I agree with Kos that the Democratic party should take this opportunity to get a backbone and a real coherent message which hasn't existed in quite a long time. Kerry actually did a great job at beginning to solidify the base and the message, but that needs to happen even more over the next few years.
Getting rid of McCaulife is a first step in that direction. He's been nothing but a fund-raising wizard pulling huge sums of money from corporate interests, but that's part of the problem. How can we campaign that we are for the simple, hardworking American when our CEO is a poster boy for coprporate money in politics. In my mind, he's an intellectual light-weight with very little political skill. He's our version of Ed Gillespie (literally and figuratively) which doesn't provide anyone with confidence in the party. I agree that Dean is the ideal for this position for the very reasons Kos states: he's brilliant, he's politically gifted, he's got a great message, and he's not tied to corporate money but to the grass roots of the party.
Second, I won't really morn the loss of Daschle either. I'll miss the seat, but I never really enjoyed the equivocations on every issue. Maybe my northeastern personality is just to hotheaded but I think Atrios' comment sums up the Daschle Senate Mentality:
"I'm not arguing that Democrats need to be "more liberal" or "less liberal" or anything like that it all. But, they have to be something other than "not Republicans." This has been the Democratic mantra at least since Newt's revolution and many trace it back to Humphrey in '68.
Last, we need some more Bill Clinton's of this party. We need real leadership, real vision, and real personality. While Clinton may have presided over the decline of the democratic party, I do not believe it was for his lack of vision. It was the legislative democrats who failed to have any interest in vision. Like today's Republicans, they were interested in reelection only, which meant pandering to their base. The Repugs have set new records of pork-barrel spending, something that the Dem's of the 80's and 90's were known for. The legislative Dems became slaves to self-interest groups instead of stewards of grass-roots efforts to change the direction of the government (and there's a great difference).
The Repug's are all about personality these days: The Terminator, Giulliani, Zell Miller. It's part of the pop-culture in terms of O'Reilly, Hannity, Rush, etc. And while the strength of leadership in a civilized society should not rest in personality alone, it goes a long way to selling your idea. We need more Barrack Obama's, Ted Kennedy's, James Carville's, and Howard Dean's. Hell, the Rev. Al Sharpton got much respect from the left for his performance throughout the primaries, because he had the balls to speak his mind and the personality to go with it.
So I say to all of those on the left, find your voice and let it be heard. If you yourself are not compelled to run, then prod and support those out there that you can hear, that do speak with a voice like yours. Find the Obama's of our future. We need you. And now is your time!