Donnie Fowler on MyDD: Can He Pass Our "Budweiser Test"?

In Jerome's "Cattle Call" thread, I made a reference to Donnie Fowler's plans for life after potentially losing the DNC Chair campaign, mentioning that the Sacramento scuttlebutt was that he would return to Silicon Valley --- a decision I perhaps overzealously likened to "cutting and running" from the Party.

As is his habit, Donnie didn't send an underling to MyDD to answer the charge. He answered it himself directly:  


>SNIP<
In fact, if I do not get to be DNC Chair (and things are looking better every day for my campaign) then I would like to return to my home in the Bay Area.  But I will by no means "check out".
>SNIP<

by donnie on Tue Jan 25th, 2005 at 11:25:25 PM EST

 

What I wrote in reply is on the flip...

Donnie --- appreciate the direct reply. One thing that can be said for your candidacy is that you actually have the balls to come on MyDD often to engage the netroots. Serious points for you (imagine Frost or Roemer coming to our blog 'hood to mix it up with the locals?).

Should you lose the race for DNC Chair, I hope you reconsider your decision to return to high tech. The party needs you full-time, and I'm sure the new Chair would love to have you on board. You pass the "Budweiser Test" in the South, so we certainly don't need you hobnobbing on the wine-and-cheese circuit in Silicon Valley. And, if Dean (my choice) becomes Chair, he's going to need your help figuring out how in the hell he's actually going to appeal to "guys with confederate flags on the back of their pickup trucks".  

OK --- I've got two questions for you, if you have the testicular fortitude to answer them:  

  1. To date, you've framed yourself as the "alternative to Dean" (as opposed to the "anti-Dean") ready to "run right up the middle" of a potential Dean/Frost murder-suicide. So, along the spectrum of both "reform" and "ideology," do you see yourself as more of an ally of Dean OR Frost? (pick one; no wiggle room allowed).

  2. And, speaking of Howard, you guys seemed pretty chummy at the Sacto Caucus. Lots of laughs and snark, it would appear, especially after Roemer got the "red cards" (I'm sure you know what I'm talking about). Not that this means diddly, but it got me thinking: If Dean takes the DNC Chair, would you get on board the Dean Team, if called to duty?

Now, before the rest of you question my naivete for asking a "born politician" such nakedly direct questions that he predictably won't answer in a public forum, let's give Donnie a chance to pass OUR "Budweiser Test".

Maybe he'll prove that's he's really a straight-shooter worthy of being our party spokesperson. And, if he does answer these Q's, maybe he'll answer yours as well, if you've got them (could be a proxy for how interested/disinterested the blogosphere is in Donnie's candidacy)...

That said, Donnie, what say you?


Display:


Paging Mr. Fowler... (none / 0)

Donnie?
by Fiat Lux on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 07:16:04 AM EST

sounds good to me (none / 0)

If Donnie is going to go the the Bay, instead of DC, if he were not to win, that would be a good thing, not a bad thing, to me anyway, it's becoming a counter-balance to DC anyway.
by Jerome Armstrong on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 09:25:01 AM EST

Re: sounds good to me (none / 0)

I think it depends on what Donnie wants to do.

For someone with his talent, the stakes are too high in the Party and in this country to sit on the sidelines. So, if he's going back to Silicon Valley to make connections that can help the Democratic Party, fine. But if it's for reasons that are bit more self-aggrandandizing, well, that's a shame.

And that's why I support Howard Dean for DNC Chair. I know, no matter what, that he's going to work to reform and revitalize the Party 365/24/7 even if he loses the election. If he wanted to make a fast buck, like so many other politicians, he'd be out on the lecture circuit right now raking it in... instead of making chump change working his ass off for democracy.

by Fiat Lux on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 09:39:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Er... (none / 0)

er, "self-aggrandizing"
by Fiat Lux on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 09:42:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]

My questions (none / 0)

"Dean had the oranges but he couldn't make orange juice."  I heard this quote attributed to you.  If this is true, please explain what you meant.

"I have nine [endorsements], and I picked up two more this weekend at the western DNC meeting. ... It's not Frost and Dean. I'm going to run right up the middle. We've got an anti-Dean. We've got a Dean, and we have an alternative to Dean. Someone who's been in the fight, in the trenches with state parties."

So how many grassroots volunteers can you call on right now?  How do you propose to inspire others to volunteer for the party?

I've been to your web site.  I've read your plan for a new DNC yet you provide no strategies on how you plan to achieve all these wonderful objectives.

An interesting aside, this caught my eye:
Establish Clear Job Descriptions / Hold Staff & Consultants Accountable
know who gets credit for success, blame for the shortfalls

"Blame" is an interesting choice of words. Does that include you?

I like to think I've read as much as I can about each candidate but I'm not convinced I should support you over the rest of the field.

by KimPossible on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 09:33:41 AM EST

Donnie posted on the Cattle Call Thread (none / 0)


"into your illusion, i make my intrusion"
by fng on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 11:36:20 AM EST

Good questions, Fiat Lux (none / 0)

Great questions for DNC chairs who want to be "alternative-to-Dean" candidates.
by MadProfessah on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 01:47:18 PM EST


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