Howard Dean is leaving after the elections?

[Hawkeye-X]

Is this true? My heart would be broken if it is. He's pulled the Democratic Party together and pulled it back to the left away from the DLC shills.

If it is true, can someone post a link?

Hawkeye-X

[gateley]

1. What do you mean "leaving"?

What did you hear?

[Hawkeye-X]

5. All I heard was that Dean was leaving the chairmanship after this term.

I'm not sure if that's true. If that rumor is debunked, I'd be glad.

Hawkeye-X

[dkf]

2. I think Madfloridian had something on this.

[Robbien]

3. His term is up

The Democratic party can ask him to do a second term.

[rurallib]

9. I believe WHEN Obama becomes president (or any other Dem)

the chair of the DNC is usually handpicked by said president.

[housewolf]

10. Hmmm... not so sure about that...

I think the DNC members elect their chairperson. I know that's been the case in recent years but I can't say for sure what happened during the Clinton administration.

There were 5 or 6 contenders in 2004, they had to lobby to gain supporters and Dean is the one who won.

[rurallib]

14. We didn't have a president. President is the key word

and they go through the formalities of an election, but a President has a huge say.

[Warpy]

13. Well, he sure as hell won't be asked by Clinton

to do another term. We'll be back to having the DLC drive state parties into bankruptcy.

[BOSSHOG]

4. I have not heard that

but I believe there would be some reshuffling after the election when the next president will have a great deal of influence in who has that job. I would not blame him for just walking away from the post next year. I do agree he has done a fine job of herding the cats.

[patrice]

6. What has been the average tenure of past chairs? One? Two? terms. nt

[WatchWhatISay]

7. The media will blame him for dividing the party

They do not like him

[whistle]

8. Leaving for where?

[housewolf]

11. It's a 4-year term

and in recent years both the heads of the DNC & the RNC are replace after the inauguration.

I don't know if they are term-limited or if it's just tradition. I can't remember when someone served for more than 1 full-presidential election cycle.

Often, if their party wins, they are brought into the administration.

[GetTheRightVote]

12. though he would be missed as chair it would be nice to have him in admin

and he would deserve to be promoted after getting the party where they are today !!

[UTUSN]

15. Well, he made us competitive in Montana, Idaho, and ALL dose places!1 n/t

[1620rock]

17. Dean leaving? ...good riddance.

[FogerRox]

19. Maybe I'll run, I love kick repub ass

[mitchtv]

16. If he is replaced by Harold Ford

I'm no longer a Dem

[Hippo_Tron]

18. DNC Chair becomes a powerless figurehead picked by the President when we control the White House

As much as we like Dean it makes no sense for him to have him there just to take marching orders from Obama's White House Political Director.

[alfredo]

21. In many ways Obama is using a style similar to what the DFA is

promoting. There could be a chance he'd get behind someone agreeable to us. If not, we'll get behind someone else and make a lot of noise.

[Hippo_Tron]

22. Again, it really doesn't matter who the DNC Chair is once Obama is President

When Obama becomes President he becomes the leader of the party. He is the one who has the ultimate say over how the party machinery runs, although most of that is delegated to underlings. But he still makes all of the decisions and the party chair does whatever Obama tells him to do.

DNC Chair is just the guy that goes and grovels for money and goes on TV to attack Republicans when the President wants to stay above the fray.

[alfredo]

25. I don't care who gets the position, as long as they don't mess

with success.

Schwinn Bicycle believed that if you sold the first bike to a person, they will more than likely be return customers. That's what we are doing now and it is the right thing to do. Young voters may not have much impact now, but they will over the years. We are selling them the first bicycle and look forward to cultivating a long relationship. Let's hope our new party leaders understand that.

[Eric J in MN]

24. But John McCain may be the next president.

Then we'll need Howard Dean as DNC Chair.

[DainBramaged]

26. Blasphemy

[Hippo_Tron]

27. Then he can seek a second term as DNC Chair, since the DNC members will decide if we lose

But hopefully that will not happen.

[alfredo]

20. Here's the thing. It was people power that put Dean where he is

right now. Our support tipped the scale in his direction. The DLC types have never liked Dean or his 50 state strategy. We need to find out, who he would want to succeed him. Then we should get behind this person just like we did for Dean.

[ElkHunter]

23. rurallib is correct...

...when a Democrat is sitting in the Oval Office the President has considerable influence as to who chairs the DNC. For instance, it is no coincidence that the former DNC chair, Terry Mcauliffe, was a friend of the Clinton's and now is a top official in Hillary's campaign.

That said, I like to hope that a President Obama would ask Dean to stay on as DNC chair - unless, of course, Obama appointed him as Surgeon General with a mandate to head a national health insurance task force (I like to dream big).