DNC Chairman Howard Dean says that although Obama has been accused of killing campaign finance reform, his ability to solicit small donations directly from people took power away from special interest groups, which was the original intention of campaign finance reform (0:44).
Although RNC chairman Robert Duncan described his attitude about the previous night’s election results as hurting too much to laugh but being too big to cry, he nevertheless made an effort to find the bright side in Obama’s landslide victory.
“While it was a difficult night for Republican candidates, it was a historic night for the republican party. The election of America’s first black President… has realized the vision of a color-blind society that first inspired the Republican party,” Duncan said during a National Press Club discussion with DNC Chairman Howard Dean that touched on the United States’ current political trajectory, the preceding election season and campaign finance reform.
Duncan dismissed the notion of a mandate for the democratic party, and pointed to Obama’s support for offshore drilling, merit pay for teachers, a tax cut for 95% of Americans.
“Put simply, Barack Obama just ran the most successful moderate Republican campaign since Dwight Eisenhower”.
Duncan described the political situation that Obama will be facing as president, saying that Obama will be heading a center-left party but presiding over a population that is still center-right on most issues. Duncan raised the specter of Newt Gingrich and Ronald Reagan, warning that an attempt to move the agenda to the left would result in a Republican victory in the mid-term elections.
Dean disagreed with Duncan’s assertion that the country is right leaning and said that Obama’s victory meant that there was a mandate.
“I don’t think this is a center-right country…we did a lot of polling when I first became Chairman. It turns out that most people in Nebraska, not exactly known for being a very liberal state, actually agreed with democratic positions more than they agreed with Republican positions if you put them in the words of each party.”
Both chairmen discussed campaign spending, with Duncan claiming that the only transformational aspect of the Obama campaign was the way it will affect the financing of future presidential campaigns.
“Presidential campaign financing as we know it died last night. No major candidate will ever submit to public funding restrictions,” said Duncan.
” Less than two election cycles ago since the passage of campaign finance reform, the system has failed…the result is a campaign finance system far less transparent, less accountable, and more vulnerable for corruption.”
Dean countered that the Obama campaign’s ability to raise small donations was a form of campaign finance reform in its own right.
“I think the president-elect ought to get credit for the inspiration that he gave to the American people who were willing to give 5 and 10 at a time averaging 86 dollars per donation. That is campaign finance reform. That is putting politics back in the hands’ of individuals and taking it out of special interests’ hands.”
Duncan brought up the future of the Republican party, describing how the RNC was poised to make an effort to better address their voters concerns. Duncan said that one way this this will be done is through an online forum titled Republican for a Reason.
DNC Chairman Dean says though the democratic primaries were long, voters must remember that the election is not about Obama and Clinton but working to end Bush-McCain policies that have damaged the United States, saying that the Democratic Party will be unified by the election. (1:09)
Support for democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama was expressed during a news conference held by the Democratic National Committee. DNC Chairman Howard Dean thanked former democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for bringing inspiration to the democratic primaries and motivating millions of voters to vote for the Democratic Party. This gratitude was echoed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), saying that it is now clear that the United States is ready to have a woman president.
Pelosi and Dean emphatically stated that electing republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain would be comparable to a third Bush term. Dean said that McCain has voted with Pres. Bush’s policies 95 percent of the time, a higher percentage than any other senator has. Pelosi said that economic stability has been “sucked out of our economy,” by the top one percent of the United States due to Bush’s economic policies, causing the middle and lower class to fall behind. Pelosi said that McCain would continue to support these destructive procedures through taxes that support the wealthy. Pelosi repeatedly stated, “We do not need four more years.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) described the climate in the Senate as “surreal,” saying that republicans have disrupted debate on topics that are crucial to Americans like gas prices, renewable energy, and torture. Reid said Obama will lead the United States in a new, needed direction and that McCain is a “flawed candidate.”
Speakers strongly stated that Obama will win in November will be attributed to Americans’ dissatisfaction with republican policies. Despite a long primary election, Chairman Dean said he has “every confidence” that the party will unite. Pelosi added that woman and blue-collar voters, two demographics that voted strongly for Hillary Clinton, have the most to benefit from Obama and the most to lose from McCain.
James Dean (that’s brother of the DNC’s Howard) is carrying out his brother’s vision at Democracy for America organizing people to become involved at the local level. (6:42)
