David Plouffe for DNC Chair?

UPDATE: Marc Ambinder reports that Plouffe sent him an email saying he won't be taking the DNC chair. But Plouffe wouldn't say what he might be doing post-election.

Howard Dean is stepping down as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. This is no surprise; it's been known for months he would be departing after the election. The question is, who's next?

HuffingtonPost reports one possibility is that Dean will be replaced by a duo: Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, who would be the talk-show face of the party, and an operative who would do the operating (perhaps Steve Hildebrand, who was deputy campaign manager for Barack Obama's presidential bid).

But shouldn't the DNC job go to David Plouffe?

As the manager of Obama's campaign, Plouffe steered the best-run presidential campaign in years. He put together an effective campaign structure. He efficiently matched man, message, money, and machine. Developing his own version of Dean's 50-state strategy, Plouffe expanded the electoral map for Democrats. In public, he projected an image of calm, confidence, and competence. His public spin was always tethered to reality. He came across a master mechanic who believed in the mission, not an ideologue or a grandstander. And he beat the toughest, most experienced operation in politics: the Clintons.

It's no put-down of McCaskill to suggest Plouffe. Naming her DNC chief--with or without a partner--would have symbolic value. And she was an effective advocate for Obama, especially when he was locked in a fierce battle with Senator Hillary Clinton, though Obama appears to have lost her home state by 6000 votes. Perhaps if McCaskill becomes DNC head, that would help Obama and Dems narrow that narrow gap next time.

But Job One of the new DNC chair is to win the 2010 congressional elections as a prelude to winning reelection for Barack Obama in 2012. The party doesn't need a visionary or public leader in the position. Obama can handle those tasks. (The party on the outs is the one that requires a posterboy or postergirl who is good on television.) The Democrats need an uber-operative who can simultaneously oversee scores of critical House and Senate races, supervise the early reelection effort, and chart out the overall mission of advancing the party's interests across the country. The next DNC chair should also know a thing or two about fundraising and be able to transform the party into the receptacle for all the grassroots energy and passion that poured into the Obama campaign. Who better than Plouffe to do all this?

Maybe he doesn't want the job. (His wife just gave birth to their second child.) And there have been far-fetched rumors that Plouffe, a Delaware native, could be appointed to fill Joe Biden's Senate seat. But Obama's victory is transformational in many ways, and one potential transformation could occur at the Democratic Party, with the party becoming something of a central command and midwife for a diverse array of Internet-enabled grassroots activity across the country in support of the Obama presidency and its policy initiatives. Making that happen would certainly increase the odds that the Obama presidency will be a successful one. Judging by the election results, Plouffe is someone who can turn a heady vision like that into an on-the-ground reality.

This was first posted at MotherJones.com.

Comments

[karela]

Plouffe is an excellent suggestion. The best I can think of. Also, with his close connections to Obama and Axelrod, the next presidential campaign would be seamless. Plouffe is so integrated with the grass roots connections and the enormous data base that has come into being during the Obama campaign that he could begin soon to create a mighty plan to whoop a*s in 2010. Look how many states they flipped this time? Imagine how far a fifty state strategy might go if the masterminds continue to perfect the mastermind plan? Good idea!!!

[NABNYC]

I would like to see a woman. In fact, I'd like to see 50% of the best positions inside the Democratic Party be held by women, so this seems like a good place to start. I'm sure Obama can find room inside his administration for his closest aides from the campaign. I'd like to see McCaskill or some other women as head of the DNC, head of the Senate and House election committees. We need to have 50% of the house and senate democratic seats held by women. It is way past time.

[jeniferdaniels]

add me to the list

[pgurlatl]

Somebody send him the memo! We've got to get re-elected ino 2K12!

[BlueOnBlue]

"2K12"

How does that abbreviation improve on 2012? Same number of characters, but one is a letter. Hmmm?

[BabsfromKansas]

A transformational uber-operative is a VERY good idea!

[kellygrrrl]

I Like It! A LOT!

[stephanemot]

Plouffe at the DNC and Ax between BHO and Rahm, and we're safe.

[murphysgirl]

That's a great idea, if he's in, the RNC will be shaking in their boots!!

[left-leaning-libertarian]

Excellent suggestion! Maybe we in the rank and file can get a petition drive going?

[gwpriester]

If he can run the DNC as well as he ran the Obama campaign, you betcha.

