A Deaniac view

Here's another take on last week's meeting of Democracy for Wisconsin, the group that grew out of Howard Dean's presidential campaign. The group's planned endorsement of Jeff Rammelt for chair of the state Democratic Party went awry when supporters of the other candidate, Joe Wineke, showed up in force. (See April 9 post, "The Democrats and the Deaniacs.")

This from a DfW participant, who asked to remain anonymous:

Just though I'd share my opinion, as one of the leaders of Democracy for Wisconsin, about our meeting last Wednesday. The one that Joe Wineke invaded.

It was a disaster. For Wineke.

The Wineke people told us well in advance that they were coming, so we were ready. We decided to trade our little endorsement, which wasn't really worth much, for publicity. That Cap Times reporter wasn't there by accident.

We had three goals. First, to bring as much attention as we could to a race that everyone assumed Joe Wineke was going to win by default. Second, to destroy Wineke's claim that he supports, and is supported by, the grassroots. And third, to stir up a little grassroots rebellion within the DPW.

While we're just getting started on the third, the first two were pretty damn successful. And we're not done yet. There will be a lot more coming out soon in the Cap Times, and we're working on other mainstream media and keeping up the pressure on the web.

We feel we did pretty well for a small bunch of naive grassroots political amateurs going up against Governor Doyle's surrogate and the Dem party establishment. No regrets on our part.

The unanswered question: What is the long-range goal? "Stirring up a little grassroots rebellion within the DPW" could be healthy, but is not an end in itself. And if Wineke is elected at the state convention, it will be because he does have support from grassroots, activist Dems. That's who goes to those conventions -- the same people who voted in straw polls for the candidates they thought were the most liberal -- Tom Barrett for governor(twice) and Barbara Lawton for LtGov. Jim Doyle and the "establishment," whoever that is, have never owned that convention.

While claiming victory, the DfW people aren't claiming Wineke won't win, only that they've dirtied him up a little. If there is a point to that effort, I have trouble seeing it.