Kathy Sullivan, the current chair of the NHDP, send out a report (copied below) containing a report from the ASDC meeting. She talks, cagily, about the various candidates who wish to head the DNC. I particularly like the following quotes:
"This is going to be the most open chair's election in years. There are no clear cut favorites, there is no "insider" candidate gaining traction (despite what you may read on internet blogs)..."
Yeah, those damn internet blogs are always wrong..
Less catty comments in the extended entry...
After a careful hedging, saying that she way impressed by all the cadidates, Sullivan gets to the more interesting parts.
For example: this looks, in a veiled way, promising:
"Many of the Chairs and Vice-Chairs with whom I spoke agree that they would like to have a DNC Chair who is not a "Washington insider," but someone from outside Washington, who will be able to reach out to the so-called red states and purple states, who will stand up to Republicans and will be supportive of the state parties. At the same time, the chairs of the "blue states" also made it clear that in many of our states, the blue is only frosting. For example, while the entire eastern region voted for John Kerry, many of the eastern region states have Republican governors."
And, it looks like the State chairs will try to flex some muscle:
"We agreed that the State Chairs should continue to withhold endorsements for any specific candidate and develop a list of criteria that we are looking for in a DNC Chair. The Chairs were asked to send their suggestions to a committee headed by Art Torres, the Chair of California."
I'm certainly going to send a letter to Ms. Sullivan outlining what I think these criteria should be...
For those still reading, here's the full report:
CHAIR'S REPORT
Kathy Sullivan
As many of you know, the term of the current DNC Chair, Terry McAuliffe, ends in February. The candidates to succeed the Chairman appeared at the Association of State Democratic Chairs meeting this past weekend. Given the interest in the chair's race, I thought I should give you a report on what is happening at the National Party level.
The current candidates are former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, former Michigan Governor James Blanchard, outgoing Texas Congressman Martin Frost, former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, former Clinton White House Deputy Chief of Staff Harold Ickes, President of the New Democratic Network Simon Rosenberg, and long time Democratic activist and campaign strategist, Don Fowler, Jr. (not to be confused with his father, former DNC Chair Don Fowler). This is going to be the most open chair's election in years. There are no clear cut favorites, there is no "insider" candidate gaining traction (despite what you may read on internet blogs), and at this point, no one has a clue as to who is going to win this election. However, for various reasons, I am impressed by all the candidates.
The candidates participated in a panel discussion. After each candidate gave five minute opening remarks, the press was asked to leave, and a closed session was held where the members of the ASDC were able to ask the candidates questions. The questions covered what each candidate had done to strengthen his state or local party, how they would empower state chairs to develop message, providing financial resources to the state parties, proposed strategy for Latino voters, proposed strategy for religious voters, increasing grass roots participation, financial assistance to non-targeted red state parties, ensuring integrity in the voting process, a rural America strategy, and the proposed Fowler Amendments to the DNC Bylaws (which are discussed below).
After the panel concluded, the general consensus was that this is an excellent group of candidates. Many of the Chairs and Vice-Chairs with whom I spoke agree that they would like to have a DNC Chair who is not a "Washington insider," but someone from outside Washington, who will be able to reach out to the so-called red states and purple states, who will stand up to Republicans and will be supportive of the state parties. At the same time, the chairs of the "blue states" also made it clear that in many of our states, the blue is only frosting. For example, while the entire eastern region voted for John Kerry, many of the eastern region states have Republican governors.
We agreed that the State Chairs should continue to withhold endorsements for any specific candidate and develop a list of criteria that we are looking for in a DNC Chair. The Chairs were asked to send their suggestions to a committee headed by Art Torres, the Chair of California. This whole process, however, is very fluid. More candidates may come forward, and several State Chairs are not running for reelection, including the Chairs of Iowa, North Carolina, Maine, and Vermont. Some new Chairs have just taken office. But I do know that the State Chairs and Vice -Chairs are united in their desire to elect the best possible candidate for the entire Democratic Party.
The Chairs and Vice-Chairs make up about 25% of the full Democratic National Committee. The DNC itself will be holding four regional sessions for its members, to give the rest of the DNC membership the opportunity to hear from all of these candidates. I would encourage anyone who has an interest in the DNC election to maintain an open mind with respect to all of the various candidates. I know I want to hear more specifics from each of the candidates with respect to their plans for both 2006 and 2008, their plans to develop a means for horizontal and vertical communication within the party, and their strategies to expand the map.
An item that has not received as much publicity as the chair's race is a proposal by former DNC Chair, Don Fowler of South Carolina (not the Don Fowler, Jr. who is running this year) to amend the DNC bylaws. Currently, the DNC has 75 at large members, all of whom are selected by the Chairman of the DNC. Many of the at large members are concentrated in the Washington, D.C. area. Don's proposal would reduce the number of at large appointments made by the Chair from 75 to 25. The 50 member reduction would then be reallocated to the four regional caucuses of the DNC (eastern, western, mid-western, and southern). Specific affirmative action goals would be required, to insure that historically under represented groups would be more fully empowered in our party.
Don also proposes to change the provision of the Democratic Party charter that restricts participation in the nominating process and participation as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention to Democrats only. Under his proposal, it would be up to each state to determine whether non-Democrats would be allowed to participate in the delegate selection and nominating process.
The ASDC voted to support these proposals, which will be submitted to the full DNC at its meeting in February.
As I hear more developments about the national chair's race, I will let you know! Thank you!