Dean v. Vilsack [UPDATE]
Kos says the DNC chair position seems to be heading to a showdown between Howard Dean and Tom Vilsack, Iowa's Governor. This is a classic change vs. more of the same decision. Vilsack would preserve Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus system, and pave the way for another Kerry run, while Dean would fundamentally change the landscape of Democratic politics, and finally usher out the end of the Clinton cronyism at work in the Party structure (without Bill himself at the helm, they seem like a less talented bunch). After 3 straight stinging general elections, it's time for a change.

Could it be a disaster? Could it shore up the Democratic base at the expense of moderates? Sure. But it's never been the Party chair's job to appeal to the broad population. That's what candidates are for. Besides, what do we have to lose? How much worse could it get? Imagine what Republicans will do to us when they actually run a man who is not a horrible candidate with a decidedly failing record.

Sadly, this position is voted on by a handful of privileged Democrats, about 450 of them. Why not let every citizen who gave a contribution to the DNC have a vote? I'm always getting mail telling my I'm a member of the DNC, thanks to the 25 bucks I sent a long time ago (that contribution has probably come nowhere near paying for all the useless mail I've gotten since). Why not let me have a vote in who leads the Party? 450 officials in a meeting in February sounds like the way Republicans would do it.

[UPDATE] There is a list of all DNC members who will be voting here. I was incorrect in the comments about who gets to vote. In TN, at least, the Governor and Democratic congresspeople are not on the list. It is other Party/elected officials.