If John Edwards astounds the skeptics and parlays early wins into an eventual Primary Nomination, would he have a natural ally in Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee?
Well what is most near and dear to Howard Dean’s cause these days?
50-State Strategy — Howard Dean
After Dean became Chairman of the DNC, he pledged to bring reform to the Party. Rather than focusing just on ‘swing states,’ Dean proposed what has come to be known as the 50-State Strategy. The goal, the DNC says, is for the Democratic Party to be committed to winning elections at every level in every region of the country, with Democrats organized in every single voting precinct in the country. State party chairs have lauded Dean with praise for raising money directly for the individual state parties.
The answer about whether there would be a natural alliance between Edwards and Dean, seems most certainly to be YES, to me! Here are a few obvious reasons to back up that assessment:
1) Both Edwards and Dean believe in strengthening Democratic Party to help local Democratic Candidates:
Twenty years ago the GOP made a long-term commitment to build its organization in places where it had no business running candidates. That commitment became the template for Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean’s “50-State Strategy”, which coordinated organizers for each state party. It broke the red-color line by funding and manning organizations that hadn’t seen a healthy Democrat candidate in decades, if ever.
Dean now is taking his strategy to the next level with the DNC’s “Election Protection Project.”
“We have staff in all 50 states. We are asking that staff to contact every local county election official so that we can know what the rules are ahead of time,” Dean said recently in an interview in Pittsburgh.
Dean’s plan is to track every single voting machine.
[On MTP]
SEN. EDWARDS: Here’s what I think. I am the candidate running for president on the Democratic side who’s actually won an election in a red state running against the Jessie Helms political machine. I know what you have to do to win in battleground states, and to win in tough, tough congressional districts, and what you have to do to put out your message that works in those kind of places. People–I understand people who vote in those places, and they connect and relate to me. So I do believe when I am the Democratic nominee for president that there is no place in America that I can’t go and campaign and help our congressional candidates and help our Senate candidates.
2) Both Dean and Edwards believe in competing in Red States and not just writing them off:
Upon taking office, Dean criticized the Party’s focus on Blue and Purple (swing) states at the cost of completely ignoring Red states. Because copious amounts of money was poured into battleground states like Ohio, Florida and Wisconsin, states like North Carolina, Louisiana and Colorado were rarely if ever visited by Democratic presidential candidates and received little help from the DNC.
In comes Howard Dean and the “50 State Plan”. Dean realized, and continues to understand, that many poor white southerners are voting against their own interests
She [Elizabeth Edwards] said her husband has an advantage over his opponents because he polls well in key “red states” such as Tennessee, North Carolina and Kansas. She added that he plans to adopt a “50-state strategy,” campaigning in every state, not just “battleground states.”
3) In short, both Dean and Edwards believe in running a 50-State Strategy:
A 50 State Strategy — Democratic National Committee
How Democrats can and will win in every state, every county, and every precinct.
The Democratic Party is committed to winning elections at every level in every region of the country, and we’re getting started right now with a massive effort to fund organizers on the ground in every state.
Wolf Blitzer: Why are you in Columbus, Kentucky? … It’s not an early caucus or Primary State.
JOHN EDWARDS: … Also, this is the kind of place I can go to and Campaign as a General Election Candidate — and I am committed to doing that. I’ll Campaign everywhere in America.
Let me remind you that the Beltway Democrats were attacking Dean for his 50-State Strategy, even AFTER it resulted in a very successful sweep in November 2006, against steep odds.
Robert Reich’s Blog
Why Are They Gunning for Howard Dean?
Robert Reich – Nov 16, 2006
What can possibly account for the post-election victory party pummeling of Howard Dean by inside-the-beltway Democrats?
…
- Dean’s strategy of putting money into state party infrastructure takes money out of the pockets of Washington insiders – away form Democratic consultants and key congressional party activists. That makes insiders angry.
- Dean is an independent DNC chair, not under the sway of the Clintons. Unlike Ron Brown, who guided the DNC toward a Clinton victory in 1992, Dean doesn’t play the usual power games. Hence, the Clintons would like him out, and the sooner the better. Carville, Greenberg, and Emmanuel, among others, are doing their bidding.
http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2006/11/why-are-they-gunning-for-howard-dean.html
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Indeed there is speculation that the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) wing of the Democratic Party is NOT on board with the 50-State Strategy, and even would replace Howard Dean given the opportunity:
In fact, the DLC disparaged the new 50 state strategy, believing that competing in red states was a waste of resources. DNC Chair John Dean believed in supporting candidates in the heartland and many of those candidates won.
…
The DLC increasingly looks like a bunch of old generals fighting the last war instead of adjusting to new facts on the ground.
BTW, Hillary Clinton is a Chairperson within the DLC, though her views on Dean and the 50-State Strategy are not entirely clear, that I could find anyways. Though the DLC itself seem to look down on the Strategy. DLC had been promoting Democracy Bonds Community as an alternative to the 50-State Strategy.
John Edwards has no aversion to going into rural communities all around the Country. As Edwards reminds us here, he really does speak their language. He really does understand their struggles — he has lived through the same struggles himself:
John Edwards – Columbus, Kentucky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLpdM_86kPA
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John Edwards appeals to the residents of Columbus, Kentucky:
“Listen I grew up in a family just like yours —
We had trouble paying the bills …
I know what it’s like … when you don’t have the money [for college].Well that part of me has never gone away.
I understand what you’re going though.
I understand what your lives are like —
I understand the struggles that you go though.
And people who live in small towns and small communities in this country — they deserve a voice. You deserve a Voice …That’s what this is about. And you will never have a voice, unless and until the Democrats have a Candidate that understands your lives — the Democrats have a Candidate who will campaign everywhere in America! Who won’t give up on your part of America …”
AND it certainly seems by the very warm response Howard Dean gave John Edwards, after this most rousing speech at the DNC Winter Meeting, it would seem that John Edwards just gained a new fan. Perhaps even a natural Ally?
DNC Winter Meeting
Senator John Edwards speaks at the DNC Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. on February 2, 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fkoV-4uX5M
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Would Howard Dean help John Edwards in a General Election Campaign, if Edwards gets the Nomination?
Well, Does Howard Dean really want to Take our Country Back? — you bet he does !
And Edwards has very strong appeal in State-by-State Match-up Polls — where the Elections are actually won or lost. If the National Polls determined winners, Al Gore would have won in 2000. But it’s the Contests in EACH STATE that Matters MOST in our Election System! And John Edwards does very well in those “fly over” states — states he has “committed to” Campaign in.
Now THAT, would have some positive Coattails, for those all-important local Democratic Races!
And could make all the difference in the world!
