Tuesday, June 01, 2004
The Case for Tom Daschle
As far as I'm concerned, the most important Senate race in 2004 will be the contest for Tom Daschle's seat in South Dakota, profiled here by the Washington Post.
Daschle is facing a strong competitor - the state's former representative John Thune, who was narrowly defeated in a Senate race two years ago. Thune is running hard and is only trailing by two points - 49-47 in a recent poll (this in a state more pro-Bush than Texas). Thune is getting serious help from the national GOP - Majority Leader Frist visited South Dakota lately in a major breach of protocol.
The White House is obsessed with Daschle. It was two years ago when they feared he'd run for president. It remains so because they correctly regard him as a very dangerous adversary. Daschle avoids the pitfalls of leadership, he has always avoided the hazards of the loud, provocative Newt Gingrich style of party leadership. But once he engages, he is a very committed and capable adversary. He and his lieutenant, Harry Reid of Nevada, successfully masterminded the defection of Jim Jeffords three years ago. Daschle's masterful leadership of the Democratic caucus has been responsible for the successful blocking of a number of judicial nominees.
His almost shy, soft-spoken style has made him a better legislative leader than a national leader. When Howard Dean ran against the party leadership, he certainly included Daschle in that category. Rank and file Dems are not as appreciative of Daschle as they should be, undervaluing his capable leadership of the part, and seeking a more avowedly liberal profile for their party leadership. But the loss of his leadership would be a disaster for the Senate Democrats and for the party as a whole. Tom Daschle is remarkably liberal for a South Dakota senator, and his party leadership reflects his awareness of the dilemmas of Democrats from moderate or conservative states. If the Democratic Party could only win in liberal states, it would be lucky to have 35 Senate seats, never mind the current 48.
I know that the readers of this blog tend to be liberals. If you feel like contributing to John Kerry, consider doing something to help Tom Daschle, whether now or later in the campaign season. Here's a link to his campaign website. I'll be doing what I can to help, and following the South Dakota race right here.
As far as I'm concerned, the most important Senate race in 2004 will be the contest for Tom Daschle's seat in South Dakota, profiled here by the Washington Post.
Daschle is facing a strong competitor - the state's former representative John Thune, who was narrowly defeated in a Senate race two years ago. Thune is running hard and is only trailing by two points - 49-47 in a recent poll (this in a state more pro-Bush than Texas). Thune is getting serious help from the national GOP - Majority Leader Frist visited South Dakota lately in a major breach of protocol.
The White House is obsessed with Daschle. It was two years ago when they feared he'd run for president. It remains so because they correctly regard him as a very dangerous adversary. Daschle avoids the pitfalls of leadership, he has always avoided the hazards of the loud, provocative Newt Gingrich style of party leadership. But once he engages, he is a very committed and capable adversary. He and his lieutenant, Harry Reid of Nevada, successfully masterminded the defection of Jim Jeffords three years ago. Daschle's masterful leadership of the Democratic caucus has been responsible for the successful blocking of a number of judicial nominees.
His almost shy, soft-spoken style has made him a better legislative leader than a national leader. When Howard Dean ran against the party leadership, he certainly included Daschle in that category. Rank and file Dems are not as appreciative of Daschle as they should be, undervaluing his capable leadership of the part, and seeking a more avowedly liberal profile for their party leadership. But the loss of his leadership would be a disaster for the Senate Democrats and for the party as a whole. Tom Daschle is remarkably liberal for a South Dakota senator, and his party leadership reflects his awareness of the dilemmas of Democrats from moderate or conservative states. If the Democratic Party could only win in liberal states, it would be lucky to have 35 Senate seats, never mind the current 48.
I know that the readers of this blog tend to be liberals. If you feel like contributing to John Kerry, consider doing something to help Tom Daschle, whether now or later in the campaign season. Here's a link to his campaign website. I'll be doing what I can to help, and following the South Dakota race right here.
