Chief Of Staff Howard Dean Would Fire Up The Left
It's been widely reported that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will soon leave to run for mayor of Chicago. The White House is said to be unhappy with the timing of Mayor Daley's announcement that he will not seek reelection, but they should be thrilled.
Emanuel's reputation as an iron-fisted dictator has probably, on balance, been helpful to President Obama's agenda, but the progressive left, Obama's natural supporters, have been unhappy with Emanuel's willingness to cut unsavory deals with Republicans who will never support the president.
The biggest problem facing Democrats in the 2010 midterms is that their base of progressive, liberal voters is taking a nap... and arguably a well deserved one.
The White House has either failed to deliver or delivered watered down versions of many of Obama's lofty campaign promises. Health care looks like a massive gift to Blue Cross. Wall Street reforms are as toothless as a new born baby. We're still killing the wrong people and Guantanamo still has movie night on Thursdays.
The White House is running out of time to stop the expected Republican tsunami in November, but in view of Emanuel's anticipated departure, there is one name that could put the Democrats chances back in play: Howard Dean.
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Howard Dean and Rahm Emanuel do not like each other. They butted heads over Dean's "fifty state" strategy while he was head of the DNC. Dean's goal was to expand Democratic opportunities in all fifty states while Emanuel, then a Congressman from Illinois and chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, wanted to focus resources and energy on winnable seats.
Dean guided the Democratic party to huge victories in 2006 and 2008 but as long as Rahm Emanuel was running the show at the White House, he would be relegated to appearances on "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" and the oft lied about desire to "spend more time with his family."
Howard Dean is a beloved figure on the left. He's seen as every bit as tough as Emanuel but infinitely more principled. He is smart, tenacious, and not afraid to stand up to the people that would like nothing more than to see Barack Obama as a one term president.
Whether it's true or not lefites believe that if Howard Dean had been Chief of Staff the promises of then candidate Obama might have resulted in a few more Rose Garden signing ceremonies.
For Obama this should be a slam-dunk decision. The appointment of Howard Dean would send a strong message to his disillusioned base that he's going to move back to the left. An energized liberal base will not stop inevitable Republican gains but they may very well keep Nancy Pelosi in the Speaker's chair and Congressional subpoenas away from the Oval Office.
President Obama's reaching out to the GOP has only resulted in alienating his base. He gives the GOP much of what they say they want and they still vote "no."
The strategy, largely conceived by Emanuel, to seek Republican support for his initiatives, was flawed from the beginning. The GOP will not give the despised President Obama kudos for anything. If Barack Obama personally sliced off Osama bin Laden's testicles and nailed them to a tree, the GOP would wonder why he didn't do it sooner.
Rahm Emmanuel thought that moving Obama to the middle would ensure a successful first term.
If given the chance, Howard Dean won't make that same mistake.
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Comments
Thanks Kathy!
And I loved his "Aaah!" scream that time - I've often thought that he meant something along the lines of Tink's "Woo-woo!" and found it to be truly endearing.
I used to think that I really liked Rahm too, but like the hook-line to a song I once wrote, "The Better I got to Know You (Him) the Easier it Got to Say Goodbye!".
(R)ated for portraying the inimitable Howard Dean in a well-deserved positive light.
@Kathy. Obama's attempt to cooperate with the GOP was a total failure and cost him. I'm assuming that the "advisor" Rahm may not have initiated the attempt at bipartisanship , but he was remiss in not trying to end it. As a layman, It only took me three or four months to determine that reconciliation was impossible. Obama was in the position of offering cooperation while the GOP, and their mouthpiece FOX News, was bombing the crap out him and his programs. I agree with Roger. I think that Dean would be tougher.
Someone wrote this morning about Obama losing his mojo...how the stink of failure is all over him like cheap cologne. Sadly, I have to agree with that assessment, but I just can't see Dean as savior for this White House. Hopefully the Obama team will just find some way to reboot.
I'm so SICK of giving the Republicans everything they want! I want to see them out in the cold, whining, instead!
One little "Aaah!" of frustration is the only evidence I've EVER seen of Dean's alleged "craziness." I sure as hell didn't think his 50 state strategy was crazy--it paid off, big time. I want to see MORE of Howard Dean in a prominent influential party position and a lot LESS of Rahm Emmanuel. Moving to the middle does not work for Democrats. So when is the DNC going to realize that moving left does? Dean deserves a lot more credit than he's had, so far.
rated.
A refreshing choice, I think.....spot, friggin' on.
Thanks for posting this, Roger!
As much as I would love to see Dean, or even his brother in this position, I just dont see the centrist Obama making such a bold move.
On the other hand, if Dean leaked that he would consider challenging Obama from the left in '12, it would behoove Obama to move him in now.
I for one would not miss Emmanuel.
Thanks all for the reads and comments!
(You know, Roger, you can go to your edit function on the posts and delete those annoying ads. It doesn't take that much time.)
Furthermore, I question a swing left. If we are correct in asserting the swing right of the tea party movement marginalizes republicans who get tarred with the same brush, then how is it helpful to hew ever leftward?
Neither, strident wing of the parties accurately represents the national mood. It's been this way for quite some time now. The moderates of both parties have bailed, leaving a bunch of junkyard dogs sitting there barking at their own echos while the public more in the middle screams simply ENOUGH!
And hence the huge swings in congressional elections of 1994 and 2006. They are fed up with this. They want action. Rationalize, temperate action.
Dean's a bright guy, but he has precious little experience with a legislature as he was a VT governor. I loved his comment about "Guns, God and Gays don't have a thing to do with the running of this country" when he was a presidential candidate, and I enjoy him on talking head shows, but a Chief of Staff he is not. A useful figure for your side of the aisle, to be sure, but not in that capacity.
Lezlie
Obama and our so-called leaders got themselves into this mess by not confronting the Rethugs and pushing their agenda. Behaving as though the threat of a filibuster is a death blow to passing a bill, without actually making them filibuster is a sure way to alienate your base and accomplish none of your campaign promises.
The terms "left of center" "center" and "right of center" are euphemisms for Progressive, Atheist, and Rethug; there's no point in moving to the "center", as that tells everyone you don't believe your own rhetoric, so your fellow supporters shouldn't believe you, either.
Yes, Obama could certainly use the wisdom of Howard Dean, if he would only listen. But history has shown us so far that he's unwilling to do what's right and necessary.