The House Democrats' General

This is an interesting article I read in the airport about Rahm Emmanuel, who orchestrated the Democrats' takeover of the House (WARNING: Adult Language). Ryan Lizza, a senior editor at The New Republic (and who, earlier this year, wrote the devasting profile that started George Allen's decline in Virginia) includes a nice mix of inside political baseball and profile. I have read perviously about the feud that exists between Howard Dean and the Rahm Emmanuel/James Carville/old Clinton staffers. They don't see eye to eye on very much: starting with ideology- Dean's liberalism versus the Clintonites centrism. During this campaign, more practical matters arose in terms of how to run the campaign, and how the DNC (headed by Dean) should spend its money.

Dean believes in his "50-state strategy" focused on rebuilding the state party apparatus. Emmanuel wanted to focus the money more specifically on targeted races they thought they could win. While I think the obvious tension is regrettable, I think both strategies have merit, and make it almost a coach/GM argument from sports. Rahm's win-this-election-right-now versus Dean's long-term approach. Although, for the short-term, the Democrats can win withoutmuch of the country, I would argue. Some of those 50 states just may not be our pond to fish in. See Thomas Schaller's Whistling Past Dixie here for details (on my reading list, but not have not read yet).