Howard Dean Puts His Foot In It Again

Attention Democratic Party powerbrokers: call CostCo FAST and order a big box of duct tape and use all of it on Howard Dean’s mouth:

Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, unapologetic in the face of recent criticism that he has been too tough on his political opposition, said in San Francisco this week that Republicans are “a pretty monolithic party. They all behave the same. They all look the same. It’s pretty much a white Christian party.”

“The Republicans are not very friendly to different kinds of people,” Dean said Monday, responding to a question about diversity during a forum with minority leaders and journalists. “We’re more welcoming to different folks, because that’s the type of people we are. But that’s not enough. We do have to deliver on things: jobs and housing and business opportunities.”

The comments are another example of why the former Vermont governor, who remains popular with the party’s grassroots, has been a lightning rod for criticism since being elected to head the Democratic National Committee last February. His comments last week that Republicans “never made an honest living in their lives,” which he later clarified to say Republican “leaders,” were disavowed by leading Democrats including Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

These kinds of comments will certainly bring cries of “Right on! Finally we have a Democrat who lets ‘er rip!” from the already convinced. But they will utterly fail to build bridges to GOPers who are upset with how social conservatives are taking over their party because the bottom line is that most Republicans don’t feel the takeover is complete yet.

Also: this kind of comment basically stereotypes a whole party which again is what partisans may believe but the DNC party chair’s job isn’t to just appeal to partisans. He is supposed to help BUILD the party. And that means adding to its numbers, not just reinforcing what’s there.

Dean is preaching to the choir — and scaring away part of his audience.