On the other hand how sad a commentary is it on the supposed "power players" in the party that they went down this easy. Really explains a lot about the last four years.

For years they've been ignoring the grassroots and state parties.  Looks like they're now paying the price.

We can't jinx ourselves like last February.

Listen to Chris -- attend your DFA meetup.

(So sorry for posting OT here, but I didn't see an email address in your MyDD profile.)

And on topic:

I know it's completely unlikely that anyone but Dean will be elected chair of the DNC, but I have to admit that I'm still too gun-shy to celebrate yet.  But there will be a huge celebration (at least at my keyboard) on Feb 13th!

Here's a well written item on the DLC:

http://progressivenation.typepad.com/progressive_nation/2005/01/its_time_to_hol.html

Please wait to savor the victory until it is an actual fact.

I don't know well-suited Dean is for the particulars of the job, but I know that he's given a voice to millions of Americans who felt like they had none. If he can bring that spirit to the Dem party, THEN maybe the battle can start. Until now it's just been a kind of lay-down-in-front-of-the-bulldozers resistance effort.

Let the gnashing of teeth and character assassination begin. Again.

That said, the other important thing to think about is that if Dean does in fact become chairman, there is a LOT of work that needs to be done.  Going to Meetup Wednesday night is important.  Working on local elections for 05 and off year elections for 06 are important.  Getting involved with the party as committee members is important.  Staying on top of the media is important.

We have a LOT of work to do.

Let's recap a few things.

1. Unlike in 2000, when the case was much stronger, we actually had some objections ot the vote on the house floor !

2. Rice got herself a grillin' for chillin' over "historical memo's and torture.

3. Abu Gonzales is looking to be about as popular as his predesessor, maybe worse. Dems look to be holding together to vote no. (come on Joe, you can do it !)

4. Social Security destruction, looks like Dems are united in stopping it

5. Getting a reformer into the DNC

6. We fought and won the WA governorship

7. Senate Dems got themselves a big "stick" war room

8. We got out a rebuttal SOTU before the SOTU

9. Dems are learning about message, and talking reform not ideology (for the most part)

Now, if we can just avoid the rapture for the next 2 years, we might have a chance !

My own Senators, Durbin and Obama voted for Rice. I could forgive Obama for racial loyalty, but what's Durbin's excuse?

Now Reid has called off a filibuster against Gonzales because 14 Senators would vote for him. I thought at the core, you only needed one Senator to filibuster, although two or three makes it much easier. So the Senate Minority leader de facto endorses The Torturer along with 14 Zell Millers.

If the Democratic Party supports the architect of the Iraq invasion and Torquemada for AG, then I no longer want anything to do with the Democratic Party. I've had it. I'm not going to waste my time and money working to elect Tweedledee instead of Tweedledum.

I gave my heart and soul to Dean, but I think he should have started a new Party. The entrenched interests will just use him as a Judas goat to get our support then screw him and us just like they did last year.

I will be overjoyed on the 13th should this hold up.

Now stop the victory dance and keep up the pressure.

Walking through that door is up to us. It consists of taking a seat on your local Democratic Committee. It consists of bloggers blogging and keeping a close eye, a shaming eye, on the abdicating media, it consists of us running for office or working for progressive candidates already out there running for office, it consists of us keeping the pressure on Reid and Pelosi and our various other elected officials. It consists of supporting Soon to be Chairman Dean in all his efforts.

Like you Chris, I see this as basically being over. Tip of the cap and a loud cheer for the other candidates but this appears done, baring a miracle in the coming 10 days.

On Feb. 12, assuming all goes according to plan, I will be making my first ever monetary contribution to the DNC shortly after the vote electing Dr. Dean as Chair.

Anyone care to join me?

If Dean can form a party platform that plays well in  all or enough states to grand congressional viability and presenditial viability then he will be remembered as being succesful.

He has the credibility with the left to guide them away from the least popular of their views while using their excitement to force the right wings to get in line on some issues.

If he is pragmatic and able to keep the troops in line he may be able to make a difference.

Barring that what the Dems need is better use of technology and polling.  He can achieve that even if he is very unpopular.

That's okay. Whatever gets you through the night and all that. DNC Chairs normally don't have that much impact on party policy and I'm a bit surpised by how much attention this has gotten. [Of course, since the Dems hold so few offices of import, beggars can't be choosers. At least a Dem was guaranteed to win this race!]

I must say, though, that I'm a bit perplexed about why some bloggers think "the people" or "the grassroots" or "the netroots" [by which they invariably mean people like themselves] are now going to be running the party. I think these people may discover that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Anyway, as a partisan Dem I'll be rooting for Dr Dean to do well in...whatever it is he's going to be doing. At least he won't be running for president.

Seems to me that getting a substantial chunk of support from regional party leaders from all over the nation after being up against some practiced national pols proves that this guy knows how to play the game.  

Dean's smart, articulate, and nobody's fool.  That's good.  What's bad is that the media who played the scream story up are going to be after him -- still and forever.

Meanwhile, what happens to Judy's practice?

A year ago this week we were knocking on doors in Charleston, followed by a year of disappointments. Now we're ready to kick some butt. Question: How can we modify our old Dean banners and use them one more time?

""It's a fait accompli, it's over: Dean's going to be it," said Gerald McEntee, head of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, who runs the umbrella political organization for all the unions in the A.F.L.-C.I.O."

"There were few Democrats in Washington who doubted that Dr. Dean, the former governor of Vermont, was on the verge of taking over the party, with the support of much, though certainly not all, of its establishment. Democrats marveled at how someone who had been viewed as a symbol of some of the excesses of the party - Mr. McEntee described Dr. Dean as "nuts" after he withdrew his endorsement of him in the middle of the presidential campaign - was now on the brink of becoming a face of the opposition to President Bush."

Looks like "the Doctor is in." Of course, we'll believe it when the final vote is counted.