[BonnieJ]

Dean has lasted a lot longer as DNC head than most of us thought he would. That shows how out of touch they are, keeping a volatile lunatic in that position. I thought Terry McA was bad, but Dean alienates even more potential supporters.

[Texasforever]

Dean is the perfect cult leader. I think the DNC understands that but are powerless to stop him until he causes a massive crash and burn in November.

[Common Tator]

The reason Dean has held his job is sort of stated but not fully in the story. First Dean ran on the platform that he would take the money that the DNC collected and return it to the states for get out the vote efforts. Since most DNC members are state officers from Blue States, Dean promised to return the money to the states. He promised not to return money to just a few states with contested races but to return money in nearly equal amounts to all states. The state officials ate that up. Consider than in very Demoratic states the local parties never got any DNC money at all. It all went to the battleground states. Very competitive states got nearly all the RNC money. States where demorats were certain winners or losers got no money. Ypu have seen stories were the RNC has next to no money on hand. That is not because Dean has failed to raise the money, He has raised the money. But he has returned it to the states on a nearly equal basis.

The national party is angry as heck. They think the money going to Mass. for example should all be spent in PA to defeat Santorum. But the national party does not have enough votes in the RNC to defeat Dean. And the state officials that are getting money for the first time are not about to let them replace Dean and take the money away.

Dean is conserned about getting himself reelected. He is not concerned about needy races getting needed money.

Dean also says outrageous things that please the hard core base. They don't think he is out of line. They think he sould be more outspoken. Since hard core base members are a majority of the members of the RNC, Dean is secure.

It is true in both parties. What pleases the base offends the moderate and centrist voters. The base does not understand that fact. So the Democratic base is happy but the party loses races.