Deaniacs

Over the past year or so, I've signed up for a number of political listservs - including the White House email list, the Republican National Committee, the Democratic National Committee, and John Kerry's personal list.

John Kerry sends email begging for help with congressional races. The RNC sends donation requests. The White House sends a "week in review" and wanted me to help celebrate Bush's 60th birthday. However, the DNC sends the most unique emails of all.

If you don't know, the Democratic party, as elections are approaching, are at war with themselves. There are three factions - the Netroots, the establishment, and the Deaniacs.

The establishment wants the status quo: they're pushing to support Democratic congressmen in the usual battleground states. The netroots believe that the American people have rejected the Democratic party because they are not liberal enough. This means that they are adamantly supporting far-left candidates in an attempt to more fully liberalize the party. One of their major ploys is to beat Joe Lieberman and other conservative or moderate Democrats.

The Deaniacs are on a whole other page. Dean believes that the recent problems the administration and Republican party is having will usher in a new era of nationwide Democratic control. Therefore, Dean is ignoring the DNC establishment and raising money and resources for all Democrats in all states, including Nevada, Mississippi, and North Dakota. Deaniacs are similar to the Netroots in that they also believe that only liberal Democrats should be supported and that vicious anti-Bush and anti-Republican rhetoric should be used.

Here are some catchphrases from a recent Dean email:

"...right-wing extremists who control the Republican Congress..."
"It's despicable, it's wrong, and we need to stop it..."
"...reject this shameful bill..."
"This isn't responsible government -- and we're not going to take it."
"This is the kind of sad, twisted game that the Republican-controlled Congress has played for years."
"I'm tired of a do-nothing Republican Congress that plays games with people's lives."

Dean believes that not only can his party take control of the congress unilaterally this year, but that the more severe the rhetoric and the more firm the accusations the more Democrats will join his calling.

I think he's probably going to be wrong.