Corked Bats correspondant and overall fun guy,
Pragmaddict, chimes in again from Atlanta. Note: continuing coverage of the DNC meeting at mydd.com
Looks like the reform candidates are rising. But if his analysis is true, is Roemer going to be able to win by the two greatest words in the English language: default? It seems to me that three reform candidates to one establishment candidate might spell trouble. [Update: Aha! I had not read Matt Stoller on how a DNC Chair gets elected. Seems my concern is unlikely.]
Here is Pragmaddict. After the jump ==>
I suppose I should have expected as much.
In a room where the entirety of the political establishment was effectively ignored by the DNC for this past election, the debate tended to focus, continuously, repetitively, even boringly, on having a 50 state strategy.
The excitement arose from the way in which these 50 state strategies would be implemented. Each of the candidates had different definitions of what a 50 state strategy should look like-some more persuasive than others. I managed to keep a relatively detailed account of what happenned, and I'll lay out each candidate's plans (and the crowd's reaction to said plans) tonight. For now I'll focus on the vibe I'm getting.
First, Dean is electric and on fire and I think he knows it. He received applause repeatedly from the crowd for his remarks which were, I must admit, quick-witted, intelligent, and crafted perfectly for his audience. I'm still not a supporter of Dean for Chair, but his ideas are at LEAST among the best in the field. Every time I see him, I feel better about him playing a role in our party.
The biggest gainer of the weekend, by far, is Donnie Fowler. His admirers around here seem to rival Dean's and, immediately following the debate, delegates and guests flocked to him to take pictures and ask questions. I've heard a few question his on-screen presence and fundraising prowess, but his committment to grassroots actions and his history as a field worker have sent shockwaves through this field. The people here absolutely love Donnie Fowler. And he's kinda funny...in a dorky sort of way.
Simon Rosenberg maintained his position, if you ask me. No huge breakouts, but nothing to be ashamed of either. He did send a murmor through the crowd with a sharp (probably rude, borderline a-hole) response to a delegate who asked why he had said the Democrats could win without the South (he argued the delegate was misinterpreting him). This little outbreak seems to confirm what others have told me here--that he's kind of an ass. Hm. That's a nerd pun. He's still among the most informed of the candidates, though, and his strategy resonates with a lot of people here.
Wellington Webb introduced himself to many people here for the first time, and seems to have some support among African-Americans. But many of those same people appear to like the idea of him running more than an actual win, which they perceive to be unlikely. An endorsement by him of another candidate could carry some weight, though.
I feel much more comfortable with Roemer now than I did at the beginning of the weekend. I'm much less persuaded that he is a "status-quo candidate" as it seems that none of the candidates are particularly satisfied with the status quo. When asked a pointed question about his stance on choice, he said
I do not want to shift the party to the right on this issue. I want to start a dialogue in America about why women must make this choice. The Republicans are pro-delivery, but we're pro-life after that.
which sounded eerily like
kos's new verbage on choice. His discussion of choice made me want to think we're enough of a big tent party to allow a pro-lifer to chair our party (if he's not going to attempt to push legislation on it). And honestly, he's an attractive guy with a good on-screen presence. Unfortunately, he just doesn't have as much to say. If he ends up being the chair, it won't be a disaster, but we'll have missed out on a chance to place three other candidates that seem clearly better to me. That seems unlikely, though, since all the talk here is about Dean, Rosenberg, and Fowler. If Roemer can't make huge inroads here in the South, I'm not sure where he'll find a base of support.
Finally, Leland and Frost. No energy. Few specifics, even less support. Malcolm isn't even here, so it looks like this is a three-way (MAYBE four) race at this point.