A turf/power war is being waged between Deaniacs and Clintonites

Jewish World Review ^ | 11/14/03 | Ryan Lizza

[DeFault User]

The division in the party over Dean is less about ideology than about power. Three years after Bill Clinton left office, he and Hillary still control what remains of a Democratic establishment. Terry McAuliffe, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), was installed by Clinton.

--snip--

Dean, by contrast, has come to represent the party's anti-establishment forces. While the other candidates, especially former self-styled front-runner John Kerry, started the campaign by wooing party leaders, Dean built a grassroots army first--in part by bashing D.C. Democrats and their disastrous 2002 election strategy--and is only now leveraging his fund-raising power to win over establishment types. No Democrats closely associated with the Clintons are working for the Dean campaign. In fact, it's hard to find a Clintonite who speaks favorably of the former Vermont governor. This evident schism is not just about Dean's opposition to the war--or even his prospects in the general election. It's a turf war to decide who will control the future of the party.

--snip--

As the party's split into Deaniacs and anti-Dean Clintonites unfolds, one of the most intriguing subplots concerns the machinations of Gore. Immediately after the Florida recount was decided in 2000, Gore's senior aides were purged from the DNC and Clinton's were installed. Some ex-Gore staffers are still bitter about the coup, and several express admiration for what Dean is doing.

The two men have a strained history, but lately Gore is sounding more and more like Dean. His three most important speeches since leaving office have been harsh attacks on President Bush's Iraq policy and his abuse of the Patriot Act. The two most recent were delivered before MoveOn.org, the Internet network for grassroots liberals, which is overwhelmingly pro-Dean. Some suspect that, just as Dean went outside the Beltway and built his own high-tech grassroots army to bypass the sclerotic D.C. establishment, so is Gore. It's not a bad way for him to exercise influence in the party, if he wants to make a potential endorsement more powerful or if he still harbors hopes of running for president in 2008. "The rest of the Democratic infrastructure is controlled by the Clintons," says one top Democrat.

Perhaps Gore would not endorse the former Vermont governor (though Joe Trippi, Dean's campaign manager, says "they talk relatively regularly"). Regardless, he'll have to choose sides, because the Democrats are splitting into two parties: the party of Clinton, and the party of Dean.

[DeFault User]

The cat herding isn't working.

[goldstategop]

The Clintons would sooner see the Democratic Party be destroyed than hand over control of it to the likes of Nikita Dean.

[Sunshine Sister]

Hehehehehehe!

[ken5050]

After JIndal wins Sat in La...McAuliffe's days i the DNC are numbered...

[Pukin Dog]

McAuliffe's days i the DNC are numbered...

I would like to believe that, except that Terry still signs all the checks. Anyone else would have been long gone by now. I think he sticks around until Hillary is done with him.

[bobjam]

The GOP establishment learned the hard way in 1992 that voters vote on issues, not parties. The Clinton picked Democratic establishment is about to learn the same lesson the hard way.

[Fzob]

It's a turf war to decide who will control the future of the party.

I hope it's a war of attrition. Long and bloody with numerous causalities.

[ken5050]

No way..he's now soon to be 0 for 4 in governor's races..and you haven't heard any talk about retaking the Senate...they'll need a fall guy..look at what Kerry's doing....McAwful has also been very low profile the last two weeks...hardly on the tube....it's a done deal...they're just trying to find a new captain for the Titanic...my thoughts, FWIW..if Breaux retires..Dona Brazile will run for his seat..that's why she hasn't signed up with any of the 9 Dem candidates....if he does run again...she'll take the DNC chair..

[DeFault User]

One scenario would have the Dims in ruins and Hillary rushing to the rescue in 2008.

Not much in the article on Lieberman and Kerry who are caught in the midlle and can't please either side.

[1Old Pro]

The Clintons would sooner see the Democratic Party be destroyed than hand over control of it to .......

anyone.

[expatpat]

William J Clinton is a secret Republican Party operative who had the objective of destroying the Democrat Party. He has been very successful so far, and will be awarded the Nation's highest honor by GWB when he finally comes in from the cold.

[expatpat]

Dona Brazile will...take the DNC chair..

No way -- the DNC is way too racist to allow a Black to take the top spot. Vice-chair, maybe.

[Eva]

The split became very obvious when Susan Sarandon made that comment about hating Hillary.

A few months ago, the WSJ printed an op-ed by the Democrat Leadership Council, which said that the move to the far left would be disastrous for the Democrat party (and Hillary's hopes to win the presidency in 2008). They said that the extremism would cause a schism and spoil all the efforts of triangulation Clinton had performed to unite the various splinter groups of the party. Once these groups divide, they will not be easily rejoined.

[webstersII]

"she'll take the DNC chair."

Come on, after she helped engineer AlGore's defeat (along with the rest of the feminazis in Gore's inner circle).

[expatpat]

.....when Susan Sarandon made that comment about hating Hillary

Didn't hear that. Reference?

[ken5050]

we'll see..looks, she's a Dem trifecta..she covers all three of their constituencies..women, blacks,and gays..it was her get out the vote job at the last minute that kept Landrieu's seat in La...and she's seen as in no one's camp...she has her own constituency...she'd be perfect..rememberMcAulifee got the job when the Clintons pushed him in over the black guy..can't remember his name..he died last year..Brazile has been low profile..however, if, Breaux retires...she's running..and she'll be hard to beat..so the DNC chair is open..also, remember, the nominee gets to name his own person..so if Dean wraps it up by March..Terry's out anyway...

[BenLurkin]

[Pukin Dog]

The DNC fall guy is going to be non other than Howard Dean. They will say that Dean is scaring moderate Democrats into voting for Republicans. This is what you are going to be hearing soon from Kerry, Lieberman and Edwards. Clinton has already started suggesting that Democrats need to stay away from the hard left. They will claim that if Dean is the nominee (oh please) that Republicans will pick up a super majority in the Senate.

[expatpat]

How many blacks, gays, or even women have ever got top jobs in the DNC? None.

"the Clintons pushed him in over the black guy"

Point made

[ken5050]

Can't agree my friend..look , tomorrow the Dems are gonna lose their 4th consecutive gubernatoruial race...what has McAwful ever won..rememebr his boasts in 2002..?..he has zero credibility within the party..he's got to go..I believe, since he knows they're gonna lose in La..they've already worked out his departure.now the spin is being prepared..if, and I agree with your hope, that Dean is the nominee...then the real struggle will be the battle for control of the party between the Dean and Hillary forces...