Print Page

THURSDAY'S EDITORIAL

Dean visit to S.C. won't help Democrats

THE ISSUE: Howard Dean visit to S.C.

OUR OPINION: GOP anxious to link national leader with state party

Howard Dean will be remembered for what he said and did in defeat. Some believe his fiery words vowing to fight on in every state gave Americans the appearance that he could not deal with defeat in the Iowa caucuses. After being billed as a frontrunner for months in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, Dean was never much of a factor after that night. John Kerry cruised to the nomination.

Today, Dean is spending time trying to reinvigorate a Democratic Party that has suffered major electoral defeats in recent times. He's been among those saying the party must find new constituencies if it is to re-emerge with electoral majorities. He's even echoed the reasoning that Southern states are a key, with no Democrat having a real chance to win a national race unless he or she can make some inroads into states that have been trending increasingly Republican.

But whether Howard Dean is more hindrance than help in the South is a real question. With a trip to South Carolina pending this month, Dean is the target of an intense Republican campaign focusing on recent quotes and his track record. There is every effort to link Dean with the state party.

For his part, S.C. Democratic leader Joe Erwin is being put in the position of defending the visit by his national party leader. That can't be what he'd hoped for.

Erwin on Friday found himself addressing quotes by Dean about the Republican Party. He said he doesn't agree with Dean.

Dean recently described the GOP as "pretty much a white, Christian party" and said many Republicans "never made an honest living."

"I did tell him in a note that the comment about white Christians and Republicans concerned me," Erwin told The Associated Press.

"I'm trying to recruit white Christians for the Democrat Party, and we are recruiting — white Christians and African-American Christians and people of all faiths and races," he said. "We don't need to ostracize anybody."

Erwin is right that the visit by Dean probably won't hurt the party in its present situation. "I don't think it hurts because the people who will turn out are activist Democrats who are fans of Howard Dean."

But that is the problem. The activist Democrats are not nearly enough to put the party back in a position of power in the state. Those people who are turned off by Howard Dean, and those who will find fault in his assessment of Republicans, are the very people the Democrats need to attract back to the fold.

"I don't think it's hurtful," Erwin said. "We are South Carolina Democrats confident of our value system. We're in a more conservative state. Howard Dean knows that, you know that, and I know that."

And so do Republicans anxious to make it very clear that Dean is coming to South Carolina.