GOP Turns To Howard Dean For Salvation

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, in politics and elsewhere. And after two straight cycles of congressional pickups, outgoing DNC chair Howard Dean is no longer a boogeyman for his Republican counterparts -- he's a template for success.

This past weekend, a candidate for RNC Chair, Michigan Republican Party Chair Saul Anuzi, said the Grand Old Party would do well to follow the example set by the former Vermont Governor.

"There is a perception that we are a regional party and that we are a party from the South because that's the region we're consistently winning today," Anuzis told Politico. "I do think we need to have our version of the 50-state program that [Democratic National Committee Chair Howard] Dean had."

This prescription came days after Karl Rove, the architect of the current Republican Party, made a similar plea of his own. Noting incredible margins that Barack Obama had among black and Latino voters, the former Bush strategist -- appearing at a debate on the Bush legacy in New York -- said the GOP had to "be a party governing all Americans... It can only do that by making the case to African American and Latinos."

Implicit within these critiques is the notion that Republicans have become regionalized -- overly reliant on strong turnout among white working class voters, primarily below the Mason-Dixon line. In this context, Dean's vision of building infrastructure across the electoral map -- which, it should be noted, was initially taken from the GOP -- makes sense for the current Republican Party. Why cede the entire New England House delegation when, at the very least, they could force the DCCC to spend resources defending those seats?

But the sticking point, as one DNC staffer argues, is ideology. Putting together institutions to make gains in non-Republican regions only will help if the party has a political message that can resonate among non-conservatives.

"By relying on wedge issues to win, they've used issues to divide people and worked to appeal to an increasingly smaller group of people," said the aide. "Dean's point has not just been that we need to show up in all 50-states but also that as a party we need to ask people for their votes, listen to what they have to say and be willing to work to solve issues in areas where we have common ground, even if we don't agree with everything."

Part of that is simply showing up. The leading Republican presidential candidates this cycle famously shunned an African-American themed debate, much to the chagrin of moderates like Jack Kemp, who worried that the party had become too country club. The handling of immigration reform and other related issues, meanwhile, has led students of the political process -- like NDN Simon's Rosenberg -- to seriously consider the idea that Democrats will have a generational lock on the growing minority vote.

Finally, there is the age gap. Rove, appearing in New York, lamented the fact that young voters had abandoned the Republican Party, many driven by anger towards the Iraq War. This may be true, but it is also incomplete. The problem, the DNC aide said, is more systemic.

"Look at the voting habits of under 30 voters," she said. "they are more multicultural and less partisan, they want to be inspired, not lectured to and not manipulated in the way that Rove has used "anger points" to manipulate voters. Those voters are the future of our party, and the GOP doesn't seem to be speaking to them at all. So just because they show up in all 50 states, if they don't understand the voters they are trying to reach, it won't improve their electoral chances."

Comments

[ManyColored]

Some problems the Republicans face along with their electorate baggage are the failure of the free enterprise system in a deregulated environment, something they hung their hat on; a hawkish foreign policy, which has led us to disaster; and the de-emphasis of fiscal responsibility in government, which was one of their calling cards. They also have to figure out a social justice system that actually tries to live up to its name. To change their perspective on these issues will require a major philosophical transformation, and I don't think they will be able to even start. So they will have to live with their militant religious wing and their bigoted wing. Something that an honest conservative will find very hard to swallow. The bottom line is that slowly but surely the Republican Party will fade from existence and be replaced by another - maybe some hybrid of Ron Paul, Ross Perot, and maybe even the Libertarian Party.

[rabiddog6708]

The southern fried racists and bible-toters is all the Repubs have left. Now, they want to expand like a fungus to all 50 states. See you in 2008, Repub suckers. Get used to losing elections.

[Herkybird]

The ONLY way the rethugs can have any hope of regaining any semblance of the Dems is to fire everyone on the Fox Noise channel and right wing talk radio. Wire ALL their jaws shut...permanently!

[panurse]

I still admire the doc

[2lib4oh]

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.If they want to follow Dean around to find out why he was successful, that would be great.But first they have to start sincerely listening to what he says and figure out why it appealed to Americans--Maybe because Howard Dean doesn't try to divide or mock people.

