again crow using your cryptic ways to swear at me. Boy, you sure are predictable. How come a lady, well maybe your not one, can talk the way you do. What you need is morals. Maybe the Democrats can find them for you but then again there is probably no hope for you.
And I honestly doubt, except for you and Cheryl that Ronald Reagon, well maybe RR Jr. is, and Arnold are riff raff.
Libra, you're totally mistaken if you think all "church-going" people are good decent moral people and those that don't go to church aren't......it's totally illogical, untrue, and just plain stupid.
I was just posting this for you crowfarm. Well I did highlight the more important parts for you but just incase you didn't read it The democrats talk about moral values, which you are lacking, and getting the churchgoers of which you aren't.
_________________
To Quote John Kerry in his concession speech. "But in an american election, there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morning we all wake up as Americans
posted on December 13, 2004 03:40:31 AM new
libra, you have made so many blatantly bigoted and ignorant posts here it's ridiculous.
First of all, I think that you have a grudge against people who wear hip hop clothes and don't attend church. I think that I have pointed out to you that not all people that go to church are honorable or moral. And people who wear hip hop clothes (what ever that means) are not dishonest. Think of the corporate executives that ran Enron into the ground and took the pension of many many people with them. Hip hop clothes or high dollar suit???????? Moral or not?????? A couple of them are attending church on Sunday in the prison chapel.
John Kerry was the wrong person, He had no leadership or guidance. My point is that if the democrats want to win they need to get to the root of America where moral values are important, and going to church is of the utmost.
Well now, would that include the struggling black woman living in a old house in a bad neighborhood in Detroit? You know, the one who works every day and tries to keep her children safe and takes them to church every Sunday. Or is the group of rich folks that was shown in Fahrenheit 911, where Bush said at a lavish party, "you are my base"?
Now I know yeager and crowfarm don't agree with it but the majority of Americans are church going people and want moral values.
So are you saying that people who don't go to church don't want moral values? A moral value is knowing the difference between right and wrong. You don't have to go to church to learn that either. To believe that is to say that parents can't instill morals without the church being involved. What a crock of shitt.
They don't want the riff raff of the ungrateful movie stars and such.
Aren't movie star American citizens who have the right to campaign for any person they wish too. Or is the church in charge of who does that too????
As crow has asked you, does that include Arnold. You know the one who campaigned for Bush, and the movie star that starred in such movies called The Terminator. A futuristic sci-fi action movie where Arnold played a cyborg killer. Or how about Mel Gibson? You know the one who starred in many movies that sported a theme of sex and violence.
My point is yeager you bash the churches in anyway you can but in the end they will win out.
I don't bash churches. I don't like how the membership of organized religion think that everyone should be just like them. BTW, what will they win?
Well put up Hiliary and then you will get that impeached president Bill as the first man. A very moral person.
Well, let's see who we have in the oval office right now. A convicted drunk driver. It seems to me that in your thread titled Moral Values, you spoke of drunk driving as being an immoral behavior. Didn't you???
Bigots are miserable people. Prevent Bigotry through Education.
posted on December 13, 2004 04:55:00 AM newThey don't want the riff raff of the ungrateful movie stars and such.
Libra
That statement in inclusive. Meaning, you didn't exclude any actors including RR and Arnold. That statement implies that all actors are ungrateful riff-raff [and such]. I know that's not what you meant, but anyone reading it wouldn't see it the way you intended it.
When it comes to RR, you need to read more about his terms. He was not a great president. What he was was a great "actor". Very convincing in the role he played.
Cheryl
"Success in almost any field depends more on energy and drive than it does on intelligence. This explains why we have so many stupid leaders."
-Sloan Wilson
posted on December 13, 2004 08:21:07 AM new
Well, you certainly can't look to the Bush administration for moral values. Did you forget the preemtive war, libra. How about all the lies and deliberate deception that started with the bogus election and has continued on an uninterrupted clip throughout the Bush regime with an internationally opposed and internationally illegal war justified to the American people with lies, violation of the Geneva convention with prisoners of war torture, and now, failure to support the troops with adequate armor. What kind of VALUES are those???
posted on December 13, 2004 12:54:25 PM new
classic,as usual, contributes little but his statement, "what peeing on someone and putting panties on a towelheads head is torture?? """
is so typical of ther neonazicons in here.
Yes, classic, DECENT people consider that torture but the "moral", "christian", "ethical" Republicans think it's just fine. And the authority to carry out torture goes right up to Dummy Rumsfeld, the evilmiester.
posted on December 13, 2004 01:16:29 PM new
"you guys won the election and are still bummed out about Clinton"
Well, you guys lost the election and are still bummed out about some perceived "bogus election".
Quote: "with the bogus election"
If I came back here in 5 years, the libs will be older, fatter, more wrinkled and still be whining about some "bogus" election years ago. What about the last election. Was that bogus?
posted on December 13, 2004 02:33:29 PM new
Etex, you can pretend that Bush "won" his first term all you want. That's minor compared to blaming Clinton, one of the best Presidents you've had in years, for the mistakes of George W. If you want to talk about mistakes, we should be talking about his dad and Ronald Reagan, but liberals don't dwell in the past so they're not brought up often.
Prevent Bigotry through Education.
