Until someone suggest a better candidate than those already thoroughly discussed on this board (Dean, Rosenberg and Vilsack), my endorsement for DNC Chair is Donna Brazile.
Donna Brazile is a proven strategist, mobilizer, and she's neither a Clintonista nor a DLCer. In fact, her outspokenness has gotten her in trouble quite a few times with the party elders, so she clearly is not beholden to them.
Perhaps she isn't more of a favorite for the job on this board because of her management of the Gore campaign, where she doesn't get anywhere near enough credit for delivering the popular vote (and Florida!) in spite of the campaign's obstacles (including the candidate), and way too much blame for something she had absolutely nothing to do with - Gore's message. Because to me it's clear to any progressive that can resist the urge to blame her for Gore's message, she has long been an advocate for what we view is crucial to building a Democratic majority. For example:
Brazile was the first Washingtonian to suggest our party adopt the Obama rule: "Scour statehouses for young, energetic, inspiring, and emerging leaders with the ability to connect the head and heart."
Brazile was discussing the importance of down-ballot candidates to statewide campaigns and party building long before Dean was a household name and is a zealous supporter of running more minority and women candidates.
Brazile was one of the first, if not the first talking-head Washingtonian to recognize the power of the netroots and blogsphere phenomenon, donating her frequent flyer miles to Dean back in January of 2003.
And Brazile strongly advocates spending less money on media and more on mobilization and party-building, making me believe that if anyone, she can get the party to replicate/integrate the efforts of 527s like ACT.
Equally as important as these and many other reasons to support Brazile for DNC Chair is that she "gets" Southern outreach and church outreach better than any of the other front-runners. She is the only person in the party that has delivered in a tight Southern Senate race post-Election 2000 (Landrieu in 2002), and unlike the other leaders in our party, she didn't need the 2004 exit polls to tell her that our road back to the majority involves framing the progressive agenda in terms of faith. Her understanding of the issue stems not from a Lakoff book, but from her role as a chief strategist in the '84 Jackson campaign and strict Southern Catholic Louisianan upbringing.
Brazile has a record of success, the connections to be effective, is eager to incorporate the netroots, unafraid of challenging the status quo, a progressive, not unbeholden to current party groupthink, wants to spend more money on face-to-face outreach and less on media, gets the South and religious outreach, and as a single black woman with the most humble of humble beginnings she is the face of the Democratic Party.
I am a reform Democrat and I endorse Donna Brazile for Chair of the Democratic National Committee.
UPDATE [2004-11-21 15:45:25 by DWCG]:
As I said below in a reply to James, here's what it comes down to for me. The Republican's 72-hour program has kicked our ass in two consecutive elections. Right now we need something and someone who can help us reclaim a numbers advantage; we're bleeding whites, women, and now apparently Hispanics. Of all the candidates, I really think Brazile would be the one who would take her jet to Shelby County, Tennessee and wouldn't leave until she got all the local bosses on board with an effective strategy that brings a broad coalition together (with the help of the grassroots) to increase our numbers and turn people out. So I say we give the woman the clout and budget she needs to do just that.
All the "Rah, Rah, Rah" talking-head bullshit is just that. Lots of people can do it...all we have to do is give them face time. But as anyone who has worked with Brazile can tell you, she's our party's best manager and organizer. And I think if we're going to reform and reorganize the party (especially at the local level) I think we ought to have a person that's got the skills to do it.
Finding the best spokesperson is much easier, but no where near as important. And besides, last I checked Al Sharpton was busy with his new TV show.