No Big Surprise Here

Dems' pick for DNC leader will draw new map for party

Of course, the new leader will have to draw a new map for the party, it's obvious that the old map didn't work. I'm not all that surprised that this was all USA Today had on McAuliffe:

McAuliffe wins high praise for expanding the Democrats' donor base and raising more money this year than the Republicans.

Of course, it doesn't mention the fact that he's blown whatever gains the Democrats got out of the Clinton presidency. I'm not even sure if the Democrats raised more money than Republicans. But doesn't that cut against campaign finance reform? Don't all the progressives want money to be taken out of the system? So I'm not all that surprised that this the only "praise" that could be found for McAuliffe. Of course, the Clinton's lackey won't be remembered in history because nobody really cares about the party chairs...

Quick, name the Republican's chair.

See? That's what I mean. Nobody remembers the successes the Republican chair has, while nobody focuses on the failures the Democratic chair had done.

As for the potential replacements, it'll be interesting to see who comes out ahead. As a federalist, I like the idea that Donnie Fowler proposes, that is reducing the national committee and give the regional DNC offices more power. Which means he has a snowball's chance in hell of becoming the leader.

I don't see Ickes gaining enough support since it was the last Clintonista (McAuliffe) who put the Democrats in this hole to begin with.

Howard Dean doesn't have a chance of making it either, because he's too polarizing and would pull the Democratic Party into the crazy-leftist wing and would all but abandon the middle ground to the Republicans. Not that I would have a problem with that per se, but a centrist Democratic Party would be better for the nation as a whole, as real debate on the issues is better than the crazy Down with Bush stuff we've seen from leftists over the past four years.

So who does that leave? I think one of the Texas guys, like Frost or Kirk would probably be the best fit for the Democrats. Which means it'll probably be someone else, like Rosenberg or Hindery. Either way, the new DNC chair will have a long road ahead of him.