With DNC Chairman Howard Dean leaving his post at the end of this year, there's been some concern that his signature (and initially unpopular) 50-state strategy may be leaving with him. True, most of establishment Democrats had come around to the idea after the gains of 2006, and the Obama campaign has emphasized it as well. Now, even more worry can dissipate. In a fundraising e-mail sent out by potential-DNC Chair David Plouffe, the campaign says this:
The DNC's 50-state field strategy was crucial to our campaign's success, as well as victories for Democrats up and down the ballot. Their organizing infrastructure allowed us to compete -- and win -- in states that seemed insurmountable just four years ago.
Admittedly, if you wanted to retire DNC debt, the best message for your fundraising ask is going to be something that gets the netroots excited, like the 50-state strategy. But now there's a positive statement about the plan on the record, so progressives can expect a similarly broad organizing effort from the next DNC Chair -- or demand accountability if that doesn't happen.
-- Tim Fernholz
