Let me first say that we need a reform person at the DNC. The only reform candidates seem to be Dean, Rosenberg and Fowler. I am a Dean guy and I want him to run for president again in 08 which means that I have been thinking about the other two reform candidates. Even though Dean wuld do great things where ever he lands, but I think he can do more outside the DNC at DFA than within because of so much institutional resistance.
So last week I was reading myDD and checking out the the holiday Cattle Call and Donnie Fowler himself wrote response establishing his reform cred. He made six multi-tiered points which were for most point solid and made me feel that he would be a good guy in the position. Except for the first and second aspect of his last point.
"(1) Don't nominate anyone from the Northeast; (2) Don't nominate anyone with an Ivy League undergraduate degree"
So I sent him an email. And he emailed me back from a personal email address two days later. You can read both my letter and his smart response in the extended copy plus a few other thoughts...
So I wrote
Donnie, I consider you a fine candidate who seems to understand how and why to take a holistic approach to reform. But your sixth point (sans one of three sun-points) troubles me. How can you legitimately say:
"(1) Don't nominate anyone from the Northeast; (2) Don't nominate anyone with an Ivy League undergraduate degree"
I agree with not running stiffs [Fowlers third aspect of his sixth point], but why would you take potentially good candidates off the table?
People who run should be good candidates who can inspire the electorate period. If they are from Maine or New York or Vermont or New Hampshire. And if they went to Harvard or Cornell or Yale shouldn't matter. Good candidates are good candidates. Bush went to Harvard and Yale and Bush's father was identified as a Northeasterner who went to Yale as well.
So these labels are artificially created by you as "problems" when they aren't problems for Republicans at all. They use all the tool available to them to win. We should too.
If you become head of the DNC you had better drop this bias and support all candidates who are Democrats.
and then Donnie Fowler responded
Thank you for visiting my website and sending your email. I appreciate your comments about my point on running candidates from the Northeast and Ivy League colleges. You are right that we should not generalize or stereotype people. Candidates should be chosen based on their ideas, experiences, and other aspects of their individual character.
he then gave me standard stuff from his website and other items that you would expect.
now sure, he is in campaign mode. but he essentially said "you are right, I was wrong."
he responded quickly and seemingly honestly to an email from the "blogosphere"
so I am not sold that Fowler is the guy but responses like this bode well for me.