Yesterday evening I received a follow-up survey via e-mail from the Democratic National Committee, presumably as a result of donations I made. I question whether this type of thing is taken any more seriously than the "quality surveys" at your local auto dealer, but just I case I took some time to set out my thoughts...
Q: Do you have any other thoughts or comments [for the Democratic National Committee]?
My answer:
There are going to have to be some significant changes in the Democratic Party leadership and structure before I will assist again (and, I suspect, before a Democratic candiate for President wins again).
Basically, the entire current leadership needs to be replaced - they are too comfortable in Washington DC, too comfortable in the halls of power, do not have any strong message or vision, and in general give the impression that they are content to hold nice $200,000/year jobs at the top of the losing party. Unfortunately, out here in flyover country we are going to feel the real effects of the Bush Administration II, and we don't have cushy party jobs to hold us over.
Perhaps it was necessary to run Howard Dean off the road during the primaries; I don't know. Perhaps John Kerry really was "electable". But from where I sat the Democratic Party leadership ran a good, solid 1950s-style campaign. Unfortunately, we aren't in the 1950s anymore and there is no base of union organizers and whips to draw on. The Democratic candidate must have strong positive ideas and a single, strong positive message.
I suggest you call in Markos Moulitsas and Duncan Black and have a long, hard, difficult discussion about what went wrong, why, and what can be done differently next time. A discussion in which the (new) party leadership does most of the LISTENING, not talking.
And one specific point: don't even think about Hillary Clinton in 2008. Someone has to have the hard talk with the Big Dog and give him the bad news; perhaps Terry could do that on his way out.
sPh