Davis: Dean spells trouble for Republicans
In the Seattle Times today, former King County GOP chair Reed Davis (who was also a Senate hopeful last year running against George Nethercutt) writes about Howard Dean's ascendancy to Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Davis, who is also a professor at Seattle Pacific University and a great believer in political parties, has a message for his fellow Republicans: Stop celebrating the fact that Howard Dean won the race for DNC chair.
I've personally had the opportunity to listen to Reed Davis speak about political parties and why people shouldn't be afraid to belong to a political party. While our political views are very much different from one another's - Reed is a traditional conservative - he is still a very good speaker and very knowledgeable. He's one of the few Republicans I can respect and admire.
An excerpt from his column:
Anyone who has followed Howard Dean's campaign for the Presidency knows he is inspirational and charismatic, and willing to stand up for what he believes in.
Republicans are quick to denounce Dean, trying to tell Democrats to stay away from him. Republicans say this because they're afraid of what Howard would do if he takes control. And now that he has, Republicans are in big trouble, as Reed Davis points out.
From the very beginning, NPI has strongly supported Howard Dean: through his presidential campaign and then in the race for DNC Chair, we were always behind him. And as long as Democrats stand behind Chairman Dean, we will be able to move forward and go the necessary distance to take back this country.
Even Reed Davis recognizes that.
Davis, who is also a professor at Seattle Pacific University and a great believer in political parties, has a message for his fellow Republicans: Stop celebrating the fact that Howard Dean won the race for DNC chair.
I've personally had the opportunity to listen to Reed Davis speak about political parties and why people shouldn't be afraid to belong to a political party. While our political views are very much different from one another's - Reed is a traditional conservative - he is still a very good speaker and very knowledgeable. He's one of the few Republicans I can respect and admire.
An excerpt from his column:
NOW that Howard Dean has ascended to the chairmanship of the Democrat National Committee, Republicans are high-fiving one another with such mad glee that you'd think Democrats had just nominated Dennis Kucinich to run in 2008. The GOP needs to sit back down, recork the champagne and get back to work. Whether they know it or not, Republicans need to understand that Dean spells trouble for the Republican Party. Big trouble.Davis goes on to talk about Dean's many talents: his ability to raise money, wisely spend that money, and connect with the party's grassroots activists by listening.
Republicans may think that the nomination of Dean is hysterically funny — a scream, in fact, as George Will recently put it — but they are deluding themselves if they think Dean is nothing more than a wild-eyed ideologue with a temper and a cult following.
Dean brings three talents to the chairmanship that can potentially sink not just a GOP presidential candidate in 2008 but the Republican-controlled House and maybe even the Senate well before then.
Anyone who has followed Howard Dean's campaign for the Presidency knows he is inspirational and charismatic, and willing to stand up for what he believes in.
Republicans are quick to denounce Dean, trying to tell Democrats to stay away from him. Republicans say this because they're afraid of what Howard would do if he takes control. And now that he has, Republicans are in big trouble, as Reed Davis points out.
From the very beginning, NPI has strongly supported Howard Dean: through his presidential campaign and then in the race for DNC Chair, we were always behind him. And as long as Democrats stand behind Chairman Dean, we will be able to move forward and go the necessary distance to take back this country.
Even Reed Davis recognizes that.