[TRIATHLON]

RAHM EMANUEL CHIEF OF STAFF A COMPOSITE FOREIGN VIEW (PART ONE)

(D-IL) President Elect. Obama, has shown his hand quite clearly, that he is simply more of the same old Washington political scene. Obama may be great for the DOMESTIC, with the help of a Jewish American, David Axelrod, and situation but is an unmitigated disaster for INTERNATIONAL relations, but there will be no change in the (US) United States, policies abroad. By picking Rahm Emanuel another Jewish American, and according to Haatetz: "Emanuel is the son of a Jerusalem-born pediatrician who was a member of the Irgun (Etzel or IZL), a militant Zionist group that operated in Palestine between 1931 and 1948." a very pro-Israel party hack for such a high level position as Chief of Staff Obama has shown has in one move made sure Israel will have it’s usual special place, and that the Mid East peace process will go no where as usual. In addition he had just insulted about (1/6) One- sixth, of the World’s population the Muslim World who see this as a very retrograde appointment, or at least business-as-usual for the US.

[TRIATHLON]

RAHM EMANUEL CHIEF OF STAFF A COMPOSITE FOREITN VIEW (PART TWO)

Obama went beyond the usual rhetoric and stated at Foreign Policy Forum: Palestinians have to reinterpret the notion of right of return in a way that would preserve Israel as a Jewish state. Not only does this undermine the rights of 1948 Palestinian refugees, but it also will justifiably scare the disproportionately increasing Arab Israeli population and bolster the right in Israel who are calling for their "transfer". When Obama speaks of "change" he is not referring to the long-standing US policy of labeling any Palestinians who refuse to recognize a state that effectively guarantees their dispossession as "extremists" who must be isolated.

[BobsNotWorking]

Indeed! Can anyone even begin to challenge that he ran the most brilliant presidential campaign in our nations history? If Plouffe is assigned the task of getting all the Democrat's cylinders firing and all the gears oiled - we'll roll up the Republicans for at least couple of generations. I even doubt there is anyone on the Republican side that can fully evaluate what he did.

[TRIATHLON]

RAHM EMANUEL CHIEF OF STAFF A COMPOSITE FOREIGN VIEW (END PART)

So during Obama’s year’s there will be no progress on the Israeli-Palestine issue, as Israel will have free reign, as usual, to continue to build illegal settlements on the West bank and will soon complete its occupation of Palestine & is already looking beyond to expand its borders. and continue building the obscene Wall, Israel will continue to receive over a third of (US) foreign aid, and will be supplied the latest weapons without charge, as usual. Fostering exclusivist, ethno/religious nationalism where the realization of rights is dependent on whether they are Jewish

If there is any difference or change, in Obama International Policy, it will be primarily cosmetic one of style, not substance representing wealthy capitalists pursuing free markets at home and an imperialist foreign policy abroad.

[Liberoservative]

I have no idea what article you c/p'd this from but whoever wrote it is dead wrong....
The Chief of Staff's main role in the WH is to run defense for the POTUS and to quell stuff before it gets to the POTUS level.... Rahm is the perfect choice for this...

It is the POTUS who sets the agenda and the tone of his WH and Rahm if fiercely loyal to the man he serves.... Rahm will not input any of his own ideology in doing this job.... Rahm, has also, been fiercely moderate during his term as Repersentative.... Rahm is Barack's man first and party second.....

So yes... Change is coming

[Zork4]

In your three posts you make an argument which holds together. But consider this: hiring Emmanuel signals Israelis that someone tough they can relate to is close to the President. To get peace in Israel/Palestine Israel will have to give up settlements in the West Bank (all the illegal ones and many of the legal ones) and probably East Jerusalem. Palestinians are going to need to get a contiguous territory with adequate water rights and enough land to be a nation. They are going to have to give up the right to return into pre 1967 Israel and will have to accept some of the biggest settlements and for a time, the wall and Hamas is going to have to accept Israels right to exist. Right now Israel holds the power because of the backing of the US. The US will continue to back Israel, but if Obama is to move on Middle East peace (after addressing domestic economic challenges where Emmanuel will be useful), he needs to be trusted by Israel. Emmanuel will help with that. It doesn't mean more of the Bush-style Israel only policy.

[eXcommunicate]

"David Plouffe for DNC Chair?"

BRILLIANT!!!!