My Take on Howard Dean

I've been closely observing Howard Dean for a lot longer than most national political watchers. I first ran into him when I worked for Vermont's Independent Congressman Bernie Sanders. There, I got a close-up look at his governing style. Then, like everyone else, I watched his run for President and DNC Chairman. I'll be really honest - for a long time, I had mixed feelings about him. For many reasons, I never really got on the Dean 2004 bandwagon, even though I was impressed with him in a lot of ways (I think it was mainly because I had trouble pinning him down ideologically). But in recent months, I really have been impressed with him. And after spending some time with him yesterday at the DNC's Western Caucus meetings here in Helena, I've decided my recent inklings about him really are true. Dean, even with his minor imperfections, is very good for the national Democratic Party.

Dean governed Vermont as a moderate, but ran for President as a populist progressive - which tended to confuse me. But when his progressive message caused controversy and when the media pressure was on for him to abandon that message, he essentially stuck to his guns in trying to give voice to the progressive fight.

In doing so, of course, Democratic "centrists" viciously attacked him during the Presidential campaign (I put "centrists" in quotes because I think the term is a misnomer). And now, former GOP/Christian Coalition operatives like Marshall Wittman - who hilariously call themselves Democratic "centrists" and pretend to speak for Democrats - continue to underhandedly attack Dean even today. These "centrists" think they do themselves a favor with such disloyalty. But what they have actually done is unify a strong contingent of the Democratic base around Dean. For his part, Dean understands that these centrist elites will never be his base of support within the party - nor should a chairman want them to be. So he has a political incentive to stay on the populist progressive message as DNC Chairman. In other words, the grassroots and the progressive wing of the party have become crucial to his political career/survival - and that's who he is going to fight for. Say what you will about his transformation from governor to DNC Chairman, I'm glad he's on progressives' side.

Certainly, that is scary to the insulated Washington, D.C. Democratic establishment. For years, these insiders have been able to handpick chairmen to make sure the party doesn't move back to its grassroots, middle-class roots. That explains their anger at him, and their subsequent attacks.

Fortunately, Dean is not responding in kind. In his speech yesterday to party officials here in Helena, he took the high road, going out of his way to stress that the party is a big tent. But he also made clear that he understands the party needs to go in a new, more populist direction. In talking with him one-on-one, I really got the sense that he's serious about this.

I was also, frankly, impressed with his candor. Quite unexpectedly, I ended up sitting next to him at dinner where he was peppered with questions from folks at our small table. He never tried to dodge a question (and there were some tough ones). Far from arrogant or prickly (as he was unfairly described as during the campaign), he was genuinely interested in learning from the grassroots people out in the field.

It's true, some of Dean's best qualities are double edged swords. Outspokenness can sometimes lead to mistakes. Candor can sometimes lead to giving voice to a truth the political Establishment just doesn't want to admit. But that's really no excuse for high-profile Democrats to publicly attack him in the press as they have recently.

First and foremost, Dean's candor is a quality the Democrats need more of - how many polls do we have to see showing the public thinks Democrats stand for nothing? Secondly, the party is supposed to be a team. When top officials go to the media and attack their chairman, they do nothing but weaken the party as a whole. Can you imagine the Republicans ever doing such a thing? No, because they wouldn't. Finally, Democrats criticizing Dean for being too tough on the Republicans seem to forget that, in some ways, that's a DNC Chairman's role. Sure, some of his comments weren't perfect. But one of the chairman's key jobs is to put the wood to the GOP in a way that elected officials can't.

Again, Dean's not a perfect person (is anyone?), and he has a long path ahead of him in his new job. But all in all, he was a damn good choice for DNC Chairman. He seems to understand his limits and understand regional sensitivities both to his own image, and that of the national Democratic Party. Most importantly, he - more than anyone else - can re-open the party to its own grassroots, and help project a new image of conviction that Democrats desperately need. That can be nothing but good in the long run for a Democratic Party that has become all too dominated by insulated elites.