He treats people with respect and dignity. Even some of the Dems have trouble with that one.He isn't about party power--he's about people power.The 50-state strategy said everyone mattered , not just a few states with large populations.

Everytime Dean boxed the ears of the Repubs , they deserved it.It wasn't out of malice, it was discipline.
Repubs need lots of discipline.They need to be taught to heel and roll-over for ordinary citizens, not just a few select rich guys.That's the secret.Solidarity and respect. Who knew?

[SouthPrairie]

Waaaaaaayyyy better than hearing that the Dems are seeking advice from Rove. Let's just hope that the Corruptlicans do what they always do--dig in their heels and slap a medal on their obdurate failures.

[2cntswrth]

Wow. What a profound idea the GOP is coming up with. Trying to get votes from people other than the racists in the South. Well...consider this: It is BECAUSE of the racists, the intolerant, the haters, and the excluders that the GOP lost. So, it's about who they already have rather than who they don't. As long as the extreme right wing leads the march, the parade isn't going anywhere for the Republicans.

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

Karl Rove, Dick Cheney---------college drop outs
George Bush-------diploma bought by Bush Senior (daddy).

Howard Dean M.D.-------THAT SAYS IT ALL.

The Republicans have been lead by college drop-outs!

[longshotlouie]

Wow, the preachers preaching to the choir.

Rather be safe than exposed?

lmao

[ladycubsfan]

If they can't hope to mount a comeback until they appeal to the younger voters, this could take a while...like never. Go wander in the wilderness, Repubs. See you in 40 years.

[hangdogit]

I GOP exists to protect the rich from taxes and the white working class from social change. I have to laugh to see the GOP work day in and day out to make the rich far richer -- then every four years rediscover Country Music, NASCAR, pork rinds, "traditional values," and this time, Hank Williams Junior. The white working class often votes for the very people who are picking their pockets -- undermining if not destroying the schools they send their kids to, the air they breath, their jobs, their health care -- apparently still patiently waiting for trickle-down economics to work.

[zull2]

Amusing...the Republicans used to mock Howard Dean far more extensively than they ever did with Obama. Whenever you'd even mention his name, they'd laugh and instantly, you heard "birkenstocks" and "Starbucks"...as if Republicans themselves don't drink Starbucks and wear birkenstocks (you'd be surprised how many do). The entire "Northeast Liberal" bit was purposely aimed at Howard Dean initially, then refocused at John Kerry when it became apparent that Kerry was the nominee. When Dean was nominated as the head of the DNC, Republicans got giddy and declared the end of the Democratic Party. This is all historical fact, it doesn't take a lot of work to look this stuff up.

And now, they're sheepishly imitating them. Seems like Republicans have a tough time coming up with new ideas.

[hangdogit]

The Republican Party went big for the Southern Strategy first hatched by Nixon and company. The idea was to add the South to the other Republican areas -- New England (not any more), the Plains, the Mountain West as well as some other areas. This strategy reached its peak with Reagan but has been in decline since then (remember Bush won in 2000 only through Florida and in 2004 only through Ohio) -- no big GOP wins since before Clinton.

But in 2008, the Southern Strategy backfired -- bigtime. The dominance of the GOP by hardline rightwingers, religious nuts and rednecks (and McCain/Palin pandering to them) drove the moderates and independents to Obama -- and he to victory. Obama carried everything north of the Ohio river -- from Massachusetts to Minnesota and everything in between the GOP lost decisively. The GOP is stong among groups that make up a shrinking minority. They carried just the largely empty Plains and most of the South and Mountain West (minus some major states in each of the latter two.)

My hope is that those GOPers in denial that say they just weren't conservative enough, that the US is a "center-right" country and so on will push a Huckabee or Palin next time -- to an almost certain general-election defeat and more losses in Congress.

[boing007]

Another misleading headline. It read like they called Dr. Dean to come and work for them.

[Girl28]

Yeah, these headlines are getting a little ridiculous.

[peachfuzz]

The GOP is too stuck up with relgious rednecks to ask for everyone's vote.

There is a certain humulity needed.

[GingerB]

Republicans are NOT friends of working people. They are NOT friends of minorities. Actions speak louder than words and hopefully more and more people will come to see that the GOP caters only to those with big money. They don't care about We The People. You can't fake sincerity when people know it's just empty rhetoric.