Howard Dean chosen as DNC head because of his “electability”
In a strange parallel to the selection of John Kerry as Democratic presidential candidate in 2004, the DNC today selected Howard Dean to be the Party’s new chairman, despite the reservations of many Democrats, because he was deemed the most electable candidate:
Democratic leaders, who were initially wary of a Dean chairmanship, started embracing his leadership after it became apparent he was strong enough to claim the job. Several high-profile Democrats considering a bid for chairman backed out of the race.
There is a logic to choosing leaders on the basis of who is least-worst. It begins with the elimination of candidates who have positions that are unacceptable to core constituencies of the Party, for example, Joe Lieberman in 2004 and Tim Roemer as DNC head. It is not an obvious strategy for creating majorities.